Etching solution and method for aluminum nitride
AssigneeVersum Materials US, LLC
InventorsChung Yi Chang, Wen Dar Liu, Yi-Chia Lee
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Abstract
Described herein are etching solutions and method of using the etching solutions suitable for etching aluminum nitride (AlN) from a semiconductor substrate during the manufacture of a semiconductor device comprising AlN and silicon material without harming the silicon material. The etching solution comprises a cationic surfactant, water, a base, and a water-miscible organic solvent.
Claims21
An etching solution suitable for at least partially removing aluminum nitride from a microelectronic device during manufacture of the device, the solution comprising:
- water;
- a cationic surfactant having a structure represented by Formula A:
- wherein, each of R1, R2, R3, and R4 is independently hydrogen, a substituted or unsubstituted C1-C30 alkyl, a substituted or unsubstituted C3-C8 cycloalkyl, a substituted or unsubstituted C2-C30 alkenyl, a substituted or unsubstituted aralkyl, a substituted or unsubstituted aryl, or a substituted or unsubstituted heteroaryl, wherein not all of R1, R2, R3, and R4 are hydrogen;
- and
- X is an anionic counterion;
- a water-miscible organic solvent;
- and
- greater than 10% by weight of base comprising potassium hydroxide,
- wherein the etching solution is free of solid materials, fluoride, oxidizers, peroxides, inorganic acids, and organic acids.
A method for at least partially removing aluminum nitride from a microelectronic substrate during manufacture of a microelectronic device, wherein the substrate comprises aluminum nitride and silicon, the method comprising the steps of:
- contacting the microelectronic substrate with an aqueous etching solution for a time sufficient to at least partially remove the aluminum nitride from the substrate, wherein the aqueous etching solution comprises
- water;
- a cationic surfactant having a structure represented by Formula A:
- wherein, each of R1, R2, R3, and R4 is independently hydrogen, a substituted or unsubstituted C1-C30 alkyl, a substituted or unsubstituted C3-C8 cycloalkyl, a substituted or unsubstituted C2-C30 alkenyl, a substituted or unsubstituted aralkyl, a substituted or unsubstituted aryl, or a substituted or unsubstituted heteroaryl, wherein not all of R1, R2, R3, and R4 are hydrogen;
- and
- X is an anionic counterion;
- a water-miscible organic solvent;
- and
- greater than 10% by weight of base comprising potassium hydroxide,
- wherein the etching solution is free of solid materials, fluoride, oxidizers, peroxides, inorganic acids, and organic acids, and
- rinsing the substrate.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.