# US 12,590,249 B2 · Etchant composition > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 12,590,249 B2 - Document ID: US12590249B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 17/496,174 - Filed: 2021-10-07 - Published: 2022-01-27 - Granted: 2026-03-31 - Earliest claimed: 2019-01-08 - Assignees: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd. - Applicants: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd. - Inventors: Jung-ah Kim; Young-chan Kim; Hyo-san Lee; Hoon Han; Jin-uk Lee; Jung-hun Lim; Ik-hee Kim - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US12590249B2 ## CPC - C09K 13/04: containing an inorganic acid - H10D 84/016: {the components including vertical IGFETs} - H10D 84/038: {using silicon technology, e.g. SiGe} - H10P 50/283: {by chemical means} - H10P 70/23: {during, before or after processing of insulating materials} - H10P 70/80: {Cleaning only by supercritical fluids} - H10B 41/27: the channels comprising vertical portions, e.g. U-shaped channels - H10B 43/27: the channels comprising vertical portions, e.g. U-shaped channels - C09K: MATERIALS FOR MISCELLANEOUS APPLICATIONS, NOT PROVIDED FOR ELSEWHERE - H10D: INORGANIC ELECTRIC SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICES - H10P: GENERIC PROCESSES OR APPARATUS FOR THE MANUFACTURE OR TREATMENT OF DEVICES COVERED BY CLASS H10 - H10B: ELECTRONIC MEMORY DEVICES ## Abstract An etchant composition and a method of fabricating a semiconductor device, the composition including an inorganic acid; about 0.01 parts by weight to about 0.5 parts by weight of colloidal silica; about 0.01 parts by weight to about 30 parts by weight of an ammonium-based additive; and about 20 parts by weight to about 50 parts by weight of a solvent, all parts by weight being based on 100 parts by weight of the inorganic acid. ## Claims ### Claim 1 An etchant composition, comprising: an inorganic acid; about 0.01 parts by weight to about 0.5 parts by weight of colloidal silica; about 0.01 parts by weight to about 30 parts by weight of an ammonium additive; and about 20 parts by weight to about 50 parts by weight of a solvent, all parts by weight being based on 100 parts by weight of the inorganic acid, wherein the colloidal silica has a structure represented by Chemical Formula 1, the structure being formed under acidic conditions at a pH of 1 or less and a temperature of 200° C. or higher: wherein, in Chemical Formula 1, m is an integer of 2 to 8, and R1, R2, R3, R4, R5, R6, R7, and R8 are each independently a hydrogen atom, a hydroxyl group, or a group represented by Chemical Formula 2, at least one of R1, R2, R3, R4, R5, R6, R7, and R8 being a hydroxyl group or a group represented by Chemical Formula 2, wherein, in Chemical Formula 2, n is an integer of 0 to 5, and R9 and R10 are each independently a hydrogen atom, a hydroxyl group, a C1 to C20 alkyl group, a C2 to C20 alkenyl group, a C2 to C20 alkynyl group, a C1 to C20 hydroxyalkyl group, a C1 to C20 aminoalkyl group, a C1 to C20 alkoxy group, a C1 to C20 aminoalkoxy group, a nitrile group, or a carboxyl group, and wherein the etchant composition has a pH of 1 or less and a temperature of 200° C. or higher. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The etchant composition as claimed in claim 1, wherein the inorganic acid includes phosphoric acid, sulfuric acid, nitric acid, silicic acid, hydrofluoric acid, boric acid, hydrochloric acid, perchloric acid, or a mixture thereof. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The etchant composition as claimed in claim 2, wherein the inorganic acid includes phosphoric acid. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The etchant composition as claimed in claim 1, wherein the ammonium additive includes ammonium hydroxide, ammonium chloride, ammonium acetate, ammonium phosphate, ammonium peroxydisulfate, ammonium sulfate, ammonium hydrofluoric acid salt, ammonia, or a combination thereof. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The etchant composition as claimed in claim 1, wherein the solvent includes deionized water. