Advanced Micro Devices Corporation

Christin Bartsch

Daniel Fischer

Matthias Schaller

Holger S Schuehrer

Carsten Hartig

Kai Frohberg

Frank Feustel

Andreas Ott

Tobias Letz

Thomas Oszinda

A method for treating a semiconductor device includes dissolving an inert gas species in a wet chemical cleaning solution and treating a material layer of a semiconductor device with the wet chemical cleaning solution in ambient atmosphere. The inert gas species is oversaturated in the wet chemical cleaning solution in the ambient atmosphere.

Reducing copper defects during a wet chemical cleaning of exposed copper surfaces in a metallization layer of a semiconductor device

By using powerful data analysis techniques, such as PCR, PLS, CLS and the like, in combination with measurement techniques providing structural information, gradually varying material characteristics may be determined during semiconductor fabrication, thereby also enabling the monitoring of complex manufacturing sequences. For instance, the material characteristics of sensitive dielectric materials, such as ULK material, may be detected, for instance with respect to an extension of a damage zone, in order to monitor the quality of metallization systems of sophisticated semiconductor devices. The inline measurement data may be obtained on the basis of infrared spectroscopy, for instance using FTIR and the like, which may even allow directly obtaining the measurement data at process chambers, substantially without affecting the overall process throughput.

Method and system for quantitative inline material characterization in semiconductor production processes based on structural measurements and related models

During the patterning of via openings in sophisticated metallization systems of semiconductor devices, the opening may extend through a conductive cap layer and an appropriate ion bombardment may be established to redistribute material of the underlying metal region to exposed sidewall portions of the conductive cap layer, thereby establishing a protective material. Consequently, in a subsequent wet chemical etch process, the probability for undue material removal of the conductive cap layer may be greatly reduced.

Method of reducing erosion of a metal cap layer during via patterning in semiconductor devices

During the patterning of via openings in sophisticated metallization systems of semi-conductor devices, the opening may extend through a conductive cap layer and an appropriate ion bombardment may be established to redistribute material of the underlying metal region to exposed sidewall portions of the conductive cap layer, thereby establishing a protective material. Consequently, in a subsequent wet chemical etch process, the probability for undue material removal of the conductive cap layer may be greatly reduced.

By performing at least one additional wet chemical etch process in the edge region and in particular on the bevel of a substrate during the formation of a metallization layer, the dielectric material, especially the low-k dielectric material, may be reliably removed from the bevel prior to the formation of any barrier and metal layers. Moreover, an additional wet chemical etch process may be performed after the deposition of the metal to remove any unwanted metal and barrier material from the edge region and the bevel. Accordingly, defect issues and contamination of substrates and process tools may be efficiently reduced.

Method of reducing contamination by removing an interlayer dielectric from the substrate edge

By performing a wet chemical process after etching a via, contaminations may be removed and a thin passivation layer may be formed that may then be readily removed in a subsequent sputter etch process for forming a barrier/adhesion layer. In a particular embodiment, the wet chemical process may be performed on the basis of fluoric acid and triazole or a compound thereof.

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Lauterbach, Germany

Christin Bartsch