An eco-friendly solvent that helps semiconductor manufacturers increase their profits by reducing the removal process time by half and significantly improving costs by extending filter life without using NMP, which is harmful to the human body, has been released, raising market expectations.

Merck Korea (CEO Dr. Woo-Kyu Kim), the Korean branch of leading science and technology company Merck, announced on the 23rd a newly supplemented eco-friendly solvent product used in the photolithography process in semiconductor manufacturing.

Merck's newly-formulated AZ® 910 Remover is a more cost-effective solution designed to rapidly dissolve patterned photoresist without using NMP, which is harmful to the human body.

Traditionally, semiconductor manufacturing facilities use negative-tone photoresists, which undergo chemical reactions such as crosslinking to make the resist more suitable for photolithography.

On the other hand, cross-linked resist is more difficult to dissolve and remove, which has implications for both businesses and the environment. Existing formulated cleaning products on the market today fail to meet the increasing industry requirements for high-performance, sustainable chemistries while using less solvent.

Among these, Merck's AZ® 910 Remover is different from NMP-based products in that it removes both negative and positive tone photoresists by dissolving them, unlike NMP-based products that lift and remove negative and positive tone photoresists from the wafer surface.

This novel approach can significantly improve total cost of ownership by cutting removal process time in half, extending chemistries and filter life, and eliminating the need for manufacturers to invest in expensive removal solutions required for advanced processes.

Additionally, it is expected to have a significant impact on the semiconductor wet chemical market due to its excellent environmental footprint, easy availability in various equipment, and excellent resist dissolution ability.

“Merck has developed an innovative, cost-effective solution to support customers with their increased cleaning needs, which are critical to enabling next-generation semiconductors,” said Anand Nambiar, head of the Semiconductor Materials business unit at Merck. “AZ® 910 Remover removes photoresist with less than three times the total volume of photoresist, saving customers costs while reducing the environmental footprint of this material ending up in wastewater around the world.” “Sustainability is an essential element of Merck’s corporate strategy, and we are committed to developing products and technologies that create long-term value for our customers while also meeting environmental needs,” he emphasized.

“The product’s unique dissolution performance will greatly benefit customers looking to reduce manufacturing costs and improve production throughput,” said Nambia. “The product’s pure, green chemistry dramatically improves the environmental footprint of each manufacturing facility, allowing customers to simplify their wet chemistry processes. Just one gallon of AZ® 910 Remover can clean more than 250 8-inch wafers with 80% negative tone resist coverage. This is a level of performance that is difficult for existing solutions to match.”

Meanwhile, high-purity cleaning products are a key component of the semiconductor manufacturing process. When placing materials on a silicon wafer, a thorough cleaning step is required after every processing step to remove any unnecessary residues remaining on the wafer. As the size of semiconductors decreases, the demand for advanced, high-performance, eco-friendly cleaning products is increasing.