Post-etch residue removal for higher order node process back-end processing

Abstract

The invention relates to post-etch residue removal for high order node process back-end processing. The present disclosure relates to a cleaning composition that assists in removing post-etch residues and aluminum-containing materials, such as aluminum oxide, in the production of semiconductors using aluminum-containing etch stop layers. The composition has high selectivity to post-etch residues and aluminum-containing materials relative to low-k dielectric materials, cobalt-containing materials, and other metals on microelectronic devices.

Description

[0001] This application is a divisional application of the invention patent application with the application date of January 17, 2018, application number 201880006796.8 and invention name “Removal of post-etching residues in back-end processing of high-order node processes”.

[0002] Related Applications

[0003] This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No. 62 / 447,247, filed on January 17, 2017, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety. Technical Field

[0004] The present invention relates to compositions for removing post-etch residues from microelectronic devices and methods of making and using the same, wherein the compositions have a high selectivity for post-etch residues and aluminum-containing materials relative to low-k dielectric materials, cobalt-containing materials, and other metals on microelectronic devices. Background Art

[0005] As device nodes shrink to below 10 nanometers (nm) in advanced semiconductor manufacturing, new materials are introduced to achieve better device performance and manufacturability. Examples of new materials under consideration include cobalt via contacts, aluminum-containing etch stop layers, and titanium nitride barrier layers.

[0006] Post-etch cleaning chemistries compatible with cobalt-containing materials, titanium nitride, and low-k dielectric materials enable manufacturing processes at smaller and higher-order nodes. In the back end of the line (BEOL), copper (Cu) is still used as an interconnect metal line, so a cleaning chemistry formulation compatible with copper and new materials is advantageous.

[0007] There is a need for cleaning compositions having controlled etch rates and selectivity for post-etch residues and aluminum-containing materials (eg, aluminum oxide) relative to other layers in a device, which may include cobalt-containing materials, copper, low-k dielectrics, and titanium nitride barrier layers. Summary of the invention

[0008] The problem of post-etch residue removal during the fabrication of microelectronic devices using cobalt via contacts, low-k dielectric materials, and copper interconnects is addressed by a composition having an etch rate selectivity for post-etch residue and aluminum-containing materials relative to other layers, such as cobalt-containing layers, copper, and low-k dielectric materials (including ultra-low-k dielectric materials). DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0009] Described herein are cleaning compositions having etch selectivity for aluminum-containing materials (e.g., aluminum oxide) relative to other layers (e.g., cobalt-containing materials, copper interconnects, and low-k dielectric materials). In addition, described herein are methods for effectively removing post-etch residues and aluminum-containing etch stop layers (including aluminum oxide) from microelectronic devices using the cleaning compositions.

[0010] For ease of reference, "microelectronic device" corresponds to semiconductor substrates, flat panel displays, phase change memory devices, solar panels and other products including solar cell devices, photovoltaic devices and micro-electromechanical systems (MEMS), which are manufactured for microelectronic devices, integrated circuits, energy harvesting or computer chip applications. It should be understood that the terms "microelectronic device", "microelectronic substrate" and "microelectronic device structure" are not intended to be limiting in any way and include any substrate or structure that will eventually become a microelectronic device or microelectronic assembly. The microelectronic device can be patterned, covered, a control and / or a test device.

[0011] As used herein, "about" is intended to correspond to ±5% of the stated value.

[0012] "Substantially lacking" is defined herein as less than 2 weight percent, preferably less than 1 weight percent, more preferably less than 0.5 weight percent, even more preferably less than 0.1 weight percent, and most preferably 0 weight percent.

[0013] As defined herein, "aluminum-containing material" includes an aluminum-containing etch stop layer (eg, aluminum oxide or aluminum nitride).

[0014] As defined herein, "aluminum oxide" may be composed of Al x O y The formula means that the aluminum oxide may have different stoichiometries and may contain different aluminum oxides (e.g., Al 2 O 3 ), which depends on the original aluminum-containing reactants and the method of deposition, as well as the presence of any impurities. Aluminum oxide can be deposited by physical vapor deposition (PVD), atomic layer deposition (ALD) or chemical vapor deposition (CVD).

