# US 2023/0054464 A1 · Etching defect detection method

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- Number: US 2023/0054464 A1
- Document ID: US20230054464A1
- Status: Published application
- Kind: A1
- Application number: 17/600,286
- Filed: 2021-06-30
- Published: 2023-02-23
- Earliest claimed: 2020-09-10
- Assignees: Changxin Memory Technologies, Inc.
- Applicants: Changxin Memory Technologies, Inc.
- Inventors: Tao LIU; Sen LI; Qiang WAN
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20230054464A1

## CPC

- H10P 74/203: {Structural properties, e.g. testing or measuring thicknesses, line widths, warpage, bond strengths or physical defects}
- G06T 7/0004: {Industrial image inspection}
- G06T 7/90: Determination of colour characteristics
- H10B 12/00: Dynamic random access memory [DRAM] devices
- H10B 12/03: {Making the capacitor or connections thereto}
- G06T 2207/10024: Color image
- G06T 2207/10061: from scanning electron microscope
- G06T 2207/30148: Semiconductor; IC; Wafer
- H10P: GENERIC PROCESSES OR APPARATUS FOR THE MANUFACTURE OR TREATMENT OF DEVICES COVERED BY CLASS H10
- G06T: IMAGE DATA PROCESSING OR GENERATION, IN GENERAL
- H10B: ELECTRONIC MEMORY DEVICES

## Abstract

The present disclosure provides an etching defect detection method, relating to the field of semiconductor technology. The detection method includes: providing a substrate, and sequentially forming a conductive layer and a dielectric layer on the substrate; etching the dielectric layer to form a trench structure; taking the conductive layer as a cathode, and filling the trench structure with an electroplating layer by an electroplating process, to form a product to-be-detected; and testing the product to-be-detected by a defect density detection assembly, to obtain a top-view image of the trench structure, and determining an etching defect of the product to-be-detected according to the top-view image. The etching defect detection method can improve the accuracy of defect identification and prevent a capacitor from failing due to suspension.

## Claims

### Claim 1

An etching defect detection method, comprising:
providing a substrate, and sequentially forming a conductive layer and a dielectric layer on the substrate;
etching the dielectric layer to form a trench structure;
taking the conductive layer as a cathode, and filling the trench structure with an electroplating layer by an electroplating process, to form a product to-be-detected; and
testing the product to-be-detected by a defect density detection assembly, to obtain a top-view image of the trench structure, and determining an etching defect of the product to-be-detected according to the top-view image.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The detection method according to claim 1, wherein there is a plurality of trench structures, and the plurality of trench structures are distributed in an array.

### Claim 3 (depends on 2)

The detection method according to claim 2, wherein the determining an etching defect of the product to-be-detected according to the top-view image comprises:
determining the etching defect according to a shade of color of each of the trench structures in the top-view image, and identifying the trench structure with a relatively deep color among the trench structures as the etching defect.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The detection method according to claim 1, wherein the taking the conductive layer as a cathode, and filling the trench structure with an electroplating layer by an electroplating process, to form a product to-be-detected comprises:
taking the conductive layer as a cathode, and filling the trench structure with the electroplating layer by the electroplating process; and
removing part of the electroplating layer higher than a top surface of the trench structure by a chemical mechanical polishing process, so that a surface of the electroplating layer away from the conductive layer is flush with a surface of the dielectric layer away from the conductive layer.

### Claim 5 (depends on 4)

The detection method according to claim 4, wherein removing part of the electroplating layer higher than a top surface of the trench structure by a chemical mechanical polishing process comprises:
removing the part of the electroplating layer higher than the top surface of the trench structure by a polishing solution, wherein the polishing solution is water.

### Claim 6 (depends on 5)

The detection method according to claim 5, wherein the conductive layer comprises a plurality of electric conductors, the electric conductors are distributed in an array on a surface of the substrate, and the electric conductors and the trench structures are arranged in one-to-one correspondence in a direction perpendicular to the substrate.

### Claim 7 (depends on 1)

The detection method according to claim 1, wherein the defect density detection assembly comprises at least one of a scanning electron microscope, an atomic force microscope, a transmission electron microscope, and a bright field scanner.

### Claim 8 (depends on 1)

The detection method according to claim 1, wherein the dielectric layer comprises a support layer and a sacrificial layer, the support layer and the sacrificial layer are sequentially and alternately stacked, the trench structure is used for forming of a columnar capacitor, and the support layer is configured to support the columnar capacitor laterally.

### Claim 9 (depends on 1)

The detection method according to claim 1, wherein the etching the dielectric layer to form a trench structure comprises:
etching the dielectric layer by an anisotropic etching process to form the trench structure.

### Claim 10 (depends on 9)

The detection method according to claim 9, wherein the etching the dielectric layer by an anisotropic etching process to form the trench structure comprises:
forming a mask material layer on one side of the dielectric layer away from the substrate;
forming a photoresist layer on a surface of the mask material layer away from the substrate;
exposing and developing the photoresist layer to form a plurality of developing regions, each of the developing regions exposing the mask material layer;
etching the mask material layer in the developing region to form a mask pattern; and
anisotropically etching the dielectric layer according to the mask pattern to form the trench structure.