9560784 Valenzuela This Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase I project addresses reduced use and emissions of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) during semiconductor manufacture. VOCs are solvents of active photoresist material, and their emission is regulated by the Clean Air Act and by local permitting agencies. This project is also part of NSF's 1995 initiative for Environmentally Conscious Manufacturing. Presently, photoresist is dispensed at the center of a spinning wafer. A very large excess is needed to achieve uniform thickness because of the application only at the wafer center. This research will apply a uniform layer over the entire wafer using ink jet printing technology. With a distributed deposition, less photoresist is required for final uniformity during spinning. Thickness uniformity will be tested by SEMATECH, which will develop plans for subsequent prototype hardware tests in an integrated circuit manufacturing environment.