[0015] As defined herein, "low-k dielectric material" corresponds to any material used as a dielectric material in a layered microelectronic device, wherein the material has a dielectric constant of less than about 3.5. Low-k dielectric materials include ultra-low-k dielectric materials. Preferably, the low-k dielectric material includes low polarity materials (such as silicon-containing organic polymers, silicon-containing hybrid organic / inorganic materials, organosilicate glass (OSG), tetraethyl orthosilicate (TEOS), fluorinated silicate glass (FSG), silicon dioxide, and carbon-doped oxide (CDO) glass). It should be understood that the low-k dielectric material can have different densities and different porosities.

[0016] As used herein, “silicon dioxide” or “SiO 2 The "material" corresponds to a material deposited from a silicon oxide precursor source, such as TEOS, thermally deposited silicon oxide, or using a commercially available precursor such as SiLK TM ,AURORA TM 、CORAL TM or BLACK DIAMOND TM ) deposited carbon-doped oxide (CDO). For the purposes of this description, "silicon dioxide" is intended to broadly include SiO 2 , CDO, siloxane and thermal oxide. Silicon dioxide or SiO 2 The material corresponds to pure silicon dioxide (SiO 2 ) and impure silicon dioxide that contains impurities in its structure.

[0017] As used herein, "post-etch residue" corresponds to the material remaining after a gas phase plasma etch process (e.g., a BEOL dual damascene process). The post-etch residue may be organic, organometallic (e.g., organosilicon), or inorganic in nature, and may include, for example, silicon-containing materials, titanium-containing materials, nitrogen-containing materials, oxygen-containing materials, polymer residue materials, copper-containing residue materials (including copper oxide residues), tungsten-containing residue materials, cobalt-containing residue materials, etching gas residues (such as chlorine and fluorine), and combinations thereof.

[0018] As used herein, "suitability" for removing a material from a microelectronic device having an aluminum-containing material and / or post-etch residue thereon corresponds to at least partial removal of the aluminum-containing material and / or post-etch residue material from the microelectronic device. Preferably, at least about 90% of the material is removed from the microelectronic device using the composition described herein, more preferably at least 95% of the material, and most preferably at least 99% of the material.

[0019] The compositions of the present invention may be embodied in a variety of specific formulations, as more fully described below.

[0020] In all such compositions where a particular ingredient of the composition is discussed with reference to a weight percent range that includes a lower limit of zero, it is understood that such ingredient may or may not be present in various specific embodiments of the composition, and in instances where such ingredient is present, the ingredient may be present in a concentration as low as 0.00001 weight percent, based on the total weight of the composition of such ingredient.

[0021] In a first aspect, a cleaning composition is described, wherein the cleaning composition is aqueous and comprises: (a) a concentrate comprising, consisting of, or consisting essentially of at least one metal corrosion inhibitor, at least one etchant source, at least one silica source, at least one chelating agent, and at least one solvent, and (b) at least one oxidizing agent, wherein the concentrate is combined with the at least one oxidizing agent to form the cleaning composition, wherein the cleaning composition is suitable for removing post-etch residue and aluminum-containing material from a surface of a microelectronic device having the post-etch residue and aluminum-containing material thereon. The post-etch residue may comprise at least one substance selected from the group consisting of: titanium-containing residue, polymer residue, copper-containing residue, cobalt-containing residue, silicon-containing residue, and combinations thereof.

