Method of wet cleaning a surface, especially of a material of the silicon-germanium type

US7641738B2 · kind B2 · utility

Assignee

• COMMISSARIAT A L'ENERGIE ATOMIQUE ET AUX ENERGIES ALTERNATIVES · FR

Inventors

• Alexandra Abbadie · Le Versoud, FR
• Pascal Besson · Gap, FR
• Marie-Noelle Semeria · Grenoble, FR

Key dates

• Filing date: Jul 6, 2007
• Grant date: Jan 5, 2010
• Expiry date: Jul 6, 2027

Classification

• Technology area (CPC Y): Emerging Cross-Sectional Technologies
• CPC primary: Y10S134/902
• WIPO field: Basic materials chemistry
• WIPO sector: Chemistry

Abstract

A method of wet cleaning a surface is disclosed. The method of wet cleaning a surface of at least one material chosen from silicon, silicon-germanium alloys, A(III)/B(V)-type semiconductors and epitaxially grown crystalline materials, such as germanium, includes the following successive steps: a) the surface is brought into contact with an HF solution; b) the surface is rinsed with acidified, deionized water, then a powerful oxidizing agent is added to the deionized water and the rinsing is continued; c) optionally, step a) is repeated, once or twice, while optionally reducing the contacting time; d) step b) is optionally repeated, once or twice; and e) the surface is dried.