Overview

Sample cleanliness is extremely important for achieving good results in nanofabrication (hence the need for a cleanroom). However, simply working in the cleanroom does not guarantee cleanliness, proper steps need to be taken at every processing step to ensure a clean result. While some processes have more stringent cleanliness needs than others, some general rules apply for all types of lithography:

• Handle substrates/wafers with cleaned tweezers, not hands.
• Substrates should not be left exposed. Although the cleanroom offers nearly particle free air, particles are generated by the movement, plastic wafer carrier, talking, etc. Even in the cleanest areas of the cleanroom, particles will eventually find their way onto exposed surfaces.

Solvent Cleaning

Standard Process: TAI clean

1. 5 min sonication in beaker of Toluene.
2. 5 min sonication in beaker of Acetone.
3. 5 min sonication in beaker of Isopropanol.

Background

Standard solvent cleaning is a three step process of ultrasonically agitating the substrate in subsequent solvent solutions to remove organic contamination. Three steps allow for selecting solvents that properly dissolve multiple types of contaminants. The first step is a nonpolar solvent (toluene) to remove any oils or grease present on the sample. The second step is a powerful polar solvent (acetone) to remove polar contaminants such as photoresist. The final step is a polar protic solvent (isopropanol).

Nonpolar Solvent Clean: Toluene

Toluene acts a nonpolar solvent to dissolve any grease or oil on the substrate. Nonpolar contaminants (especially fingerprints) will not be effectively removed by Acetone or IPA.

Polar Aprotic Solvent Clean: Acetone

Acetone's high dipole moment leads to a powerful cleaning of polar residue (such as photoresist). However its quick evaporation leads to residue redepositing on the substrate if evaporation is allowed to occur.

Polar Protic Solvent Clean: Isopropanol

IPA is used to remove fully wash away acetone from the substrate, and remove any remaining dissolved residue. As a result, IPA is mainly used to removing the Acetone without residue. However, unlike Acetone, IPA will form hydrogen bonds, and thus may provide some additional cleaning effects.

IPA is prefered as a final step over methanol due to its significantly slower evaporation rate. Slower evaporation results in less residue, and the close dipole moments of the two chemicals (D_IPA=1.66 vs. D_Methanol=1.69) means the difference between the two is small. Additionally, unlike Methanol, IPA is not considered toxic.

If the clean is done immediately before spinning photoresist, a thorough IPA clean and dry should dehydrate the wafer, removing the need for a dehydration bake. If there is a significant delay between cleaning and spinning, ambient water will be adsorbed on the wafer surface. A dehydration bake should then be done.

Deionized Water Rinse

A powerful final step may be a rinse in the nanopure deionized water, which will assist in the removal of any remaining particles, solvent residues, and acid/base residues. However, if this step is employed before spinning photoresist, a dehydration bake must be performed to properly remove bound surface water molecules. This step is required for samples to be placed in any high temperature equipment or furnaces, as even slight solvent residue will combust at temperatures above 400 C.

Piranha Clean

Standard Process: Piranha Clean

1. A completely dry glass container should be used.
2. Add 3 parts Sulfuric Acid (H₂SO₄).
3. Add 1 part Hydrogen Peroxide (H₂O₂).
4. Allow the solution to work for 5-10 minutes.
5. With sink running and while flushing with large amount of water, slowly pour used Piranha solution down drain.

Background

Piranha is a strong oxidizing agent that will strip surfaces of organic (carbon containing) matter and hydroxylate surfaces (add OH groups, making the surface hydrophilic).

• Samples should be free of large areas of organics. Piranha should not be used for removing a layer of PR off of a sample, a solvent clean should be used for large amounts of organics. Piranha is appropriate for cleaning off any remaining organic residue after a solvent clean, or for cleaning a new wafer.
• Ratios of H₂SO₄ and H₂O₂ are important. Getting close to the 3:1 ratio (3 parts H₂SO₄: 1 part H₂O₂) is important. Ratios down to 7:1 will still give powerful cleaning, but something within the range of 3:1 to 7:1 should be used. Adding more peroxide (e.g. a 2:1 mixture or 1:1) both presents a safety hazard and weakens the strength of the solution, and should not be done.
• Contrary to the conventional rule of "Always Add Acid" in chemistry, Piranha should always be prepared with acid first, and peroxide slowly added second. Improperly prepared Piranha may bubble violently when adding the chemicals, this is avoided by adding chemicals slowly and adding the sulfuric acid first.
• Water should NOT be added to Piranha solution and ALL beakers, tweezers and samples added to Piranha must be completely dry. Piranha is self heating, and can easily reach temperatures above 100 C. The addition of water can cause violent boiling.
• Piranha solution should be left uncovered, and under no circumstances should it be sealed. The oxygen and oxidation byproducts produced by the reaction are flammable, and sealing the container can cause them to explode.

Piranha alternative: Nanostrip

Birck supplies Nanostrip, a stabilized Piranha alternative. Standard Nanostrip consists of 90% sulfuric acid (H₂SO₄), 5% peroxymonosulfuric acid (H₂SO₅), 5% water (H₂O), and <1% hydrogen peroxide (H₂O₂). A more powerful version, Nanostrip 2X, consists of 85% sulfuric acid (H₂SO₄), 10% peroxymonosulfuric acid (H₂SO₅), 5% water (H₂O), and <1% hydrogen peroxide (H₂O₂). However, to be effective

Questions & Troubleshooting

Process Library

References

Solvents: Theory and Application (via Microchem)

Cleanliness, Contamination, and Chemical Handling (via SNF)

Piranha:
University of Cambridge Piranha guidelines