Specific Process Knowledge/Wafer cleaning/RCA
RCA cleaning
The RCA clean is used for cleaning the wafers before taking them into the furnaces and a few other equipments (check the cross contamination sheet). It consists of two solutions: RCA1 and RCA2 plus diluted HF. A crucial part of the RCA clean is the oxidation by HFailed to parse (SVG (MathML can be enabled via browser plugin): Invalid response ("Math extension cannot connect to Restbase.") from server "https://wikimedia.org/api/rest_v1/":): {\displaystyle _2} OFailed to parse (SVG (MathML can be enabled via browser plugin): Invalid response ("Math extension cannot connect to Restbase.") from server "https://wikimedia.org/api/rest_v1/":): {\displaystyle _2} . Therefore the life time of the RCA solutions are limited by the presence of the HOFailed to parse (SVG (MathML can be enabled via browser plugin): Invalid response ("Math extension cannot connect to Restbase.") from server "https://wikimedia.org/api/rest_v1/":): {\displaystyle _2} which is highly volatile at 70 Failed to parse (SVG (MathML can be enabled via browser plugin): Invalid response ("Math extension cannot connect to Restbase.") from server "https://wikimedia.org/api/rest_v1/":): {\displaystyle ^o} C.
- The RCA1 contains: HFailed to parse (SVG (MathML can be enabled via browser plugin): Invalid response ("Math extension cannot connect to Restbase.") from server "https://wikimedia.org/api/rest_v1/":): {\displaystyle _2}
O, NHFailed to parse (SVG (MathML can be enabled via browser plugin): Invalid response ("Math extension cannot connect to Restbase.") from server "https://wikimedia.org/api/rest_v1/":): {\displaystyle _4}
OH and HO (5:1:1). It is used for removal of light organics, particles and metal.
- The RCA2 contains: HO, HCl and HO (5:1:1). It is used for removal of heavy metals, alkalies and metal hydroxides.
RCA procedure
- RCA1: 10 min
- DI water rinsing (dumping three times)
- HF: 30 sec (avoid it if you have oxide as the top layer)
- DI water rinsing (dumping three times)
- RCA2: 10 min
- DI water rinsing (dumping three times)
- Optional: HF: 30 sec (avoid it if you have oxide as the top layer)
- DI water rinsing (dumping three times)
For procedure details please look in the user manual positioned in LabManager.
Overview of RCA process data
RCA1 | RCA2 | HF | |
---|---|---|---|
General description |
It is used for removal of light organics, particles and metal. |
It is used for removal of heavy metals, alkalies and metal hydroxides. |
It is used for removal of oxide generated in RCA1 and RCA2 |
Chemical solution | HO, NHOH(29%) and HO(30%) (5:1:1) | HO, HCl(37%) and HO(30%) (5:1:1) | 5% HF |
Process temperature | 70-80 oC | 70-80 oC | Room temperature |
Process time |
10 min. |
10 min. |
30 sec. |
Life time of the chemical solutions | Can only be heated one time. When hot: it lasts for ~1h | Can only be heated one time. When hot: it lasts for ~1h | ~2 months |
Allowed materials |
|
|
|
Batch size |
1-25 2",4" or 6" wafers at a time |
1-25 2",4" or 6" wafers at a time |
1-25 2",4" or 6" wafers at a time |
Size of substrate |
4"-6" wafers |
4"-6" wafers |
4"-6" wafers |