[0022] In some versions of the invention, the etchant source may include ammonium hydroxide, or a compound having the formula NR 1 R 2 R 3 R 4 tetraalkylammonium hydroxide base of OH, where R 1 , R 2 , R 3 and R 4 may be the same as or different from each other and are selected from the group consisting of: hydrogen, linear or branched C 1 -C 6 Alkyl (e.g., methyl, ethyl, propyl, butyl, pentyl, and hexyl), C 1 -C 6 hydroxyalkyl (e.g., hydroxymethyl, hydroxyethyl, hydroxypropyl, hydroxybutyl, hydroxypentyl and hydroxyhexyl), and substituted or unsubstituted C 6 -C 10Aryl (e.g., benzyl). Commercially available tetraalkylammonium hydroxides include: tetramethylammonium hydroxide (TMAH), tetraethylammonium hydroxide (TEAH), tetrapropylammonium hydroxide (TPAH), tetrabutylammonium hydroxide (TBAH), tributylmethylammonium hydroxide (TBMAH), benzyltrimethylammonium hydroxide (BTMAH), choline hydroxide, ethyltrimethylammonium hydroxide, tri(2-hydroxyethyl)methylammonium hydroxide, diethyldimethylammonium hydroxide, and combinations thereof. Alternatively, the etchant source may be a quaternary trialkanolamine base, including, but not limited to, salts of quaternary amines such as trimethylpropanolamine, triethylethanolamine, dimethylethylethanolamine, diethylmethylethanolamine, dimethylethylpropanolamine, diethylmethylpropanolamine, and triethylpropanolamine. One or more etchant sources may constitute about 0.1% to about 20% by weight of the concentrate based on the total weight of the concentrate. In some embodiments, one or more etchant sources may constitute about 0.1% to about 10% by weight of the concentrate based on the total weight of the concentrate. In other embodiments, the one or more etchant sources may comprise from about 10% to about 20% by weight of the concentrate, based on the total weight of the concentrate. Preferably, the at least one etchant source comprises choline hydroxide.

[0023] Metal corrosion inhibitors can be used to protect contact metals such as Cu and Co. The metal corrosion inhibitor may include, consist of, or consist essentially of one or more corrosion inhibitors, including, but not limited to: 5-aminotetrazole, 5-phenyl-benzotriazole, 1H-tetrazolyl-5-acetic acid, 1-phenyl-2-tetrazoline-5-thione, benzimidazole, methyltetrazole, pyrazole, 5-amino-1,3,4-thiadiazole-2-thiol (ATDT), benzotriazole (BTA), 1,2,4-triazole (TAZ), 1,2,3-triazole, tolyltriazole, 5-methyl-benzotriazole (mBTA), 5-phenyl-benzotriazole, 5-nitro-benzotriazole, benzotriazolecarboxylic acid, 3-amino-5-mercapto-1,2,4-triazole, 1-amino-1,2,4-triazole, hydroxybenzotriazole, 2-(5-amino-pentyl)-benzotriazole, 1-amino-1,2,3-triazole, 1-amino-5-methyl-1,2,3-triazole, 3-amino-1,2,4-triazole (3-ATA), 3-Mercapto-1,2,4-triazole, 3-isopropyl-1,2,4-triazole, 5-phenylmercapto-benzotriazole, halogenated-benzotriazoles (halogen = F, Cl, Br or I), naphthotriazole, 2-mercaptobenzimidazole (MBI), 2-mercaptobenzothiazole, 4-methyl-2-phenylimidazole, 2-mercaptothiazoline, 5-amino-1,2,4-triazole (5-ATA), 3-amino-5-mercapto-1,2,4-triazole, pentylenetetrazol, 5-phenyl-1H-tetrazolyl, 5-benzyl-1H- tetrazole, 2,4-diamino-6-methyl-1,3,5-triazine, thiazole, triazine, methyl tetrazole, 1,3-dimethyl-2-imidazolidinone, 1,5-pentamethylene tetrazole, 1-phenyl-5-mercapto tetrazole, diaminomethyl triazine, imidazolinethione, 4-methyl-4H-1,2,4-triazole-3-thiol, 4-amino-4H-1,2,4-triazole, 3-amino-5-methylthio-1H-1,2,4-triazole, benzothiazole, imidazole, indazole, adenine, adenosine, carbazole, and combinations thereof. The amount of the corrosion inhibitor in the concentrate ranges from about 1:1 to about 1:1. or less - a Cu etch rate that is substantially independent of the inhibitor, and about or less of a cobalt etch rate as measured on a coupon sample immersed in a beaker with a cleaning composition (i.e., including at least one oxidizing agent). For example, the amount of the one or more corrosion inhibitors in the concentrate can be in a range from about 0.01 wt % to about 5 wt % based on the total weight of the concentrate. In other embodiments, the amount of the one or more corrosion inhibitors in the concentrate can be about 0.1 wt % to about 2 wt % or about 2 wt % to about 5 wt % based on the total weight of the concentrate. Preferably, the at least one corrosion inhibitor comprises TAZ, mBTA, tolyltriazole, or any combination thereof.

