SBIR Phase II: Clean Tool: A Unified Approach to Wafer Cleaning

SBIR 第二阶段：清洁工具：晶圆清洁的统一方法

• 批准号: 1127460
• 负责人: Hang Ji
• 金额: $ 50万
• 依托单位: Uncopiers, Inc.
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 项目类别: Standard Grant
• 财政年份: 2011
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 2011-12-15 至 2013-11-30
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=1127460&HistoricalAwards=false
• 关键词: SBIR; Phase; II; Clean; Tool

This Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase II project aims to develop a single wafer processing clean tool for semiconductor wafer cleaning at all stages of wafer processing. The method relies on using acoustically controlled micro-cavitation to remove on-wafer particles. This is a chemical-free cleaning method, using ultra-pure water as the only processing fluid. During cleaning the particles will be counted as they get removed. The cleaning is deemed complete when there remain no more particles to be removed. The wafer will then be rinsed and dried in the same tool. This project is expected to provide a one-at-a-time wafer cleaning method with all the four functionalities of cleaning, inspection, rinsing and drying accomplished in a single setting.The broader/commercial impacts of this project will be the potential to provide a complete environmentally-friendly solution to the wafer cleaning predicament. Cleanliness is a critical requirement in semiconductor manufacturing that directly impact the chip yields. Among all processing steps in semiconductor manufacturing, approximately one in every five processing steps is wafer cleaning. Perfect wafer cleaning is a significant, yet unsolved, problem in semiconductor industry, and the need is becoming more urgent as the technology moves towards sub-50nm design nodes. In this project, a wafer-cleaning tool will be developed to address this market need. This tool will also be useful in precision cleaning needed in the cleaning of lithography masks, Microelectromechanical Systems (MEMS), solar cells, flat panel displays, and hard disk drives (HDDs).

该小型企业创新研究（SBIR）第二阶段项目旨在开发一种单晶圆加工清洁工具，用于晶圆加工各个阶段的半导体晶圆清洁。 该方法依赖于使用声学控制的微空化来去除晶圆上的颗粒。 这是一种无化学清洗方法，使用超纯水作为唯一的处理液。 在清洁过程中，颗粒被清除时将被计数。 当不再有需要去除的颗粒时，清洁被视为完成。 然后，晶圆将在同一工具中进行冲洗和干燥。 该项目预计将提供一种一次一次的晶圆清洗方法，在单一设置中完成清洗、检查、冲洗和干燥四种功能。该项目更广泛/商业的影响将是有可能为晶圆清洗困境提供完整的环保解决方案。清洁度是半导体制造中的一项关键要求，直接影响芯片产量。在半导体制造的所有处理步骤中，大约五分之一的处理步骤是晶圆清洗。 完美的晶圆清洗是半导体行业中一个重要但尚未解决的问题，随着技术向 50 纳米以下设计节点迈进，这一需求变得更加迫切。在该项目中，将开发一种晶圆清洁工具来满足这一市场需求。该工具还可用于光刻掩模、微机电系统 (MEMS)、太阳能电池、平板显示器和硬盘驱动器 (HDD) 清洁所需的精密清洁。