| HS Code | 266206 |
| Product Name | Aluminum Process Cleaning Agent Electronic/EL Grade |
| Grade | Electronic/EL Grade |
| Appearance | Clear colorless to slightly yellowish liquid |
| Chemical Composition | Blend of electronic-grade surfactants, chelating agents, and alkaline builders |
| Ph 1 Aqueous Solution | 9.0 - 11.0 |
| Specific Gravity 20 C | 1.05 - 1.15 |
| Water Solubility | Fully miscible in water |
| Metal Compatibility | Safe for aluminum and its alloys; no etching or oxidation |
| Cleaning Performance | Removes oils, greases, particulates, and oxide residues without damaging aluminum surfaces |
| Metallic Impurities | Trace metals such as Na, Fe, and Cu are each below 1 ppm |
As an accredited Aluminum process cleaning agent Electronic/EL Grade factory, we enforce strict quality protocols—every batch undergoes rigorous testing to ensure consistent efficacy and safety standards.
| Packing | Supplied in 20L sealed HDPE containers. Electronic/EL Grade aluminum process cleaning agent, ensuring ultra-high purity and contamination protection. |
| Container Loading (20′ FCL) | 20′ FCL container loaded with Electronic/EL Grade aluminum cleaning agent, safely packed in sealed drums to prevent contamination and damage. |
| Shipping | Ship as a high-purity corrosive liquid. Pack in sealed, UN-certified containers compatible with the product; preserve integrity with moisture barrier and contamination control. Label with GHS hazard pictograms, proper shipping name, and UN number. Supply SDS, transport documentation, and emergency response details. Use dedicated, secured transport to prevent leakage or exposure. |
| Storage | Store in a tightly sealed, original container in a cool, dry, well-ventilated area, away from direct sunlight, heat, and moisture. Keep separated from incompatible substances such as acids or strong oxidizers. Ensure container is labeled and protected from physical damage. Use appropriate personal protective equipment when handling, and always follow the safety data sheet requirements. |
| Shelf Life | Shelf life: 12 months from manufacture date when stored sealed in original container at room temperature. |
In semiconductor and electronic component manufacturing, aluminum process cleaning agents are applied where selective removal of aluminum oxide, post-etch residue, and trace metallic contamination must be achieved before a downstream process step. The following scenarios are separated by alloy system, cleaning equipment design, purity specification, and terminal component.
In AlCu/TiN/Ti interconnect fabrication, post-etch residue removal is governed by the competing dissolution rates of CFx-based sidewall polymer, AlF3 precipitates, and the underlying metal stack. The cleaning bath is operated in a heated quartz recirculation tank at 40 °C ± 0.5 °C, with immersion times from 90 s to 180 s. Aluminum attack is maintained below 2 nm per cleaning cycle as measured by spectral reflectometry or X-ray reflectivity on a blanket AlCu monitor wafer. Bath life is terminated when total dissolved aluminum reaches 50 mg/L, because accumulated aluminum suppresses residue removal and increases copper redeposition on exposed copper structures. Filtration through a 0.05 µm PTFE membrane maintains particle counts below 50 particles/mL at 0.1 µm detection, verified by liquid optical particle counting calibrated to ISO 21501-2. The process must not be operated with stainless steel immersion hardware because acidic chloride-free mixtures attack passivated steel and release iron and nickel species. Quartz, PVDF, and PFA construction are specified for all wetted parts. Rinse water conforms to ASTM D5127-13 Type E-1 and is applied at 22 °C to avoid thermal shock in stacked wafers. The terminal component is a passivated aluminum interconnect layer prepared for interlayer dielectric deposition, with residual fluorine held below 5 × 10¹² atoms/cm² by TOF-SIMS to prevent via failure.