[0024] Chelating agents or metal complexing agents may include, but are not limited to, 4-(2-hydroxyethyl)morpholine (HEM), 1,2-cyclohexanediamine-N,N,N′,N′-tetraacetic acid (CDTA), ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid (EDTA), m-xylene diamine (MXDA), iminodiacetic acid (IDA), 2-(hydroxyethyl)iminodiacetic acid (HIDA), nitrilotriacetic acid, thiourea, 1,1,3,3-tetramethylurea, urea, urea derivatives, uric acid, alanine, arginine, asparagine, aspartic acid, cysteine, glutamic acid, glutamic acid, Amine amides, histidine, isoleucine, leucine, lysine, methionine, phenylalanine, proline, serine, threonine, tryptophan, tyrosine, valine, phosphonates (e.g., 1-hydroxyethylidene-1,1-diphosphonic acid (HEDP), 1,5,9-triazacyclododecane-N,N',N"-tri(methylenephosphonic acid) (DOTRP), 1,4,7,10-tetraazacyclododecane-N,N',N",N'"-tetra(methylenephosphonic acid) (DOTP), nitrogen tris(methylene) triphosphonic acid, diethylenetriamine pentaerythrine, (methylenephosphonic acid) (DETAP), aminotri(methylenephosphonic acid), bis(hexamethylene)triaminepentamethylenephosphonic acid, 1,4,7-triazacyclononane-N,N',N"-tri(methylenephosphonic acid) (NOTP), hydroxyethyl diphosphonate, nitrogen tri(methylene)phosphonic acid, 2-phosphono-butane-1,2,3,4-tetracarboxylic acid, carbonylethylphosphonic acid, aminoethylphosphonic acid, glyphosate, ethylenediaminetetra(methylenephosphonic acid)phenylphosphonic acid, their salts and their derivatives), carboxylic acids (e.g., oxalic acid, The one or more chelating agents in the concentrate may be present in an amount ranging from about 0.01 wt % to about 10 wt % based on the total weight of the concentrate. In other embodiments, the one or more chelating agents in the concentrate may be present in an amount ranging from about 0.1 wt % to about 5 wt % or from about 5 wt % to about 10 wt % based on the total weight of the concentrate. It should be noted that when at least one chelating agent is a heterocyclic amine N-oxide, the heterocyclic amine N-oxide can be prepared in situ using an unoxidized precursor molecule in the presence of an oxidizing agent. In addition, it should be understood that the heterocyclic amine N-oxide can also act as an oxidizing agent, however, for the purposes of the present invention, the heterocyclic amine N-oxide is present in the concentrate and is characterized as a chelating agent.Preferably, the at least one chelating agent comprises one of EDTA, CDTA, HEDP, oxalic acid and NMMO, preferably comprises one of CDTA, HEDP and NMMO.

