Metal selective polymer removal

- FSI International, Inc.

A metal selective polymer removal process is disclosed which prevents metal lift-off for use especially suited for ULSI fabrication.

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Claims

2. A process as recited in claim 1 where HF is anhydrous.

3. A process for removing post etch metal silicate-containing residue from a metal structure comprising the following steps:

introducing vapor HF into a chamber containing said metal structure which includes non water soluble residue thereon;
passing a gas over water and introducing the result into said chamber; and
removing said post etch metal silicate-containing residue from said structure after performing the above steps.

6. A process for removing sidewall polymer from the posts of a deformable mirror device comprising the following steps:

introducing HF into a chamber containing said device which includes non-water soluble byproducts thereon,
introducing N.sub.2 +xH.sub.2 O, where x is a real number, into said chamber; and
removing soluble byproduct from said device after performing the above steps.

7. A process as recited in claim 6 which is performed within a vapor phase cleaner.

8. A process for removing post etch residue from a metal structure comprising the following steps:

introducing anhydrous HF into a chamber containing said metal structure which includes non water soluble residue thereon;
introducing water vapor into said chamber; and
removing said post.Iadd.etch.Iaddend.residue from said structure after performing the above steps.

9. A process as recited in claim 8 wherein the removal of said post etch residue includes rinsing said structure with water.

10. A process for removing post etch residue from a metal structure comprising the following steps:

introducing anhydrous HF into a chamber containing said metal structure which includes non water soluble residue thereon;
passing a gas over water and introducing the result into said chamber; and
removing said post etch residue from said structure after performing the above steps.

11. A process as recited in claim 10 wherein the removal of said post etch residue includes rinsing said structure with water.

12. A process as recited in claim 10 wherein said gas is nitrogen.

13. A process as recited in claim 3 wherein said gas is nitrogen.

14. A process as recited in claim 3 wherein the removal of said post etch residue includes rinsing said structure with water..Iadd.

15. The process of claim 1 wherein the removing of the soluble byproducts includes rinsing the wafer with water..Iaddend..Iadd.16. The process of claim 1 whereby the introducing HF and N.sub.2 +xH.sub.2 O further comprises chemically reacting the non-soluble byproducts so as to form water soluble byproducts..Iaddend..Iadd.17. The process of claim 1 wherein the byproducts comprise carbon and metal..Iaddend..Iadd.18. The process of claim 8 whereby the introducing the anhydrous HF step and the introducing water vapor step further comprises chemically reacting the non-soluble residue so as to form water soluble residue prior to removing the residue..Iaddend..Iadd.19. The process of claim 10 whereby the introducing the anhydrous HF step and the introducing water vapor step further further comprises chemically reacting the non-soluble residue so as to form water soluble residue prior to removing the residue..Iaddend.

Referenced Cited
U.S. Patent Documents
4566935 January 28, 1986 Hornbeck
4711017 December 8, 1987 Lammert
4749440 June 7, 1988 Blackwood et al.
5030319 July 9, 1991 Nishino et al.
5041362 August 20, 1991 Douglas
5055383 October 8, 1991 Koblinger et al.
5089084 February 18, 1992 Chhabra et al.
5181985 January 26, 1993 Lampert et al.
5200361 April 6, 1993 Omishi
5201992 April 13, 1993 Marcus et al.
Foreign Patent Documents
0 227 561 November 1986 EPX
0 413 040 A1 February 1991 EPX
59-166675 September 1984 JPX
4-22123 January 1992 JPX
4360530 December 1992 JPX
87/01508 March 1987 WOX
91/17897 November 1991 WOX
Other references
  • Form 1449 Patent No. 5,348,619. An Investigation of the 200mm SiO.sub.2 Etching Capability of the EXCALIBUR.TM., FSI Technical Report TR 336, Jul. 17, 1989. Membrane Diffuser Characterization for EXCALIBUR.TM., FSI Technical Report TR 349, Jul. 10, 1989. Process Chamber Upgrade for the EXCALIBUR.TM. System, FSI Technical Report, TR 351, Jun. 11, 1990. ULSI Processing Equipment EXCALIBUR.TM. ISR 200, FSI Technical Report, TR 365, Mar. 1, 1991. EXCALIBUR.TM. Gas Processing System: An Overview of Process and Equipment, FSI Technical Report TR 315, Sep. 18, 1987. Form 1449 Serial No. 08/940,101, dated (Nov. 1993). Dr. C. Rinn Cleavelin, Texas Instruments Inc., Lubbock, Texas, and Gary T. Duranko, FSI International Inc., Chaska, Minn., "Silicon Dioxide Removal in Anhydrous HF Gas", Semiconductor International, vol. 10, No. 12, Nov. 1987, pp. 94-99. Richard E. Novak, FSI International, Inc., "Anhydrous HF Etching of Native SiO.sub.2 : Applications to Device Fabrication", Solid State Technology, vol. 13, No. 3, Mar. 1988, pp. 39-41. D. N. Nichols, A. M. Goethals, P. De Geyter and L. Van den hove, Implementation of Desire in a 0.5 .mu.m NMOS Process, 8226 Microelectronic Engineering, 11 (1990) Apr., Nos. 1/4, pp. 515-520.
Patent History
Patent number: RE36006
Type: Grant
Filed: Oct 31, 1996
Date of Patent: Dec 22, 1998
Assignee: FSI International, Inc. (Chaska, MN)
Inventors: Brynne K. Bohannon (Sachse, TX), Daniel J. Syverson (Chaska, MN)
Primary Examiner: R. Bruce Breneman
Assistant Examiner: George Goudreau
Law Firm: Vidas, Arrett & Steinkraus, P.A.
Application Number: 8/739,885