Patent ID: 8691027
Filing Date: 2014-04-08
Classification: G03F,H01L,Y10S

Abstract:
1. A system for removing material from a semiconductor wafer, comprising: a chamber; a precursor fluid to a non-Newtonian fluid, wherein the precursor fluid is a liquid having a propellant material in a liquid state, and wherein the non-Newtonian fluid has a viscosity that changes with an applied shear force, and wherein the precursor fluid includes one or more hydrotropes for controlling a size of micelles within the non-Newtonian fluid; a fluid input connected to the chamber and configured to dispose the precursor fluid on a semiconductor wafer to be supported within the chamber; a pressurization device configured to control a pressure within the chamber to maintain the precursor fluid in a liquid state when being disposed on the semiconductor wafer; and a pressure release device configured to release a pressure within the chamber to a lower pressure environment, wherein the release of the pressure within the chamber is sufficient to cause the precursor fluid to transform from the liquid state into the non-Newtonian fluid, whereby an expansion of the precursor fluid during the transformation is sufficient to cause the non-Newtonian fluid to remove material from the semiconductor wafer.