Product Briefing Outline: Tokyo Electron Limited announced the introduction of the ‘CELLESTA+,’ TEL’s newest 300mm single wafer cleaning system targeting FEOL critical cleans, advanced gate, and surface preparations for 90nm technologies, down to 45nm and beyond. Offering high productivity and optimal performance, the CELLESTA+ represents TEL’s continuous investment in advanced surface preparation technology. 

Problem: The CELLESTA+ provides two key features that tackle next generation critical cleaning applications. First, TEL's original IPA drying technology is designed to eliminate the generation of watermarks caused by HF-last processes and pattern collapse damage that is typically associated with surface tension gradient drying techniques on high aspect ratio features, such as DRAM capacitors. Second, CELLESTA+ employs an enhanced atomized spray (AS3), which provides a large process window for high particle removal efficiency (PRE) with no pattern or surface structure damage, according to the company.

Solution: Based on TEL’s market-leading coater/developer CLEAN TRACK LITHIUS Pro platform, the CELLESTA+ delivers high reliability, process performance and throughput for the most advanced critical cleans for the 45nm technology node and beyond. The advanced single wafer cleaning system has a 12-process spin chamber configuration, enabling a throughput of 333 wafers per hour. The system also includes two important features to reduce overall system footprint and maximize performance: a new compact spin unit design and onboard chemical supply.

Applications: FEOL resist strip, post ash cleans, FEOL surface preparation, Dilute surface cleans (Single-Pass Chemistry), SC1, SC2, HF and oxide etch.

Platform: The CELLESTA platform also comes with TEL’s Vapor Ozone Strip process chamber (SVOS) for resist removal and a wet spin chamber for FEOL surface preparations using SC1, SC2, and HF chemistries.

Availability: December 2007 onwards.