Single wafer wet clean is a process used in the semiconductor industry to clean a single semiconductor wafer, typically made of silicon, before it undergoes further processing steps such as photolithography, etching, or deposition. The goal of single wafer wet clean is to remove contaminants from the surface of the wafer without damaging the semiconductor material.

The process involves immersing the wafer in a chemical solution that selectively removes contaminants without harming the silicon. Common chemicals used in single wafer wet clean include hydrofluoric acid (HF), ammonium hydroxide (NH4OH), and hydrogen peroxide (H2O2). The wafer is typically rotated or scrubbed during the cleaning process to ensure that all areas of the surface are exposed to the cleaning solution.

Single wafer wet clean is an important step in the semiconductor manufacturing process because even small amounts of contamination can cause defects in the final device. The process must be carefully controlled to ensure that the wafer is not damaged by the cleaning solution or the scrubbing action.