PGMEA Chemical Solution for Alkali, Boron, and Particle Defect Control
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional chemical solutions containing propylene glycol monomethyl ether acetate (PGMEA) fail to effectively reduce defects such as alkali metals and boron-containing defects in semiconductor manufacturing processes, particularly in ultra-fine pattern formation, and cause particle defects from pipe residues on substrates.
Innovation Solution
A chemical solution comprising 80% propylene glycol monomethyl ether acetate with 0.001 to 100 ppt boron atoms and optionally including organic impurities with a boiling point of 250°C or higher, along with specific metal atoms like Pb, is formulated to minimize defects and pipe residue contamination.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If conventional chemical solutions containing PGMEA are used for treating substrates in semiconductor manufacturing, then the basic processing functions are maintained, but defects containing alkali metals and boron cannot be reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies parameter changes by strictly controlling the boron atom content in the chemical solution to 0.001 to 100 ppt by mass, and controlling Pb atom content to 0.001 to 100 ppt by mass. This precise parameter control transforms the chemical solution from causing defects to suppressing defects containing alkali metals and boron, while maintaining basic processing functions.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent applies local quality by addressing specific defect types (alkali metal defects and boron defects) rather than attempting to improve all defect types uniformly. The chemical solution is formulated with specific low concentrations of boron and Pb atoms to target and suppress these particular defect mechanisms without affecting other processing aspects.
2Reliability
If conventional chemical solutions are used for washing pipes, then pipe cleaning is performed, but particle defects originating from pipes cannot be suppressed on substrate surfaces
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies parameter changes by establishing extremely strict purity parameters for the chemical solution, with boron atoms controlled at 0.001 to 100 ppt by mass and Pb atoms at 0.001 to 100 ppt by mass. This level of purity transformation enables the chemical solution to suppress particle defects on substrate surfaces when used for pipe washing.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent applies the intermediary principle by using the highly purified chemical solution as a mediator between the pipe washing process and the substrate. The controlled composition of the chemical solution prevents particle generation during pipe washing and eliminates particle defects on substrate surfaces without requiring direct contact between pipes and substrates.
3Manufacturing precision
If the wavelength of exposure light is shortened for ultra-fine pattern formation, then pattern resolution is improved, but the occurrence of defects increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies parameter changes by controlling the chemical solution composition parameters (boron atoms: 0.001 to 100 ppt by mass, Pb atoms: 0.001 to 100 ppt by mass) to suppress defect occurrence. This enables the use of shorter wavelength exposure light for ultra-fine pattern formation without the increased defect occurrence that would normally result from such high-precision processing.
Data Source
AI summary
It is an object of the present invention to provide a chemical solution that, when applied to an object to be treated, can suppress the occurrence of defects containing alkali metals and defects containing boron after the application to the object to be treated and that, when used as a washing solution for pipes, can suppress the occurrence of particle defects on the surface of a substrate supplied with a composition through the washed pipes. The chemical solution of the invention is a chemical solution containing propylene glycol monomethyl ether acetate and boron atoms. The content of propylene glycol monomethyl ether acetate is 80% by mass or more based on the total mass of the chemical solution, and the content of boron atoms is 0.001 to 100 ppt by mass based on the total mass of the chemical solution.