IMEC at Semicon West 2000, San Francisco, July 10-12, booth #4402, Esplanade Hall, Moscone Center

Two new wet cleaning techniques, developed by IMEC, have proved highly efficient and robust in removing and neutralizing particles in single wafer cluster cleaning.

With the transition to 300 mm wafer fabrication, the use of cluster cleaning can effectively reduce cycle time, shorten the inspection loop and permit single-side cleans.  Clustered cleaning however, has more often been associated with dry cleaning.  Although wet cleaning could achieve better results than dry cleaning, this technique has been hampered by the lack of a fast, water-mark free drying technique.

IMEC’s new Lineagoni™ concept, developed in collaboration with Steag as part of the Damasclean platform, involves a track setup.   The wafer is slowly pushed through a relatively narrow box-shaped reactor via a narrow entrance and exits the slit at a controlled velocity. The reactor contains the process fluid. The ambient above the liquid is kept at a lower pressure with respect to the pressure adjacent to the chamber close to the slits. The leaking of the liquid can be prevented by tight tolerances on the slit dimensions. At the exit slit, an ambient is present containing a tensioactive vapour. This results in an effective drying of the outcoming wafer.

In IMEC’s Rotagoni™ concept, developed together with Verteq in the Goldfinger platform, the wafer remains at its position during the drying process. The Rotagoni™ method is based on interaction between Marangoni forces and rotational forces. Initially, a continuous flow of rinsing liquid is supplied on the wafer surface through a narrow dispensation tube. The wafer rotates at moderate speed. The dispenser tube slowly moves from the center of the substrate towards the edge. A second nozzle is mounted on the trailing side of the liquid dispenser tube. This nozzle dispenses a tensioactive vapour, which reduces the surface tension of the liquid and creates an efficient Marangoni force. The unique interaction between the Marangoni effect and the rotational forces results in high-performance liquid removal.

In addition to particle removal, both techniques have also demonstrated excellent cleaning results on post Cu-CMP cleaning.

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Notes to Editors:

About IMEC

IMEC was founded in 1984 and today is Europe's leading independent R&D center for the development and licensing of microelectronic and ICT  technologies.  IMEC is headquartered in Leuven, Belgium, and employs about 950 people, of whom 75 percent are highly qualified scientists and engineers. Its $90 million revenue is derived from agreements and contracts with government agencies, aerospace and semiconductor industry companies worldwide. IMEC’s activities concentrate on design of integrated information and communication systems; silicon process technology; silicon technology and device integration; microsystems, components and packaging; advanced training in microelectronics. IMEC has a sub 0,25-micron 200-mm pilot line and is ISO 9001 certified. News from IMEC is located at www.imec.be.

For further information please contact:

Marianne Van den Broeck

Public Relations and Marketing Communications Manager

IMEC, Kapeldreef 75

B- 3001 Leuven, Belgium

http://www.imec.be/

Tel +32 16 28 14 91 Fax +32 16 28 16 37

Email: Marianne.Vandenbroeck@imec.be