Post-etching alkaline treatment process
AssigneeMEMC Electronics Materials, Inc.
InventorGianpaolo Mettifogo
Life of this patent
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Abstract
The present invention is directed to a process for removing aluminum contamination from the surface of an etched semiconductor wafer. The process is carried out by first lapping a semiconductor wafer in a lapping slurry containing aluminum, etching the wafer, and finally immersing the wafer in an aqueous bath, the bath comprising an alkaline component and a surfactant.
Claims18
A process for removing aluminum contamination from the surface of a silicon wafer, the process comprising the sequential steps of
- lapping the silicon wafer using a lapping slurry which contains aluminum;
- etching the lapped silicon wafer;
- and
- immersing the etched wafer in an aqueous bath, the bath comprising an alkaline component and a surfactant, and the bath having a pH value of at least about 10.
A process for removing aluminum contamination from the surface of a silicon wafer, the process comprising
- lapping the silicon wafer using a lapping slurry which contains aluminum;
- etching the lapped silicon wafer;
- immersing the etched wafer in an aqueous bath, the bath comprising an alkaline component and a surfactant, and the bath having a pH value of at least about 10 to remove aluminum contamination;
- and
- rinsing the treated wafer to remove organic residue that may be present on the wafer.
A process for removing aluminum contamination from the surface of a silicon wafer, the process comprising
- lapping the silicon wafer using a lapping slurry which contains aluminum;
- etching the lapped silicon wafer;
- immersing the etched wafer in an aqueous bath, the bath comprising an alkaline component and a surfactant, and the bath having a pH value of at least about 10 to remove aluminum contamination;
- and
- rotating the etched wafer while it is immersed in the aqueous bath.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.