Chemical treatment of glass substrates

Abstract

The effects of cleaning on the near-surface composition of Corning Code 1737 glass was studied. Cleaned glass substrates were found to develop a thin silica-rich surface layer approximately 6 nm thick formed by chemical leaching. The presence of this layer was verified by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, scanning transmission electron microscopy and X-ray scattering. Atomic force microscopy measurements of the glass before and after cleaning showed no increase in the surface roughness. Top-gated polycrystalline silicon thin film transistors fabricated on cleaned substrates had leakage currents, similar to those on substrates with deposited SiO2 layers.