Adsorption Behavior of Organic Contaminants on a Silicon Wafer Surface

Abstract

The adsorption behavior of organic contaminants adsorbed onto silicon wafer surfaces was studied. Contaminants result from the presence of volatile organic contaminants in clean room environments and in plastic storage boxes. The contaminants on the wafers were collected by dissolving them in solvent and were characterized by gas chromatography‐mass spectroscopy analysis. It was found that organic contaminants increase in quantity over time. When the contaminants were examined in detail, it was found that the behavior of each contaminant varied with differences in their chemical properties. Whereas the organic contaminants having a low boiling point tended to be adsorbed immediately, those having a high boiling point tended to be adsorbed over a longer exposure time. It is assumed that the organic contaminants having a low boiling point were being replaced by those with a higher boiling point. © 1999 The Electrochemical Society. All rights reserved.