[0025] The at least one silica source preferably comprises fluorosilicic acid (H 2 SiF 6 It will be appreciated that fluorosilicic acid can be prepared in situ by combining at least one fluoride source (e.g., HF, ammonium fluoride, ammonium bifluoride, tetraalkylammonium fluoride (NR 1 R 2 R 3 R 4 F), where R 1 , R 2 , R 3 , R 4 may be the same as or different from each other and are selected from the group consisting of: hydrogen, linear or branched C 1 -C 6 Alkyl (e.g., methyl, ethyl, propyl, butyl, pentyl, and hexyl), C 1 -C 6 hydroxyalkyl (e.g., hydroxyethyl and hydroxypropyl), substituted or unsubstituted aryl (e.g., benzyl), weak base and combinations thereof); and at least one silicon-containing compound, such as alkoxysilane, ammonium hexafluorosilicate, sodium silicate, tetramethylammonium silicate (TMAS) and combinations thereof. The expected alkoxysilane has the general formula SiR 1 R 2 R 3 R 4 , where R 1 , R 2 , R 3 and R 4 are the same as or different from each other and are selected from the group consisting of: straight chain C 1 -C 6 Alkyl (e.g., methyl, ethyl, propyl, butyl, pentyl, and hexyl), branched C 1 -C 6 Alkyl, C 1 -C 6 Alkoxy (e.g., methoxy, ethoxy, propoxy, butoxy, pentyloxy, and hexyloxy), phenyl, and combinations thereof. A skilled artisan will appreciate that in order to characterize an alkoxysilane, R 1 , R 2 , R 3 or R 4 At least one of the 1 -C 6Alkoxy. Contemplated alkoxysilanes include: methyltrimethoxysilane, dimethyldimethoxysilane, phenyltrimethoxysilane, tetraethoxysilane (TEOS), N-propyltrimethoxysilane, N-propyltriethoxysilane, hexyltrimethoxysilane, hexyltriethoxysilane, and combinations thereof. The amount of the one or more sources of silica in the concentrate may be in the range of about 0.01 wt % to about 5 wt %, based on the total weight of the concentrate. In other embodiments, the amount of the one or more sources of silica in the concentrate may be about 0.01 wt % to about 2 wt % or about 2 wt % to about 5 wt %, based on the total weight of the concentrate.

[0026] The at least one solvent preferably comprises water, and even more preferably comprises deionized water. Water may constitute about 60% to about 98% by weight of the cleaning composition based on the total weight of the cleaning composition. It should be understood that less water may be present in the concentrate, but less water may be added to the cleaning composition simultaneously with at least one oxidizing agent to produce a cleaning composition having the aforementioned amount of water.

[0027] To form the cleaning compositions described herein, the concentrate is mixed with at least one oxidizing agent. Oxidizing agents contemplated herein include, but are not limited to, hydrogen peroxide (H 2 O 2 ), FeCl 3 , FeF 3 、Fe(NO 3 ) 3 、Sr(NO 3 ) 2 , CoF 3 , MnF 3 、Potassium persulfate complex salt (oxone) (2KHSO 5 ·KHSO 4 ·K 2 SO 4 ), nitric acid (HNO 3 ), ammonium polyatomic salts (e.g., ammonium peroxymonosulfate, ammonium chlorite (NH 4 C1O 2 ), ammonium chlorate (NH 4 C1O 3 ), ammonium iodate (NH 4 IO 3 ), ammonium nitrate (NH 4 NO 3 ), ammonium perborate (NH 4 BO 3 ), ammonium perchlorate (NH 4 C1O 4 ), ammonium periodate (NH 4 IO 4 ), ammonium persulfate ((NH 4 )2 S 2 O 8 ), ammonium hypochlorite (NH 4 ClO) and ammonium tungstate ((NH 4 ) 10 H 2 (W 2 O 7 )), sodium polyatomic salts (e.g., sodium persulfate (Na 2 S 2 O 8 ), sodium hypochlorite (NaClO) and sodium perborate), potassium polyatomic salts (e.g., potassium iodate (KIO 3 ), potassium permanganate (KMnO 4 ), potassium persulfate (K 2 S 2 O 8 ) and potassium hypochlorite (KClO)), tetramethylammonium polyatomic salts (e.g., tetramethylammonium chlorite ((N(CH 3 ) 4 )ClO 2 ), tetramethylammonium chlorate ((N(CH 3 ) 4 )ClO 3 ), tetramethylammonium iodide ((N(CH 3 ) 4 )IO 3 ), tetramethylammonium perborate ((N(CH 3 ) 4 )BO 3 ), tetramethylammonium perchlorate ((N(CH 3 ) 4 )ClO 4 ), tetramethylammonium periodate ((N(CH 3 ) 4 )IO 4 ) and tetramethylammonium persulfate ((N(CH 3 ) 4 )S 2 O 8 )), tetrabutylammonium polyatomic salts (e.g., tetrabutylammonium peroxymonosulfate), peroxymonosulfuric acid, ferric nitrate (Fe(NO 3 ) 3 ), urea hydrogen peroxide ((CO(NH 2 ) 2 )H 2 O 2 ), peracetic acid (CH 3 (CO)OOH), 1,4-benzoquinone, toluenequinone, dimethyl-1,4-benzoquinone, tetrachloroquinone, alloxanil, and combinations thereof. Preferably, the at least one oxidizing agent comprises hydrogen peroxide.

