Cleaner Chemistry and Faster Startup with Next Generation Ancillary Photochemical Filters
In advanced semiconductor fabs, even trace levels of metal or organic contaminants in ancillary photochemicals, like PGME/PGMEA, TMAH, and nBA, can compromise wafer yield, chip performance, and device reliability. Central Delivery Systems (CDS) must deliver ultra-clean chemicals to photolithography tools, but legacy filters may fall short in removing extractables or enabling fast system startup in photolithography.
Addressing These Challenges:
Entegris recently conducted a study of new UPE (ultra-high molecular weight polyethylene) filters tailored for CDS applications. This study evaluates their performance to reduce extractables and improve filter startup efficiency across three key chemistries: PGME/PGMEA (7:3), 2.38% TMAH (aq), and nBA.
How We Solved It:
Four new filter designs were tested using static soak methods and ICP-MS/GC-FID analysis to quantify metal and organic extractables. The filters included:
- Microgard™ UPE D01 and Nylon N01 for PGME/PGMEA
- Microgard AT 2 nm Dry for nBA
- Microgard AT 2 nm Prewet for 2.38% TMAH (aq)
Each filter was benchmarked against its respective point-of-reference (POR) filter, demonstrating significant improvements in metal and organic extractables in these photochemicals.
| Photochemical | New Filters Evaluated | POR | Metal Extractables Reduction | Organic Extractables Reduction |
| PGME/PGMEA | UPE D01 | UPE | 60% | 70% |
| PGME/PGMEA | Nylon N01 | Nylon | 70% | 50% |
| nBA | Microgard AT 2 nm Dry | PTFE A | 50% | 40% |
| 2.38% TMAH (aq) | Microgard AT 2 nm Prewet | PTFE B | 90% | N/A |
Conclusion and What’s Next
These next-generation filters significantly improve chemical cleanliness and reduce startup times in automated delivery systems. As fabs scale to sub-3 nm nodes and adopt more complex chemistries, CDS filtration must evolve to meet tighter purity specs.
Watch Lead Author, Patricia Chen describes the study and download the full Tech Note.
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