| 摘要 |
Disclosed are methods and apparatuses for combined etching and cleaning of semiconductor wafers and the like preferably using hydrofluoric acid (HF), hydrochloric acid (HCl) and water solutions which generate equilibrium vapor mixtures of HF vapor, HCl vapor and water vapor as a homogenous processing gas. The processing gases do not employ a carrier gas which will make the vapors nonhomogeneous and reduce etching rates. The vapors are preferably generated from a liquid source which is provided within a contained reaction chamber which holds the wafer. The wafer is preferably oriented with the surface being processed directed downward. The wafer is advantageously positioned above or in close proximity to the liquid source of the processing vapor. The wafer is rotated at a rotational speed in the range of 20-1000 revolutions per minute to provide uniform dispersion of the homogeneous processing gas across the wafer surface and to facilitate circulation and transfer from the liquid source into processing gas and onto the processed surface. The liquid source of the vapor can advantageously be provided in a bath immediately below the processed surface of the wafer or in toroidal basin adjacent to the wafer. The processes provide high speed etching of good uniformity and superior particle count performance.
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