Merck AZ 910 Remover green solvent

The growing demand for electronic devices has propelled the growth of the semiconductor industry, thereby augmenting the growth of wafer cleaning solvents and equipment. Merck’s AZ 910 Remover is a line of formulated, N-methylpyrrolidone (NMP)-free based chemistries designed for fast dissolution of photoresist patterns.

Semiconductor production facilities traditionally use negative-tone photoresists, which undergo chemical reactions (crosslinking) to make the resist more suitable for photolithographic processes. However, this crosslinking makes the resist more difficult to dissolve and remove, impacting both the business and the planet.

Targeting the microelectromechanical systems (MEMS), automotive, power IC and wafer-level packaging device markets, the AZ 910 Remover portfolio offers an alternative solution to complex NMP-based chemistries. The product dissolves both negative and positive tone photoresists rather than lifting them from the wafer surface as with current NMP-based offerings. This novel approach cuts the removal process time in half while extending chemistry and filter lifetimes and using less than three times the solvent volume of other products, according to the company.

The product is suitable for processes where sensitive metals (aluminium, copper, titanium, tungsten, tungsten-titanium, tin, nickel) and other materials, including silicon, silicon oxide and common interconnect materials, are exposed. It is compatible with batch immersion tools (wet benches), batch spray tools and combination immersion/high-pressure spray tools. Common applications include metal lift-off, RDL (redistribution layer), copper electroplating, and general positive and negative resist removal. In addition to eliminating NMP, the environmentally friendly product contains no dimethylacetamide (DMAC), dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO) or tetramethylammonium hydroxide (TMAH).