ScCO2 Drying for Preventing Pattern Collapse in Advanced Logic Device Structures

Supercritical CO
2
(ScCO
2
) drying has been demonstrated to prevent pattern collapse causing Line Flop-over (LF) during post gate reactive ion etching (RIE) cleaning of advanced Nanosheet devices. Drying with conventional low surface tension liquids like IPA did not help in preventing the LF's in these high aspect ratio structures (AR = 13–17).