Papers by Keyword: Megasonics

Abstract: Radical formation and detection in aqueous solutions under acoustic irradiation are important during wet cleaning processes in semiconductor industries. Oxidizing radicals such as hydroxyl and hydroperoxyl radicals have been widely studied and characterized using fluorescence and chemiluminescence methods. Hydrogen radicals, which are strongly reducing in nature, have not received much attention. In this study, the rate of hydrogen radical generation in a megasonic field (0.93 MHz) was measured using an electrochemical technique. Specifically, the method is based on the reduction of cupric ions to cuprous chloride complex by the hydrogen radicals in the presence of an excess of chloride ions. This is followed by chronoamperometric determination of the oxidation of cuprous chloride complex back to cupric ions. Hydrogen radical generation rate was measured at different megasonic power densities.

Abstract: A new generation of negative tone and chemically amplified positive tone photoresists by TOK, JSR, Dow Chemical and others has gained momentum for advanced packaging applications. Resist thickness requirements are increasing to the 40-100 μm range as Cu pillars and micro-bumps are adopted, to accommodate the tighter pitches required in the newest multi-chip package designs. In order to form the pillars, the resist mask must be thicker than the height of the pillars to contain the entire bump structure.

Abstract: Acoustic cavitation, especially transient cavitation, in solutions is accompanied by a number of physical and chemical effects. Due to high temperature and pressure conditions inside bubbles at their collapse, excitation of various species as well as formation of radicals occurs in solution [1-4]. Water molecules excited by megasonic irradiation typically dissociate to hydrogen and hydroxyl radicals (H• and OH•) [5]. The hydroxyl radical is a strong oxidant while the hydrogen radical has reducing properties. In presence of O₂ in the solution, H• reacts with O₂ to form hydroperoxyl (HO₂•) radicals, which act as a reducing as well as a (weak) oxidizing agent [6]. Dissociation of hydroperoxyl radicals result in the formation of superoxide anion radicals (O₂•^-) as follows [6]: