Anyone using NMP (methylpyrrolidone)?

f95toli

I need some advice about using NMP (methylpyrrolidone,i.e. N-Methyl-2-Pyrrolidone) to clean samples.
At the moment I am measuring devices that are made from 200 nm of patterned niobium on top of SiO2/Si or sapphire substrates. The devices are very sensitive to the properties of the surface, any form of organic impurities, dirt, resist residues etc will degrade the performance. It is therefore important to clean them properly.
Up until now I have been using warm acetone followed by IPA to clean them. This usually works reasonaly well but does not always remove all the organics).

Anyway, a colleagues recommended trying NMP instead. However, I have no experience with NMP and I am a bit worried that it might damage the niobium somehow.

Does anyone know if NMP is as "safe" as e.g. acetone when it comes to cleaning metal surfaces?

stewartcs

Quote by f95toli

I need some advice about using NMP (methylpyrrolidone,i.e. N-Methyl-2-Pyrrolidone) to clean samples.
At the moment I am measuring devices that are made from 200 nm of patterned niobium on top of SiO2/Si or sapphire substrates. The devices are very sensitive to the properties of the surface, any form of organic impurities, dirt, resist residues etc will degrade the performance. It is therefore important to clean them properly.
Up until now I have been using warm acetone followed by IPA to clean them. This usually works reasonaly well but does not always remove all the organics).

Anyway, a colleagues recommended trying NMP instead. However, I have no experience with NMP and I am a bit worried that it might damage the niobium somehow.

Does anyone know if NMP is as "safe" as e.g. acetone when it comes to cleaning metal surfaces?

I read a journal paper once that used a similar technique successfully. The paper was entitled:

Conducting polymer cathodes for high-frequency operable electrolytic niobium capacitors, Journal of Synthetic Metals, Volume 74, Issue 2, (1995) pages 165-170.

CS

f95toli

Thanks for the reference.
Unfortunately, it seems I do not have access to that journal. I will try to see if I can get hold of that paper on Monday.

f95toli Recognitions: Gold Member Science Advisor	Thanks for the reference. Unfortunately, it seems I do not have access to that journal. I will try to see if I can get hold of that paper on Monday.