Process Materials

Ultra-fine detail semiconductor devices and flat panel displays are becoming more and more sophisticated and functional. The manufacture of semiconductor devices requires the use of high-purity wet chemicals for cleaning, removal, and rinsing.

Alfa Chemistry provides customers with a variety of high-purity wet chemical products used in the photolithography process in the production of semiconductor devices, which require rapid development capabilities in the ever-evolving world of semiconductor and flat panel display manufacturing.

Chemicals for the photolithography process we provide include:

• Edge bead remover (EBR)
• Developer
• Remover / Stripper

These chemical reagents make photolithography technology possible and are essential in the patterning of microprocessor devices. We can guarantee ultra-low particles and trace metals to meet leading market demands.

Edge Bead Remover

Spin coating of photoresist, anti-reflective or polyimide coatings on microelectronic substrates often result in the formation of so-called edge beads. These deposits may also be wrapped around the edge of the substrate, and as a result, may also contaminate the back edge of the substrate.

EBR is a solvent mixture used to remove the photoresist on the edge and back of the substrate. It can be used to remove excess residue on the periphery of the substrate to clean the edge and level the edge to the same thickness as the surface area of the rest of the substrate.

Alfa Chemistry EBR benefit:

• Non-toxic
• Water soluble
• Room temperature operation
• Fast particle and residue cleaner
• Optimized for density and viscosity

For more detailed information, please contact us.

Developer

Development is the step after exposure. During the development process, the more soluble part of the resist is dissolved away, exposing the final desired pattern. The developer is divided into positive tone and negative tone. Exposed area is removed when positive tone is used. Non-exposed area is removed when negative tone is used.

Our Product Range:

• Organic Developer (Metal ion free, with/ without surfactants)
• Inorganic Developer (Metal ion-containing, potassium, sodium, low concentration aluminum)

Both concentrates and prediluted are supplied.

Remover / Stripper

Alfa Chemistry has a complete portfolio of removers to strip and dissolve resist, including:

• Positive-tone, chemically amplified
• Negative-tone cross-linked
• Negative-tone photopolymer

The applications of the above products are as follows:

• CU pillars
• Solder bumping
• Metal lift-off
• Through silicon vias
• Copper electroplating
• Al/ SiO₂ and Cu/ low-k interconnect technologies

Reference

1. Kim T. J, et al. (2018). "Photolithography-Based Nanopatterning Using Re-entrant Photoresist Profile." ACS Applied Materials & Interfaces. 10(9), 8117-8123.