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:
May. 06, 2008
Filed:
May. 24, 2005
Shih-chi Lin, Shin-Chu, TW;
Francis Wang, Zhubei, TW;
Wen-long Lee, Taipei, TW;
Sez-an Wu, Hsin-Chu, TW;
Shih-Chi Lin, Shin-Chu, TW;
Francis Wang, Zhubei, TW;
Wen-Long Lee, Taipei, TW;
Sez-An Wu, Hsin-Chu, TW;
Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co., Ltd., Hsin-Chu, TW;
Abstract
A method for treating a copper surface of a semiconductor device provides exposing the copper surface to a citric acid solution after the surface is formed using CMP (chemical mechanical polishing) or other methods. The citric acid treatment may take place during a cleaning operation that takes place in a wafer scrubber, or subsequent to such an operation. The citric acid treatment removes copper oxides that form on copper surfaces exposed to the environment and prevents hillock formation during subsequent high temperature operations. The copper surface is then annealed and the annealing followed by an NHplasma treatment which again removes any copper oxides that may be present. The NHplasma operation roughens exposed surfaces improving the adhesion of subsequently-formed films such as a dielectric film preferably formed in-situ with the NHplasma treatment. The subsequently-formed film is formed over an oxide-free, hillock-free copper surface.