Silicon surface preparation
AssigneeASM America, Inc.
InventorRobert H. Pagliaro, Jr.
Life of this patent
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Abstract
Methods are provided for producing a pristine hydrogen-terminated silicon wafer surface with high stability against oxidation. The silicon wafer is treated with high purity, heated dilute hydrofluoric acid with anionic surfactant, rinsed in-situ with ultrapure water at room temperature, and dried. Alternatively, the silicon wafer is treated with dilute hydrofluoric acid, rinsed with hydrogen gasified water, and dried. The silicon wafer produced by the method is stable in a normal clean room environment for greater than 3 days and has been demonstrated to last without significant oxide regrowth for greater than 8 days.
Claims40
A method of preparing a silicon surface, comprising:
- treating the silicon surface with dilute hydrofluoric acid in a treatment vessel, wherein the treating step cleans native oxide without a preceding oxidation step;
- in-situ rinsing the silicon surface in the treatment vessel with hydrogen gasified water after treating, wherein the silicon surface is not exposed to air between treating and rinsing;
- and
- drying the silicon surface after rinsing.
A method of forming an integrated circuit, comprising exposing a surface of a substrate for formation of the integrated circuit to hydrogen gasified water after treating the substrate surface with dilute hydrofluoric acid, wherein treating the surface and exposing the surface are conducted in the same vessel without subjecting the surface to air between treating and exposing, and wherein treating and exposing cleans native oxide without a preceding oxidation step.
A method of treating a silicon surface, comprising:
- treating the silicon surface with dilute hydrofluoric acid, wherein the treating step cleans native oxide without a preceding oxidation step;
- rinsing the silicon surface with hydrogen gasified water after treating, wherein the silicon surface is not exposed to air between treating and rinsing;
- and
- drying the silicon surface after rinsing.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.