Quartz Crystal Microbalance for Silicon Surface Organic Contamination

Abstract

A quartz crystal microbalance ͑QCM͒ was used to develop a real-time measurement method of airborne organic contamination on a silicon surface. At the relative humidity of 40-50%, the amount of adsorbed water on the silicon surface was determined to be several tens to 100 ng cm −2 . Under this condition, the adsorption and desorption of diethyl phthalate can be measured at the time corresponding to the operations of the diethyl phthalate vapor supply. Its adsorption rate and desorption rate are consistent with those evaluated in a clean room. Based on the weight evaluation of various contaminations, the significant part of the change in the surface concentration obtained by the QCM method in a clean room can be assigned to airborne organic contamination.

Surface and gas phase reactions induced in a trichlorosilane–SiHx system for silicon film deposition

“…1. This sensor has a sufficient sensitivity to detect any small weight change [17] less than that of the silicon monolayer deposition. The frequency of the QCM sensor was monitored and displayed on the computer.…”

Influence of Gas Velocity and Humidity on Diethyl Phthalate Adsorption and Desorption on Silicon Surface

“…Since the adsorbed amount of both DEP and water can be assumed to depend on the net surface area of the silicon, S e is simply estimated following the assumption that the net surface is proportional to the adsorbed water amount on the QCM sensor surface. In our previous studies (22,23), the relationship between the adsorbed amount of water and humidity is as follows:…”

Molecular Adsorption and Desorption Behavior on Silicon Surface in a Complex Ambient Atmosphere Containing Vapors of Diethylphthalate, Acetic Acid and Water

“…For this purpose, the complicated adsorption and desorption behaviors of organic compounds on a silicon surface have been studied [9][10][11][12][13][14] using the in situ measurement method of the quartz crystal microbalance (QCM) and the rate theory of the multi-component organic species adsorption-induced contamination (MOSAIC) model [9]. As an extension, the authors studied the acetic acid (ACA) behavior [15] on a silicon surface.…”