Hostname: page-component-586b7cd67f-t7czq Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-11-20T08:25:17.755Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false

Evaluation of Copper Oxide to Copper Selectivity of Chemical Systems for BEOL Cleaning Through Electrochemical Investigations

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  01 February 2011

Nandini Venkataraman
Affiliation:
[email protected], The University of Arizona, Materials Science and Engineering, 4715 E Ft Lowell Rd, Tucson, AZ, 85712, United States
Ashok Kumar Muthukumaran
Affiliation:
[email protected], The University of Arizona, Materials Science and Engineering, 4715 E Ft Lowell Rd, Tucson, AZ, 85712, United States
Srini Raghavan
Affiliation:
[email protected], The University of Arizona, Materials Science and Engineering, 4715 E Ft Lowell Rd, Tucson, AZ, 85712, United States
Get access

Abstract

Back End of Line (BEOL) cleaning of copper based structures requires chemical formulations that can remove copper oxide selectively without corroding copper and etching the dielectric. Many commercially available semi-aqueous and all aqueous formulations claim to meet these criteria. These include semi-aqueous fluoride strippers (SAF) and all- aqueous ammonium phosphate based chemical systems.

This paper will report the results from a fundamental study undertaken to evaluate the performance of a semi-aqueous fluoride formulation in removing copper oxide films of controlled thickness grown on copper. The thickness and composition of the oxide films were determined electrochemically using cathodic reduction technique. Electrochemical impedance spectra of samples immersed in the formulation have been measured as a function of time to follow copper oxide dissolution and the data have been analyzed to detect the transition of copper oxide to copper.

Type
Research Article
Copyright
Copyright © Materials Research Society 2007

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

REFERENCES

1 Reid, C., Suzuki, T., Hiraga, T., “Rapid and Selective Post-etch residue removal for Copper and low-k devices,” Solid State Technology, (June, 2005) p. 47 Google Scholar
2 Peters, D., Molnar, L., Rovito, R., “Development of Fluoride-Containing Solvent-Based Strippers”, Future Fab International, (November, 2003)Google Scholar
3 Song, J., Novak, R., “Using an Immersion-type BEOL Cleaner with Hydroxylamine and Fluorine Chemistries,” MICRO, (April 2003) p. 31 Google Scholar
4 Raghavan, S., Small, R., Lowalekar, V., “Back End of Line(BEOL) Cleaning,” UnpublishedGoogle Scholar
5 Buley, T., Epshteyn, Y., Kulus, M., Tran, C., Bartosh, K., Peters, D., Watts, C., “Performing advanced post-CMP cleans to reduce copper defectivity and surface roughness”, MICRO, (October 2005), p.40 Google Scholar
6 Chavez, K.L., Hess, D. W., “A Novel Method of Etching Copper Oxide using Acetic Acid,” Journal of the Electrochemical Society, (November 2001) p. G640 Google Scholar
7 Suk, Y. Y., Marek, M., “Cathodic Reduction of Oxides formed on Copper at Elevated Temperatures,” Journal of the Electrochemical Society, (April 1994) p. 940 Google Scholar
8 Barsoukov, E., Macdonald, J. R., “Impedance Spectroscopy–Theory, Experiment and Applications”, 2nd Ed., John Wiley & Sons, Inc., (2005), p. 118 Google Scholar