[0028] The cleaning composition can be prepared by combining the concentrate with an oxidant (e.g., by adding at least one oxidant to the concentrate). For example, the cleaning composition can be prepared by mixing 10 parts of the concentrate with from about 0.1 parts to about 1 part of the oxidant. In a particularly preferred embodiment, the amount of at least one oxidant is less than about 10% by weight, even more preferably less than about 8% by weight, based on the total weight of the cleaning composition. In one embodiment, the cleaning composition can include hydrogen peroxide and the concentrate. For example, the cleaning composition can be prepared by mixing 10 parts of the concentrate with about 0.1 parts of 30% H 2 O 2 To about 3 parts 30% H 2 O 2 Mix to prepare the cleaning composition.

[0029] After combining the concentrate with at least one oxidizing agent, the pH of the cleaning composition is in a range of about 6 to about 10, preferably in a range of about 6 to about 9.5, and even more preferably in a range of from about 6 to about 9. In another embodiment, after combining the concentrate with at least one oxidizing agent, the pH of the cleaning composition is preferably in a range of greater than 7 to about 9.5, and most preferably greater than 7 to about 9.

[0030] The cleaning composition of the first aspect is preferably substantially devoid of at least one of a metal halide, an amidoxime compound, an organic solvent, and a carboxylate. As defined herein, "metal halide" comprises the formula WzMXy, wherein M is a metal selected from the group of Si, Ge, Sn, Pt, P, B, Au, Ir, Os, Cr, Ti, Zr, Rh, Ru, and Sb; X is a halide selected from F, Cl, Br, and I; W is a hydroxide base moiety selected from H, an alkali or alkaline earth metal, and a metal-free ion; y is a number from 4 to 6 depending on the metal halide; and z is a number of 1, 2, or 3. As defined herein, "carboxylates" include tripotassium citrate monohydrate, potassium sodium tartrate tetrahydrate, potassium L-lactate, and ammonium carboxylates selected from the group consisting of ammonium oxalate, ammonium lactate, ammonium tartrate, triammonium citrate, ammonium acetate, ammonium carbamate, ammonium carbonate, ammonium benzoate, ammonium ethylenediaminetetraacetate, diammonium ethylenediaminetetraacetate, triammonium ethylenediaminetetraacetate, tetraammonium ethylenediaminetetraacetate, ammonium succinate, ammonium formate, and 1-H-pyrazole-3-carboxylate ammonium. For the purposes of the present invention, "organic solvents" include dimethyl sulfoxide, ethylene glycol, ethylene glycol alkyl ethers, diethylene glycol alkyl ethers, triethylene glycol alkyl ethers, propylene glycol, propylene glycol alkyl ethers, N-substituted pyrrolidones, ethylenediamine, and ethylenetriamine.

[0031] In a preferred embodiment, the cleaning composition is formulated to ensure that the aluminum oxide etch rate is greater than about Preferably greater than about and most preferably from about 20 to about Advantageously, the cleaning compositions described herein are suitable for removing aluminum-containing materials and / or post-etch residues from a microelectronic device having such materials thereon while substantially not damaging cobalt-containing layers, copper, or low-k dielectric layers (including ultra-low-k dielectric layers) also present on the microelectronic device.

[0032] The cleaning compositions described herein are easily formulated by simply adding and mixing the individual components of the concentrate with at least one oxidant to homogeneous conditions. Alternatively, the cleaning compositions described herein are easily formulated by simply adding and mixing the individual components of the concentrate with at least one oxidant and additional water to homogeneous conditions. In addition, the compositions can be easily formulated as multi-part formulations that are mixed at the time of use. The individual parts of the multi-part formulation can be mixed at the tool or in a storage tank upstream of the tool. The concentration of the individual components can vary widely with a specific multiple of the composition (i.e., more diluted or more concentrated), and it should be understood that the compositions described herein may variously and alternatively include, consist of, or consist essentially of any combination of components consistent with the disclosure herein.

