On-Line Analysis of Trace Heavy Metals in Semiconductor Process Liquid Using an Ultramicroelectrode (UME) System

这个小型企业创新研究第一阶段项目的重点是开发一种低成本的在线传感器，用于快速现场分析，以测量半导体制造中常用的工艺化学品中的微量金属污染物。在MOS集成电路制造中，痕量重金属污染的检测和定量是非常重要的，随着器件几何尺寸的扩大变得更加关键。目前，所有这类分析都是离线进行的，包括对工艺流体进行采样和使用远离生产线的昂贵实验室设备进行分析。这种方法会造成长时间且代价高昂的延误，这使得在线或至少是“内部”的方法非常可取。ChemTrace公司建议应用一种新型的阳极溶出伏安系统来为这个问题提供低成本的在线解决方案。他们的方法包括硅上微加工的Ir微电极阵列和功能齐全的单芯片恒电位器，当与低成本微控制器芯片结合时，该恒电位器可以直接连接到个人计算机的串口。这种方法将把分析延迟从几个小时减少到几分钟，并为污染提供前所未有的灵活性和早期预警能力。

This Small Business Innovation Research Phase I project is focused on the development of a low-cost on-line sensor for rapid on-site analysis to measure trace metallic contaminants in process chemicals commonly used in semiconductor manufacturing. Detection and quantitation of trace heavy metal contamination in MOS integrated circuit fabrication is of great importance becoming even more critical as device geometries are scaled. At present, all such analyses are carried out off-line, involving sampling of process fluids and analysis using costly laboratory equipment, remote from the fab line. This approach causes lengthy and costly delays making on-line or at least `in-fab` methods extremely desirable. ChemTrace Corporation proposes to apply a novel anodic stripping voltammetry system to provide a low cost, on-line solution to this problem. Their approach involves a micromachined iridium microelectrode array on silicon and a single-chip, full-featured potentiostat which (when combined with a low-cost microcontroller chip) can be directly interfaced to a personal computer's serial port. This approach will reduce analysis latencies from many hours to minutes and provide unprecedented flexibility and early warning capability for contamination.