# US 10,312,106 B2 · Semiconductor device and method

> Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt

- Number: US 10,312,106 B2
- Document ID: US10312106B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 15/800,777
- Filed: 2017-11-01
- Published: 2019-01-31
- Granted: 2019-06-04
- Earliest claimed: 2017-07-31
- Assignees: Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company, Ltd.
- Applicants: Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company, Ltd.
- Inventors: Yao-Wen Hsu; Jian-Jou Lian; Neng-Jye Yang; Chia-Wei Wu; Kuan-Lin Chen; Kuo Bin Huang; Li-Min Chen
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10312106B2

## CPC

- H10P 50/283: {by chemical means}
- H10P 14/69433: {the material being a silicon nitride not containing oxygen, e.g. SixNy or SixByNz}
- H10P 50/287: {by chemical means}
- H10P 50/667: {by liquid etching only}
- H10P 76/00: Manufacture or treatment of masks on semiconductor bodies, e.g. by lithography or photolithography
- H10P 76/40: of masks comprising inorganic materials
- H10P 76/405: {characterised by their composition, e.g. multilayer masks}
- H10P 76/4083: {characterised by their behaviours during the lithography processes, e.g. soluble masks or redeposited masks}
- H10P 76/4085: {characterised by the processes involved to create the masks}
- H10W 20/089: {using processes for implementing desired shapes or dispositions of the openings, e.g. double patterning}
- H10P: GENERIC PROCESSES OR APPARATUS FOR THE MANUFACTURE OR TREATMENT OF DEVICES COVERED BY CLASS H10
- H10W: GENERIC PACKAGES, INTERCONNECTIONS, CONNECTORS OR OTHER CONSTRUCTIONAL DETAILS OF DEVICES COVERED BY CLASS H10

## Abstract

A method of manufacturing a semiconductor device includes exposing a material to a semi-aqueous etching solution. The semi-aqueous etching solution comprises a solvent which chelates with the material and acts as a catalyst between the etching driving force and the material. As such, the etching driving force may be used to remove the material.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A method of manufacturing a semiconductor device, the method comprising:
exposing a hard mask material to a wet etching solution, the wet etching solution comprising:
an etching driving force material which is able to react with the hard mask material; and
a chelator solvent which catalyzes the reaction of the etching driving force material and the hard mask material, wherein the chelator solvent is N-(2-hydroxyethyl)-1,2,3,6-tetrahydrophthalimide; and
removing at least a portion of the hard mask material with the wet etching solution.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, further comprising a cosolvent, wherein the cosolvent comprises 1-(2-hydroxyethyl)-2-pyrrolidinone.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein the etching driving force material comprises a first fluorine donor material.

### Claim 4 (depends on 3)

The method of claim 3, wherein the etching driving force material comprises a second fluorine donor material different from the first fluorine donor material.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein the removing the at least the portion of the hard mask material is performed at a pH of between about 5 and about 8.

### Claim 6 (depends on 5)

The method of claim 5, wherein the wet etching solution does not comprise an oxidant.

### Claim 7 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein the removing at least a portion of the hard mask material exposes a layer of silicon oxide.

### Claim 8 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein the chelator solvent has a concentration of between about 10 wt % and about 70 wt %.

### Claim 9 (depends on 8)

The method of claim 8, wherein the chelator solvent has a concentration of between about 10 wt % and about 40 wt %.

### Claim 10

A method of manufacturing a semiconductor device, the method comprising:
depositing a hard mask material onto a substrate;
patterning the hard mask material using a wet etching process, wherein the wet etching process utilizes a semi-aqueous solution, the semi-aqueous solution comprising:
at least one fluorine donor material; and
a catalyst which allows the fluorine donor material to remove exposed portions of the hard mask material at a pH of between about 5 and about 8, wherein the catalyst comprises N-hydroxyethylphthalimide.

### Claim 11 (depends on 10)

The method of claim 10, wherein the at least one fluorine donor material comprises at least two fluorine donor materials.

### Claim 12 (depends on 10)

The method of claim 10, wherein the hard mask material is silicon.

### Claim 13 (depends on 10)

The method of claim 10, wherein the semi-aqueous solution is free from oxidants.

### Claim 14 (depends on 10)

The method of claim 10, wherein the catalyst further comprises 1-(2-hydroxyethyl)-2-pyrrolidinone.

### Claim 15 (depends on 10)

The method of claim 10, wherein the at least one fluorine donor material has a concentration of between about 0.1 wt % and about 0.3 wt %.

### Claim 16

A method of manufacturing a semiconductor device, the method comprising:
providing a first layer of amorphous silicon; and
etching the first layer of amorphous silicon using a wet etching process that is free of oxidants, the wet etching process using a wet etchant at a pH of between about 5 and about 8, the wet etchant comprising:
a first fluorine donor material;
a second fluorine donor material;
a solvent which chelates with sites on the first layer of amorphous silicon wherein the solvent is N,N-diethanololeamide; and
water.

### Claim 17 (depends on 16)

The method of claim 16, wherein the first fluorine donor material is AF, where A represents an ammonia, an amine, or a phosphoric group.

### Claim 18 (depends on 16)

The method of claim 16, further comprising a co-solvent, wherein the co-solvent is N hydroxyethylphthalimide.

### Claim 19 (depends on 15)

The method of claim 15, further comprising a co-solvent, wherein the co-solvent is 1-(2-hydroxyethyl)pyrrolidine-2,5-dione.

### Claim 20 (depends on 16)

The method of claim 16, further comprising a co-solvent, wherein the co-solvent is wherein the solvent is N-(2-hydroxyethyl)-1,2,3,6-tetrahydrophthalimide.