# US 10,312,075 B2 · Treatment system and method

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- Number: US 10,312,075 B2
- Document ID: US10312075B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 14/989,227
- Filed: 2016-01-06
- Published: 2017-03-30
- Granted: 2019-06-04
- Earliest claimed: 2015-09-30
- Assignees: Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company, Ltd.
- Applicants: Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company, Ltd.
- Inventors: Wan-Yi Kao; Kuang-Yuan Hsu; Tze-Liang Lee
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10312075B2

## CPC

- H10P 14/6922: {the material containing Si, O and at least one of H, N, C, F or other non-metal elements, e.g. SiOC, SiOC:H or SiONC}
- H10D 30/024: {of fin field-effect transistors [FinFET]}
- H10P 14/6532: {by exposure to a plasma}
- H10P 50/73: {using masks for insulating materials}
- H10P 70/23: {during, before or after processing of insulating materials}
- H10P 76/204: {of organic photoresist masks}
- H10P 95/00: Generic processes or apparatus for manufacture or treatments not covered by the other groups of this subclass
- H10P: GENERIC PROCESSES OR APPARATUS FOR THE MANUFACTURE OR TREATMENT OF DEVICES COVERED BY CLASS H10
- H10D: INORGANIC ELECTRIC SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICES

## Abstract

A method of descumming a dielectric layer is provided. In an embodiment the dielectric layer is deposited over a substrate, and a photoresist is applied, exposed, and developed after the photoresist has been applied. Once the pattern of the photoresist is transferred to the underlying dielectric layer, a descumming process is performed, wherein the descumming process utilizes a mixture of a carbon-containing precursor, a descumming precursor, and a carrier gas. The mixture is ignited into a treatment plasma, and the treatment plasma is applied to the dielectric layer in order to descum the dielectric layer.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A method of manufacturing a semiconductor device, the method comprising:
applying a photoresist over a dielectric layer;
exposing a first surface of the dielectric layer through the photoresist; and
treating the first surface with a plasma process using a treatment mixture comprising a first treatment precursor and a recovery precursor, wherein treating the first surface comprises:
removing atoms from the first surface of the dielectric layer using the first treatment precursor, wherein removing atoms comprises breaking first bonds at the first surface of the dielectric layer to produce open terminal groups, the first bonds comprising bonds between silicon atoms and nitrogen atoms at the first surface of the dielectric layer; and
replacing the removed atoms by carbon atoms from the recovery precursor, wherein replacing the atoms comprises bonding the open terminal groups with the carbon atoms from the recovery precursor.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein the recovery precursor comprises methane, wherein the first treatment precursor comprises oxygen.

### Claim 3 (depends on 2)

The method of claim 2, wherein the treatment mixture further comprises a carrier gas.

### Claim 4 (depends on 3)

The method of claim 3, wherein the treatment mixture comprises about 15% methane, 5% oxygen, and 80% argon.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein the first surface has a first concentration of carbon prior to treating the first surface and a second concentration of carbon different from the first concentration of carbon after treating the first surface.

### Claim 6 (depends on 5)

The method of claim 5, wherein the second concentration of carbon is larger than the first concentration of carbon.

### Claim 7

A method of manufacturing a semiconductor device, the method comprising:
depositing a low-k dielectric layer over a substrate;
patterning the low-k dielectric layer to form a first surface of the low-k dielectric layer; and
after the patterning the low-k dielectric layer, descumming the first surface of the low-k dielectric layer, wherein descumming the first surface of the low-k dielectric layer comprises:
breaking first bonds between silicon atoms and nitrogen atoms at the first surface of the low-k dielectric layer using a treatment precursor, wherein breaking first bonds creates first open terminal groups at the first surface of the low-k dielectric layer; and
bonding carbon atoms from a recovery precursor to the first open terminal groups.

### Claim 8 (depends on 7)

The method of claim 7, wherein the descumming the low-k dielectric layer comprises applying a plasma of the recovery precursor, the treatment precursor, and a carrier gas.

### Claim 9 (depends on 8)

The method of claim 8, wherein the recovery precursor comprises methane.

### Claim 10 (depends on 9)

The method of claim 9, wherein the treatment precursor comprises oxygen.

### Claim 11 (depends on 7)

The method of claim 7, further comprising:
applying a photoresist onto the low-k dielectric layer;
exposing and developing the photoresist, wherein the descumming the low-k dielectric layer is performed through the photoresist after the exposing and developing the photoresist.

### Claim 12 (depends on 11)

The method of claim 11, further comprising patterning the low-k dielectric layer, wherein the descumming the low-k dielectric layer is performed through the photoresist after the patterning the low-k dielectric layer.

### Claim 13 (depends on 7)

The method of claim 7, wherein the low-k dielectric layer comprises SiOCN.

### Claim 14

A method of manufacturing a semiconductor device, the method comprising:
depositing a dielectric layer, wherein the dielectric layer comprises first bonds between silicon atoms and oxygen atoms, second bonds between silicon atoms and carbon atoms, and third bonds between silicon atoms and nitrogen atoms;
patterning an opening that extends from a first side of the dielectric layer to a second side of the dielectric layer opposite the first side;
after the patterning the opening, breaking the second bonds and the third bonds by applying a plasma of a descumming precursor, wherein the breaking the second bonds leaves first open terminal groups, and the breaking the third bonds leaves second open terminal groups; and
bonding the first open terminal groups and the second open terminal groups to carbon by applying a plasma of a recovery precursor.

### Claim 15 (depends on 14)

The method of claim 14, wherein the plasma of the descumming precursor comprises a plasma of oxygen.

### Claim 16 (depends on 15)

The method of claim 15, wherein the plasma of the recovery precursor is a plasma of methane.

### Claim 17 (depends on 14)

The method of claim 14, further comprising:
applying a photoresist to the dielectric layer; and
transferring a pattern of the photoresist to the dielectric layer to pattern the opening.

### Claim 18 (depends on 17)

The method of claim 17, further comprising:
removing the photoresist; and
removing a damaged portion of the dielectric layer after the removing the photoresist.

### Claim 19 (depends on 7)

The method of claim 7, wherein descumming the first surface of the low-k dielectric layer further comprises:
breaking second bonds between silicon atoms and carbon atoms at the first surface of the low-k dielectric layer using the treatment precursor, wherein breaking second bonds creates second open terminal groups at the first surface of the low-k dielectric layer; and
bonding carbon atoms from the recovery precursor to the second open terminal group.

### Claim 20 (depends on 7)

The method of claim 7, wherein the recovery precursor is a carbon-containing precursor.