The invention provides a composition for cleaning contaminants from semiconductor wafers following chemical-mechanical polishing. The cleaning composition contains one or more quaternary ammonium hydroxides, one or more organic amines, one or more metal inhibitors, and water. The invention also provides methods for using the cleaning composition.

The invention provides a composition for cleaning contaminants from semiconductor wafers following chemical-mechanical polishing. The cleaning composition contains one or more quaternary ammonium hydroxides, one or more organic amines, one or more metal inhibitors, and water. The invention also provides methods for using the cleaning composition.

A method for removing polymerized soil by adding to the soil a composition which includes: (a) from 4 to 30 wt % of a hydroxide or alkoxide, (b) from 10 to 96 wt % of a C.sub.1-C.sub.12 primary alcohol; and (c) from 0 to 75 wt % of an organic solvent which is not a C.sub.1-C.sub.12 primary alcohol; wherein the composition contains no more than 40 wt % water.

A method for removing polymerized soil by adding to the soil a composition which includes: (a) from 4 to 30 wt % of a hydroxide or alkoxide, (b) from 10 to 96 wt % of a C.sub.1-C.sub.12 primary alcohol; and (c) from 0 to 75 wt % of an organic solvent which is not a C.sub.1-C.sub.12 primary alcohol; wherein the composition contains no more than 40 wt % water.

An aqueous cleaning solution for removing rouging deposits on media-contacted surfaces of stainless steels comprises a first component and a second component. The first component is an alkali sulfite and the second component is an alkali formate, wherein the concentrations thereof are adjusted in such manner that formate is present in a molar ratio of 1.5 to 4.2 relative to sulfite, and that the pH value of the cleaning solution is 4.0 to 4.8. For preparing the aqueous cleaning solution, an aqueous solution of an alkali hydroxide is provided initially, thereafter a first amount of concentrated aqueous formic acid is admixed in an excess in such manner that a pH value of 3.5 to 4.5 is established, then a second amount of solid alkali sulfite is admixed in accordance with the sulfite concentration to be established, thus resulting in a pH value of 5.5 to 6.5, and finally a third amount of concentrated aqueous formic acid is admixed until a pH value of 4.0 to 4.8 is attained.

An aqueous cleaning solution for removing rouging deposits on media-contacted surfaces of stainless steels comprises a first component and a second component. The first component is an alkali sulfite and the second component is an alkali formate, wherein the concentrations thereof are adjusted in such manner that formate is present in a molar ratio of 1.5 to 4.2 relative to sulfite, and that the pH value of the cleaning solution is 4.0 to 4.8. For preparing the aqueous cleaning solution, an aqueous solution of an alkali hydroxide is provided initially, thereafter a first amount of concentrated aqueous formic acid is admixed in an excess in such manner that a pH value of 3.5 to 4.5 is established, then a second amount of solid alkali sulfite is admixed in accordance with the sulfite concentration to be established, thus resulting in a pH value of 5.5 to 6.5, and finally a third amount of concentrated aqueous formic acid is admixed until a pH value of 4.0 to 4.8 is attained.

The present invention comprises chlorinated and non-chlorinated alkaline cleaning compositions for removal of proteinaceous and fatty soils at low temperature, i.e. less than 120° F., with little or no deleterious affect on cleaning performance. According to the invention, applicants have found that adding additional alkalinity makes protein removal more difficult and reducing the amount of alkalinity actually improves performance. According to the invention optimized combinations of chlorine and alkalinity components for low temperature cleaning as well as a surfactant system optimized for low temperature fatty soil removal are disclosed.

The present invention comprises chlorinated and non-chlorinated alkaline cleaning compositions for removal of proteinaceous and fatty soils at low temperature, i.e. less than 120° F., with little or no deleterious affect on cleaning performance. According to the invention, applicants have found that adding additional alkalinity makes protein removal more difficult and reducing the amount of alkalinity actually improves performance. According to the invention optimized combinations of chlorine and alkalinity components for low temperature cleaning as well as a surfactant system optimized for low temperature fatty soil removal are disclosed.

The present disclosure relates to high alkaline cleaners, cleaning systems and methods for removing polymerized zero trans fat soils. The high alkaline cleaner of the present invention generally includes one or more alkaline wetting and saponifying agent(s), a chelating/sequestering system and a surface modifying-threshold agent system. In various embodiments, the cleaners may include, at least one cleaning agent comprising a surfactant or surfactant system and/or a solvent or solvent system and/or a cleaning booster such as a peroxide or sulfite type additive. The cleaners may also include one or more components to modify the composition form and/or the application method in some embodiments. All components described above may also be optimized optionally, to provide emulsification of a composition (both as a usable product or a concentrate that can be diluted to form a usable product). The use of the high alkaline cleaner of the present invention has demonstrated enhanced cleaning characteristics especially at higher temperatures (100° F. to about 300° F.) but also shows enhanced cleaning at ambient temperatures.

A cleaner composition consisting essentially of (A) 90.0-99.9 wt % of an organic solvent and (B) 0.1-10.0 wt % of a C.sub.3-C.sub.6 alcohol, and containing (C) 20-300 ppm of sodium and/or potassium is effective for cleaning a surface of a silicon semiconductor substrate. A satisfactory degree of cleanness is achieved within a short time and at a high efficiency without causing corrosion to the substrate.