Patent ID: 8226775
Filing Date: 2012-07-24
Classification: C11D,H01L,Y10S

Abstract:
1. A method of removing contaminants from a surface of a patterned substrate for defining integrated circuit devices, comprising: applying a cleaning material on the patterned substrate, wherein the cleaning material is made of a solvent, a buffering agent to change a potential of hydrogen (pH) value of the cleaning material, and polymers of polyacrylamide (PAM) with a molecular weight between about 15M g/mol to about 100M g/mol, wherein the buffering agent and the solvent form a cleaning solution, wherein the polymers become soluble in the cleaning solution to form the cleaning material, the solubilized polymers having long polymer chains to capture and entrap at least some of the contaminants from the surface of the patterned substrate for defining integrated circuit devices, the cleaning material being defined as a liquid phase, wherein the cleaning material deforms around device features on the surface of the patterned substrate when a force is applied on the cleaning material covering the patterned substrate, the cleaning material being applied on the surface of the patterned substrate to remove contaminants from the surface without damaging the device features on the surface, the cleaning material being free of abrasive particles before the cleaning material is applied on the surface of the patterned substrate; and applying a rinse liquid to rinse the cleaning material from the patterned substrate, wherein the contaminants on the surface of the patterned substrate are removed along with the cleaning material.