Semiconductor processing tool and methods of operation
US12068169B2 · kind B2 · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Aug 27, 2021 |
| Grant date | Aug 20, 2024 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Oct 11, 2041 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC H)Electricity
- CPC primaryH01L21/76814
- WIPO fieldSemiconductors
- WIPO sectorElectrical engineering
Abstract
A semiconductor processing tool includes a cleaning chamber configured to perform a post-chemical mechanical polishing/planarization (post-CMP) cleaning operation in an oxygen-free (or in a near oxygen-free) manner. An inert gas may be provided into the cleaning chamber to remove oxygen from the cleaning chamber such that the post-CMP cleaning operation may be performed in an oxygen-free (or in a near oxygen-free) environment. In this way, the post-CMP cleaning operation may be performed in an environment that may reduce oxygen-causing corrosion of metallization layers and/or metallization structures on and/or in the semiconductor wafer, which may increase semiconductor processing yield, may decrease semiconductor processing defects, and/or may increase semiconductor processing quality, among other examples.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.