• Journal of the Semiconductor & Display Technology
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• v.22 no.4
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• pp.26-31
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• 2023

We investigated the impact of NF₃ / H₂O remote plasma dry cleaning conditions on the SiO₂ etching rate at different preparation states during the fabrication of ultra-large-scale integration (ULSI) devices. This included consideration of factors like Si crystal orientation prior to oxidation and three-dimensional structures. The dry cleaning process were carried out varying the parameters of pressure, NF₃ flow rate, and H₂O flow rate. We found that the pressure had an effective role in controlling anisotropic etching when a thin SiO₂ layer was situated between Si₃N₄ and Si layers in a multilayer trench structure. Based on these observations, we would like to provide further guidelines for implementing the dry cleaning process in the fabrication of semiconductor devices having 3D structures.

• Journal of the Semiconductor & Display Technology
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• v.19 no.2
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• pp.45-50
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• 2020

We investigated the Si_1-xGe_x surface properties when dry cleaning the films using NF₃ / H₂O remote plasma. After the dry cleaning process, it was found that about 80-250 nm wide bumps were formed on the SiGe surface regardless of Ge concentration in the rage of x = 0.1 ~ 0.3. In addition, effects of the dry cleaning processing parameters such as pressure, substrate temperature, and H₂O flow rates were examined. It was found that the surface bump is significantly dependent on the flow rate of H₂O. Based on these observations, we would like to provide additional guidelines for implementing the dry cleaning process to SiGe materials.

• Electrical & Electronic Materials
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• v.10 no.1
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• pp.8-14
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• 1997

The UV/O$_{3}$ dry cleaning has been well known in removing organic molecules. The UV/O$_{3}$ dry cleaning method was performed to clean the Si wafer surfaces and contact holes contaminated by organic molecules such as residual PR. During the cleaning process, the Si surfaces were analyzed with X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), atomic force microscope (AFM) and ellipsometer. When the UV/O$_{3}$ dry cleaning at 200'C was performed for 3 minutes, the residual photoresist was almost removed on Si wafer surfaces, but Si surfaces were oxidized. For UV/O$_{3}$ application of contact hole cleaning, the contact string were formed using the equipment of ISRC (Inter-university Semiconductor Research Center). Before Al deposition, UV/O$_{3}$ (at 200.deg. C) dry cleaning was performed for 3 minutes. After metal annealing, the specific contact resistivity was measured. Because UV/O$_{3}$ dry cleaning removed organic contaminants in contact holes, the specific contact resistivity decreased. Each contact hole size was different, but the specific contact resistivities were all much the same. Thus, it is expected that the UV/O$_{3}$ dry cleaning method will be useful method of removal of the organic contaminants at smaller contact hole cleaning.

• Bulletin of the Korean Chemical Society
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• v.32 no.11
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• pp.3991-3995
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• 2011

$TiO_2-SiO_2-In_2O_3$ nanocomposite thin film was deposited on the glass substrates using a dip coating technique. The morphology, surface composition, surface hydroxyl groups, photocatalytic activity and hydrophilic properties of the thin film were investigated by AFM, XPS, methyl orange decoloring rate and water contact angle measurements. The hydroxyl content for $TiO_2$, $TiO_2-SiO_2$ and $TiO_2-SiO_2-In_2O_3$ nanocomposite films was calculated to be 11.6, 17.1 and 20.7%, respectively. $TiO_2-SiO_2-In_2O_3$ film turned superhydrophilic after 180-min irradiation with respect to pure $TiO_2$ and $TiO_2-SiO_2$ thin films. The photocatalytic decomposition of methyl orange for $TiO_2$, $TiO_2-SiO_2$ and $TiO_2-SiO_2-In_2O_3$ thin films was measured as 38.19, 58.71 and 68.02%, respectively. The results indicated that $SiO_2$ and $In_2O_3$ had a significant effect on the hydrophilic, photocatalytic and self-cleaning properties of $TiO_2$ thin film.

