Process for the wet-chemical surface treatment of semiconductor wafers
First Claim
1. A process for wet-chemical surface post-polishing cleaning of semiconductor wafers in a system where aqueous phases containing one or more chemically active substances having a gaseous state in solution chemically act on the surfaces of the said wafers comprising the steps of:
- initially treating the water and the chemically active gaseous substances to reduce the quantity of contamination particles;
introducing an effective amount of the chemically active substances in the gaseous state into the system;
said chemically active substances are selected from the group consisting of the gases of ammonia, hydrogen chloride, hydrogen fluoride, ozone, ozonized oxygen, chlorine and bromine;
introducing water at a temperature of 10°
C. to 90°
C. in the form of a mist into the system containing the semiconductor wafers;
producing said mist by spraying water, feeding water through nozzles or aerosolizing water;
forming the liquid phases chemically acting on the wafer surfaces within the system by the interaction of the gas phase and the mist; and
exposing said wafer surfaces to said chemically acting liquid phases.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A process for the wet-chemical surface treatment of semiconductor wafers in which aqueous phases containing one or more chemically active substances in solution act on the wafer surfaces, consisting of spraying a water mist over the wafer surfaces and then introducing chemically active substances in the gaseous state so that these gaseous substances combine with the water mist so that there is an interaction of the gas phase and the liquid phase taking place on the surface of the semiconductor wafer. Gases such as hydrogen fluoride, chlorine and ozonized oxygen or other halogen gases act on the wafer surfaces between rinsing steps so that when the wafers are dried, the surfaces achieve extremely high cleanliness levels.
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Citations
18 Claims
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1. A process for wet-chemical surface post-polishing cleaning of semiconductor wafers in a system where aqueous phases containing one or more chemically active substances having a gaseous state in solution chemically act on the surfaces of the said wafers comprising the steps of:
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initially treating the water and the chemically active gaseous substances to reduce the quantity of contamination particles; introducing an effective amount of the chemically active substances in the gaseous state into the system;
said chemically active substances are selected from the group consisting of the gases of ammonia, hydrogen chloride, hydrogen fluoride, ozone, ozonized oxygen, chlorine and bromine;introducing water at a temperature of 10°
C. to 90°
C. in the form of a mist into the system containing the semiconductor wafers;producing said mist by spraying water, feeding water through nozzles or aerosolizing water; forming the liquid phases chemically acting on the wafer surfaces within the system by the interaction of the gas phase and the mist; and exposing said wafer surfaces to said chemically acting liquid phases. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7)
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8. A process for wet-chemical surface post-polishing cleaning of semiconductor wafers contained in a closed treatment chamber utilizing water and chemically active gaseous substances, in which chemically active substances comprising hydrogen fluoride, hydrogen chloride, and ozonized oxygen chemically act on said surface of said wafers comprising the steps of:
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initially treating the water and the chemically active gaseous substances to reduce the quantity of contamination particles; spraying a water mist at a temperature of 10°
C. to 90°
C. within the chamber onto the surface of the semiconductor wafers to be treated;producing said mist by spraying water, feeding water through nozzles or aerosolizing water; subsequently introducing an effective amount of hydrogen fluoride gas into the chamber containing the water mist to form hydrofluoric acid on the surface of the wafers; spraying water onto the wafer surfaces to rinse the wafers and, during the spraying of the water, introducing an effective amount of hydrogen chloride gas and ozonized oxygen into the treatment chamber; rinsing the wafers again by spraying water onto the wafer surfaces; reintroducing an effective amount of hydrogen fluoride gas into the treatment chamber containing the water mist; rerinsing the wafers with water; additionally introducing an effective amount of ozonized oxygen into the treatment chamber containing the water mist, for a predetermined time interval; each of said chemically active substances chemically acting on said surface of said wafers; and drying the wafers in the treatment chamber. - View Dependent Claims (9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18)
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Specification