Via Cleaning via Nitrogen-Hydrogen Plasma for Semiconductor Interconnects
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Existing interconnect structures in semiconductor fabrication face issues with residue accumulation, leading to increased resistance and potential device failure due to metal oxide layer formation during etching processes, which blocks conductive paths and affects the integrity of the interconnect structure.
Innovation Solution
A plasma cleaning process using a nitrogen-hydrogen gas plasma is employed to remove metal oxide layers and residues formed during etching, ensuring clear conductive paths and reducing resistance by breaking and reducing these layers, thereby maintaining the critical dimensions and performance of the interconnect structure.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Manufacturing precision
If etching processes are used to form interconnect structures, then conductive paths are created, but metal oxide layers and residues accumulate leading to increased resistance
Solution Approach 1:
A plasma cleaning process is performed before filling the via with conductive material to remove metal oxide layers and residues from the via walls. This preliminary cleaning action ensures that the conductive path will have low resistance and high reliability from the start, preventing connection issues before they occur.
Solution Approach 2:
The metal oxide layers and residues that accumulate during etching are converted from harmful contaminants into removable materials through plasma cleaning. The plasma process specifically targets and removes these oxides, transforming the problematic by-products of etching into easily eliminatable substances that do not interfere with subsequent conductive material deposition.
2Reliability
If plasma cleaning is used to remove residues, then resistance is reduced, but process time and complexity increase
Solution Approach 1:
Plasma is introduced as an intermediary medium to facilitate the removal of metal oxide layers without requiring mechanical or chemical methods that would be more complex or damaging. The plasma acts as a controlled intermediary that selectively removes oxides while leaving the underlying structure intact, simplifying the overall cleaning process.
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 plasma cleaning process effectively removes metal oxide residues and by-products, ensuring reliable electrical connections and reducing the resistance of the interconnect structure, thus enhancing the performance and reliability of semiconductor devices.
Implementation Method 1
A plasma cleaning process using a nitrogen-hydrogen gas plasma is employed to remove metal oxide layers and residues formed during etching
Implementation Method 2
breaking and reducing these layers
Data Source
AI summary
A method for forming the semiconductor device structure is provided. The method includes forming a metal layer in a first dielectric layer over a substrate and forming an etch stop layer over the metal layer. The etch stop layer is made of metal-containing material. The method also includes forming a second dielectric layer over the etch stop layer and removing a portion of the second dielectric layer to expose the etch stop layer and to form a via by an etching process. The method further includes performing a plasma cleaning process on the via and the second dielectric layer, and the plasma cleaning process is performed by using a plasma including nitrogen gas (N2) and hydrogen gas (H2).