Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Comp. Ltd.

Fan-Keng Yang

Tze-Liang Lee

Jong Chen

Chen-Hwa Yu

A method for planarizing an oxide surface and removing dishing or erosion defect from a semiconductor wafer. An apparatus for carrying out the planarization process on a semiconductor wafer is further described. In the method, a wafer that has metal residues or dishing or erosion defect after a copper CMP process is first rotated at a rotational speed of at least 1000 RPM, while simultaneously a solvent/abrasive particles mixture is injected onto the rotating surface for a sufficient length of time until the metal residues, the dishing or erosion defect is removed. The rotational speed of the semiconductor wafer can be suitably controlled in a range between about 1000 RPM and about 10,000 RPM. For the removal of an oxide layer, a suitable solvent of diluted HF and a suitable abrasive particle such as aluminum oxide may be used.

Headless CMP process for oxide planarization

A method for forming a passivation layer on at least one copper conductive element in a semiconductor structure and the devices formed are described. In the method, after a top surface of a semiconductor device that contains copper conductors embedded in an insulating layer is first planarized by a chemical mechanical polishing method, an etching process is conducted to create a stepped or corrugated surface between the surface of the copper conductor and the surface of the insulating layer, so that when a passivation layer is later deposited on top of the semiconductor structure, the same stepped or corrugated surface is reproduced in the passivation layer and thus providing a mechanical interlock between the passivation layer and the copper conductor for preventing adhesion failure or peeling of the passivation layer from the surface of the semiconductor structure.

Growing community of inventors

Hsin-Chu, Taiwan

Fan-Keng Yang