RF plasma cleaning of silicon substrates with high-density polyethylene contamination

Abstract

Upon contact with a polymeric material, microparticles from the polymer may adhere to a silicon (Si) substrate during device processing. The adhesion contaminates the surface and, in turn, leads to defects in the fabricated Si-based microelectronic devices. In this study, Si substrates with artificially induced high-density polyethylene (HDPE) contamination was exposed to 13.56 MHz radio frequency (RF) plasma utilizing argon and oxygen gas admixtures at a power density of 5.6 W/cm 2 and a working pressure of 110 Pa for up to 6 min of treatment. Optical microscopy studies revealed the removal of up to 74% of the polymer contamination upon plasma exposure. Surface free energy (SFE) increased owing to the removal of contaminants as well as the formation of polar groups on the Si surface after plasma treatment. Atomic force microscopy scans showed a decrease in surface roughness from 12.25 nm for contaminated samples to 0.77 nm after plasma cleaning. The smoothening effect can be attributed to the removal of HDPE particles from the surface. In addition, scanning electron microscope images showed that there was a decrease in the amount of HDPE contaminants adhering onto the surface after plasma exposure.

Interfacial properties of multicomponent plasma‐modified high‐performance fiber‐reinforced composites: A review

“…[29] (E) the plot of the ratio IT/I0 as a function of electron beam exposure time for electropolished stainless steel before and after plasma cleaning in O 2 /Ar mixture. [33] (F) Percent surface coverage of HDPE contaminants on the Si samples before and after plasma treatment [32] that of the sample treated with He/O 2 plasma, as shown by the SEM in Figure 3C. It demonstrates that O 2 and N 2 plasma have a synergistic effect and can improve oxidation capacity.…”

“…[31] After 10 min of multicomponent plasma cleaning, there is no accumulation of pollutants. When Ar/O 2 RF plasma is used to clean the contaminated silicon substrate with HDPE, [32] the pollutant coverage rate on the substrate surface is reduced, as revealed in Figure 2F, indicating that a cleaning effect has been F I G U R E 1 Schematic diagram of cleaning, etching and functionalization of multicomponent plasma. (A) SiO 2 cleaning under OF 2 /NH 3 mixture plasma.…”

Plasma Processing and Treatment of 2D Transition Metal Dichalcogenides: Tuning Properties and Defect Engineering

“…These processes have the advantage of being fast, versatile, and effective. Plasma cleans the surface by inducing physical damage (sputtering) or/and chemical reactions between the contaminant and reactive plasma species, turning contaminants into volatile compounds. , Consequently, plasma has been successfully employed for surface cleaning of the substrate before 2D TMD growth and nanodevice fabrication. − …”

“…The presence of any type of contamination on the substrate negatively affects the deposition of the subsequent layers, reduces the adhesion quality, induces voids between the substrate and the upper layer, and forms electrical defects. 702,703 So far, various wetcleaning and dry-cleaning procedures have been utilized in order to attain clean substrates. 704−706 Due to safety issues and processability, the dry processes have gained much more attention in recent years.…”

“…Surface cleaning of substrates in 2D material-based devices is crucial for the successful deposition of atomic layers and to achieve the desired properties. The presence of any type of contamination on the substrate negatively affects the deposition of the subsequent layers, reduces the adhesion quality, induces voids between the substrate and the upper layer, and forms electrical defects. , So far, various wet-cleaning and dry-cleaning procedures have been utilized in order to attain clean substrates. − Due to safety issues and processability, the dry processes have gained much more attention in recent years. , Low-temperature plasma ions and their byproducts such as UV-light or ozone are effective procedures for decontamination and surface cleaning. These processes have the advantage of being fast, versatile, and effective.…”