Abstract: In a composition for etching silicon oxide, and a method of forming a contact hole using the composition, the composition which includes from about 0.01 to about 2 percent by weight of ammonium bifluoride, from about 2 to about 35 percent by weight of an organic acid, from about 0.05 to about 1 percent by weight of an inorganic acid, and a remainder of a low polar organic solvent. The composition may reduce damages to a metal silicide pattern that may be exposed in an etching process performed for forming the contact hole.

Abstract: An exemplary etching composition includes about 0.1 to 8% by weight of hydrogen fluoride, about 10 to 25% by weight of ammonium fluoride, about 0.0001 to 3% by weight of a non-ionic polymer surfactant, and water. Using the composition in a wet etching process, an oxide layer may be selectively removed while a pattern or storage electrode including polysilicon may be effectively passivated. The oxide layer may be removed with a high etching selectivity, while at the same time minimizing damage to the polysilicon layer.

Abstract: A method of manufacturing a reference sample substrate for analyzing a metal contamination level includes coating an organic silica solution including metal impurities on a semiconductor substrate and forming an oxide layer on the semiconductor substrate by thermally treating the semiconductor substrate having the coated organic silica solution. The metal impurities are substantially uniformly distributed in the oxide layer and the metal impurities are positioned at predetermined portions of the oxide layer.

Abstract: A resist removing composition having a superior capability for removing a resist, polymer, organometallic polymer and etching by-products such as metal oxide, which does not attack underlying layers exposed to the composition and which does not leave residues after a rinsing step. The resist removing composition contains alkoxy N-hydroxyalkyl alkanamide and a swelling agent.

Abstract: A cleaning solution for a cured anti-reflective layer (AFC layer) component and a method of cleaning an anti-reflective layer component by using the same, wherein the cleaning solution comprises about 5–30% by weight of ammonium hydroxide, about 23–70% by weight of an organic solvent and about 10–50% by weight of water. When an organic material is spattered to adjacent equipment during implementing a coating process onto a wafer, the equipment is detached and then is dipped into the cleaning solution. Thereafter, the equipment is rinsed and dried. Cured and non-cured organic materials are advantageously removed. Cured organic materials left for a period of time, particularly anti-reflective layer components are advantageously removed.

Abstract: A passivation layer pattern having an opening is formed on a substrate having a metal wiring pattern formed thereon. The opening partially exposes an upper surface of the metal wiring pattern. A photoresist pattern is formed on the passivation layer pattern. The photoresist pattern has an opening that exposes the opening of the passivation layer pattern, and metal is electroplated in the openings to form a bump electrode. The photoresist pattern is removed using a composition including monoethanolamine and dimethylacetamide.

Abstract: A cleaning composition is disclosed. The cleaning composition comprises about 80 to 99.8999 percent by weight of an ammonium fluoride aqueous solution, about 0.1 to 5 percent by weight of a buffering agent, and about 0.0001 to 15 percent by weight of a corrosion-inhibiting agent. A method of preparing the cleaning composition, a method of cleaning a substrate using the cleaning composition, and a method of manufacturing a semiconductor device using the cleaning composition are also disclosed.

Abstract: A composition for removing a photoresist includes about 5 to about 20 percent by weight of an alcoholamide compound, about 15 to about 60 percent by weight of a polar aprotic solvent, about 0.1 to about 6 percent by weight of an additive, and pure water. The alcoholamide compound is chemically structured as follows: where R1 is a hydroxyl group or a hydroxyalkyl group, and R2 is a hydrogen atom or a hydroxyalkyl group.

Abstract: A wafer guide includes a horizontal support panel and at least three vertical panels attached on one surface of the support panel. Each of the vertical panels has a vertical body panel and a plurality of protrusions upwardly extended from a top surface of the vertical body panel. Gap regions between the protrusions act as slots for holding wafers. Sidewalls of the slots have a convex shaped profile when viewed from a top view, and bottom surfaces of the slots also have a convex shaped profile when viewed from a cross sectional view that crosses the vertical panels.

Abstract: In an embodiment, a cleaning apparatus and method can prevent adsorption of nano-size particles by wafers. The apparatus includes a cleaning chamber for filling with a cleaning solution for cleaning an object and a drying chamber disposed over the cleaning chamber for drying the object by supplying drying fluid from an upper part. It also includes a transferring unit for transferring the object by moving it between the cleaning and drying chambers. Further, it includes a moveable exhaust plate disposed between the drying chamber and the cleaning chamber for dividing the two chambers and for exhausting the drying fluid supplied to the drying chamber. The drying fluid flows in a uniform laminar flow in the drying chamber.

Abstract: A wafer guide includes a horizontal support panel and at least three vertical panels attached on one surface of the support panel. Each of the vertical panels has a vertical body panel and a plurality of protrusions upwardly extended from a top surface of the vertical body panel. Gap regions between the protrusions act as slots for holding wafers. Sidewalls of the slots have a convex shaped profile when viewed from a top view, and bottom surfaces of the slots also have a convex shaped profile when viewed from a cross sectional view that crosses the vertical panels.

