Plasma Aerosol Hybrid Cleaning for Selective Semiconductor Substrate Treatment
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Current methods for removing materials from semiconductor substrates, such as silicon, silicon dioxide, and polymeric organic materials, are limited in their ability to selectively dislodge these materials due to their similar composition to the substrate, and aerosol-based cleaning methods have limited applicability.
Innovation Solution
The use of plasma in conjunction with aerosol particles to treat semiconductor substrates, where the plasma and aerosol can be used simultaneously or sequentially to enhance the removal of undesired materials through physical and chemical interactions, including electrostatic repulsion and chemical conversion.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Manufacturing precision
If conventional cleaning solutions are used to remove materials from semiconductor substrates, then materials with chemically different composition can be removed, but materials with similar composition (silicon, silicon dioxide, silicon nitride, polymeric organic materials) cannot be removed selectively
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines plasma treatment with aerosol delivery system to create a hybrid cleaning approach. The plasma provides the chemical reactivity needed to differentiate between substrate and contaminant materials, while the aerosol provides the physical impact mechanism for dislodging materials. This merging enables selective removal of materials with similar composition that neither plasma nor aerosol alone could remove effectively.
Solution Approach 2:
The aerosol particles act as an intermediary between the plasma field and the substrate surface. The charged aerosol particles carry plasma-generated reactive species to the surface, mediate the energy transfer, and provide a controlled interface for material removal. This intermediary enables precise control over which materials are removed while protecting the substrate.
2Productivity
If aerosol particles are used to physically impact and dislodge materials from substrate surfaces, then physical removal can be achieved, but selective removal of materials with similar composition to substrate remains difficult
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the physical and chemical parameters of the aerosol particles, including charge polarity, size distribution, and composition. By controlling these parameters, the system can adjust the interaction between aerosol particles and different materials on the substrate surface, enabling selective removal based on material properties rather than just physical impact force.
Solution Approach 2:
The cleaning system uses composite aerosol particles that combine multiple functional components - charged droplets containing reactive chemical species, suspended in a carrier gas. This composite structure provides both the chemical selectivity needed to identify target materials and the physical impact capability to remove them efficiently.
3Adaptability or versatility
If charged aerosol particles are used to impart polarity and create electrostatic repulsion for material dislodgement, then additional removal mechanism is provided, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The charged aerosol system serves multiple functions simultaneously: it delivers reactive chemical species from plasma, provides physical impact through particle bombardment, creates electrostatic fields for selective interaction with charged contaminants, and acts as a carrier gas flow vehicle. This multi-functionality reduces the need for separate cleaning systems while increasing versatility.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
This combination of plasma and aerosol significantly improves the removal efficiency of materials from semiconductor substrates, offering a synergistic effect that surpasses the capabilities of using either technology alone, allowing for effective cleaning and stripping of contaminants and sacrificial materials.
Implementation Method 1
The utilization of plasma and aerosol for simultaneous treatment of a substrate surface
Implementation Method 2
The liquid aerosol particles may be charged so they have a polarity (either positive or negative), and the liquid aerosol particles may impart such polarity to the undesired materials on the substrate surface. The substrate may be charged to the same polarity as that imparted to the undesired materials so that electrostatic repulsion occurs between the substrate surface and the undesired materials to assist in dislodging such materials from the surface.
Data Source
AI summary
Some embodiments include utilization of both plasma and aerosol to treat substrate surfaces. The plasma and aerosol may be utilized simultaneously, or sequentially. In some embodiments, the plasma forms a plasma sheath over the substrate surfaces, with the plasma sheath having an electric field gradient therein. The aerosol comprises liquid particles charged to a polarity, and such polarity is transferred to contaminants on the substrate surfaces through interaction with the aerosol. The polarity may be used to assist in dislodging the contaminants from the substrate surfaces. The electric field of the plasma sheath may then sweep the contaminants away from the substrate surfaces. In some embodiments, multiple different aerosols are formed to remove multiple different types of materials from substrate surfaces. Some embodiments include apparatuses configured for treating substrate surfaces with both plasma and aerosol.