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This poster presents a straightforward ion chromatographic determination of HF, HNO3, short-chain organic acids and H2SiF6 in etching bath samples. Standard ions such as fluoride, nitrate, acetate and sulfate are determined via suppressed conductivity detection while dissolved silicate is spectrophotometrically detected in the same run after downstream post-column reaction (PCR) as molybdosilicic acid. Analytical results of several commercial HF-HNO3-H2SiF6 mixtures obtained by ion chromatography (IC) and titration showed good agreement, which confirms the applicability of the presented «dual» detection IC method for controlling the composition of acidic texturing baths.

Thermometric titration can solve application problems that potentiometry cannot solve at all, or at least not satisfactorily.

This Bulletin describes three potentiometric, one photometric, one thermometric and one conductometric titration method for sulfate determination. The question of which indication method is the most suitable depends primarily on the sample matrix.Method 1: Precipitation as barium sulfate and back titration of the Ba2+ surplus with EGTA. Use of the ion-selective calcium electrode as indicator electrode.Method 2: As with Method 1, although with the electrode combination tungsten/platinum.Method 3: Precipitation titration in semi-aqueous solution with lead nitrate in accordance with the European Pharmacopoeia using the ion-selective lead electrode as indicator electrode.Method 4: Photometric titration with lead nitrate, dithizone indicator and the Optrode 610 nm, particularly suitable for low concentrations (up to 5 mg SO42- in the sample solution).Method 5: Thermometric precipitation titration with Ba2+ in aqueous solution, particularly suitable for fertilizers.Method 6: Conductometric titration with barium acetate in accordance with DIN 53127

This bulletin deals with the automated determination of mixtures of HNO3, HF and H2SiF6 in the range of approximately 200-600 g/L HNO3, 50-160 g/L HF, and 0-185 g/L H2SiF6 using thermometric titration.Etch acid mixtures containing HNO3, HF and H2SiF6 from the etching of silicon substrates can be analyzed in a sequence of two determinations using the 859 Titrotherm. The first determination involves a direct titration with standard c(NaOH) = 2 mol/L, followed by a back titration with c(HCl) = 2 mol/L. This determination yields the H2SiF6 content plus a value for the combined (HNO3+HF) contents. The second determination consists of a titration with c(Al3+) = 0.5 mol/L to determine the HF content. For freshly made up mixtures of HNO3 and HF containing no H2SiF6, a linked two-titration sequence is employed. Results from the two determinations are used by tiamoTM to yield individual results for HNO3, HF and H2SiF6.

This Application Note explains how fluoride determination in acid etching baths can be performed with thermometric titration.

Determination of mixtures of phosphoric, nitric, and acetic acids used in etching aluminum in the manufacture of semiconductor devices.

Determination of phosphate content in an acid etching bath.

Determination of aluminum in acidic, basic, and neutral solutions; including aluminum chloride, aluminum chlorohydrate (also in anti-perspirant formulations), alum, etching solutions, and aluminate solutions.

Determination of Fe3+ by iodometric titration. Useful if Fe3+ is accompanied by Al3+, Mg2+, Ca2+ and Fe2+.

Determination of hydrofluoric acid in mixed acid etchant solutions.

This Application Note describes the determination of fluoride in silicon etch solutions with thermometric titration.

Determination of concentrated potassium hydroxide solutions which had been used for the etching of substrates containing silicon.

Determination of the total acids concentration in mixtures of nitric-hydrofluoric acid intended for etching silicon substrates.

Two separate titration sequences are required to analyze the mixture:- titration of the HF content with Al(NO3)3 (the «elpasolite» reaction)- titration of the H2SO4 with BaCl2 followed by titration with NaOH to determine the «total acids» contentThe HF, H2SO4, and «total acids» contents are converted to a HNO3 equivalent, with the HNO3 content found by subtracting the HF and H2SO4 from the «total acids» content.

