Patent ID: 6132522
Filing Date: 2000-10-17
Classification: H01L

Abstract:
A method for wet processing semiconductor wafers comprising:a) placing the semiconductor wafers in a liquid displacement reaction chamber;b) providing a volume of a first reactive process liquid to the reaction chamber, wherein the first reactive process liquid comprises at least one first chemical, and wherein the first chemical has a concentration greater than 100 ppm in the first reactive process liquid and is selected from the group consisting of hydrochloric acid and buffers comprising the same, ammonium hydroxide and buffers comprising the same, hydrogen peroxide, sulfuric acid and buffers comprising the same, mixtures of sulfuric acid and ozone, hydrofluoric acid and buffers comprising the same, chromic acid and buffers comprising the same, phosphoric acid and buffers comprising the same, acetic acid and buffers comprising the same, nitric acid and buffers comprising the same, and combinations thereof;c) contacting the surfaces of the semiconductor wafers with the first reactive process liquid for a first selected period of time without removing the semiconductor wafers from the reaction chamber;d) directly displacing the volume of the first reactive process fluid by providing a second reactive process liquid to the reaction chamber, wherein the second reactive process liquid comprises at least one second chemical, wherein the second chemical has a concentration greater than 100 ppm in the second reactive process liquid and is selected from the group consisting of hydrochloric acid and buffers comprising the same, ammonium hydroxide and buffers comprising the same, hydrogen peroxide, sulfuric acid and buffers comprising the same, mixtures of sulfuric acid and ozone, hydrofluoric acid and buffers comprising the same, chromic acid and buffers comprising the same, phosphoric acid and buffers comprising the same, acetic acid and buffers comprising the same, nitric acid and buffers comprising the same, and combinations thereof, and wherein at least one of the chemicals in the first reactive process liquid is absent from the second reactive process liquid; ande) contacting the surfaces of the semiconductor wafers with the second reactive process liquid for a second selected period of time without removing the semiconductor wafers from the reaction chamber, wherein the second reactive process liquid sequentially follows the first reactive process liquid without any intervening contact with a rinsing liquid between the contacting of the semiconductor wafers with the first reactive process liquid and the second reactive process liquid.