Investigation of Ionic Contamination Removal from Silicon Dioxide Surfaces

T he removal of ionic contaminants from silicon surfaces surface contamination level can be reduced by more than one order of magnitude through the use of (wafers) during wet cleaning by pulsating flow is pulsating flow within a short cleaning time. SE/S228 investigated using numerical physical modelling and verified experimentally. T wo KCl removal processes, Dr L in is with IBM Microelectronics Division, stagnant bath and megasonic flow rinse, are measured Hopewell Junction, NY 12533, USA, Dr Busnaina and modelled. T he numerical model includes the eVects ([email protected]) is at the NSF Center for of convection, diVusion, and, for the case of chemical Microcontamination Control, Northeastern University, rinse, surface reaction. T he eVects of pulsating flow Boston, MA 02115, USA, and Dr Suni is in the are modelled by adding a sinusoidal velocity component Department of Chemical Engineering, Clarkson to the steady flow velocity. T he numerical results for University, Potsdam, NY 13699, USA. Manuscript KCl removal by deionised water at room temperature received 17 December 2001; accepted 28 March 2002. exhibit good agreement when compared with the experimental results. T he results demonstrate that the © 2002 IoM Communications L td.