Patent ID: 8377219

Claim:
A method for cleaning a semiconductor wafer composed of silicon directly after a process of chemical mechanical polishing of the semiconductor wafer, the method comprising the following steps in the order indicated: a) transferring the semiconductor wafer from a polishing plate to a first cleaning module, and spraying both side surfaces of the semiconductor wafer with water at a pressure no greater than 1000 Pa at least once while transferring the semiconductor wafer; b) cleaning the semiconductor wafer between rotating rollers with a supply of water; c) spraying the side surfaces of the semiconductor wafer with an aqueous solution containing hydrogen fluoride and a surfactant at a pressure no greater than 70,000 Pa; d) spraying the side surfaces of the semiconductor wafer with water at a pressure no greater than 20,000 Pa; e) dipping the semiconductor wafer into an aqueous alkaline cleaning solution; f) cleaning the semiconductor wafer between rotating rollers with a supply of water; g) spraying the semiconductor wafer with water; and h) drying the semiconductor wafer.