UPW ITRS and SEMI: Synergy of Enabling Advanced Existing and Future Technologies

Particle contamination in ultrapure water (UPW) remains a high challenge in yield enhancement to achieve more functional die per wafer. IRDS requirement on acceptable particle size in UPW is getting more stringent year by year as semiconductor technology advances. Besides native particles, IRDS also shows growing concern on particle precursors such as dissolved molecular compound which may form solid particles when dried on wafer surface. Our study on the particle types released through a UPW system and its comparison to those found on wafers helps us identify the target particles and particle precursors to be removed from UPW. One of the target process consumables to be studied on the release of particles and particle precursors to UPW is ion exchange resin. Through our investigation on two different ion exchange resins, resin selection is shown to be critical in reducing the release of particles and particle precursors in both short and long terms.

Critical feature sizes of modern semiconductor devices have surpassed the capabilities of traditional optical-based methods to measure particle concentrations in process chemicals and on wafers. Without adequate metrology for quantifying particle and particle precursor concentration in process chemicals, device makers face challenges correlating component failures and fabrication steps. This is especially true for organic material released by Final Polish Ion Exchange resin during a rinse cycle, which is not detected efficiently using optical methods. In this work, we describe two state-of-the-art measurement methods that can detect organic particles and particle precursors to 3 nm using Aerosolization and Threshold Particle Counting (TPC) and defects from UPW deposited on a wafer surface down to 8 nm using Surfaced Enhanced Particle Sizing (SEPS)

Enabling Advanced Semiconductor Yield via Proactive Technology Management - an overview of the IRDS research work and future roadmap, as well as SEMI standard and future focus areas.

The advent of copper in integrated circuits in semiconductor manufacturing in the late 1990s led to the need for an efficient, environmentally compliant way to remove copper from wastewater generated from copper mechanical planarization/polishing (CuCMP) processes. CuCMP chemistry involves oxide slurry solids, chelators and other components that complicate traditional precipitation wastewater treatment methods that create a waste solid (i.e., sludge) considered to be hazardous waste by federal and state environmental regulations.

UF even withstands episodic increase of particle numbers in the feed (e.g., caused by conditioning of ion-exchange resins) without negative effects for water quality and service lifetime. Such a particle challenge typically involves high concentrations of ~10-nanometer (nm) particles. On the other hand, current on-line particle counters approach their lower detection limit at about 10nm. Large numbers of particles nearby and below this limit remain undetected. Hence, the integrity of a UF membrane is essential to keep these small particles under control; it can hardly be evaluated by comparing particle counts upstream and downstream. Therefore, better test methods are needed to identify membrane damages, and to decide on service life and replacement of UF membranes.

This presentation was given as part of the Ultrapure Micro 2021 annual conference. It was given as part of the ultrapure water strand.

This presentation was given as part of the Ultrapure Micro 2021 annual conference. It was given as a keynote presentation

This presentation was given as part of the Ultrapure Micro 2021 annual conference. It was given as part of the combined track, which contained presentations on airborne molecular contamination (AMC) and high purity gases, and ultra high purity chemicals.

This presentation was given as part of the Ultrapure Micro 2021 annual conference. It was given as part of the ultra high purity chemicals strand.

This presentation was given as part of the Ultrapure Micro 2021 annual conference. It was given as part of the ultrapure water strand.