Methods for forming semiconductor structures

By using organic solvents to remove the photoresist layer during semiconductor structure formation and utilizing a sacrificial layer to protect the metal conductive layer, the corrosion problem of wet photoresist removal process on metals is solved, thereby improving the yield and stability of devices.

CN114156178BActive Publication Date: 2026-04-03NINGBO SEMICON INT CORP
View PDF 2 Cites 0 Cited by

Patent Information

Authority / Receiving Office
CN · China
Patent Type
Patents(China)
Current Assignee / Owner
Filing Date
2020-09-04
Publication Date
2026-04-03

AI Technical Summary

Technical Problem

In the existing technology, the chemical solvents used in the wet resist removal process are corrosive to the metal conductive layer, causing defects on the electrode surface and affecting the yield and stability of the device.

Method used

In the semiconductor structure formation process, organic solvents are used to remove the patterned photoresist layer, and a sacrificial layer is used to protect the metal conductive layer. When selecting organic solvents, the photoresist removal ability is taken into account while the corrosiveness to the metal is ignored. The sacrificial layer is removed by forming a dielectric layer and a planarization process.

Benefits of technology

It effectively removes the photoresist layer without corroding the metal conductive layer, improving the device yield and stability and avoiding the generation of metal surface defects.

✦ Generated by Eureka AI based on patent content.

Smart Images

  • Figure CN114156178B_ABST
    Figure CN114156178B_ABST
Patent Text Reader

Abstract

This invention provides a method for forming a semiconductor structure. A metal conductive layer, a sacrificial layer, and a patterned photoresist layer are sequentially formed on a substrate. The patterned photoresist layer is used as a mask to pattern the metal conductive layer and the sacrificial layer. Then, the patterned photoresist layer is removed using an organic solvent, and finally, the remaining sacrificial layer is removed. In this invention, when removing the patterned photoresist layer with an organic solvent, the solvent's removal ability can be considered only, while its corrosiveness to the top surface of the metal conductive layer can be ignored. Because the sacrificial layer protects the metal conductive layer from corrosion by the organic solvent, even if a strong removal solvent is selected, surface defects in the metal conductive layer will not occur, thus improving device yield and stability.
Need to check novelty before this filing date? Find Prior Art

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of semiconductor manufacturing technology, and in particular to a method for forming a semiconductor structure. Background Technology

[0002] In typical semiconductor manufacturing processes, a photoresist layer is coated onto the surface of several film layers, followed by sequential exposure and etching to transfer patterns. After the desired pattern is formed on the film layer, the photoresist layer needs to be stripped before proceeding to the next process. This process requires complete removal of the photoresist layer without etching any substrate. For example, in electrode fabrication, a patterned photoresist layer is formed as a mask; this patterned photoresist layer also needs to be removed after the electrode is formed.

[0003] Currently, wet stripping processes can be used to remove patterned photoresist layers, which involves using chemical solvents to etch the photoresist, thereby achieving the purpose of removal. However, in order to achieve good stripping ability, chemical solvents are usually aggressive solutions, often exhibiting slight corrosiveness to some metals forming the electrodes. This can lead to defects on the electrode surface, resulting in a significant reduction in device yield and stability. Summary of the Invention

[0004] The purpose of this invention is to provide a method for forming a semiconductor structure that can avoid defects on the surface of the metal wiring layer or electrodes, thereby improving the yield and stability of the device.

[0005] To achieve the above objectives, the present invention provides a method for forming a semiconductor structure, comprising:

[0006] Provide substrate;

[0007] A metal conductive layer, a sacrificial layer, and a patterned photoresist layer are sequentially formed on the substrate;

[0008] The patterned photoresist layer is used as a mask to pattern the metal conductive layer and the sacrificial layer;

[0009] The patterned photoresist layer is removed using an organic solvent;

[0010] Remove the remaining sacrificial layer.

[0011] Optionally, the remaining metal conductive layer after patterning can be formed into any one of electrodes, pads, metal wiring layers, metal barrier layers, or metal contact layers.

[0012] Optionally, the metal conductive layer includes at least a first metal conductive layer, the material of which includes tungsten and / or copper.

[0013] Optionally, the metal conductive layer further includes a second metal conductive layer, wherein the first metal conductive layer covers the second metal conductive layer, and the material of the second metal conductive layer includes aluminum and / or titanium.

[0014] Optionally, the organic solvent may include dimethyl sulfoxide.

[0015] Optionally, the organic solvent may also include tetramethylammonium hydroxide and / or 2-aminoethanol.

[0016] Optionally, the step of removing the remaining sacrificial layer includes:

[0017] A dielectric layer is formed on the substrate, wherein the top surface of the dielectric layer is higher than the top surface of the sacrificial layer;

[0018] A planarization process is performed on the dielectric layer to remove the sacrificial layer and a portion of the dielectric layer thickness, and the planarization process stops at the top surface of the metal conductive layer.

[0019] Optionally, the material of the sacrificial layer is the same as the material of the dielectric layer.

[0020] Optionally, the material of the sacrificial layer includes one or more of silicon oxide, silicon nitride, carbon-doped silicon oxide, or silicon carbide.

[0021] Optionally, the thickness of the sacrificial layer is less than or equal to 150 angstroms.

[0022] In the semiconductor structure formation method provided by this invention, a metal conductive layer, a sacrificial layer, and a patterned photoresist layer are sequentially formed on a substrate. The patterned photoresist layer is used as a mask to pattern the metal conductive layer and the sacrificial layer. Then, the patterned photoresist layer is removed using an organic solvent, and finally, the remaining sacrificial layer is removed. In this invention, when removing the patterned photoresist layer using an organic solvent, the sacrificial layer protects the metal conductive layer from corrosion by the organic solvent. The selection of the organic solvent balances its photoresist removal ability with its corrosiveness to the metal. Even when choosing an organic solvent with strong photoresist removal ability, defects will not occur on the surface of the metal conductive layer, thus improving the device yield and stability. Attached Figure Description

[0023] Figures 1a to 1c This is a schematic diagram of the corresponding steps in a method for forming a semiconductor structure.

[0024] Figures 2a-2c These are electron microscope images of electrodes after the patterned photoresist layer has been removed using different chemical solutions in a wet photoresist removal process.

[0025] Figure 3 A flowchart of a method for forming a semiconductor structure provided in an embodiment of the present invention;

[0026] Figures 4a-4e A schematic diagram of the structure corresponding to the steps of the semiconductor structure formation method provided in the embodiments of the present invention;

[0027] The attached figures are labeled as follows:

[0028] 100' - Substrate; 300' - Conductive metal layer; 301' - First conductive metal layer; 302' - Second conductive metal layer; 500' - Patterned photoresist layer; 310' - Electrode; 311' - Patterned first conductive metal layer; 312' - Patterned second conductive metal layer; Q1, Q4 - Defects; Q2 - Photoresist residue; Q3 - Byproduct;

[0029] 100 - Substrate; 200 - First dielectric layer; 300 - Conductive metal layer; 301 - First conductive metal layer; 302 - Second conductive metal layer; 310 - Electrode; 311 - Patterned first conductive metal layer; 312 - Patterned second conductive metal layer; 400 - Sacrificial layer; 410 - Patterned sacrificial layer; 500 - Patterned photoresist layer; 600 - Second dielectric layer. Detailed Implementation

[0030] Figures 1a to 1c This is a schematic diagram of the corresponding steps in a method for forming a semiconductor structure. Please refer to [link / reference]. Figure 1a A substrate 100' is provided, on which a metal conductive layer 300' and a patterned photoresist layer 500' are sequentially formed. The metal conductive layer 300' includes a first metal conductive layer 301' and a second metal conductive layer 302', with the second metal conductive layer 302' covering the substrate 100' and the first metal conductive layer 301' covering the second metal conductive layer 302'. The patterned photoresist layer 500' is located on the first metal conductive layer 301'. The first metal conductive layer 301' is made of tungsten (W), and the second metal conductive layer 302' is made of aluminum (Al).

[0031] Please see Figures 1a-1b Using the patterned photoresist layer 500' as a mask, the metal conductive layer 300' is patterned to form a plurality of electrodes 310', each of the electrodes 310' comprising a stack of a patterned first metal conductive layer 311' and a patterned second metal conductive layer 312'.

[0032] Please see Figures 1b-1cThe patterned photoresist layer 500' is removed using a wet stripping process. The chemical solutions used in the wet stripping process can be, for example, strong organic solvents, weak organic solvents, or fluorinated strippers. Strong organic solvents mainly consist of dimethyl sulfoxide, which has strong stripping ability but is aggressive towards metals such as copper (Cu) and tungsten. Weak organic solvents mainly consist of N-methylpyrrolidone, which has weak stripping ability but is not aggressive towards metals such as copper and tungsten. Fluorinated strippers mainly consist of fluorides, which have strong stripping ability but are aggressive towards metals such as aluminum and titanium (Ti).

[0033] Figures 2a-2c This is an electron microscope (EM) image of electrode 310' after the patterned photoresist layer 500' has been removed using different chemical solutions in a wet photoresist stripping process. Specifically, when a strong organic solvent is used to remove the patterned photoresist layer 500', such as... Figure 2a As shown, dimethyl sulfoxide in a strong organic solvent corrodes tungsten, causing defect Q1 on the surface of the patterned first metal conductive layer 311'. When the patterned photoresist layer 500' is removed using a weak organic solvent, as... Figure 2b As shown, although weak organic solvents do not corrode tungsten, their resist-removing ability is poor, leading to photoresist residue Q2 on the surface of electrode 310' and byproduct Q3 deposited on the sidewalls of electrode 310'. When a fluorinated resist remover is used to remove the patterned photoresist layer 500', as... Figure 2c As shown, while fluorinated resist removers do not corrode tungsten, they do corrode aluminum, causing defect Q4 on the sidewall of the patterned second metal conductive layer 312'. Furthermore, fluorinated resist removers are expensive, costing more than 10 times that of organic solvents. Therefore, weak organic solvents have poor resist-removing ability, leading to photoresist residue and byproduct accumulation; strong organic solvents have strong resist-removing ability but corrode the electrode surface; and fluorinated resist removers corrode the electrode sidewalls and are also expensive. None of the three chemical solutions can simultaneously achieve both resist-removing ability and corrosion resistance to metals.

[0034] Based on this, the present invention provides a method for forming a semiconductor structure, wherein a metal conductive layer, a sacrificial layer, and a patterned photoresist layer are sequentially formed on a substrate, and the metal conductive layer and the sacrificial layer are patterned using the patterned photoresist layer as a mask; then the patterned photoresist layer is removed using an organic solvent, and finally the remaining sacrificial layer is removed. In removing the patterned photoresist layer with an organic solvent, the present invention allows for the selection of an organic solvent that only considers its resist-removing ability while ignoring its corrosiveness to the top surface of the metal conductive layer. Since the sacrificial layer protects the metal conductive layer from corrosion by the organic solvent, even if a strong resist-removing organic solvent is selected, it will not cause defects on the surface of the metal conductive layer, thus improving the device yield and stability.

[0035] The specific embodiments of the present invention will now be described in more detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. The advantages and features of the present invention will become clearer from the following description. It should be noted that the drawings are all in a very simplified form and use non-precise proportions, and are only used to facilitate and clarify the illustration of the embodiments of the present invention.

[0036] Figure 3 A flowchart illustrating a method for forming a semiconductor structure according to an embodiment of the present invention. Figure 3 As shown, the method for forming the semiconductor structure includes:

[0037] Step S100: Provide a substrate;

[0038] Step S200: A metal conductive layer, a sacrificial layer, and a patterned photoresist layer are sequentially formed on the substrate;

[0039] Step S300: Pattern the metal conductive layer and the sacrificial layer using the patterned photoresist layer as a mask;

[0040] Step S400: Remove the patterned photoresist layer using an organic solvent;

[0041] Step S500: Remove the remaining sacrificial layer.

[0042] For details, please refer to Figures 4a-4e This is a schematic diagram of the corresponding steps in the semiconductor structure formation method provided in this embodiment. Next, we will combine... Figures 4a-4e The method for forming the semiconductor structure provided in this embodiment will be described in detail.

[0043] Please see Figure 4a Step S100 is executed, providing a substrate 100. The substrate 100 includes a semiconductor substrate, which is, for example, at least one of the following materials: Si, Ge, SiGe, SiC, SiGeC, InAs, GaAs, InP, or other III / V compound semiconductors. It also includes multilayer structures formed by these semiconductors, or silicon-on-insulator (SOI), silicon-on-insulator stacked (SSOI), silicon-on-insulator stacked germanium (S-SiGeOI), silicon-on-insulator (SiGeOI), and germanium-on-insulator (GeOI). The substrate 100 also includes devices formed therein, such as NMOS and / or PMOS.

[0044] A first dielectric layer 200 is formed on the substrate 100, and the first dielectric layer 200 covers the substrate 100. The first dielectric layer 200 may be a single film layer or a combination of at least two film layers. This embodiment only adaptively shows the case of a single film layer.

[0045] Furthermore, the first dielectric layer 200 may have device structures such as conductive patterns, plugs, pads, and insulating patterns formed therein, depending on the specific device to be formed. Of course, the first dielectric layer 200 may also not have any device structures formed therein, and may only be used as a dielectric film layer (e.g., a gate oxide layer).

[0046] Please continue reading. Figure 4a In step S200, a metal conductive layer 300, a sacrificial layer 400, and a patterned photoresist layer 500 are sequentially formed on the substrate 100.

[0047] In this embodiment, the metal conductive layer 300 includes a first metal conductive layer 301 and a second metal conductive layer 302, the first metal conductive layer 301 covering the second metal conductive layer 302, and the sacrificial layer 400 covering the first metal conductive layer 301. The patterned photoresist layer 500 has a pattern, and the patterned photoresist layer 500 covers a portion of the top surface of the sacrificial layer 400.

[0048] Furthermore, the sacrificial layer 400 is used to protect the top surface of the metal conductive layer 300 (which can also be understood as protecting the top surface of the first metal conductive layer 301) in subsequent processes. In this embodiment, the material of the sacrificial layer 400 is silicon oxide. As an optional embodiment, the material of the sacrificial layer 400 can also be one or a combination of silicon nitride, carbon-doped silicon oxide, or silicon carbide.

[0049] In this embodiment, chemical vapor deposition (CVD) is used to form the first dielectric layer 200 and the sacrificial layer 400. That is, under vacuum conditions, one or more gaseous compounds or elements containing the elements of the first dielectric layer 200 and the sacrificial layer 400 are used to chemically react on the top surface of the substrate 100 and the top surface of the first metal conductive layer 301 to generate the first dielectric layer 200 and the sacrificial layer 400.

[0050] In this embodiment, the sacrificial layer 400 is formed using a low-temperature, low-deposition-rate deposition process, resulting in a thinner sacrificial layer 400 that is easier to remove. In this embodiment, the thickness of the sacrificial layer 400 is less than or equal to 150 angstroms; for example, the thickness of the sacrificial layer 400 can be 120 angstroms, 100 angstroms, 70 angstroms, or 50 angstroms. Of course, as an optional embodiment, the thickness of the sacrificial layer 400 can also be greater than 150 angstroms, for example, 200 angstroms or 300 angstroms, etc., and the present invention is not limited thereto.

[0051] In this embodiment, the first metal conductive layer 301 and the second metal conductive layer 302 are formed using a physical vapor deposition (PVD) process. Specifically, under vacuum conditions, a solid target surface is vaporized using a physical method, and the second metal conductive layer 302 and the first metal conductive layer 301 are sequentially deposited on the top surface of the first dielectric layer 200. The PVD process includes evaporation and sputtering. The evaporation process uses heating to deposit a thin film by utilizing the saturated vapor pressure of the material at a high temperature close to its melting point. The sputtering process uses plasma to bombard the target, causing target atoms to detach from the target and deposit as a film.

[0052] Further, the step of forming the patterned photoresist layer 500 may be: uniformly coating photoresist on the sacrificial layer 400, and then exposing and developing the photoresist to form the patterned photoresist layer 500. The photoresist may be a positive photoresist or a negative photoresist.

[0053] In this embodiment, the metal conductive layer 300 is used to form an electrode. Specifically, in this embodiment, the metal conductive layer 300 is used to form the electrode of a piezoelectric device, such as a surface electrode.

[0054] The first conductive metal layer 301 is made of tungsten, and the second conductive metal layer 302 is made of aluminum. As an optional embodiment, the first conductive metal layer 301 can also be made of copper or an alloy of copper, tungsten, and other metals, and the second conductive metal layer 302 can also be made of titanium or an alloy of titanium, aluminum, and other metals. Of course, the first conductive metal layer 301 and the second conductive metal layer 302 can also be other metallic materials that can be used to form electrodes; these will not be listed here.

[0055] It is understood that the metal conductive layer 300 in this invention is not limited to including two film layers, the first metal conductive layer 301 and the second metal conductive layer 302. It may include only the first metal conductive layer 301, or it may include other metal conductive layers besides the first metal conductive layer 301 and the second metal conductive layer 302. Further details will not be provided here.

[0056] It is understood that the metal conductive layer 300 is not limited to forming electrodes, but can also be used to form pads, metal wiring layers, metal barrier layers or metal contact layers, etc. The metal conductive layer 300 can be any layer in the metallization process, and will not be listed here.

[0057] Please continue reading. Figure 4a and Figure 4bIn step S300, using the patterned photoresist layer 500 as a mask, the sacrificial layer 400, the first metal conductive layer 301, and the second metal conductive layer 302 are etched sequentially to pattern the sacrificial layer 400, the first metal conductive layer 301, and the second metal conductive layer 302. After etching, the remaining sacrificial layer 400, the remaining first metal conductive layer 301, and the remaining second metal conductive layer 302 form patterned sacrificial layer 410, patterned first metal conductive layer 311, and patterned second metal conductive layer 312, respectively. The patterns of the patterned sacrificial layer 410, patterned first metal conductive layer 311, and patterned second metal conductive layer 312 are identical to the pattern of the patterned photoresist layer 500, effectively transferring the pattern of the patterned photoresist layer 500 onto the patterned sacrificial layer 410, patterned first metal conductive layer 311, and patterned second metal conductive layer 312.

[0058] In this embodiment, a dry etching process is used to etch the sacrificial layer 400, the first metal conductive layer 301, and the second metal conductive layer 302. Taking advantage of the anisotropic etching characteristics of the dry etching process, the sacrificial layer 400, the first metal conductive layer 301, and the second metal conductive layer 302 are vertically etched to form a pattern.

[0059] It should be understood that the sacrificial layer 400, the first conductive metal layer 301, and the second conductive metal layer 302 can be etched in one step or in stages. For example, the sacrificial layer 400 can be etched first to form the patterned sacrificial layer 410, and then the first conductive metal layer 301 and the second conductive metal layer 302 can be etched to form the patterned first conductive metal layer 311 and the patterned second conductive metal layer 312. Of course, the first conductive metal layer 301 and the second conductive metal layer 302 can also be etched in two steps, which will not be illustrated here.

[0060] Furthermore, after etching is completed, a wet etching process can be used to remove the polymer generated during etching to prevent the polymer from affecting the performance of the device; of course, the polymer can also be removed after the patterned photoresist layer 500 is removed. After the wet etching process, the substrate 100 can be wet-cleaned with deionized water to remove impurity particles on the surface of the substrate 100 or on the various film layers on the surface of the substrate 100.