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The etchant composition as claimed in claim 1, further comprising about 0.01 parts by weight to about 10 parts by weight an amine compound, an azole compound, or a nitrate compound, based on 100 parts by weight of the inorganic acid. ### Claim 7 (depends on 6) The etchant composition as claimed in claim 6, wherein: the amine compound includes methylamine, dimethylamine, trimethylamine, ethylamine, diethylamine, triethylamine, methylethylamine, propylamine, isopropylamine, 2-aminopentane, methylethanolamine, triphenylamine, naphthylamine, anthracenylamine, 9-methyl-anthracenylamine, diphenylamine, ditolylamine, N-phenyltolylamine, N-dimethylfluorenyltriphenyleneamine, N-triphenylenyldibenzofuranamine, N-triphenylenyldibenzothiopheneamine, N-phenyltriphenyleneamine, N-biphenyldimethylfluoreneamine, N-biphenyldibenzofuranamine, N-biphenyldibenzothiopheneamine, N-biphenylphenylcarbazoleamine, N-biphenyltriphenyleneamine, N-naphthyltriphenyleneamine, N-phenyldiphenylfluoreneamine, N-biphenylspirobifluoreneamine, N-phenylspirobifluoreneamine, N-naphthylspirobifluoreneamine, N-naphthyldiphenylfluoreneamine, N-phenyldimethylfluoreneamine, N-naphthyldimethylfluoreneamine, N-phenyldibenzofuranamine, N-biphenyldiphenylfluoreneamine, N-phenylbiphenylamine, N-naphthyldibenzofuranamine, N-naphthylphenylcarbazoleamine, N-naphthyldibenzothiopheneamine, N-phenyldibenzothiopheneamine, N-phenylphenylcarbazoleamine, dinaphthylamine, or N-phenylnaphthaleneamine, the azole compound includes imidazole, pyrazole, 1,2,3-triazole, 1,2,4-triazole, tetrazole, pentazole, oxazole, isoxazole, 1,2,4-oxadiazole, 1,2,5-oxadiazole, 1,3,4-oxadiazole, thiazole, isothiazole, 1,2,3-thiadiazole, 1,2,4-thiadiazole, 1,2,5-thiadiazole, or 1,3,4-thiadiazole, and the nitrate compound includes dialkyl imidazolium nitrate, guanidine nitrate, ethyl nitrate, propyl nitrate, butyl nitrate, pentyl nitrate, octyl nitrate, glycol dinitrate, diethylene glycol dinitrate, pyridine nitrate, lithium nitrate, potassium nitrate, aluminum nitrate, cupric nitrate, ferric nitrate, zinc nitrate, cerous nitrate, cesium nitrate, barium nitrate, silver nitrate, or ammonium nitrate. ### Claim 8 (depends on 6) The etchant composition as claimed in claim 6, wherein the etchant composition comprises about 0.3 parts by weight to about 15 parts by weight of the ammonium additive. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The etchant composition of claim 1, wherein the etchant composition comprises 0.05 parts by weight to 0.5 parts by weight of the colloidal silica. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) The etchant composition of claim 1, wherein the ammonium additive comprises 0.3 parts by weight to 15 parts by weight of ammonium hydroxide. ### Claim 11 (depends on 1) The etchant composition of claim 1, wherein the etchant composition comprises 30 parts by weight to 45 parts by weight of the solvent. ### Claim 12 An etchant composition, comprising: an inorganic acid; about 0.01 parts by weight to about 0.5 parts by weight of colloidal silica; about 0.1 parts by weight to about 20 parts by weight of an ammonium additive; and about 20 parts by weight to about 50 parts by weight of a solvent, all parts by weight being based on 100 parts by weight of the inorganic acid, wherein the colloidal silica has a structure represented by Chemical Formula 1, the structure being formed under acidic conditions at a pH of 1 or less and a temperature of 200° C. or higher: wherein, in Chemical Formula 1, m is an integer of 2 to 8, and R1, R2, R3, R4, R5, R6, R7, and R8 are each independently a hydrogen atom, a hydroxyl group, or a group represented by Chemical Formula 2, at least one of R1, R2, R3, R4, R5, R6, R7, and R8 being a hydroxyl group or a group represented by Chemical Formula 2, wherein, in Chemical Formula 2, n is an integer of 0 to 5, and R9 and R10 are each independently a hydrogen atom, a hydroxyl group, a C1 to C20 alkyl group, a C2 to C20 alkenyl group, a C2 to C20 alkynyl group, a C1 to C20 hydroxyalkyl group, a C1 to C20 aminoalkyl group, a C1 to C20 alkoxy group, a C1 to C20 aminoalkoxy group, a nitrile group, or a carboxyl group, and wherein the etchant composition further comprises about 0.01% by weight (wt %) to about 1 wt % of a fluorine compound, and wherein the etchant composition has a pH of 1 or less and a temperature of 200° C. or higher. ### Claim 13 (depends on 12) The etchant composition as claimed in claim 12, wherein the inorganic acid includes phosphoric acid. ### Claim 14 (depends on 13) The etchant composition as claimed in claim 13, wherein the ammonium additive includes ammonium hydroxide, ammonium chloride, ammonium acetate, ammonium phosphate, ammonium peroxydisulfate, ammonium sulfate, ammonium hydrofluoric acid salt, ammonia, or a combination thereof. ### Claim 15 (depends on 12) The etchant composition as claimed in claim 12, wherein the solvent includes deionized water. ### Claim 16 (depends on 12) The etchant composition as claimed in claim 12, further comprising about 0.01 parts by weight to about 10 parts by weight an amine compound, an azole compound, or a nitrate compound, based on 100 parts by weight of the inorganic acid.