Method for treating a semiconductor device

Abstract

A method of treating a sensor array including a plurality of sensors and an isolation structure, where a sensor of the plurality of sensors has a sensor pad exposed at a surface of the sensor array and the isolation structure is disposed between the sensor pad and sensor pads of other sensors of the plurality of sensors, comprises exposing the sensor pad and the isolation structure to a non-aqueous organo-silicon solution including an organo-silicon compound and a first non-aqueous carrier; applying an acid solution including an organic acid and a second non-aqueous carrier to the sensor pad; and rinsing the acid solution from the sensor pad and the isolation structure.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . (canceled) 
     
     
         2 . A method of processing a semiconductor device, comprising:
 flowing a series of solutions sequentially into a flow cell chamber disposed over a sensor array, wherein the series comprises:
 contacting the sensor array with a treatment solution, wherein the treatment solution comprises a mixture of a polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) and a sulfonic acid in an alkane solvent; 
 rinsing the sensor array with a rinse solution; and 
   evaluating a measurement of semiconductor device function.   
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein the measurement of semiconductor device function is a signal to noise ratio (SNR) measurement. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 3 , wherein a desirable SNR measurement includes a SNR measurement greater than 12. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein the measurement of semiconductor device function includes a measurement of buffering. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 5 , wherein a desirable measurement of buffering is a measurement of buffering below 100. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 6 , wherein the measurement of semiconductor device function includes a key signal measurement. 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 7 , wherein a desirable key signal measurement is a measurement of key signal greater than 90. 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein the measurement of semiconductor device function includes a q20 mean measurement. 
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 9 , wherein a desirable q20 mean measurement is a measurement of q20 mean greater than 160. 
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein before rinsing the sensor array with the rinse solution, the method further comprises treating the sensor array with a base solution. 
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein the PDMS is selected from an alkyl terminated polydimethylsiloxane, a hydride-terminated polydimethylsiloxane, a monovinyl terminated polydimethylsiloxane, dichloro-tetramethyldisiloxane, hexamethyltrisiloxane, polymethylhydrosiloxane, tris(trimethylsilyloxy)silane, octamethyltrisiloxane, or a combination thereof. 
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein the treatment solution has a concentration of the PDMS of between 0.001% to 10.0% by weight. 
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein the PDMS has a molecular weight of between 500 Daltons (Da) to 7000 Da. 
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein the sulfonic acid is selected from an alkyl aryl sulfonic acid. 
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein the treatment solution has a concentration of the sulfonic acid of between 0.5% and 25% by weight. 
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein the alkane solvent is a linear chain alkane solvent of chain length between 5 to 14 carbons. 
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein the alkane solvent is undecane. 
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein the rinse solution is ethanol, isopropanol or water. 
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein the sensor array is an array of chemical field effect (chemFET) sensors. 
     
     
         21 . A method of processing a semiconductor device, comprising:
 flowing a treatment solution into a flow cell chamber disposed over a sensor array, wherein the treatment solution comprises a mixture of a polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) and a sulfonic acid in an alkane solvent;   contacting the sensor array with the treatment solution for between 30 seconds to 30 minutes;   treating the sensor array with a base solution by flowing a base solution through the flow cell chamber; and   rinsing the sensor array by flowing a rinse solution through the flow cell chamber.   
     
     
         22 . The method of  claim 21 , wherein after contacting the sensor array with the treatment solution and before flowing the base solution through the flow cell chamber, the method further comprises:
 clearing the flow cell chamber of the treatment solution by flowing a flushing solution through the flow cell chamber; and   treating the sensor array by flowing a solution of a sulfonic acid in an alkane solvent through the flow cell chamber.