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:
Apr. 24, 2007
Filed:
Jan. 18, 2005
Applicants:
Hong Wang, Cupertino, CA (US);
Krishna Vepa, Danville, CA (US);
Paul V. Miller, Cupertino, CA (US);
Inventors:
Assignee:
Applied Materials, Inc., Santa Clara, CA (US);
Attorney:
Primary Examiner:
Int. Cl.
CPC ...
H01L 21/311 (2006.01);
U.S. Cl.
CPC ...
Abstract
A low-k dielectric layer having a composition of silicon, oxygen and carbon is removed from a wafer. The low-k dielectric layer is removed by exposing a surface of the low-k dielectric layer to an oxygen-containing gas to oxidized the surface. The oxidized surface is immersed in an etching solution having HF and HSOto etch the low-k dielectric layer. The etched surface is exposed to at least one of (i) an etching solution having HSOand HO, and (ii) an RF or microwave energized oxygen-containing gas, to remove the low-k dielectric layer from the wafer.