In semiconductor manufacturing, atomic-level defects and contamination pose significant challenges to device performance, reliability, and yield. From high-precision sensors to powerful processors, even the smallest impurities can impact functionality. To mitigate these issues, advanced cleaning techniques are employed to purify interfaces and ensure high-quality results. In this post, we explore the most common atomic-level cleaning methods, their benefits and limitations, and how the latest advancements can complement these techniques for optimized semiconductor fabrication.

1. High-Purity Semiconductor Materials and Ultra-High Purity Precursors (CVD/MBE)

Chemical Vapor Deposition (CVD) and Molecular Beam Epitaxy (MBE) deposit thin films of semiconductor materials with atomic precision. High-purity materials and ultra-high-purity precursors are essential to minimize contamination during film growth.

  • Advantages: Produces impurity-free films with precise thickness control, enabling advanced multi-layer structures for 3D ICs, high-performance microchips, LEDs, laser diodes, and quantum devices.
  • Limitations: Specialized equipment, slower processes, higher costs, and lower suitability for high-volume production.

2. Specialized Chemical Solutions for Contaminant Removal

Chemical cleaning using acidic or basic solutions removes organic and inorganic residues, such as oils, dust, and particulate matter.

  • Advantages: Fast, scalable, cost-effective, and suitable for mass production.
  • Limitations: Residual chemicals can introduce new contamination, and atomic-level precision may not be achievable for highly sensitive devices.

Widely used in semiconductor fabs before and after deposition, ideal for industrial sensors and low-cost components.

3. Plasma Cleaning for Organic Residues and Atomic-Level Impurities

Plasma cleaning uses ionized gases to remove organic residues and impurities from surfaces such as silicon, metal, and polymers.

  • Advantages: Non-contact cleaning, effective on delicate surfaces, and can modify surfaces for improved adhesion.
  • Limitations: Overexposure can damage layers or alter surface properties, and inorganic contaminants may not be fully removed.

Commonly used for LEDs, solar cells, photodetectors, and MEMS fabrication.

4. Atomic Layer Deposition (ALD) for Conformal Coatings and Surface Passivation

ALD deposits ultra-thin, uniform films layer-by-layer, ideal for surface passivation and sealing against contamination.

  • Advantages: Precise, conformal coatings on complex geometries, reduces defects, enhances longevity, and ensures uniformity for high-performance devices.
  • Limitations: Slower than other deposition techniques and relatively costly, less suitable for low-end mass production.

Used in advanced nodes, memory chips, power devices, sensitive optical coatings, quantum computing, and nanoelectronics.

Latest Advancements in Atomic-Level Cleaning

As semiconductor nodes shrink, new atomic-level cleaning methods have emerged. SisuSemi’s atomic-level cleaning technology offers complementary advantages to traditional methods:

  • Atomic-Level Purity: Ensures substrates are free from atomic-level contaminants, optimizing subsequent CVD, MBE, and ALD deposition.
  • Enhanced Performance: Improves effectiveness of plasma and chemical cleaning by removing deep-seated contaminants.
  • Improved Yield: Applied as a pre-treatment step, reduces defects and boosts first-pass yield for subsequent deposition processes.

Our solution integrates seamlessly with existing fabrication workflows to enhance quality, precision, and reliability, especially in applications demanding high performance and atomic-level accuracy.

Conclusion

In today’s semiconductor industry, where performance, reliability, and cost-effectiveness are paramount, atomic-level cleaning is more critical than ever. While traditional methods like CVD, MBE, plasma cleaning, and ALD provide unique advantages, advanced solutions like SisuSemi’s technology ensure substrates remain contaminant-free at the atomic scale, improving yield, performance, and long-term device reliability.