Aluminum bond pads on 200 mm and 300 mm wafers require an aqueous cleaning step after passivation open etch to remove residual silicon oxide, aluminum fluoride, and carbon contamination before wire bonding or bumping. The cleaning agent is dispensed in a single-wafer spin processor at 25 °C to 45 °C for 30 s to 60 s at 0.5 L/min. Cleaning must reduce carbon on the pad surface to below 5 atomic % by XPS survey scan, because higher carbon suppresses Au wire bond pull strength in 25 µm wire. Halide concentration in the chemistry is held below 100 ppb by ICP-MS to prevent post-bond pad corrosion after molding. Copper-based pads are not compatible with the same bath chemistry because the oxidizer system galvanically drives copper migration at pH below 5.5. The cleaned pad is processed in an inert atmosphere or stored in an ISO 14644-1:2015 Class 4 cleanroom within 24 h, because re-oxidation of bare aluminum increases contact resistance. Terminal devices include wire-bonded BGA, QFP, and Cu pillar bump assemblies, with bond pull testing performed on production samples.
For power module leadframes, aluminum-clad copper substrates receive a cleaning treatment immediately before silver or palladium spot plating because residual rolling oils, stamping lubricants, and mixed Al-Cu oxide films create skip plating and wire-bond delamination. The immersion line operates at 50 °C ± 2 °C with a bath pH of 4.0–5.0 and a residence time of 60 s. Air-agitation is applied in each station to maintain concentration homogeneity across the rack. Aluminum removal is limited to 0.5 µm/day on the cladding surface to avoid changing the clad thickness, which is typically 50–100 µm. The bath must not accept copper parts without isolation because dissolved copper in the cleaning agent can displace onto aluminum surfaces and form a galvanic cell that increases pit density before plating. After rinsing in 18.2 MΩ·cm ultrapure water, the leadframe is dried with filtered air knives at 0.3 MPa and inspected by SEM for pit density below 2 pits/mm² at 500×. The terminal product is a palladium-plated leadframe with wire-bond pull strengths above 10 g for 250 µm aluminum heavy wire in IGBT modules. A qualification failure mode is pit-induced silver skip plating when bath temperature exceeds 55 °C, which accelerates etch and dissolves the cladding non-uniformly.
High-purity aluminum sputter targets and one-piece aluminum chamber shields accumulate nodular deposits, embedded silicon dioxide particles, and adsorbed moisture during repeated PVD campaigns. A multistep aqueous cleaning sequence is used only after dry ice blast or manual wipe removes the thickest nodular film. The subsequent wet cleaning is formulated to remove residual oxide and solvent-soluble contaminants without opening grain boundaries. The process is run in an ultrasonic tank at 28 kHz and 35 °C for 10–15 min, followed by megasonic rinse at 950 kHz in ultrapure water conforming to ASTM D5127-13. Exposure is strictly limited because ultrasonic cavitation on high-purity aluminum can generate grain-boundary attack that appears as haze after refurbishment. Published data on grain-boundary attack in ultrasonic cleaning of high-purity aluminum sputter targets is limited, so qualification runs use surface roughness change measured by stylus profilometry to reject parts with Ra increase above 0.05 µm after cleaning. Wetted parts are restricted to PVDF, polypropylene, and quartz. Stainless steel clamps are not inserted into the bath because dissolved metal contamination alters the oxidative stability of the cleaning solution. After drying, parts are measured by XRF for residual sulfur and chlorine below 1 µg/cm². The terminal products are a recycled aluminum target blank and a cleaned one-piece shield returned to the PVD chamber with particle count limits specified by the tool owner.
Aluminum gas panels and machined valve bodies demand a pre-assembly cleaning step that removes chloride-bearing machining lubricants, aluminum oxide, and metallic particle contamination before installation into high-purity gas delivery systems. The cleaning agent is used at 40 % concentration in a two-stage ultrasonic immersion line at 45 °C for 20 min. The first stage targets organic removal and the second stage conditions the oxide layer. A subsequent rinse in ASTM D5127-13 Type E-1 water must reach a final surface chloride concentration below 0.2 µg/cm² by ion chromatography of the rinse extract, because residual chloride after assembly promotes pitting in welded and sealed areas. The operation is incompatible with strong alkaline cleaners and with chlorinated solvents, which leave alkali metal residues that lower oxide adhesion and can generate particle shedding in gas flow. A batch is released only when liquid particle counts in the final rinse drop below 10 particles/mL at 0.1 µm and total organic carbon in the rinse water falls below 50 ppb. The terminal component is a clean aluminum gas manifold or valve body with a stable, controlled oxide film that reduces moisture retention compared with electropolished stainless steel. At relative humidity above 60 %, cleaned parts are bagged under dry nitrogen within 2 h to prevent uncontrolled rehydration of the oxide layer.
