Refurbishing a wafer having a low-k dielectric layer
AssigneeApplied Materials, Inc.
InventorsHong Wang, Krishna Vepa, Paul Miller
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A wafer comprising a low-k dielectric layer is refurbished for reuse. Initially, a removable layer is provided on the wafer. The low-k dielectric layer is formed over the removable layer. The overlying low-k dielectric layer is removed from the wafer by etching away the removable layer by at least partially immersing the wafer in an etching solution,. Thereafter, another low-k dielectric layer can be formed over another removable layer.
Claims22
A method of refurbishing a wafer comprising a low-k dielectric layer, the low-k dielectric layer having a k value of less than about 3 and comprising silicon, oxygen and carbon, the method comprising:
- (a) providing a removable layer on the wafer;
- (b) forming the low-k dielectric layer over the removable layer;
- and
- (c) etching the removable layer from the wafer by at least partially immersing the wafer in an etching solution, thereby removing the overlying low-k dielectric layer from the wafer.
A method of refurbishing a wafer comprising a low-k dielectric layer having a k value of less than about 3 and comprising silicon, oxygen and carbon, the method comprising:
- (a) providing a removable layer comprising silicon oxide on the wafer;
- (b) forming the low-k dielectric layer over the removable layer;
- and
- (c) etching the removable layer from the wafer by at least partially immersing the wafer in an etching solution comprising HF, thereby removing the overlying low-k dielectric layer from the wafer.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.