Interlayer Insulation Film Coating for Semiconductor Reliability
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
The deterioration of interlayer insulation film quality during semiconductor device manufacturing, particularly when the time between dry etching or dry ashing and wet cleaning is prolonged, leading to increased dielectric constant and reliability issues with low-k films, which complicates the manufacturing process and reduces yield.
Innovation Solution
A semiconductor device manufacturing method involving the use of a coating compound with a molecular structure that reacts with the interlayer insulation film and forms a hydrophilic bond, allowing for a protective coating to be formed on the surface after etching or ashing, which can be easily removed during wet cleaning, thereby preventing exposure to external air and maintaining film quality.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Loss of time
If the time between dry etching and wet cleaning is prolonged, then the manufacturing process flexibility is improved, but the film quality of the interlayer insulation film deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
A protective coating is formed on the interlayer insulation film surface immediately after dry etching or dry ashing, before the film is exposed to external air for extended periods. This preliminary protective action prevents moisture absorption and dielectric constant increase, allowing longer process intervals without quality deterioration.
Solution Approach 2:
A protective coating layer is introduced as an intermediary between the interlayer insulation film and the external environment. This coating acts as a barrier that prevents moisture from the external air from penetrating into the low-k film, thereby maintaining film quality during extended processing intervals.
2Manufacturing precision
If a protective coating is formed on the interlayer insulation film, then the film quality is maintained, but the process complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The coating material is specifically selected with controlled hydrophobicity parameters and appropriate removal characteristics. By optimizing the coating's physical and chemical parameters, the system achieves effective protection while maintaining compatibility with existing wet cleaning processes, avoiding the need for entirely new process equipment.
Solution Approach 2:
A temporary protective coating is applied that serves its protective function during the critical interval between etching/ashing and wiring formation, then is easily removed during subsequent wet cleaning. This disposable coating approach provides necessary protection without requiring permanent or complex process changes.
3Reliability
If a protective coating is formed, then the interlayer insulation film is protected from external air, but the coating must be easily removed without affecting wiring formation
Solution Approach 1:
The coating is applied uniformly across the entire substrate surface, providing consistent local protection to all exposed interlayer insulation film areas. The coating's properties are optimized to provide adequate protection in critical regions while maintaining ease of removal through standard wet cleaning processes used in existing manufacturing lines.
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 method effectively suppresses film quality deterioration and ensures reliable wiring formation by forming a protective, removable coating that shields the interlayer insulation film from external air, maintaining the low dielectric constant and enhancing the reliability of the semiconductor device manufacturing process.
Implementation Method 1
a gas process using a gas of a coating compound with a molecular structure having at one end a first substitution group that reacts with and bonds to a surface of the interlayer insulation film
Implementation Method 2
at the other end a second substitution group that is hydrophilic
Implementation Method 3
forming a coating on an entire top surface of the substrate... preventing exposure to external air
Data Source
AI summary
In the present method, a substrate to be processed, having an interlayer insulation film, is prepared (step 1). The interlayer insulation film is subjected to dry etching, while using a mask layer, thereby forming recesses (step 2). Residue is removed by dry ashing (step 3). A coating is formed on the entire surface by means of a gas process using a coating compound gas, with a molecular structure having at one terminal a first substitution group that reacts with and bonds with the surface of the interlayer insulation film, and at the other terminal a second substitution group that is hydrophilic (step 4). The coating is removed by wet cleaning (step 5). Wiring is formed in the recesses (step 6).