Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Comp. Ltd.

Yu-Kin Lin

Kei-Wei Chen

Ying-Lang Wang

Ting-Chun Wang

Kuo-Hsiu Wei

Shih-Tzung Chang

For 0.18 micron technology, it is common practice to use silicon oxynitride as an anti-reflective layer for defining the via etch patterns. It has however been found that, using current technology, residual particles of oxynitride get left behind. The present invention solves this problem by subjecting the surface from which the silicon oxynitride was removed to a high pressure rinse of an aqueous solution that includes a surfactant such as tetramethyl ammonium hydroxide or isopropyl alcohol. These surfactants serve to modify the hydrophobic behavior of the silicon oxynitride particles so that they no longer cling to the surface.

Growing community of inventors

Hsin-Chu, Taiwan

Yu-Kin Lin