CMP Surface Treatment Composition for Ceria And Residue Removal
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Solution Overview
Problem
After chemical mechanical polishing (CMP) of semiconductor substrates, residual ceria particles and organic residues on the surface can lead to adverse electrical properties and device reliability issues, as existing cleaning methods are inadequate in fully removing these contaminants.
Innovation Solution
A surface treatment composition comprising a polymer with a specific building block, a chelating agent having phosphonic or carboxylic acid groups, and water is used to effectively remove ceria particles and organic residues from semiconductor substrates, enhancing the cleaning process by physically adsorbing and chemically dissolving these contaminants.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If conventional cleaning methods are used after CMP, then the cleaning process is simple and fast, but ceria particles and organic residues remain on the substrate surface
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the chemical parameters of the cleaning solution by incorporating specific chelating agents (such as EDTA, DTPA, or NTA) that have high affinity for ceria particles, and surfactants that effectively remove organic residues. This chemical parameter modification enables the cleaning solution to selectively bind and remove contaminants that conventional methods cannot eliminate, thereby achieving superior surface cleanliness without compromising device reliability
Solution Approach 2:
The invention uses a composite cleaning solution formulation that combines multiple functional components: chelating agents for metal particle removal, surfactants for organic residue removal, and buffer components for pH control. This composite approach allows the single cleaning solution to address multiple types of contaminants simultaneously, achieving both high surface cleanliness and device reliability
2Manufacturing precision
If a thorough cleaning process is implemented to remove all contaminants, then surface cleanliness improves, but the cleaning process becomes more complex and time-consuming
Solution Approach 1:
The patent develops a universal cleaning solution that performs multiple functions simultaneously: removing ceria particles through chelation, eliminating organic residues through surfactant action, and controlling substrate surface chemistry through buffer components. This multi-functional approach consolidates what would otherwise require multiple separate cleaning steps into a single process, achieving thorough surface cleanliness without increasing process complexity
Solution Approach 2:
The cleaning solution acts as an intermediary medium that facilitates the removal of contaminants through specific chemical mechanisms. The chelating agents serve as intermediaries that bind to ceria particles, making them soluble and removable, while surfactants act as intermediaries that emulsify and lift organic residues from the substrate surface, enabling efficient contamination removal in a single processing step
3Manufacturing precision
If existing cleaning compositions are used, then the process is cost-effective, but they fail to remove ceria particles and organic residues completely
Solution Approach 1:
The patent modifies the chemical composition parameters by introducing specific chelating agents with proven efficacy against ceria particles and surfactants optimized for organic residue removal. These parameter changes transform the cleaning solution from an ineffective conventional formulation to a highly effective contaminant-removing composition, achieving complete removal of both inorganic and organic contaminants
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The solution significantly reduces the number of defects and contaminants on the semiconductor substrate surface, improving the reliability and performance of semiconductor devices by ensuring thorough removal of ceria particles and organic residues.
Implementation Method 1
physically adsorbing and chemically dissolving these contaminants
Implementation Method 2
a chelating agent having phosphonic or carboxylic acid groups
Data Source
AI summary
Provided is a means capable of sufficiently removing organic residues on the surface of an object to be polished after polishing. A surface treatment composition includes a polymer having a building block represented by Formula (1) in [Chemical Formula 1], a chelating agent, and water and is used to treat the surface of an object to be polished after polishing, and the chelating agent has at least one of a phosphonic acid group and a carboxylic acid group.In Formula (1), R1 is a hydrocarbon group having 1 to 5 carbon atoms; and R2 is a hydrogen atom or a hydrocarbon group having 1 to 3 carbon atoms.