Taking aim at 65nm and 45nm processes, SCP Global Technologies Inc., Boise, ID, entered the fast-growing market for single-wafer wet cleaning tools on May 12 with its Emersion 300 system, the industry’s first immersion-based surface preparation system that processes wafers one at a time. Most existing single-wafer wet cleaning tools today use spin processing to address mainly back-end-of-line (BEOL) applications.

SCP claims the tool can perform standard wet clean, rinse, and drying steps in about 30 sec each with the aid of three megasonics transducers inside single-wafer chambers. Systems can have two or four processing chambers and will be capable of supporting throughputs of 80-120 wafers/hour.

“The entire front-end-of-line [FEOL] process will take about two to three minutes per wafer,” said Kevin J. McLaughlin, product technologist overseeing the Emersion system launch. Throughput will be high enough to replace wet-batch cleaning tools in FEOL applications at the 65nm and 45nm nodes, said SCP, which also sells batch systems.

The Emersion employs megasonics to perform enhanced Marangoni drying of 300mm wafers in about 30 sec. It also offers an enhanced isopropyl alcohol (IPA) drying technique, which applies a nitrogen knife across the wafers as they are extracted by robotic handlers. Production systems will sell in the $2-$3 million range.