Abstract: In one embodiment, a sample of chemical solution is provided. A first optical property of the sample is detected at a first wavelength and an expected optical property is predicted at a second wavelength, using the first optical property. A second optical property of the sample is detected at the second wavelength. The second optical property is compared with the expected optical property to measure a contamination level of a particular contaminant in the sample.

Abstract: In one embodiment, a method of removing a low-k layer at a low cost and a method of recycling a wafer using the same, is described. A fluoride treatment is performed on the low-k layer formed on an object using an aqueous hydrogen fluoride solution, and the low-k layer is removed from the object. The Si—O bond in the low-k layer is broken due to an aqueous hydrogen fluoride solution, so that the low-k layer is easily removed from the wafer. Accordingly, the wafer may be recycled at a low cost, thereby improving manufacturing productivity of a semiconductor.

Abstract: Disclosed are a composition for removing photoresist, a method of removing photoresist and a method of manufacturing a semiconductor device using a composition. The composition may include a ketone compound and a first polar aprotic solvent. The composition may also include the ketone compound and a second polar aprotic solvent. Moreover, the composition may include the first polar aprotic solvent and a second polar aprotic solvent with or without the ketone compound. The first polar aprotic solvent has at least one of an ether compound and an ester compound, and the second polar aprotic solvent has at least one of a sulfur-containing compound and a nitrogen-containing compound.

Abstract: A composition for stripping photoresist, methods of preparing and forming the same, a method of manufacturing a semiconductor device using the composition, and a method of removing a photoresist pattern from an underlying layer using the composition, where the composition may include an ethoxy N-hydroxyalkyl alkanamide represented by the formula, CH3CH2—O—R3—CO—N—R1R2OH, an alkanolamine and a polar material. Raw materials of alkyl alkoxy alkanoate, represented by a chemical formula of R4—O—R3—COOR5, and alkanolamine, represented by a chemical formula of NHR1R2OH, may be mixed to form a mixture, which is stirred and cooled to obtain the composition. The composition may balance exfoliation and dissolution of photoresist patterns, and may potentially eliminate thread-type residues from remaining on a surface of an underlying layer after removing the photoresist patterns.

Abstract: A wafer guide used in cleaning and/or drying processes of semiconductor wafers is provided. The wafer guide includes a horizontal support panel and at least three vertical panels attached on one surface of the support panel. Each of the vertical panels has a vertical body panel and a plurality of protrusions upwardly extended from a top surface of the vertical body panel. Gap regions between the protrusions act as slots for holding wafers. Sidewalls of the slots have a convex shaped profile when viewed from a top view, and bottom surfaces of the slots also have a convex shaped profile when viewed from a cross sectional view that crosses the vertical panels. Accordingly, contact areas between the wafers and the wafer guide are reduced to improve a drying efficiency of the wafers.

Abstract: A wafer guide includes a horizontal support panel and at least three vertical panels attached on one surface of the support panel. Each of the vertical panels has a vertical body panel and a plurality of protrusions upwardly extended from a top surface of the vertical body panel. Gap regions between the protrusions act as slots for holding wafers. Sidewalls of the slots have a convex shaped profile when viewed from a top view, and bottom surfaces of the slots also have a convex shaped profile when viewed from a cross sectional view that crosses the vertical panels.

Abstract: Monitoring metal contamination of a rinsing solution may include providing a sample of the rinsing solution, and mixing the sample of the rinsing solution with a monitoring reagent to provide a monitoring mixture. A property of the monitoring mixture that is dependent on a concentration of a metal in the rinsing solution may then be measured. More particularly, the property of the monitoring mixture may be an absorbency of the monitoring mixture with respect to electromagnetic radiation transmitted through the monitoring mixture. Related systems and reagents are also discussed.

Abstract: An apparatus includes a chamber for containing a fluid, a guide seated in the chamber, and a transfer robot for loading and/or unloading a plurality of wafers to and/or from the guide. The wafers are located on the guide. The guide has a supporting member for supporting a wafer and a stopper member for preventing the wafer from being inclined over a predetermined range. The stopper member is in contact with a wafer edge disposed at a higher position than a wafer edge supported by the supporting member. A wafer guide has a stopper member to prevent adjacent wafers from being inclined and coming in contact with each other. Therefore, it is possible to suppress a poor drying such as water spots (or watermarks) produced when wafers are adhered to each other in a drying process.

Abstract: An apparatus for drying a substrate using an isopropyl alcohol vapor includes a container for receiving an isopropyl alcohol vapor to dry a plurality of substrates wherein an opening is vertically formed through an upper portion of the container to permit the loading and unloading of the substrates; a supporting member for supporting the plurality of substrates in the container in a vertical direction and for supporting the substrates side by side in a horizontal direction, wherein the supporting member extends through the container and through the opening; and a cover for obstructing a flow of clean air from flowing directly from an air cleaner disposed over the container into the container through the opening. In addition, the apparatus may include an inert gas supplying member to supply an inert gas onto the substrates to prevent native oxide films from forming on the substrates.