| Abstract: |
To meet the cleaning requirements for wafers with features below 65-nanometers (nm) or incorporating emerging new materials, gasified deionized (DI) water is playing an important role in advanced semiconductor cleaning processes. In particular, carbon dioxide (CO2) is gaining much attention since dissolution of CO2 in water is more than just a physical process. Unlike many gases, as CO2 dissolves into water, it increases water’s acidity by forming carbonic acid (H2CO3). Consequently, the dissociation of the acid produces more free moving ions in solution, which makes DI water more conductive. |