Method for reducing fluorine induced defects on a bonding pad surface
AssigneeTaiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company, Ltd.
InventorsJiann-Tyng Tzeng, Jih-Ren Tsai, Michael Wu, Ching-Wen Cho
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Abstract
A method for reducing a fluorine contamination level on a semiconductor wafer process surface including providing a semiconductor wafer surface having a process surface including an uppermost polyimide containing layer; reactive ion etching the process surface to include exposure of the process surface to a hydrofluorocarbon containing plasma; and heating the process surface according to a temperature profile to reduce a fluorine contamination level.
Claims20
A method for reducing a fluorine contamination level on a semiconductor wafer process surface in a polyimide passivation layer comprising a packaged semiconductor chip comprising the steps of:
- providing a semiconductor wafer surface having a process surface including an uppermost polyimide containing layer overlying a metallic bonding pad;
- reactive ion etching the process surface to form an opening over and exposing the metallic bonding pad to include exposure of the process surface to a fluorine containing plasma;
- and,
- heating the process surface according to a temperature profile following the reactive ion etching step to reduce a fluorine contamination level in the polyimide containing layer thereby reducing fluorine segregation onto the metallic bonding pad surface.
A method for reducing fluorine contamination on a polyimide surface and subsequent fluorine induced defect formation on an aluminum bonding pad surface to improve subsequent wire bonding comprising the steps of:
- providing a semiconductor wafer surface having a process surface comprising a polyimide containing passivation layer forming an uppermost surface of the process surface;
- photolithographically patterning and developing the polyimide containing passivation layer to reveal an underlying passivation layer;
- reactive ion etching through at least the underlying passivation layer with at least one of a hydrofluorocarbon and fluorocarbon containing plasma to reveal an aluminum containing bonding pad surface;
- and,
- heating the process surface including the polyimide containing passivation layer following the step of reactive ion etching according to a temperature profile to reduce a fluorine contamination level in the polyimide passivation layer to thereby reduce the formation of fluorine induced defects on the aluminum containing bonding pad surface.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.