International Business Machines Corporation

Jagtar S Basi

Eric Mendel

Eric Mandel

Semiconductor wafers are polished with an abrasive slurry which is prepared by dispersing montmorillonite clay in deionized water. The pH of the slurry is adjusted to 9.5 to 12.5 by adding alkali such as NaOH and KOH.

Method for polishing semiconductor wafers with montmorillonite slurry

Method for polishing amorphous aluminum oxide

A method for the chemical-mechanical polishing of titanium carbide surfaces to a high degree of perfection is described. The titanium carbide surfaces are continuously wetted with a water slurry containing a soft abrasive material. The continuously wiping of the titanium carbide surface is accomplished with a firm surface using pressure while maintaining a relative movement between the titanium carbide surface and the firm surface to remove the water reacted titanium carbide product from the high points of the titanium carbide surface. This method is continued until a high degree of perfection of the surface is accomplished. The slurry is typically composed of colloidal silicon dioxide dispersed in water. The titanium carbide surface can also include an aluminum oxide component. Where aluminum oxide is present it is preferred to have about 60 to 80% aluminum oxide and 40 to 20% titanium carbide by weight in the surface structure.

Method for polishing titanium carbide

Semiconductor materials are cleaned after silica polishing by treatment with an aqueous quarternary ammonium salt solution followed by rinsing in water. The treatment coagulates the silica sols and suspends them so that they do not form a film on the semiconductor surface. The treatment preserves the hydrophobic nature of the polished surface.

Post-polishing cleaning of semiconductor surfaces

Semiconductor materials are cleaned after silica polishing by treatment with an aqueous phosphoric acid containing solution followed by rinsing in water. The treatment dissolves the silica sols so that they are removed from the semiconductor surface.

Post-polishing semiconductor surface cleaning process

The polishing of monocrystalline silicon wafers with an aqueous composition of fine sized abrasive particles, a soluble alkali metal base such a sodium carbonate and an oxidizing agent such as sodium or potassium salt of dichloroisocyanuric acid (e.g., salts of halo-trizenetrione).

Silicon wafer polishing

The invention comprehends establishing a hydrophilic surface on polished semiconductor wafers, such as silicon, after polishing (e.g. silica polishing) by oxidation and hydrolysis of the wafer surface for conditioning thereof for post-polishing cleaning.

Surface treatment of semiconductor substrates

Copper contaminants are removed from silicon with a solution containing copper (II) complexes. The solution may be recycled after use by bubbling oxygen through it.

Method for removing copper contaminant from semiconductor surfaces

An improved process for preparing a polishing solution for use in the chemical-mechanical polishing of silicon comprising copper nitrate, ammonium fluoride, nitric acid and ammonium nitrate. The latter two components are added to the copper nitrate, the system mixed well and then the ammonium fluoride added. The process eliminates the need for settling, decantation or filtration during solution preparation and permits substantially lowered amounts of copper nitrate to be used for silicon polishing. The silicon polishing solution is also described.

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Fishkill, NY, United States of America

Jagtar S Basi