Diamond slurry for chemical-mechanical planarization of semiconductor wafers

US6242351A · kind A · utility

Assignee

• General Electric Company · US

Inventors

• Yuzhuo Li
• David Cerutti · Putnam Valley, US
• Donald Joseph Buckley · Schenectady, US
• Earl Royce Tyre, Jr. · Dallas, US
• Jason Keleher · Potsdam, US
• Richard J. Uriarte · Clifton Park, US
• Ferenc Horkay · Rockville, US

Key dates

• Filing date: Jun 8, 2000
• Grant date: Jun 5, 2001
• Expiry date: Jun 8, 2020

Classification

• Technology area (CPC H): Electricity
• CPC primary: H01L21/3212
• WIPO field: Basic materials chemistry
• WIPO sector: Chemistry

Abstract

The multistage process for the chemical-mechanical planarization (CMP) of Cu commences with forming a primary aqueous or non-aqueous (e.g., using alcohols and ketones as non-aqueous carriers) slurry from (i) between about 0 and 7 wt-% of an oxidizer, (ii) between 0 and 7 wt-% of one or more of a complexing agent or a passivating agent, (iii) between about 0 and 5 wt-% of a surfactant, (iv) between about 0.001 and 5 wt-% diamond particles having an average particle size not substantially above about 0.4 .mu.m, and (v) an amount of a pH adjustment agent so that the aqueous slurry has a pH of between about 3 and 10, and advantageously about 5). The Cu of the semiconductor wafer then is subjected to CMP using the primary aqueous slurry and then is subjected to a cleaning operation. Next, a secondary aqueous slurry from (i) between about 0 and 7 wt-% of one or more a complexing agent or a passivating agent, (ii) between about 0 and 5 wt-% of a surfactant, (iii) between about 0.001 and 5 wt-% diamond particles having an average particle size not substantially above about 0.4 .mu.m, and (iv) an amount of a pH adjustment agent so that the aqueous slurry has a pH of between about 4 and 10, …