• Korean Journal of Materials Research
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• v.28 no.11
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• pp.620-626
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• 2018

Highly self-cleaning thin films of $TiO_2-SiO_2$ co-doped with Ag and F are prepared by the sol-gel method. The asprepared thin films consist of bottom $SiO_2$ and top $TiO_2$ layers which are modified by doping with F, Ag and F-Ag elements. XRD analysis confirms that the prepared thin film is a crystalline anatase phase. UV-vis spectra show that the light absorption of $Ag-F-TiO_2/SiO_2$ thin films is tuned in the visible region. The self-cleaning properties of the prepared films are evaluated by a water contact angle measurement under UV light irradiation. The photocatalytic performances of the thin films are studied using methylene blue dye under both UV and visible light irradiation. The $Ag-F-TiO_2/SiO_2$ thin films exhibit higher photocatalytic activity under both UV and visible light compared with other samples of pure $TiO_2$, Ag-doped $TiO_2$, and F-doped $TiO_2$ films.

• Journal of the Korean Vacuum Society
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• v.9 no.2
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• pp.102-109
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• 2000

It is difficult to meet the cleanliness requirement of $10^{10}/\textrm{cm}^2$ for the giga level device fabrication with mechanical cleaning techniques like scrubbing which is widely used to remove the particles generated during Chemical Mechanical Polishing (CMP) processes. Therefore, the second cleaning process is needed to remove metallic contaminants which were not completely removed during the mechanical cleaning process. In this paper the experimental results for the removal of the metallic contaminants existing on the wafer surface using remote plasma $H_2$ cleaning and UV/$O_3$ cleaning techniques are reported. In the remote plasma $H_2$ cleaning the efficiency of contaminants removal increases with decreasing the plasma exposure time and increasing the rf-power. Also the optimum process conditions for the removal of K, Fe and Cu impurities which are easily found on the wafer surface after CMP processes are the plasma exposure time of 1min and the rf-power of 100 W. The surface roughness decreased by 30-50 % after remote plasma $H_2$ cleaning. On the other hand, the highest efficiency of K, Fe and Cu impurities removal was achieved for the UV exposure time of 30 sec. The removal mechanism of the metallic contaminants like K, Fe and Cu in the remote plasma $H_2$ and the UV/$O_3$ cleaning processes is as follows: the metal atoms are lifted off by $SiO^*$ when the $SiO^*$is evaporated after the chemical $SiO_2$ formed under the metal atoms reacts with $H^+ \; and\; e^-$ to form $SiO^*$.

• Korean Journal of Materials Research
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• v.17 no.3
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• pp.125-131
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• 2007

[ $TiO_{2}-solution$ ] was aaded in $SiO_{2}-solution$ by various composition. $SiO_{2}-TiO_{2}$ thin films were obtained by the dip-coating method on the $SiO_{2}$ glass substrates, and then heat-treated at various temperature. Nano-size $TiO_{2}$ particles dispersed $SiO_{2}-TiO_{2}$ films showed absorption peak by quantum size effect at short wavelength region $350{\sim}400nm$, which made them good candidates for non-linear optical materials and photo-catalytic materials. The thickness of $SiO_{2}-TiO_{2}$ films were $300{\sim}430nm$. The contact angle of $SiO_{2}-TiO_{2}$ films for water was $5.3{\sim}47.9^{\circ}$, and therefore it is clear that $SiO_{2}-TiO_{2}$ films have super hydrophilic properties and the self-cleaning effects.

