Evaluating the use of a filter/purifier in a spray processor for post-RCA rinsing

摘要

During the manufacture of semiconductor devices, the wafer surface is exposed at numerous process steps to potential sources of contamination, including particles, inorganic ions, and organic residues. To ensure a stable production process, it is necessary to maintain a constant, low baseline surface contamination level. Wet cleans are commonly used to achieve that objective. The effectiveness of a wet clean is determined by three main parameters: its intrinsic contamination level (i.e., the level of contaminants and roughness that is added by the cleaning sequence itself), its capability to remove contaminants and to smooth out surface roughness, and its robustness. A clean is considered robust when it achieves the same low baseline contamination levels on wafers even if high levels of contaminants occasionally appear in the cleaning sequence.