Course Title: VLSI Technology

Course No.: EEE 489

VLSI Class lecture -5
Introduction to Wafer Cleaning
Wafer cleaning and photoresist stripping
 ICs are so sensitive to contaminate.
 The wafer fabrication process may be broadly broken up into
front end of line (FEOL) and back end of line (BEOL).
 The FEOL is focused on the fabrication of the different devices
that make up the circuit.
 BEOL is focused on interconnecting the devices.
 In FEOL cleaning, the surfaces being cleaned are typical silicon
(Si) of silicon dioxide (SiO2).
 In BEOL cleaning, metal layers are present on the wafers and
the allowable cleaning solutions are limited versus FEOL
cleaning.

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Wafer Surface Types
Generally, Cleaning surfaces are two types:
 Hydrophilic
 Hydrophobic

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Hydrophilic and Hydrophobic Surfaces
 Hydrophilic surfaces are easily wet by cleaning solutions and
during drying any particles on the surface tend to stay in
solution until the solution is removed from the surface.
SiO2 surfaces are hydrophilic.
 Hydrophobic surface are more difficult to clean, cleaning
solution do not wet as well and during drying the solutions
tend to “bead” up on the surface leaving particles on the
surface instead of keeping the particles in solution.
Si surface free of oxide are hydrophobic.

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Hydrophilic and Hydrophobic Surfaces…
Hydrophilic surfaces have contact angles (CA) < 900, and
Hydrophobic surfaces > 900. High contact angles indicate low
surface energies and vice versa.

(a) Hydrophilic surface, 200, (b) Hydrophobic surface, 950, (c)

Ultra hydrophobic surface, 1500


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The RCA Clean
 In 1970 the first systematically developed wafer cleaning
process for bare and oxidized Si was published by Werner
Kern of RCA. The clean that Kern disclosed had been in use
at RCA since 1965 and went on to become known as the
“RCA clean”. The most widely used clean in the industry.
 The RCA clean is a FEOL clean.

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The RCA Clean…
 The original RCA clean sequence is:
 Standard clean 1 (SC1) - 5 volumes of H2O, 1 volume Hydrogen
peroxide (H2O2) 30%, 1 volume Ammonium hydroxide (NH4OH)
29% at 70-80C.
 Ultrapure water rinse
 Standard clean 2 (SC2) – 6 volumes H2O, 1 volume H2O2 30%, 1
volume Hydrochloric (HCl) 37% at 70C.
 Ultrapure water rinse and dry.
 The SC1 clean removes organic residues and particles. The SC1
clean works by forming and dissolving hydro oxide films. The
SC2 clean removes alkali metal and hydroxides – Li, Al, Ti, Zn, Cr,
Fe, Ag, Pd, Au, S, Cu, Ni, Co, Mg, Nb, Te, W, Na, Fe (leaves Cl
residues).

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The RCA Clean…
 Several variants of the RCA clean have been used in the
industry. Prior to 1997 a typical implementation would be:
 Sulfuric peroxide (SPM) – 4 volumes of sulfuric acid (H2SO4) 98%, 1
volume H2O2 30% at 1300C for 10 to 15 minutes.
 Ultrapure water rinse
 Dilute hydrofluoric acid (DHF) 50 volumes H2O, 1 volume
hydrofluoric acid (HF) 49% at room temperature for 10 seconds.
 Ultrapure water rinse
 SC1 for 20 minutes
 Ultrapure water rinse
 SC2 for 15 minutes
 Ultrapure water rinse and dry
 In the preceding sequences the SPM performs bulk organic
removal and chemically oxidizes the wafer surface. The DHF
removes the chemical oxide, SC1 removes particles and SC2
removes metals.
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IMEC Clean
 IMEC (Interuniversity Microelectronics Center) has done a great
deal of research into cleaning technologies. One of the major
findings of the IEMC work is that dilute versions of SC1 and SC2
are still effective cleans. Dilute chemistries can be result in
significant reductions in chemical consumption and thus lower
costs and environmental impact. IMEC has developed a
roadmap of cleaning technology.
 The IEMC roadmap:
 RCA clean
 Dilute clean
 Reduced clean (IMEC)
 Reduce clean (IMEC Ozone)
 Next Generation cleans

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IMEC Clean…
RCA H2SO4 Rinse HF Rinse Meg Rinse HCl Meg Dry
Clean + NH4OH + H2O2 Rinse
H2O2 + H2O2
H2SO4 Rinse HF Rinse Meg Rinse Dilute Meg Marang
Dilute + dilute HCl Rinse -oni
clean O3 NH4OH + H2O2 Dry
+ H2O2
H2SO4 Rinse HF Rinse + Rinse +
Reduced + + oxide Marango
clean (IMEC) O3 HCl re-grow ni
Dry
H2O HF Rinse + Rinse +
Reduced Clean
+ + oxide Marangon
(IMEC-Ozone) O3 HCl re- i
grow Dry
Single tank Single tank
clean

Single wafer
Single wafer
clean
wet clean
Hybrid wet/dry cleans in cluster tool configuration
Contaminants
The contaminants of concern during IC fabrication can be
grouped into five general categories:
1. Particles
2. Metals
3. Organics
4. Native oxide
5. Micro-roughness

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Cleaning Chemicals
Chemical Formula % Kg/L
Acetic acid CH3COOH 100 1.05
Ammonium NH4F 40 1.11
Fluoride
Ammonium NH4OH 30 0.90
Hydroxide
Hydrochloric acid HCl 37 1.19
Hydrofluoric acid HF 49 1.17
Hydrogen peroxide H2O2 30 1.10
Isopropyl alcohol, CH3CHOHCH3 100 0.78
IPA or 2-Propanol
Methanol CH3OH 100 0.79
Nitric acid HNO3 70 1.42
Sulfuric acid H2SO4 98 1.84

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Evolution of cleaning
The requirements outlined in table (Cleaning Chemical) are
driving continual improvements in cleaning chemistries. The
need to reach ever higher level of cleanliness without surface
damage are difficult to achieve. Standard SC1 chemistries
remove particles well but also remove silicon (Si) and can
roughen the surface. Dilute chemistries, new chemistries,
highly optimized megasonics and drying techniques are also
required. There is also a continuing push to move to dry
cleaning techniques for easier process integration and waste
reduction.

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Introduction to Metallization and
Passivation
Metallization
Metallization is the process of building wires to connect the
devices. Conventional metallization uses aluminum.
Aluminum can be deposited either by evaporation or
sputtering.
 Evaporation is performed by passing a high electrical current
through a thick aluminum wire in a vacuum chamber. Some of
the aluminum atoms are vaporized and deposited on the
wafer.
 Sputtering is achieved by generating gas plasma by ionizing an
inert gas using an RF or DC electric field. The ions are focused
on an aluminum target and the plasma dislodges metal
atoms, which are then deposited on the wafer.

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Metallization…

Figure: Aluminum (Al) metallization

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Passivation
The final processing step is to add a protective glass layer called
passivation or over glass that prevents the ingress of
contaminants. Openings in the passivation layer allow
connection to I/O pads and test probe points if needed. After
passivation, further steps can be performed such as bumping,
which allows the chip to be directly connected to a circuit
board using plated solder bumps in the pad openings.

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