Before electrochemical etching of high-purity aluminum foil, rolling oils, abrasion debris, and a non-uniform surface oxide layer must be removed by a continuous immersion and spray cleaning sequence. The foil moves at 5–15 m/min through a spray section at 55 °C and an immersion section at 60 °C, with contact time governed by line speed and bath length. Cleaning must not etch the foil surface more than 0.3 µm before etch because foil thickness variation after tunnel etching changes capacitance distribution. Chloride is controlled below 0.5 ppm in the chemistry because residual chloride on the foil initiates localized pit formation outside the subsequent electrochemical etch mask. Rinsing uses deionized water with conductivity below 0.1 µS/cm at 20 °C to prevent carbonate deposits on the surface. The cleaned foil is dried immediately and coiled with interleaf paper under controlled humidity below 45 % RH. The terminal product is a high-purity aluminum electrode foil with a uniform hydration layer that supports subsequent formation of anodic oxide dielectric at voltages up to 125 V. In production lines, the cleaning bath is continuously dosed and filtered through 0.5 µm polypropylene depth filters to remove aluminum fines that otherwise scratch the foil surface and create leakage current sites.
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Aluminum process cleaning agent Electronic/EL Grade, model APC-EL 2200, is an aqueous acidic formulation supplied as a clear, colorless-to-pale straw liquid for post-etch residue removal, native aluminum oxide dissolution, and trace metal desorption from Al-Cu bond pads, redistribution layers, and wirebond pads. The acid matrix is composed of phosphoric acid, acetic acid, and nitric acid, with a non-fluoride corrosion inhibitor and chelating agents in ultrapure water. The electronic/EL grade designation is controlled by release limits for sodium, potassium, iron, copper, zinc, calcium, chloride, sulfate, and sub-0.1 μm particle counts; each lot is qualified by inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry, ion chromatography, and optical particle counting. Standard pack sizes are 20 L bag-in-drum and 200 L fluoropolymer-lined drums filled under ISO 14644-1:2015 Class 5 conditions. The product is not a commodity metal brightener; it is intended for wafer fabrication and advanced packaging lines where mobile ion contamination and titanium nitride attack must be controlled.
Commodity acid cleaners often meet industrial etch-rate expectations but fail electronic-grade cleanliness limits. In aluminum interconnect cleaning on 300 mm wafers, sodium and potassium must be maintained below 10 ppb per element because alkali ions migrate under bias and shift threshold voltage. Chloride below 100 ppb reduces the probability of localized pitting; sulfate below 200 ppb prevents insoluble aluminum sulfate residue after spin-drying. The representative release specification in Table 1 is set below those thresholds. The values are typical lot-release targets; certificate of analysis limits may tighten for fabs requiring ≤ 5 ppb of mobile ion species.
