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

“这项奖励是根据2009年美国复苏和再投资法案（公法111-5）资助的。”本研究的目的是开发一种基于电化学的设备，用于监测在兆赫兹频率声场中固/液界面的空化现象，如微泡动力学。这些现象在半导体晶圆的超声速清洗过程中起着关键作用，但人们对其了解甚少。不受控制的空化会破坏晶圆片上的关键特征，本研究是开发无缺陷超音波清洗工艺的重要一步。该方法基于对空化现象敏感的微电极阵列表面上的电流和阻抗信号的超快速探测。测量信号的解释将使用基于化学反应流模型的多物理场理论和空化动力学计算模拟相结合的方法进行。这项研究?它的智力价值在于探索时空尺度上的空化现象，这是现有探测器无法达到的。电化学装置电信号的时空信息将为控制条件提供直接反馈，从而在集成电路制造过程中以最小的结构损伤实现最佳清洁。这项研究将极大地帮助集成电路工业开发无损伤清洁技术。它将为学生提供跨学科研究的宝贵机会，这些学生将通过亚利桑那大学从图森社区中代表性不足和种族多样化的人群中招募。美国的多元文化项目。研究结果的广泛传播将通过无害环境半导体制造中心进行，该中心是由多所大学组成的，由亚利桑那大学的工业界赞助。

" 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.