Definition
Unwanted material remaining on the wafer after an etch step, such as polymer, reaction byproducts, mask remnants or incompletely removed material that was not part of the intended final structure.
Application
Removed or controlled by post-etch strip and clean processes because residue can block contacts, contaminate later steps, alter surface chemistry or contribute to defectivity and reliability problems.
Related search terms
Post-etch residue; etch byproduct residue
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Related concepts
Evidence and further reading
- Evidence from lamresearch.comhttps://www.lamresearch.com/products/our-processes/strip-clean/
- Evidence from lamresearch.comhttps://www.lamresearch.com/product/eos/