• Journal of Korean Society of Water and Wastewater
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• v.24 no.1
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• pp.93-101
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• 2010

Reverse osmosis (RO) membranes have been widely used for desalination as well as water and wastewater treatment facilities. Cleaning process is important to maintain stable operation as well as prevention of membrane fouling. Purpose of this research is to analyze electrostatistic and chemical characteristics after cleaning of RO membrane against $SiO_2$ scale. Four RO membranes of polyamide are used and examined about effect of chemical cleaning. EDTA (ethylene diamine tetraacetic acid) and SDS (sodium dodecil sulfate) and NaOH are applied for cleaning process after operation in synthetic water. Then, cleaning was performed with chemicals such concentration as 6hr, 12hr and 24hr, respectively. As a result, transmittances of FT-IR of four membranes are compared at each cleaning concentration. Ta/Tv shows difference of chemical composition between new membrane and cleaning membrane after cleaning. Type B of RO membrane is turned out to be most vulnerable to cleaning among four membranes. In terms of zeta potential, new membrane has -16 mV to +6 mV on pH while scaled membrane has -18 mV to 2 mV. However, it changed -23mV to 0.9 mV after cleaning. In comparison with existing salt rejection of RO membranes after cleaning, the rejection of the membranes goes down 0.7% maximum. Though cleaning changes the characteristics of membrane surface, it does not greatly affect salt rejection. pH is a critical factor to flux change in PA (polyamide) membrane.

• Electrical & Electronic Materials
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• v.7 no.4
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• pp.294-299
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• 1994

CHF$_{3}$/CH$_{4}$Ar 플라즈마에 의해 형성된 산화막 식각 잔류물의 화학구조와 이 잔류물의 제거를 위한 세정방법을 x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy를 이용하여 조사하였다. 잔류무르이 구조는 CF$_{x}$-polymer와 Si-C, Si-O 결합으로 이루어진 SiO$_{y}$ C$_{z}$ 이었다. CF$_{4}$O$_{2}$ 플라즈마에 의한 silicon light etch는 산화막 식각 잔류물인 SiO$_{y}$ C$_{z}$ 층과 손상된 실리콘 표면을 제거하엿으며 NH$_{4}$OH-H$_{2}$O$_{2}$과 HF용액으로 완전히 제거되는 CF$_{x}$-polymer/SiO$_{x}$층을 남겼다. 100.angs.정도의 silicon light etch는 minority carrier life time과 thermal wave signal값을 초기 웨이퍼 수준까지 회복시켰으며 접합누설 전류도 거의 습식 식각 공정수준까지 감소시켰다.

• Journal of the Korean Institute of Electrical and Electronic Material Engineers
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• v.15 no.6
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• pp.479-485
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• 2002

We have investigated the effects of various wafers cleaning on glass/Si bonding using 4 inch Pyrex glass wafers and 4 inch silicon wafers. The various wafer cleaning methods were examined; SPM(sulfuric-peroxide mixture, $H_2SO_4:H_2O_2$ = 4 : 1, $120^{\circ}C$), RCA(company name, $NH_4OH:H_2O_2:H_2O$ = 1 : 1 : 5, $80^{\circ}C$), and combinations of those. The best room temperature bonding result was achieved when wafers were cleaned by SPM followed by RCA cleaning. The minimum increase in surface roughness measured by AFM(atomic force microscope) confirmed such results. During successive heat treatments, the bonding strength was improved with increased annealing temperatures up to $400^{\circ}C$, but debonding was observed at $450^{\circ}C$. The difference in thermal expansion coefficients between glass and Si wafer led debonding. When annealed at fixed temperatures(300 and $400^{\circ}C$), bonding strength was enhanced until 28 hours, but then decreased for further anneal. To find the cause of decrease in bonding strength in excessively long annealing time, the ion distribution at Si surface was investigated using SIMS(secondary ion mass spectrometry). tons such as sodium, which had been existed only in glass before annealing, were found at Si surface for long annealed samples. Decrease in bonding strength can be caused by the diffused sodium ions to pass the glass/si interface. Therefore, maximum bonding strength can be achieved when the cleaning procedure and the ion concentrations at interface are optimized in glass/Si wafer direct bonding.