Post-CMP Cleaning Composition for Hydrophobic Carbon and SiC
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing cleaning solutions for microelectronic device substrates after chemical-mechanical processing (CMP) are inadequate for effectively removing residues from hydrophobic surfaces such as hydrophobic carbon and SiC, while ensuring compatibility with sensitive materials like copper and dielectric layers, and maintaining high reliability and performance.
Innovation Solution
Aqueous cleaning compositions comprising a chelating agent, water-miscible solvent, reducing agent, pH adjustor, and optionally dispersant and wetting agent, with a pH of 2 to 13, designed to efficiently remove post-CMP residues from microelectronic device substrates with hydrophobic surfaces.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If conventional cleaning solutions are used to remove post-CMP residues, then general cleaning effectiveness is achieved, but residue removal efficiency from hydrophobic surfaces is insufficient
Solution Approach 1:
The cleaning composition modifies chemical parameters by incorporating specific chelating agents (e.g., EDTA, DTPA) and water-miscible solvents (e.g., alcohols, glycols) that change the chemical interaction properties with hydrophobic surfaces, enabling effective residue removal from carbon and SiC surfaces while maintaining compatibility with copper and dielectric materials
Solution Approach 2:
The invention uses a composite cleaning composition containing multiple functional components: chelating agents for metal ion complexation, water-miscible solvents for hydrophobic surface penetration, reducing agents for oxide removal, and pH adjustors, creating a synergistic formulation that addresses the unique challenges of hydrophobic surface cleaning
2Productivity
If strong cleaning agents are used to remove residues, then cleaning effectiveness improves, but adverse effects on sensitive materials like copper and dielectric layers increase
Solution Approach 1:
The cleaning composition exhibits local quality by having different functional components act on different materials: chelating agents target metal residues, reducing agents address oxide layers, and the formulation as a whole provides mild yet effective cleaning that preserves the integrity of copper interconnects and dielectric materials while removing post-CMP residues
Solution Approach 2:
The pH adjustor component allows precise control of the cleaning solution's pH parameter, enabling optimization of cleaning effectiveness while preventing damage to pH-sensitive materials such as copper and dielectric layers, thus maintaining substrate integrity
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 compositions achieve high residue removal efficiency (>70-99%) from microelectronic device substrates, minimizing adverse effects on sensitive materials and maintaining substrate integrity.
Implementation Method 1
a chelating agent
Implementation Method 2
a reducing agent
Data Source
AI summary
Provided are compositions and methods useful in the post-CMP cleaning of microelectronic devices, in particular, devices which contain one or more surfaces comprising hydrophobic carbon or SiC. In general, the compositions comprise a chelating agent; a water-miscible solvent; a reducing agent; and a pH adjustor, wherein the composition has a pH of about 2 to about 13.