SBIR Phase I: A Front-End-of-Line Photoresist Stripping Process for Electronic Device Manufacturing

这个小企业创新研究项目将针对评估一个新的前端线（FEOL）光刻胶剥离过程中的电子设备制造的性能。 硫酸和氧化剂混合物（SOM）继续用于从半导体晶片剥离光致抗蚀剂。 最近，几组研究人员已经研究了溶解在DI水（DIO）中的臭氧用于光致抗蚀剂剥离的用途。 使用溶解在水中的臭氧代替SOM提供了许多优点，包括：1）降低化学处理成本，2）降低冲洗DI水消耗，3）提高用户安全性，4）降低化学成本。Phifer Smith公司开发了一种新工艺，其蚀刻速率比最快的DIO工艺快2至4倍。 我们为第一阶段确定了四个目标：1）修改我们现有的湿法处理测试设备，2）测量正和负I线和DUV光致抗蚀剂的蚀刻速率，3）测量以1E13、1E14和1E15的剂量水平注入的正I线和正DUV光致抗蚀剂离子的蚀刻速率，4）初步设计一种（FEOL）晶圆清洗工艺，用于第二阶段的评估。该工艺可应用于高速光刻胶剥离和后灰残留物去除。 其还可应用于用于线前半导体制造工艺的蚀刻后残余物移除。 最后，它还可以作为一种无残留、环保的清洁工艺应用于其他行业。

This Small Business Innovation Research Project will be directed toward assessing the performance of a new a front-end-of-line (FEOL) photoresist stripping process for electronic device manufacturing. A Sulfuric acid and oxidant mixture (SOM) continues to be used for stripping photoresist from semiconductor wafers. Recently, several groups of researchers have investigated the use of ozone dissolved in DI water (DIO) for photoresist stripping. The use of ozone dissolved in water in lieu of SOM offers a number of advantages including: 1) decreased chemical disposal cost, 2) decreased rinse DI water consumption, 3) increased user safety, 4) decreased chemical cost.Phifer Smith Corporation has developed a new process which has achieved an etch rate that is two to four times faster than the fastest DIO process. We have defined four goals for phase I: 1) modify our existing wet processing test apparatus, 2) measure the etch rate for positive and negative I-line and DUV photoresist,3) measure the etch rate for positive I-line and positive DUV photoresist ion implanted at dose levels of 1E13, 1E14, and 1E15, 4) develop a preliminary design for a (FEOL) wafer cleaning process for evaluation in phase II.This process can be applied to high-speed photoresist stripping and post ash residue removal. It may also find application in post-etch residue removal for front-end-of-line semiconductor manufacturing processes. Finally, it may also find application in other industries as a residue free, environmentally benign, cleaning process.