Methods for removing particles from microelectronic structures
US6613157B2 · kind B2 · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Sep 13, 2001 |
| Grant date | Sep 2, 2003 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Sep 13, 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 solid particles 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 cleaning composition, the cleaning composition comprising carbon dioxide and a cleaning adjunct, the cleaning adjunct selected from the group consisting of cosolvents, surfactants, and combinations thereof; (c) immersing the surface portion in the densified carbon dioxide cleaning composition to remove solid particles from the surface portion; and then (d) removing the cleaning composition from the surface portion. Process parameters are controlled so that the cleaning 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 solid particles on the substrate.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.