Method of metal oxide thin film cleaning

• US 6,457,479 B1
• Filed: 09/26/2001
• Issued: 10/01/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 09/26/2001
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Sharp Laboratories of America Incorporated (Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Sharp Laboratories of America Incorporated (Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., Ltd.)
• Inventors: Zhang, Fengyan, Hsu, Sheng Teng, Li, Tingkai, Zhuang, Wei-Wei
• Primary Examiner(s): CARRILLO, BIBI SHARIDAN
• Application Number:
  US09/965,581
• Time in Patent Office: 370 Days
• Field of Search: 134/1.1, 134/1, 134/1.2, 134/1.3, 134/2, 134/21, 134/15.2, 134/26, 134/32, 134/34, 134/36, 134/902
• US Class Current: 134/1.3
• CPC Class Codes: B08B 3/12 by sonic or ultrasonic vibrations washing or rinsing machines for crockery or tableware using sonic or ultrasonic waves A47L15/13; of natural teeth, of prostheses using ultrasonic techniques similar to those used for natural teeth A61C17/20; application of ultrasonic vibrations to chemical, physical or physico-chemical processes in general B01J19/10
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/02071 the processing being a delineation, e.g. RIE, of conductive layers
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 134/902 Semiconductor wafer

Abstract

A method of cleaning a metal oxide thin film on a silicon wafer, includes dipping the wafer in an organic solvent; drying the wafer in a nitrogen atmosphere; and stripping any photoresist from the wafer in an oxygen atmosphere under partial vacuum at a temperature of about 200° C. The wafer may also be cleaned by dipping in a polar organic solvent and subjecting the wafer to ultrasound while immersed in the solvent.

Claims

1. A method of removing platinum chloride etching residue from a surface of a silicon wafer comprising the sequential steps of:

a) providing a silicon wafer having a surface comprising photoresist and platinum chloride residue deposited thereon;

b) dipping the silicon wafer in a first polar organic solvent selected from the group consisting of tetrahydrofuran and ether;

then

c) stripping said photoresist from the silicon wafer in an oxygen atmosphere under vacuum at a temperature of about 200°

C.;

then

d) dipping the silicon wafer in a second polar organic solvent to remove any photoresist residue remaining on the surface of the silicon wafer;

then

e) applying ultrasound to the silicon wafer for between about 5 minutes to 20 minutes; and

then

f) drying the silicon wafer in a nitrogen atmosphere,

wherein steps d) and e) remove said platinum chloride residue from said surface of said silicon wafer.