[0061] Please see Figure 4b and Figure 4cStep S400 is executed, in which the patterned photoresist layer 500 is removed using an organic solvent. Given that weak organic solvents have insufficient photoresist removal capabilities, and fluorinated photoresist removers can corrode aluminum and are expensive, in this embodiment, the organic solvent is a strong organic solvent. A strong organic solvent can be a mixed solution of dimethyl sulfoxide, tetramethylammonium hydroxide, and / or 2-aminoethanol, which has strong photoresist removal capabilities, effectively removing the patterned photoresist layer 500 without leaving photoresist residue, and without corroding metals such as aluminum or titanium.

[0062] Furthermore, dimethyl sulfoxide in strong organic solvents can corrode metals such as tungsten or copper. In other words, strong organic solvents can corrode the top surface of the patterned first conductive metal layer 311, causing defects on its top surface. However, since the top surface of the patterned first conductive metal layer 311 is covered by the patterned sacrificial layer 410, the patterned sacrificial layer 410 can protect the top surface of the patterned first conductive metal layer 311 from corrosion by the strong organic solvent. This ensures that the patterned photoresist layer 500 is completely removed while also preventing defects from forming on the top surface of the patterned first conductive metal layer 311.

[0063] Of course, the present invention is not limited to using a strong organic solvent composed of a mixed solution of dimethyl sulfoxide, tetramethylammonium hydroxide, and / or 2-aminoethanol to remove the patterned photoresist layer 500. Other strong organic solvents containing dimethyl sulfoxide can also be selected. Alternatively, the present invention can consider only the photoresist removal ability and ignore the corrosiveness to the top surface of the metal conductive layer when selecting an organic solvent. For example, by using an organic solvent with stronger photoresist removal ability, due to the protection of the patterned sacrificial layer 410, even if a strong photoresist removal ability organic solvent is selected, defects will not be generated on the top surface of the patterned first metal conductive layer 311, thereby improving the yield and stability of the device.

[0064] Please see Figure 4d and Figure 4e Then, step S500 is executed to remove the graphical sacrificial layer 410. Specifically, as shown in step S500... Figure 4d As shown, a second dielectric layer 600 is formed on the substrate 100, the second dielectric layer 600 covering the substrate 100 and extending to cover the patterned sacrificial layer 410. Figure 4d As can be seen, the second dielectric layer 600 extends upward from the top surface of the substrate 100 until it is above the patterned sacrificial layer 410, and then extends laterally to cover the patterned sacrificial layer 410.

[0065] like Figure 4eAs shown, the second dielectric layer 600 is planarized using a chemical-mechanical planarization (CMP) process. Specifically, the second dielectric layer 600 is ground with a grinding wheel until the second dielectric layer 600 and the patterned sacrificial layer 410 above the top surface of the patterned first metal conductive layer 311 are removed, and the grinding stops at the top surface of the first metal conductive layer 311. In this way, the patterned sacrificial layer 410 is removed, and the remaining second dielectric layer 600 can also protect the sidewalls of the patterned first metal conductive layer 311. The top surface of the first metal conductive layer 311 is exposed on the top surface of the second dielectric layer 600, so it can serve as an external lead, an upper electrode (e.g., the upper electrode of a pressure device), a lower electrode (e.g., the lower electrode of a pressure device, on which a piezoelectric layer is formed), or an interconnect layer of the next metal conductive layer. For example, the metal conductive layer located on the first metal conductive layer 311 can be electrically connected to the first metal conductive layer 311 through an electrical connector such as a plug.

[0066] In this embodiment, the semiconductor structure formation method is used to form a piezoelectric device. The first metal conductive layer 311 is the lower electrode of the piezoelectric device. After planarizing the second dielectric layer 600, a piezoelectric layer will be formed on the surface of the first metal conductive layer 311 exposed to the second dielectric layer 600.

