VOC - Photolith.pptVIP

Photolithography Application and development of photoresist with the use of light and heat to write a pattern of microstructures on a wafer Photoresist Protective material used to form a resistant film on the wafer surface Reacts chemically with areas exposed (not covered by a patterned mask) to become more or less soluble with respect to a solvent Basic Photo Process Steps Spin-Coat Resist Usage/Waste Chemical Usage in the Photolithography Process Standard photoresist chemicals Resin (e.g. Cresol-formaldehyde {Novolac} ) Solvents Ethyl lactate (EL) (b.p 154C) Ethyl 3-ethoxypropionate (EEP) Cellosolve Acetate Photo-active Compounds Developer Edge Bead Remover Solvents Strategies for Reducing VOC Emissions Switch to Water-Based Resists Advantage: no VOC emissions Disadvantage: line width resolution, “speed” Optimize Use of Current Solvent-Based Resists Advantage: utilize current formulations, equipment Disadvantage: no hope for eliminating VOC emissions Benefits to Minimizing Resist Usage Resist cost (~$500/gallon) Environmental Impact Most of the Resist is “wasted”, in the sense that it is spun off the wafer. The high “waste” is required to achieve uniformity in thickness and proper coverage. Because of precise resist formulations, solvent evaporation during spinning, and contamination concerns, it is impossible to recycle resist that is spun from the wafer. Typically, Organic Solvents are used to clean the photoresist “cups” into which the excess resist is spun. Less solvent usage leads to less emissions of Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs). Photoresist Dispense Optimization Objective Coverage of given thickness Coverage of given uniformity Control Variable(s) Resist properties (viscosity, solvent mass fraction, amount dispensed) Spin speed Spin recipe Temperature, RH Three Steps to Coating Process Spin-Coat Operating Parameters Spin Speed (rpm) Spin Time (sec) Surface Temperature Room Temperature Room Humidity Resist Volume Resist Viscosity Resist So