International Business Machines Corporation

Steven Hilton Johnston

William G America

Brian W Messenger

A structure and method for removing damages of a dual damascene structure after plasma etching. The method includes the use of sublimation processes to deposit reactive material onto the damaged regions and conditions to achieve a controlled removal of the damaged region. Furthermore a semiconductor structure includes a dual damascene structure that has been treated by the method.

Chemical oxide removal of plasma damaged SiCOH low k dielectrics

Method and apparatus for treating an edge region of a wafer. A toroidal shaped plasma cavity has an inner diameter which is slightly less than the diameter of the wafer being treated so that only the edge region of the wafer extends into the toroidal plasma cavity. An inert gas is flowed across a front and back side of the wafer into the plasma cavity. A reactive gas is flowed directly into the plasma cavity. The gases exit the plasma cavity without flowing over the surface of the wafer.

Method and apparatus for treating wafer edge region with toroidal plasma

A method for removing damages of a dual damascene structure after plasma etching is disclosed. The method comprises the use of sublimation processes to deposit reactive material onto the damaged regions and conditions to achieve a controlled removal of the damaged region. Furthermore a semiconductor structure comprising a dual damascene structure that has been treated by the method is disclosed.

A dual damascene conductor structure is formed on a substrate with an exposed conductor on top covered by a buried cap, a dielectric layer (DL) and an organic layer (OL). Form a lower via hard mask layers over the OL and form a top trench patterning hard mask over the lower, via hard mask. Form a trench pattern hole through the trench hard mask layer; and form a via pattern hole through the via hard mask layer in a region exposed below the trench pattern hole. Etch a via pattern hole into the OL and then etch a via pattern hole down into the DL. Etch away the trench pattern layer and the OL layer below the trench pattern hole. Etch the via hole through the DL exposing the cap while simultaneously partially etching the DL to a final trench depth to form a trench in the DL below the trench pattern hole, with the trench having a bottom above the cap and sidewalls in the DL.

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Poughkeepsie, NY, United States of America

Steven Hilton Johnston