[0067] As can be seen, in this embodiment, the formation of the sacrificial layer 410 can protect the top surface of the first metal conductive layer 311 from corrosion by organic solvents, thereby allowing the use of strong organic solvents to ensure the adhesive removal effect. After adhesive removal, the sacrificial layer 410 will be removed without changing the structure of the formed semiconductor device.

[0068] In this embodiment, the material of the second dielectric layer 600 is the same as that of the patterned sacrificial layer 410, both being silicon oxide. Therefore, when the second dielectric layer 600 is planarized, the patterned sacrificial layer 410 can also be removed simultaneously, preventing the patterned sacrificial layer 410 from leaving residues or causing depressions on the top surface of the remaining second dielectric layer 600 due to the hardness difference between the two layers. Of course, the materials of the second dielectric layer 600 and the patterned sacrificial layer 410 can also be different; this invention is not limiting.

[0069] In summary, in the semiconductor structure formation method provided in this embodiment, a metal conductive layer, a sacrificial layer, and a patterned photoresist layer are sequentially formed on a substrate. The patterned photoresist layer is used as a mask to pattern the metal conductive layer and the sacrificial layer. Then, the patterned photoresist layer is removed using an organic solvent, and finally, the remaining sacrificial layer is removed. In this invention, when removing the patterned photoresist layer using an organic solvent, the selection of the organic solvent can consider only its resist-removing ability and ignore its corrosiveness to the top surface of the metal conductive layer. Since the sacrificial layer can protect the metal conductive layer from corrosion by the organic solvent, even if a strong resist-removing organic solvent is selected, it will not cause defects on the surface of the metal conductive layer, thus improving the device yield and stability.

[0070] The above are merely preferred embodiments of the present invention and do not constitute any limitation on the present invention. Any equivalent substitutions or modifications made by those skilled in the art to the technical solutions and content disclosed in the present invention without departing from the scope of the present invention shall be deemed to have remained within the protection scope of the present invention.

Claims

1. A method for forming a semiconductor structure, characterized in that, include: Provide substrate; A metal conductive layer, a sacrificial layer, and a patterned photoresist layer are sequentially formed on the substrate. The sacrificial layer covers the top surface of the metal conductive layer to protect the top surface of the metal conductive layer in subsequent processes. The material of the sacrificial layer includes one or more of silicon oxide, silicon nitride, carbon-doped silicon oxide, or silicon carbide, and the thickness of the sacrificial layer is less than or equal to 150 angstroms. The patterned photoresist layer is used as a mask to pattern the metal conductive layer and the sacrificial layer; The patterned photoresist layer was removed using a wet method with an organic solvent. A dielectric layer of the same material as the sacrificial layer is formed on the substrate, wherein the top surface of the dielectric layer is higher than the top surface of the sacrificial layer; A planarization process is performed on the dielectric layer to remove the remaining sacrificial layer and a portion of the dielectric layer thickness. The planarization process stops at the top surface of the metal conductive layer.

2. The method for forming a semiconductor structure as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The remaining conductive metal layer after patterning forms any one of the following: electrode, pad, metal wiring layer, metal barrier layer, or metal contact layer.

3. The method for forming a semiconductor structure as described in claim 2, characterized in that, The metal conductive layer includes at least a first metal conductive layer, the material of which includes tungsten and / or copper.

4. The method for forming a semiconductor structure as described in claim 3, characterized in that, The metal conductive layer further includes a second metal conductive layer, wherein the first metal conductive layer covers the second metal conductive layer, and the material of the second metal conductive layer includes aluminum and / or titanium.

5. The method for forming a semiconductor structure as described in any one of claims 2-4, characterized in that, The organic solvent contains dimethyl sulfoxide.

6. The method for forming a semiconductor structure as described in claim 5, characterized in that, The organic solvent also includes tetramethylammonium hydroxide and / or 2-aminoethanol.

Citation Information

Patent Citations

  • Manufacturing method of silicon based liquid crystal panel

    CN104516138A

  • Conductive laminate processing method

    JP2013190852A