| Parameter | Method / control standard | Release limit |
|---|---|---|
| Appearance | Visual inspection | Clear, free of visible particles |
| Density at 25 °C | ASTM D4052-22 | 1.09–1.13 g/cm³ |
| Viscosity at 20 °C | ASTM D2196 | 2.0–2.8 mPa·s |
| pH, 1:10 dilution in Type E-1.2 water | ASTM E70 | 1.3–2.1 |
| Trace metals by ICP-MS after matrix elimination | SEMI C8 acid analysis guide | Na, K, Fe, Ca, Cu, Zn, Ni, Cr ≤ 10 ppb each; Pb, Cd ≤ 5 ppb each |
| Chloride | ASTM D4327 ion chromatography | ≤ 100 ppb |
| Sulfate | ASTM D4327 | ≤ 200 ppb |
| Particles ≥ 0.1 μm | Optical particle counter calibrated per ISO 21501-4 | ≤ 25 particles/mL |
| Particles ≥ 0.2 μm | Optical particle counter | ≤ 2 particles/mL |
| Total organic carbon | ASTM D4839 | ≤ 50 ppm |
| Residue after evaporation | Gravimetric | ≤ 10 ppm |
Residue after evaporation is set at ≤ 10 ppm because single-wafer spin processors can leave a thin chemical film at the wafer bevel and backside; nonvolatile residue from technical-grade cleaners is a documented source of wafer edge particle adhesion. Total organic carbon below 50 ppm is achieved by excluding ethoxylated surfactant packages; formulations containing surfactant blends often exceed 200 ppm TOC and leave a carbonaceous film after downstream annealing. The product is filtered through 0.05 μm membrane cartridges during filling and is filled under ISO 14644-1:2015 Class 5 cleanroom conditions. For fabs requiring lower particle counts, a point-of-use 0.03 μm capsule is recommended.
The primary process conflict in aluminum cleaning is balancing oxide residue removal against undercut, pitting, and copper redeposition. The product is designed for a narrow temperature window of 35 °C ± 2 °C in immersion wet benches and 30–40 °C in spray tools. Above 42 °C, copper redeposition on Al-Cu lines increases because oxidized copper becomes more soluble in the acetic acid matrix and subsequently plates onto aluminum at local cathodic sites. Below 28 °C, removal of chlorine-containing post-etch residues becomes incomplete within 180 s, requiring extended queue time and allowing moisture uptake. The etch rate of Al-0.5Cu at 35 °C is typically 2–4 nm/min; this value can shift by approximately 0.3 nm/min per °C near the center of the process window. The corrosion inhibitor must be maintained above 0.05 vol%; below that concentration pitting initiates at copper-rich grain boundaries after 60 s in phosphoric acid-acetic acid mixtures. Above 0.15 vol%, inhibitor adsorption reduces undercut but also slows residue removal by passivating the aluminum oxide interface. The optimum dilution for bond pad cleaning is 1:2 with ultrapure water at 18.2 MΩ·cm and total organic carbon below 5 ppb.
The residue chemistry addressed by this product is formed during chlorine-based plasma etching of Al-Cu lines. In that process, AlCl₃ hydrolyzes on exposure to cleanroom air and forms a mixed aluminum oxychloride and polymer crust. The cleaner removes this crust by protonation of aluminum oxide and by chelator-assisted dissolution; nitric acid oxidizes nonvolatile polymer fragments, and acetic acid moderates the etch rate at grain boundaries. Galvanic contrast between aluminum and TiN or copper is a known failure source. The corrosion inhibitor shifts open-circuit potential of Al-0.5Cu toward cathodic by 30–50 mV in a 1:2 dilution at 35 °C, reducing the driving force for copper redeposition. Fabs should require an open-circuit potential difference between Al and TiN below 100 mV before using the bath on a new liner stack.
In a conventional single-wafer spray sequence on 200 mm wafers, the product is dispensed for 90 s at 35 °C through a fan nozzle with 1.2 L/min flow, followed by 60 s of overflow rinse. The rinse endpoint is recovery of effluent resistivity to > 17 MΩ·cm. When the target stack includes Al-Cu over TiN, the fluoride-free composition avoids TiN loss; fluoride-containing strippers can recess the exposed TiN barrier by several nanometres per minute under the same temperature and time. For wafers with exposed copper seed after pad etch, a two-step sequence of 60 s at 25 °C for bulk residue dissolution followed by 30 s at 35 °C reduces copper oxide growth.
