SBIR Phase II: An Innovative Method for Removing Resist from Wafers

The Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase II project seeks to develop an innovative, environment friendly method for removing resist from semiconductor wafers. After every lithography step, and the following processing step, e.g., etching or ion implantation, the process-hardened resist must be stripped away and the wafer cleaned. Existing photoresist removal methods (plasma ashing and wet chemical stripping) are proving too aggressive for current state-of-the-art interconnect materials-they tend to degrade and damage low-k dielectrics and corrode copper; they are also detrimental to the delicate device structures. In this project the resist stripping and wafer cleaning are accomplished in a single process step through controlled microcavitation in ultrapure water with no damage to the underlying layers and features. Resist stripping is a growing $2.64B market. The proposed resist remover and wafer cleaner successfully overcome a critical technological barrier facing the IC manufacturing industry today. Beyond the IC manufacturing industry, the microcavitation based layer removal will find applications in all areas requiring controlled thin film removal,e.g., MEMS, PCB, optics, automotive (paint removal), and aerospace. This will be an enabling technology useful in thin film processing. Microcavitation is a chemical free, environmentally friendly technology.