Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Comp. Ltd.

Der-Fang Huang

Chao-Hsin Chang

Renn-Shyan Yeh

Bao-Ru Young

Tzu-Yu Lin

Chih-Chien Hung

Kun-I Lee

A method for spin-coating a high viscosity liquid on a wafer surface capable of producing an improved uniformity in the coating thickness and a reduced material usage is disclosed. In the method, a liquid that has a high viscosity of at least 1000 cp is first provided. A wafer is then rotated to a speed of less than 300 rpm while simultaneously, a first volume of a high viscosity liquid is dispensed onto the wafer surface forming a cup-shaped pattern. The spinning of the wafer is then stopped and a second volume of the high viscosity liquid is dispensed into a cavity formed in the cup-shaped pattern to substantially fill the cavity. The wafer is then rotated again to a high rotational speed of at least 3000 rpm such that liquid in the cup-shaped pattern spreads out to substantially cover an entire surface of the wafer resulting in improved coating uniformity.

Method for spin coating a high viscosity liquid on a wafer

A method for determining stress effects, or stress endurance of a film layer coated on a wafer during a scrubber clean process is disclosed. In the method, a wafer having a film layer coated on top is held in a stationary position while a high pressure water jet having a pressure larger than 60 kg/cm,is scanned across a top surface of the film layer and through a center of the wafer. The total number of stress defects is then counted in the scanning path on top of the film layer as an indication of the stress endurance of the specific coating layer. The invention also discloses a method for scrubber cleaning a wafer surface which is coated with a film layer without causing stress defects in the film by rotating a silicon wafer, which has a film layer coated on top at a suitable rotational speed, and then scanning a water jet across a top surface of the film layer without passing through a center of the wafer. The water pressure utilized for the water jet may be suitably between 50 kg/cm,and 75 kg/cm,. It is preferred that the water jet does not pass any regions on the top surface of the film layer that is less than 2 mm from the center of the wafer.

Method for determining stress effect on a film during scrubber clean

A method for determining a cause for defect formation in an insulating material layer deposited on an electrically conductive layer on a wafer surface is disclosed. In the method, on top of a semi-conducting wafer which has a first insulating material layer deposited, a second insulating material layer is deposited to replace an electrically conductive layer. A third insulating material layer is then deposited on top of the second insulating layer and a water jet which has a high pressure is scanned across a top surface of the third insulating layer with the wafer held in a stationary position. Surface defects are then counted in the predetermined path on the top surface of the third insulating layer for determining the cause for defect formation. When no defects are found, the formation is attributed to electrostatic discharges occurring in the metal conductive layer.

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Hsin-Chu, Taiwan

Der-Fang Huang