Patent · US Expired

Manufacture and cleaning of a semiconductor

US6592777B2 · kind B2 · utility

11Cited by
19References
24Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventors

Key dates

Filing dateMay 24, 2001
Grant dateJul 15, 2003
Priority date
Expiry dateMay 24, 2021

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC H)Electricity
  • CPC primaryH01L21/32134
  • WIPO fieldSemiconductors
  • WIPO sectorElectrical engineering

Abstract

Metal nitride and metal oxynitride extrusions often form on metal silicides. These extrusions can cause short circuits and degrade processing yields. The present invention discloses a method of selectively removing such extrusions. In one embodiment, a novel wet etch comprising an oxidizing agent and a chelating agent selectively removes the extrusions from a wordline in a memory array. In another embodiment, the wet etch includes a base that adjusts the pH of the etch to selectively remove certain extrusions relative to other substances in the wordline. Accordingly new metal silicide structures can be used to form novel wordlines and other types of integrated circuits.

Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.