Method for reducing corrosion of metal surfaces during semiconductor processing
US7205235B2 · kind B2 · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Dec 15, 2003 |
| Grant date | Apr 17, 2007 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Feb 15, 2024 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC H)Electricity
- CPC primaryH01L21/02071
- WIPO fieldSemiconductors
- WIPO sectorElectrical engineering
Abstract
A semiconductor process exposes metal in anticipation of an additional processing step that includes a deposition of a layer. Between the two processing steps, the exposed metal is exposed to ambient conditions that may include humidity. The effect of the humidity is potentially to cause corrosion of the exposed metal causing a yield loss. In order to withstand the various time periods that may occur between processing steps, an inhibitor is applied to the exposed surface causing the formation of a very thin protective layer on the exposed metal, which greatly inhibits corrosion. This thin protective layer does not cause any problems with the subsequent step because the typical following steps all, by their very nature, remove the protective layer. Thus, the time period between the processing step that exposes the metal and the next step is no longer critical due to the protective layer.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.