Wet Processing Systems
Industry Enabing Technology
Industry Enabling Technology
With pioneering intellectual property and global services, SHELLBACK provides industry proven semiconductor wet processing equipment solutions around the world to enable key markets such as Power Devices, Photonics & LED, MEMS & Sensors, Wireless & Analog, Memory/Storage, and Advanced Packaging.
Our proven, proprietary process solutions address today’s semiconductor clean, etch, strip requirements up to 300mm with technology to reduce chemical usage and meet automation & sustainability requirements needs.
Popular Wet Processing Capabilities
Post Etch Residue Clean / Removal
Post-Etch Residue Clean and Post-Etch Residue Removal are crucual steps for removing polymer residues from vias and trenches after dry etch processes like the BOSCH Process. These applications are well-suited for Spray-Batch Processing on the TORRENT® Spray Solvent Tool (SST) and Spray Ozone Tool (SOT). While traditional solvent-based chemistries are effective, ozone-based methods—developed on Semitool platforms—offer a solvent-free, cost-effective, and eco-friendly alternative. Shellback’s HydrOzone™ technology enables seamless adaptation of legacy solvent PORs to ozone processes. These protocols, originally developed on SST, are fully transferable to SOT. Shellback provides pre-validated recipes on both platforms for rapid fab integration.
RCA Clean
RCA Clean is a critical step in wafer processing. Our TORRENT® Spray Acid Tool (SAT) is purpose-built for efficient, high-throughput RCA cleaning. The SAT441 model features a single chamber with four integrated tanks for on-demand mixing of SC1, SC2, dHF, and Piranha, enabling fully sequential processing without wafer transfers. In-situ processing reduces chemical use, improves DI water efficiency, and minimizes oxide regrowth thanks to a nitrogen-purged chamber. As a sustainable green alternative, our Spray Ozone Tool (SOT) replicates RCA steps using ozone (O₃) instead of hydrogen peroxide, and supports ultra-dilute HF or ammonia for added flexibility. Shellback’s proprietary HydrOzone™+ process replaces traditional Sulfuric Peroxide Mix (SPM) with an O₃:NH₄OH blend for effective removal of organics, resist, and particles. For comprehensive surface conditioning, FluorOzone™—an O₃:HF mixture—enables a sequence equivalent to SPM > HF > APM > HPM, targeting organic, particle, and metal contaminants while rendering the surface hydrophilic. This process also achieves a controlled etch rate of approximately 5 Å/min of silicon dioxide (SiO₂).
Metal & Glass Etch
Metal & Glass Etch processing are supported by our TORRENT® Spray Acid Tool (SAT) widely used in high-volume manufacturing with aqueous acid or base chemistries. While etch-stop layers are common, our Optical Endpoint Detection (EPD) enables precise, real-time monitoring of metal removal through color changes, triggering automated responses such as etch-stop, alerts, or process verification. The TORRENT SAT also features on-tool chemical blending, eliminating the need for pre-mixed chemistries by mixing raw components per recipe. Its chemical spiking capability maintains etch performance by replenishing depleted components, extending bath life and reducing waste.
UBM Etch (Under-Bump Metallization Etch)
UBM Etch is supported on our TORRENT® Spray Acid Tool (SAT) platform. A key feature of the TORRENT Spray Batch system is our Optical Endpoint Detection (EPD), which monitors color or hue changes as metals are etched. Based on recipe-defined parameters, the system can automatically stop the etch, flag incomplete removal, or provide process feedback. A unique advantage of Semitool TORRENT equipment is its ability to perform both UBM Etch and Photoresist (PR) Strip on the same platform—processes that typically require separate solvent and aqueous tools. Through Shellback’s collaboration with global chemical suppliers, specialized chemistries, and our HydrOzone™ processes enable seamless integration of these steps on a single tool, such as the SAT or SAT+ (with Ozone).
SEMITOOL Batch Spray
MERCURY+ Batch Spray
MLO (Metal Lift Off)
Metal Lift-Off is a core application for Shellback with the TORRENT® Spray Solvent Tool (SST) platform supporting this process across decades of semiconductor manufacturing. The SST is widely adopted in Process of Record (POR) flows for metal and material removal, accommodating both positive and negative aspect ratio metallization techniques. Common chemistries include NMP, DMSO-based solvents, and proprietary formulations from EKC, DuPont, Dow, MERCK, Technic, and others. The tool’s fully 316 stainless steel wetted path ensures superior chemical resistance and long-term durability, making it ideal for high-reliability MLO processing.
Resist Strip
Resist Strip applications are supported using both traditional solvent-based methods and advanced ozone-based processes. Solvent options include formulated chemistries, NMP, DMSO, and others, while our HydrOzone™ process (ozonated DI water) offers a sustainable green alternative with dramatic chemical savings. The process supports a wide range of resist types, including positive and negative resists, thick film resists, and coated or spun-on resists. Front-End-of-Line (FEOL) photoresist strip processes can also utilize Piranha, HydrOzone or HydrOzone+ chemistries for effective removal. These applications are run on our TORRENT® Spray Solvent Tool (SST) or our Spray Ozone Tool (SOT) platforms, offering flexibility and performance across diverse resist strip requirements.