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

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" 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.