Application Use Cases

The advancement of ultrasonic and megasonic cleaning processes for applications (semiconductor, masks, storage devices, solar cells, etc.) drive the need to characterize the acoustic performance under complex process conditions.  The primary cleaning mechanism is achieved by applying ultrasonic energy to the cleaning solution.  These sound waves generate cavitation, where bubbles are formed and either oscillate or implode, dislodging and removing contaminants from the substrate surface.

Ongoing research is being conducted to understand how variables such as the acoustic pressure, drive frequencies, and concentration of dissolved gases affect the cleaning efficiency.  To control advanced wet clean processes, such as semiconductor and electronic cleaning, upper and lower controls are established to not only ensure maximum particle removal efficiency (PRE) but also to limit any damage on fragile features or surfaces.  Establishing and controlling a process window has proven to be critical to maintain high device yields.