[0033] Thus, a second aspect relates to a kit comprising, in one or more containers, one or more ingredients adapted to form the compositions described herein. The kit may comprise, in one or more containers, a concentrate comprising, consisting of, or consisting essentially of at least one metal corrosion inhibitor, at least one etchant source, at least one silica source, at least one chelating agent, and at least one solvent for combination with at least one oxidizing agent when manufactured or used. Alternatively, the kit may comprise, in one or more containers, a concentrate comprising, consisting of, or consisting essentially of at least one metal corrosion inhibitor, at least one etchant source, at least one silica source, at least one chelating agent, and at least one solvent for combination with at least one oxidizing agent and additional water when manufactured or used. The container of the kit must be suitable for storing and transporting the cleaning composition, and may be, for example, Container (Entegris, Inc., Billerica, Mass., USA).

[0034] The one or more containers containing the ingredients of the cleaning composition preferably include means for placing the ingredients in the one or more containers in fluid communication for blending and dispensing. The system can be configured to provide a plurality of containers, wherein gas pressure can be applied to the exterior of a liner of the one or more containers to cause at least a portion of the contents of the liner to be expelled and thereby achieve fluid communication for blending and dispensing. Alternatively, gas pressure can be applied to the headspace of a conventional pressurizable container, or a pump can be used to achieve fluid communication. In addition, the system preferably includes a dispensing port for dispensing the blended cleaning composition to a processing tool.

[0035] In a third aspect, the cleaning composition of the first aspect is used to remove the post-etch residue and aluminum-containing material (e.g., aluminum oxide) from a microelectronic device having the post-etch residue and aluminum-containing material (e.g., aluminum oxide) thereon. The cleaning composition is typically in static or dynamic contact with the device at a temperature in a range of from about 20°C to about 90°C, preferably from about 30°C to about 70°C, and most preferably from about 35°C to about 65°C for a time from about 1 minute to about 30 minutes, preferably from about 1 minute to about 10 minutes. Such contact time and temperature are illustrative, and any other suitable time and temperature conditions that are effective in at least partially removing the post-etch residue and aluminum-containing material from the device may be used. "At least partially removing" the residue and aluminum-containing material from the microelectronic device corresponds to removing at least 90% of the material, preferably at least 95% of the material. Most preferably, at least 99% of the material is removed using the cleaning composition described herein.

[0036] In post-etch residue and aluminum-containing material removal applications, the cleaning composition can be applied to the device to be cleaned in any manner, such as by spraying the composition onto the surface of the device to be cleaned, by immersing the device to be cleaned in a static or dynamic volume of the composition, by contacting the device to be cleaned with another material having the composition absorbed thereon (e.g., a pad or fibrous sorbent applicator assembly), or by any other suitable means, method, or technique for bringing the composition out of contact with the device to be cleaned. Furthermore, batch or single wafer processing is contemplated herein.

[0037] After achieving the desired removal of residues and aluminum-containing materials, the cleaning composition can be easily removed from the device to which it has been previously applied, which can be desirable and effective in a given end-use application of the compositions described herein. Preferably, a rinse solution can be used, wherein the rinse solution comprises deionized water. Thereafter, the device can be dried using nitrogen or a spin drying cycle.

[0038] Yet another aspect relates to improved microelectronic devices made according to the methods described herein and products containing such microelectronic devices.

[0039] A still further aspect relates to a method of making an article including a microelectronic device, the method comprising: contacting the microelectronic device with a cleaning composition for a sufficient time to clean the post-etch residue and aluminum-containing material from the microelectronic device having the residue and material thereon, and incorporating the microelectronic device into the article using a cleaning composition described herein.

[0040] Another aspect relates to an article comprising a cleaning composition, a microelectronic device wafer, and a material selected from the group consisting of post-etch residue, aluminum-containing material, and combinations thereof, wherein the cleaning composition comprises: (a) a concentrate comprising, consisting of, or consisting essentially of at least one metal corrosion inhibitor, at least one etchant source, at least one silicon dioxide source, at least one chelating agent, and at least one solvent, and (b) at least one oxidizing agent.