Before electroless nickel immersion gold or electroless copper deposition, aluminum pads are prepared at 1:3 dilution for 60 s at 30 °C. The target roughness after rinse is Ra < 2 nm by atomic force microscopy; excessive roughening interferes with zincating uniformity. This step is used in wafer-level packaging bumping lines where aluminum pad roughness affects subsequent under-bump metallization adhesion.
Recirculating baths in batch spray processors require point-of-use filtration at 0.1 μm or tighter. In a qualification run with a 50-wafer cassette, particle counts increased from 8 particles/mL to 65 particles/mL at 0.1 μm when the recirculation filter was bypassed; the corresponding pad defect density increased. Batch-to-batch variation in aluminum dissolution means that iron concentration can rise from 20 ppb to 180 ppb after 200 aluminum wafer cycles if no cation exchange column is installed. Bath life should therefore be determined by daily ICP-MS trending for iron, copper, aluminum, sodium, and potassium plus particle count monitoring, not by fixed calendar days. A proton-form cation exchange cartridge delays metal accumulation but may remove the corrosion inhibitor if the resin polarity is not matched.
Rinsing after chemical exposure must use ultrapure water compliant with ASTM D5127-13(2020) Type E-1.2. Hot rinsing above 50 °C is not recommended because residual acetic acid accelerates aluminum oxide regrowth after drying. Final drying should use filtered nitrogen with a dew point below −70 °C. The acid mixture should not be combined with ammonia or amine-based strippers; exothermic neutralization and precipitation will occur. Contact with concentrated hydrogen peroxide also presents a thermal hazard. Store at 15–25 °C and protect from freezing. For fabs operating above 60% relative humidity in the wet bench area, queue time between chemical dispense and rinse should be controlled below 30 s to prevent water adsorption at the pad edge.
The distinction from industrial acid cleaners and fluoride-containing strippers is summarized in Table 2. The comparative values are typical of supplier qualification work; published data for a direct statistically designed comparison is limited, and liner stack geometry will shift the absolute range.
| Property | APC-EL 2200 Electronic/EL Grade | Commodity aluminum acid cleaner | Fluoride-containing post-etch stripper |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sodium, potassium, calcium per element | ≤ 10 ppb | 10–100 ppm | 1–10 ppm |
| Particles ≥ 0.1 μm | ≤ 25/mL | Unfiltered or > 500/mL | ≤ 100/mL |
| Fluoride | Not detected, MDL 0.1 ppm | Not detected or trace | 1,000–10,000 ppm |
| TiN barrier attack at 35 °C for 120 s | Below detection by ellipsometry | Low, but chloride may pit | Several-nanometre recess |
| Al-0.5Cu oxide removal rate at 35 °C | 2–4 nm/min | > 10 nm/min | > 20 nm/min |
| Post-rinse TOC | ≤ 50 ppm | > 200 ppm | Variable |
| Typical cleaning time | 60–180 s | 30–120 s | 15–60 s |
Commodity acid cleaners remove aluminum oxide rapidly, but their sodium, iron, and chloride loads create mobile ion contamination and pad pitting. Fluoride-containing strippers provide faster residue removal but introduce fluoride ion that attacks PVD TiN barrier at the pad perimeter and can undercut the aluminum pad. The fluoride-free chelating route reduces this risk but may require a longer cleaning time; throughput impact must be absorbed by station parallelism rather than by increasing temperature, which would breach the 42 °C ceiling.
On a 300 mm copper post-etch line with aluminum cap, the product is applied after plasma ashing and before transfer to the electrochemical deposition station. A dual-step immersion process uses 60 s at 25 °C for bulk residue dissolution, followed by 30 s at 35 °C to remove residual copper oxide. Bath agitation is provided by 0.2 μm recirculation at 10–15 L/min, giving tank volume turnover every 4–6 min. If exposed copper is present, the rinse water should have dissolved oxygen below 10 ppb, and the wafer should not wait more than 15 min between rinse and nitrogen dry. Device-dependent qualification remains required because pad geometry, underlying barrier composition, and previous ash chemistry change the effective process window.