Thermometric titration can be used for the ready determination of sulfuric acid and phosphoric acid in acid mixtures. An endpoint for each acid appears on the titration curve that can be used to quantify the respective acid.

Thermometric titration is used for the determination of hydrochloric acid and phosphoric acid in acid mixtures. Two endpoints appear on the titration curve that are used for the determination of the two acids.

Thermometric titration is used to determine hydrochloric acid and hydrofluoric acid (hydrogen fluoride) in etching baths containing ethanol and acetonitrile. Two endpoints appear on the titration curve that are used individually for the quantification of the respective acid.

Thermometric titration is used to determine hydrofluoric acid and nitric acid in etching baths containing ethanol and acetonitrile. Two endpoints appear on the titration curve that are used individually for the quantification of the respective acid.

Following the addition of caustic soda, hexafluorosilic acid can be determined through back titration of excess hydroxide with hydrochloric acid. Hydrofluoric acid (hydrogen fluoride) is determined by precipitation with aluminum in the presence of sodium and potassium ions. Nitric acid is determined by subtracting the equivalence concentrations of hexafluorosilic acid and hydrofluoric acid from the total acid concentration.

Nitric acid, phosphoric acid, and acetic acid are easily determined in etching baths using thermometric titration (TET). Compared to potentiometric titration, TET is faster and more convenient. Analysis is complete in less than two minutes.

Tartaric Sulfuric Anodizing (TSA) is an established technique for corrosion protection in the aerospace industry. It is an alternative to the environmentally harmful chromic anodizing process. As such, a method to monitor the levels of sulfuric acid and tartaric acid in TSA plating baths is required. Potentiometric titration methods have been developed, and are widely used across the industry. Their disadvantage is that two titrations with different electrodes and solvents are required.In this Application Note, an alternative method is presented, where the concentration of both acids is determined in sequence using a thermometric sensor. Compared to potentiometric titration, thermometric titration is faster and more convenient (no sensor maintenance required). On a fully automated system, the determination of both parameters takes about 7 minutes.

Fast and reliable detection of phosphoric, sulfuric, nitric, and hydrofluoric acids with near-infrared spectroscopy in under one minute.

This application note discusses an alternative near-infrared (NIR) spectroscopy method that can reliably determine all parameters within a minute, even in complex acid mixtures.

Anodizing metal surfaces improves resistance against corrosion and wear. Etching baths can be monitored precisely online with the 2060 TI Process Analyzer or 2026 HD Titrolyzer.

Pickling baths are used in the galvanic industry to clean steel surfaces and prevent corrosion through passivation. Maintaining specific Fe2+/Fe3+ and free acid/total acid ratios is vital to ensure the baths' optimal performance, which directly impacts the final product quality and reduces production costs by minimizing reagent consumption. This application presents a method to regularly monitor the acid and iron composition in pickling baths online by using a process analyzer from Metrohm Process Analytics.

The planarity and smoothness of silicon wafers are fundamental to manufacture optimal semiconductor devices, and Chemical Mechanical Planarization (CMP) is the most common technology used to achieve ultra-flat surfaces. A slurry is used for this purpose, composed of deionized water, a colloidal silicon or alumina liquid dispersion, and hydrogen peroxide, which has to be constantly monitored at all times.Online monitoring of the CMP process is necessary to avoid chemical waste and enhance wafer production yields. Metrohm Process Analytics can measure not only the H2O2 concentration, but also pH, conductivity, and temperature using the multipurpose 2060 Process Analyzer.

Rapid inline monitoring of the major SC1/SC2 bath constituents is possible with reagent-free near-infrared spectroscopy, e.g., the 2060 The NIR-R Analyzer.

Etching is a vital process in semiconductor fabrication, involving the chemical removal of layers from the wafer substrate. Strict quality control measures are necessary to determine acid etchant concentrations in mixed acid solutions (e.g., SPM, DSP, or DSP+), critical for optimizing etch rate, selectivity, and uniformity during multiple wafer etching steps. This application presents a method to measure sulfuric acid and hydrogen peroxide in etching baths simultaneously using Raman spectroscopy with the PTRam Analyzer from Metrohm Process Analytics.

