Tooling for wafer and photomask cleaning and surface preparation using a dry, laser-assisted technology

The semiconductor industry is entering into an era of global competitiveness that needs to factor in the economics of capital and operational costs along with environmental compliance to operate profitable fabricators. Innovative manufacturing technologies will be required to meet the technological and cost requirements. This paper introduces a new technology for cleaning and surface preparation called the Radiance Process. It operates under quantum mechanical principles using only photons of light and a laminar flowing inert gas, which makes it environmentally friendly. The technology has been demonstrated to remove the following types of contamination in a one-step process that does not damage the underlying surface: Particles (organic, inorganic and metallic), metallic ions, oxides, and thin films (organic and inorganic). With its inherent simplicity, flexibility, and modular tool design, the technology can accommodate stand-alone and cluster modules as well as multiple substrate dimensions. Projected cost-of-ownership figures indicate that this technology is significantly less expensive than current wet-chemical-based processes because infrastructure for water and chemical usage and disposal is not required. This paper describes our technology, its developmental results, tool design and projected cost-of-ownership figures.