Patent ID: 8124545
Filing Date: 2012-02-28
Classification: C11D,H01L,Y10S

Abstract:
1. A semiconductor processing method comprising: providing an etched silicon-dioxide-containing surface having silicon-dioxide-containing debris thereon, the silicon-dioxide-containing surface and the silicon-dioxide-containing debris together possessing the property of exhibiting an amount of roughness on the silicon-dioxide-containing surface that is induced if the silicon-dioxide-containing debris is removed using a cleaning mixture containing an organic solvent and fluoride ions; providing a modified cleaning mixture containing the organic solvent, the fluoride ions, and further containing one or more components of a carboxylic acid having an aqueous acidic dissociation constant of at least 1×10 removing at least some of the silicon-dioxide-containing debris from the silicon-dioxide-containing surface using the modified cleaning mixture, the inclusion of the one or more components of the carboxylic acid reducing the amount of roughness to a lesser amount of roughness induced during the removal of the silicon-dioxide-containing debris using the modified cleaning mixture.