Processes for cleaning and drying microelectronic structures using liquid or supercritical carbon dioxide
US6562146B1 · kind B1 · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Aug 17, 2001 |
| Grant date | May 13, 2003 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Aug 17, 2021 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC Y)Emerging Cross-Sectional Technologies
- CPC primaryY10S438/906
- WIPO fieldSurface technology, coating
- WIPO sectorChemistry
Abstract
A method of cleaning and removing water and entrained solutes during a manufacturing process from a microelectronic device such as a resist-coated semiconductor substrate, a MEM's device, or an optoelectronic device comprising the steps of: (a) providing a partially fabricated integrated circuit, MEM's device, or optoelectronic device having water and entrained solutes on the substrate; (b) providing a densified (e.g., liquid or supercritical) carbon dioxide drying composition, the drying composition comprising carbon dioxide and a drying adjunct, the drying adjunct selected from the group consisting of cosolvents, surfactants, and combinations thereof; (c) immersing the surface portion in the densified carbon dioxide drying composition; and then (d) removing the drying composition from the surface portion. Process parameters are controlled so that the drying composition is maintained as a homogeneous composition during the immersing step, the removing step, or both the immersing and removing step, without substantial deposition of the drying/cleaning adjunct or entrained solutes on the substrate.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.