Advances in Particle Removal without Damage

Particle removal without damage to sensitive device structures on semiconductor devices is a necessary process to maximum device yield. The use of an atomized aerosol spray for damage-free particle removal has proven to be one of the more effective strategies. Continued improvements in nozzle design have enabled the use of this technique to 1Xnm technology nodes. Recently, the freezing of water has also shown promise for damage-free particle removal, and the performance of this new technique is compared with aerosol spray cleaning.