Rapid and selective post-etch residue removal for Cu and low-k devices

摘要

The adoption of copper and low-k dielectrics has enabled the industry to overcome inherent limitations in aluminum and silicon dioxide materials used in IC interconnects as feature sizes and pitch spacing scale down. However, the use of Cu and new low-k films has also introduced new challenges in cleaning post-etch residues from metal and dielectric layers. This article reviews a series of tests that were conducted to study the inherent cleaning and compatibility characteristics of different chemicals for Cu/low-k interconnects, single-wafer tools, plant safety, and environmental protection.