Patent ID: 8420550

Claim:
A method for manufacturing semiconductor substrates, the method comprising: providing a semiconductor wafer, the semiconductor wafer having an upper surface, a backside surface, and an edge region around a periphery of the semiconductor wafer; subjecting the semiconductor wafer to one or more process steps to form one or more films of materials on the backside surface; mounting the semiconductor wafer to expose the backside surface; rotating the semiconductor wafer in a circular manner; supplying an acid solution containing fluorine bearing species, a nitric acid species, a surfactant species, and an organic acid species, on at least the backside surface of the semiconductor wafer as the semiconductor wafer rotates; causing removal of one or more contaminants from at least the backside surface; and forming an edge exclusion region within a vicinity of the edge region around the periphery of the semiconductor wafer of at least 0.8 millimeter and greater, while a portion of the center region of the backside surface remains exposed as the semiconductor wafer rotates in the circular manner; wherein the one or more contaminants comprise a first polysilicon material; wherein the edge exclusion region comprises a second polysilicon material; and wherein the acid solution comprises a mixture of nitric acid (HNO3), hydrofluoric acid (HF), surfactant, and acetic acid (CH3COOH) in a 160:1:30:8 ratio, wherein the one or more contaminants comprise one or more silicon bearing needle structures.