[0041] Although the present invention has been shown and described with respect to one or more embodiments, other technical personnel in the field will make equivalent changes and modifications after reading and understanding this specification. The present invention includes all such modifications and changes, and is limited only by the scope of the appended claims. In addition, although a particular feature or aspect of the present invention may have been disclosed with respect to only one of several embodiments, this feature or aspect may be combined with one or more other features or aspects of other embodiments that are desired or conducive to any given or specific application. In addition, with respect to the terms "including", "having" or their variants used in the detailed description or claims, such terms are intended to be included in a manner similar to the term "including". In addition, the term "exemplary" is merely meant to represent an example, not the best example. It should also be understood that for the purpose of simplicity and ease of understanding, the features, layers and / or components depicted herein are illustrated with specific sizes and / or orientations relative to each other, and the actual sizes and / or orientations may be substantially different from the sizes and / or orientations illustrated herein.

Claims

1. A cleaning composition, include: (a) a concentrate comprising 0.01 wt % to 5 wt % of at least one metal corrosion inhibitor, 0.1 wt % to 20 wt % of at least one etchant source, 0.01 wt % to 5 wt % of at least one silicon dioxide source, 0.1 wt % to 10 wt % of at least one chelating agent, and at least one solvent, and (b) at least one oxidizing agent, wherein the cleaning composition comprises less than 8 wt % of the oxidizing agent and is suitable for removing both post-etch residue and aluminum-containing etch stop material from a surface of a microelectronic device having the post-etch residue and the aluminum-containing etch stop material thereon, wherein the cleaning composition is substantially devoid of metal halides.

2. The cleaning composition of claim 1, wherein the at least one etchant source comprises ammonium hydroxide or a tetraalkylammonium hydroxide.

3. The cleaning composition of claim 2, wherein the at least one etchant source comprises choline hydroxide.

4. The cleaning composition of claim 1, wherein the at least one metal corrosion inhibitor comprises 1,2,4-triazole TAZ, 5-methyl-benzotriazole mBTA, tolyltriazole, or a combination thereof.

5. The cleaning composition of claim 1, wherein the at least one chelating agent is ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid (EDTA), 1,2-cyclohexanediamine-N,N,N′,N′-tetraacetic acid (CDTA), 1-hydroxyethylidene-1,1-diphosphonic acid (HEDP), oxalic acid, or 4-methylmorpholine-N-oxide (NMMO).

6. The cleaning composition of claim 1, wherein the at least one silica source comprises fluorosilicic acid (H 2 SiF 6 ).

7. The cleaning composition of claim 1, wherein the at least one oxidizing agent comprises hydrogen peroxide.

8. The cleaning composition of claim 1, wherein the at least one solvent comprises water.

9. A method of removing a material from a microelectronic device having the material thereon, the method include: contacting the surface of the microelectronic device with a cleaning composition comprising: (a) a concentrate comprising 0.01 wt % to 5 wt % of at least one metal corrosion inhibitor, 0.1 wt % to 20 wt % of at least one etchant source, 0.01 wt % to 5 wt % of at least one silica source, 0.1 wt % to 10 wt % of at least one chelating agent, and at least one solvent, and (b) at least one oxidizing agent, wherein the cleaning composition comprises less than 8 wt % of the oxidizing agent, wherein the cleaning composition is substantially devoid of metal halides, and Both post-etch residue and aluminum-containing etch stop material are at least partially removed from the microelectronic device, wherein the microelectronic device includes a cobalt-containing layer, a low-k dielectric layer, and copper.

10. A kit comprising one or more containers having ingredients therein for at least partially removing both post-etch residue and aluminum-containing etch stop material from a microelectronic device, wherein a first container of the kit contains a concentrate comprising 0.01 wt % to 5 wt % of at least one metal corrosion inhibitor, 0.1 wt % to 20 wt % of at least one etchant source, 0.01 wt % to 5 wt % of at least one silicon dioxide source, 0.1 wt % to 10 wt % of at least one chelating agent, and at least one solvent that when combined with at least one oxidizing agent forms a cleaning composition comprising less than 8 wt % of the oxidizing agent, wherein the cleaning composition is substantially devoid of metal halides.