Principal Scientist Elemental Scientific
Hwan Kim is a principal scientist at Elemental Scientific, Inc. Since 2018, he has specialized in automated nanoparticle contamination analysis for semiconductor-grade process chemicals using ICP-MS, as well as developing operating specifications for semiconductor applications. His work focuses on improving the detection of smaller nanoparticles through ESI’s advanced automation technologies. Hwan received his B.S from the State University of New York at Binghamton in Binghamton, New York.
Abstract
Advances in Analytical Technology – Online Measurement of 5nm Metallic Nanoparticles in Liquid Chemicals
Monitoring metallic impurities at sub-ppt concentrations in total metal form has been an effective metrology approach for technology nodes of 14nm and above. However, as the semiconductor industry advances toward 1nm nodes and beyond, current analytical techniques must evolve to enable the detection of previously unobserved metallic nanoparticles that can contribute to process instability, yield loss, and device performance degradation.
The International Roadmap for Devices and Semiconductors (IRDS) has identified 17 near-term yield enhancement difficult challenges. Challenge #7 relates to measurement of sub 10 nm particles in liquid chemicals: liquid chemicals particles greater than critical size need reliable monitoring of particles under 10 nm.
Current analytical technologies are unable to reliably achieve this level of sensitivity. To address this gap, an order of magnitude improvement in instrument sensitivity is required with sub-ppt instrument background levels. This novel approach meets and exceeds these requirements, enabling reliable detection of metallic nanoparticles down to 5 nm.
Validation data will be presented to demonstrate that inline nanoparticle detection enables Fe nanoparticle detection down to 5nm in IPA, UPW, and other liquid chemicals. The validation will also include measurements of 10nm and 20nm iron oxide reference materials, as well as calibration data in the concentration range of 0 to 20ppt. Long-term stability data will also be presented to evaluate method robustness and reproducibility.
This technology can enable fabs to meet future, even more stringent requirements, thereby improving the reliability and accuracy of measurements near the required levels.