Mitigating Occupational Risk in Nanoscale Semiconductor Manufacturing: Virtual Laboratories Outperform Video Modalities in Specialty Gas Safety Training

Workers at specialty gas facilities producing ultrahigh-purity (UHP) perfluorocarbon etchants─such as hexafluoro-1,3-butadiene (C4F6) for sub-10-nm semiconductor node etching─must master solubility principles to prevent nanoscale process-disrupting contamination. This study evaluates blackboard videos (Bb), animated videos (Manga), and interactive virtual laboratories (vLabs) for training employees (N = 12) on chemical solubility at a UHP gas manufacturer in Taiwan’s Hsinchu Science Park. Using a counterbalanced design, vLabs yielded significantly higher learning outcomes than Bb (p = 0.008; r = 0.77). The instructional sequence significantly impacted overall learning (p = 0.045, η2 = 0.47). These findings offer an evidence-based framework for safer digital training in high-risk nanomaterials manufacturing.