Defect Reduction in Megasonic Cleaning, through In-Situ Characterization of Cavitation Processes using a Novel Electrochemistry based Device with Improved Time and Space Resolution

“该奖项是根据2009年美国复苏和再投资法案（公法111-5）资助的。“这项研究的目的是开发一种基于电化学的装置，用于监测兆赫兹频率声场中固体/溶液界面处的空化现象，如微泡动力学。这些现象在半导体晶片的兆声清洗过程中起着关键作用，但人们对此知之甚少。不受控制的空化会损坏晶片上的关键特征，这项研究是朝着无缺陷兆声波清洗工艺发展的重要一步。该方法是基于超快探测的电流和阻抗信号的微电极阵列表面上的空化现象是敏感的。 测量信号的解释将使用基于化学反应流模型的空化动力学的多物理场理论和计算模拟的组合进行。 这项研究？的智力价值在于在空间和时间尺度上探索空化现象，这是现有探头无法达到的。来自电化学装置的电信号的时间和空间信息将提供直接反馈以控制用于在集成电路的制造期间以最小的结构损伤进行最佳清洁的条件。 这项研究将极大地帮助集成电路工业开发无损伤清洗技术。它将为学生提供跨学科研究的宝贵机会，他们将通过亚利桑那大学从图森社区代表性不足和种族多样的人口中招募？的多元文化计划。研究结果的广泛传播将通过环境良性半导体制造中心进行，该中心是一个多大学，工业赞助的中心，位于亚利桑那大学。

" This award is funded under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (Public Law 111-5)." The objective of this research is to develop an electrochemistry-based device for monitoring cavitation phenomena, such as microbubble dynamics, at solid/solution interfaces in a megahertz frequency sound field. These phenomena play a key role during megasonic cleaning of semiconductor wafers but are very poorly understood. Uncontrolled cavitation can damage critical features on a wafer and this research is a significant step toward the development of a defect-free megasonic cleaning process. The approach is based on ultrafast probing of amperometric and impedance signals on a microelectrode array surface that are sensitive to cavitation phenomena. The interpretation of measured signals will be conducted using a combination of multiphysics theoretical and computational simulations of cavitation dynamics based on chemically-reactive flow models. This research?s intellectual merit resides in the exploration of cavitation phenomena at spatial and temporal scales not accessible with existing probes. Temporal and spatial information of the electrical signals from the electrochemical device will provide direct feedback to controlling conditions for optimum cleaning with minimal structural damage during fabrication of integrated circuits. This research will greatly assist integrated circuit industry in its effort to develop damage-free cleaning technologies. It will provide a valuable opportunity in interdisciplinary research for students, who will be recruited from underrepresented and ethnically diverse population of the Tucson community through the University of Arizona?s multicultural programs. Broad dissemination of findings will be done through the Center for Environmentally Benign Semiconductor Manufacturing, a multi-university, industry sponsored center based at the University of Arizona.