Determination of fluoride, nitrate, phosphate, and sulfate in an etching reagent using anion chromatography with conductivity detection after chemical suppression.

Determination of chloride, nitrite, nitrate, phosphate, and sulfate in a strongly alkaline solution using anion chromatography with conductivity detection after chemical suppression.

Determination of fluoride, nitrate, phosphate, sulfite, and sulfate in an etching bath using anion chromatography with conductivity detection after chemical suppression.

Determination of formate, chloride, nitrate, phosphate, and sulfate in 20% TMAOH using anion chromatography with conductivity detection after sequential suppression and inline matrix neutralization.

Determination of hydrofluoric and nitric acid in etching baths by potentiometric titration.a) Determination of the total acid content using the combined Sb electrode and NaOH as titrant.b) Determination of hydrofluoric acid using the F-ISE and the titrant La(NO3)3.The concentration of nitric acid is then determined by calculation.

This Application Note compares the OMNIS Titrator and 888 Titrando for determinations of nitric acid, phosphoric acid, and acetic acid in an aluminum etching bath, as well as the determination of tetramethylammonium hydroxide (TMAH). Identical analysis parameters were used, showing that OMNIS delivers results on par or even better than with other established titration systems.

Determination of silicate and hexafluorosilicate (calculated) using anion chromatography with conductivity detection after chemical suppression (see AN S-277) and subsequent UV/VIS detection with post-column reaction. Hexafluorosilicate is hydrolyzed into fluoride and silicate. Both anion concentrations may be used for the calculation of the SiF62- concentration.

Determination of Cu and Cr in an etching bath. Due to the high concentrations of Mn and Ni, Cu is determined as the EDTA complex and Mn as DTPA complex.

The concentration of Fe(total) is determined by polarography in oxalate buffer pH 2. This method is suitable for iron concentrations in the mg/L range.

The concentration of Fe(total) is determined by polarography in an alkaline electrolyte containing triethanolamine (TEA) and KBrO3. All reagents typically contain iron impurities. Therefore a subtraction of the reagent blank is recommended.

The concentration of Ti in a Ti pickle bath is determined by polarography in an oxalic acid electrolyte.

The concentration of Zn in a zinc phosphatation bath is determined by polarography in ammonia buffer pH 9.3.

The concentration of Ni in a Zn phosphatation bath is determined by polarography in ammonia buffer pH 9.3.

The concentration of Cd in a Zn phosphatation bath is determined by polarography in HCl electrolyte.

The concentration of Pb in a Zn phosphatation bath is determined by anodic stripping voltammetry (ASV) in HCl electrolyte.

Ion measurement can be conducted in several different ways, e.g., ion chromatography (IC), inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectrometry (ICP-OES), or atom absorption spectroscopy (AAS). Each of these are well-established, widely used methods in analytical laboratories. However, the initial costs are relatively high. In contrast, ion measurement by the use of an ion-selective electrode (ISE) is a promising alternative to these costly techniques. This White Paper explains the challenges which may be encountered when applying standard addition or direct measurement, and how to overcome them in order for analysts to gain more confidence with this type of analysis.

The demand for microelectronics and printed circuit boards (PCBs) has steadily increased as more flat panel displays, LEDs, photovoltaics, and other essential intermediates are required to create modern consumer devices. This is favorable for the semiconductor industry, though challenges may arise to deliver on time while upholding high quality standards. To be successful, several processes must be optimized in order to increase production efficiency. This White Paper describes the capabilities of the modern analytical method near-infrared (NIR) spectroscopy for assessing the quality of acid baths for etching of microelectronics and printed electronics. Not only are analysis times sharply reduced to less than a minute, the related running costs are also significantly lower – certainly a boost in efficiency that should not be overlooked!