Previum®
Our Previum® preclean module delivers superior surface preparation by removing contaminants from silicon wafers, ensuring optimal conditions for high-quality epitaxial deposition. Three solutions are available: Previum® V3 for native oxide removal, Previum® NEXT for simultaneous oxide and carbon removal plus silicon etching, and Previum® VP for advanced cleaning in high aspect ratio features.
Major features
For defect-free epitaxial film deposition, silicon wafer surfaces must be free of native oxide and carbon contaminants. These impurities disrupt lattice alignment and hinder atomic bonding, leading to crystalline defects in the epitaxial layer. Our Previum preclean module is designed to clean these impurities prior to moving the wafer inside an Intrepid® tool for epitaxial deposition. The choice of preclean solution depends on the specific impurities and structural features present on the wafer.
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Previum® V3 – Our flagship HVM proven preclean solution achieves 99.9% native oxide removal with best-in-class across-wafer uniformity
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Previum® NEXT – ASM’s preclean solution simultaneously removes native oxides and carbon impurities, with the added capability of silicon etching.
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Previum® VP – Our most advanced vapor phase, non-plasma pre clean solution, engineered to remove native oxides in high aspect ratio features while being selective to the fragile dielectric films. Essential for enabling epitaxial growth in cutting edge logic and DRAM devices, Previum VP also represents our most environmentally sustainable solution, as it eliminates the need for industry-standard greenhouse gases typically used for oxide removal.