Santa Ana, California–Verteq has renewed its contract with IMEC, an independent microelectronics research center located in Leuven, Belgium, to continue collaboration on process development and optimization of the rotational Marangoni drying technique based on IMEC’s patented technology (also known as Rotagoni).

Verteq has now worked with IMEC for a year and has co-authored five technical papers with the group including one entitled “Megasonic, non-contact cleaning followed by ‘Rotagoni’ drying of CMP wafers.” Technical papers were presented this year at VLSI Technology Symposium, Ultra Clean Processing of Silicon Surfaces (UCPSS 2000), and International Symposium on Semiconductor Manufacturing (ISSM).

Key accomplishments include implementation of Goldfinger and Rotagoni in post Cu CMP processes, as well as stain-free drying of HF-last processed wafers used in Verteq’s Goldfinger single wafer tool.

Goals for 2001 include conducting fundamental megasonic studies using Goldfinger.