Iodine Boron Cleaning Agent for Tantalum Nitride Residue Removal
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current cleaning agents are ineffective in selectively removing tantalum nitride etching mask residues during dual damascene processing of integrated circuits, affecting the cleaning efficiency and requiring a solution that is compatible with Cu, Co, Ta, W, Ti, and low-k materials.
Innovation Solution
A cleaning agent composed of 0.5%-20% oxidant containing iodine, 0.5%-20% etchant containing boron, 1%-50% pyrrolidinone solvent, 1%-20% corrosion inhibitor, and 0.01%-5% metal ion-free surfactant, with a pH of 7.5-13.5, specifically designed to efficiently remove nitride hard mask residues while minimizing impact on metal and low-k dielectric materials.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If conventional cleaning agents are used to remove etching mask residues, then cleaning process is simple, but they cannot effectively remove tantalum nitride etching mask residues
Solution Approach 1:
The cleaning agent uses a composite formulation combining iodine-containing oxidants (iodine, iodic acid, iodic acid, periodic acid, periodate), boron-containing etchants (boric acid, boric anhydride, tetrafluoroboric acid, ammonium tetrafluoroborate), and pyrrolidinone solvents (N-methylpyrrolidinone, N-ethylpyrrolidinone, N-cyclohexylpyrrolidinone, N-hydroxyethylpyrrolidinone) in specific proportions to achieve effective removal of tantalum nitride residues while maintaining selectivity
Solution Approach 2:
The cleaning agent optimizes specific parameter ranges: iodine-containing oxidant (0.5-20%), boron-containing etchant (0.5-20%), pyrrolidinone solvent (1-50%), corrosion inhibitor (1-20%), and surfactant (0.01-5%), with pH controlled at 7.5-13.5, to achieve the breakthrough in removing TaN residues
2Reliability
If cleaning agent strength is increased to remove tantalum nitride residues, then cleaning effectiveness improves, but damage to metal and low-k dielectric materials increases
Solution Approach 1:
The cleaning agent exhibits selective action with different effectiveness on different materials: it strongly attacks tantalum nitride residues while having minimal effect on metal interconnects (Cu, Co, Ta, W, Ti) and low-k dielectric materials, achieving local quality in cleaning effectiveness
Solution Approach 2:
The pyrrolidinone solvent acts as an intermediary that facilitates the selective removal of tantalum nitride residues while protecting other materials, and the corrosion inhibitor serves as a mediator to further reduce damage to sensitive metal and dielectric structures
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 cleaning agent effectively removes nitride residues with high selectivity, improving the cleaning process and having a broad market application prospect, particularly in microelectronics, enhancing production efficiency and equipment reliability.
Implementation Method 1
0.5%-20% of an oxidant containing iodine
Implementation Method 2
0.5%-20% of an etchant containing boron
Data Source
AI summary
Provided are a cleaning agent and a preparation method and the use thereof. The cleaning agent is prepared from the following raw materials comprising the following mass fraction of components: 0.5%-20% of an oxidant containing iodine, 0.5%-20% of an etchant containing boron, 1%-50% of a pyrrolidinone solvent, 1%-20% of a corrosion inhibitor, 0.01%-5% of a metal ion-free surfactant, and water, with the sum of the mass fraction of each component being 100%, the pH of the cleaning agent is 7.5-13.5, and the corrosion inhibitor is one or more of a benzotriazole corrosion inhibitor, a hydrazone corrosion inhibitor, a carbazone corrosion inhibitor and a thiocarbohydrazone corrosion inhibitor. The cleaning agent can efficiently remove nitrides from hard mask residues with little effects on metals and low-κ dielectric materials, and has a good selectivity.