Ammonium hydroxide treatments for semiconductor substrates

Abstract

Embodiments of the current invention describe ammonia hydroxide treatments for surfaces. In one embodiment, a method and a cleaning solution including ammonium hydroxide (NH 4 OH), water (H 2 O), a chelating agent, and a surfactant for cleaning silicon germanium substrates are described. The cleaning solution does not include hydrogen peroxide (H 2 O 2 ) because hydrogen peroxide etches germanium. In another embodiment, a method of terminating oxidized surfaces on semiconductor substrates with terminating groups that promote the bonding of the oxidized surface to another surface with a surface treatment containing ammonium hydroxide (NH 4 OH) is described. The oxidized surface is immediately bonded to a second substrate after evaporation of the surface treatment.

1 . An H 2 O 2 -free solution, consisting essentially of: 
 NH 4 OH;    H 2 O;    at least one chelating agent;    at least one surfactant; and    products resulting from combining the solution.    
   
   
       2 . The H 2 O 2 -free solution of  claim 1 , wherein NH 4 OH is in an approximate range of 0.03% by weight and 28% by weight of the solution.  
   
   
       3 . The H 2 O 2 -free solution of  claim 1 , wherein NH 4 OH is 0.725% by weight of the solution.  
   
   
       4 . The H 2 O 2 -free solution of  claim 1 , wherein the at least one chelating agent is EDDHA.  
   
   
       5 . The H 2 O 2 -free solution of  claim 1 , wherein the at least one chelating agent is in an approximate range of 20 ppm and 500 ppm of the solution.  
   
   
       6 . The H 2 O 2 -free solution of  claim 1 , wherein the at least one chelating agent is approximately 40 ppm of the solution.  
   
   
       7 . The H 2 O 2 -free solution of  claim 1 , wherein the at least one surfactant is a non-ionic surfactant.  
   
   
       8 . The H 2 O 2 -free solution of  claim 1 , wherein the at least one surfactant is in an approximate range of 20 ppm and 500 ppm of the solution.  
   
   
       9 . The H 2 O 2 -free solution of  claim 1 , wherein the at least one surfactant is approximately 40 ppm of the solution.  
   
   
       10 . The H 2 O 2 -free solution of  claim 1 , wherein the pH of the solution is in the approximate range of 8 and 11.  
   
   
       11 . The H 2 O 2 -free solution of  claim 1 , wherein the pH of the solution is approximately 10.