Method for Cleaning a Semiconductor Wafer

A method for cleaning a semiconductor wafer having a plurality of metallic structures protruding from a surface of the semiconductor wafer, the method comprising:

• forming an electrically conductive layer on the surface of the semiconductor wafer, the conductive layer electrically coupling the protruding metallic structures;
• immersing the semiconductor wafer into a cleaning liquid comprising water;
• cathodically polarizing the electrically conductive layer to produce hydrogen at the surface of the electrically conductive layer;
• and
• withdrawing the semiconductor wafer from the cleaning liquid into a drying atmosphere.

A method for cleaning a semiconductor wafer having a plurality of elliptical electrodes protruding from a surface of the semiconductor wafer, the method comprising:

• electrically coupling the elliptical electrodes to each other;
• immersing the semiconductor wafer into a cleaning liquid;
• forming an electrical circuit between a voltage source and the elliptical electrodes such that an electrical potential is formed between the elliptical electrodes and an electrode of the voltage source immersed in the cleaning liquid;
• and
• withdrawing the semiconductor wafer from the cleaning liquid into a drying atmosphere.

A method for fabricating electrodes of stacked capacitor memory cells on a semiconductor wafer, comprising:

• forming a plurality of electrodes that protrude from a surface of the semiconductor wafer;
• depositing a conductive layer on the surface of the semiconductor wafer to electrically couple the electrodes to each other;
• applying an electrical potential to the conductive layer during cleaning of the semiconductor wafer;
• and
• removing the conductive layer to electrically isolate the electrodes from each other.