Analysis of Minor Additives and Polymer in Used-stripper Using Pyrolysis-Gas Chromatography/Mass Spectrometry and Electrospray Mass Spectrometry

Abstract

The trace polymer and additives in used stripper solutions were analyzed by a combination of Py-GC/MS and ESI-MS. In the comparison of the pyrolysates produced by the pyrolysis of the pure stripper and photoresist at 500 o C, the presence of novolac polymer in the used stripper was confirmed by the presence of the characteristic peaks of its pyrolysates, such as those of the methylphenol, di-methylphenol and methylenebis(methylphenol) isomers. The intact trace polymer was measured by ESI-MS, which showed the distribution of oligomers at intervals of 120 Da, indicating di-methylphenol to be the repeat unit. Additional MS/MS measurements demonstrated that the end group is methylphenol and the repeat groups are di-methylphenol. Some modified oligomers caused by the methylation or di-methylation of the repeat unit were also identified. Although the polymer is only present at a trace level in the used stripper, these combined analytical methods provided the means to qualify the stripper solution through the identification and structural determination of the polymer.