Metal Oxide Layer Flattening via Selective Etching
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Solution Overview
Problem
The existing substrate treatment methods for semiconductor devices result in surface roughening of metal layers due to the removal of metal oxide layers, leading to deterioration in surface flatness, necessitating an improvement in the treatment process.
Innovation Solution
A method involving an oxidation treatment followed by a treatment liquid with a high content of organic solvent and acidic compounds, specifically designed to dissolve and remove the metal oxide layer while minimizing the etching of the underlying metal layer, using a composition with 50% or more organic solvent by mass, and an acidic compound content of 30% or less, to achieve improved surface flattening.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Manufacturing precision
If an etchant is supplied to remove a metal oxide layer from a metal layer, then the metal oxide layer is removed, but the surface of the metal layer becomes roughened and surface flatness deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the chemical composition parameters of the treatment liquid by specifying that it contains an organic solvent and an acidic compound with the organic solvent comprising 5-50 mass% of the treatment liquid. This parameter change enables selective removal of the metal oxide layer while minimizing etching of the underlying metal layer, thus resolving the contradiction between effective oxide removal and surface flatness maintenance
Solution Approach 2:
The patent uses a composite treatment liquid comprising multiple components (organic solvent and acidic compound) in specific proportions. This composite formulation provides both the oxidizing capability to remove the metal oxide layer and the buffering capacity to prevent excessive etching of the metal layer, thereby resolving the technical contradiction
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 flattens the metal surface by selectively removing the metal oxide layer with high etching selectivity, reducing variations in the metal layer's etching rate and enhancing the overall flatness of the treated surface.
Implementation Method 1
a step B of bringing a treatment liquid into contact with the object to be treated obtained by the step A so as to dissolve and remove the metal oxide layer
Implementation Method 2
The method effectively flattens the metal surface by selectively removing the metal oxide layer with high etching selectivity
Data Source
AI summary
An object of the present invention is to provide a treatment method excellently flattens an object to be treated in a case where the treatment method is applied to an object to be treated having a metal layer. Another object of the present invention is to provide a treatment liquid for an object to be treated. The method for treating an object to be treated according to an embodiment of the present invention is a method for treating an object to be treated having a step A of performing an oxidation treatment on an object to be treated having a metal layer so as to form a metal oxide layer and a step B of bringing a treatment liquid into contact with the object to be treated obtained by the step A so as to dissolve and remove the metal oxide layer, in which the treatment liquid contains an organic solvent and an acidic compound, and a content of the organic solvent is 50% by mass or more with respect to a total mass of the treatment liquid.