Molecular contamination on silicon wafers: a theoretical study

Airborne Molecular Contamination (AMC) on silicon wafers is mainly determined by the gas phase concentrations of the contaminants, the adsorption energy of the molecules on the surface, and their removal rate. In this paper, we will develop a potential energy function to describe interactions between adsorbed molecules and the solid surfaces. This potential function will be used to predict adsorption energies of organic/inorganic molecules on silicon wafer surfaces. With the aid of a simplified kinetic theory, relationships between gas phase concentrations and the surface density of deposits are derived. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first theoretical study of molecular contamination on silicon wafers at the level of atomic interactions. The approach can also be used to study cleaning efficiencies and corrosion of air handling equipment.