The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Feb. 17, 2004
Filed:
Mar. 12, 2001
Kok Wai Mui, Selangor, MY;
Fuaida Bte Harun, Selangor, MY;
Lan Chu Tan, Selangor, MY;
Mohd Faizairi Bin Mohd Nor, Leeds, GB;
Motorola, Inc., Schaumburg, IL (US);
Abstract
A method of preparing a semiconductor wafer having a integrated circuits formed on it that have pads formed of copper includes the steps of removing oxide from the copper pads and then the vacuum packing the wafer in a shock-proof container. The oxide may be removed from the copper pads in a number of ways. A first way includes cleaning the wafer in an alkaline solution, performing acid neutralization on the cleaned wafer, and then drying the wafer. A second way includes cleaning the wafer with an acid solution, rinsing the acid cleaned wafer with water, applying an anti-oxidant activator to the surface of the copper pads, rinsing the wafer with water after the application of the anti-oxidant activator, and then drying the water rinsed wafer. Yet a third way includes plasma cleaning the copper pads using a combination of about 5-10% Hydrogen and about 90-95% Argon and then sputtering a very thin layer of aluminum on a surface of the copper pads. The layer of aluminum has a thickness of about 1-5 nanometers.