Process for etching thin-film layers of a workpiece used to form microelectronic circuits or components
AssigneeSemitool, Inc.
InventorsE. Henry Stevens, Richard Pfeiffer
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A process for removing at least one thin-film layer from a surface of a workpiece pursuant to manufacturing a microelectronic interconnect or component is set forth. Generally stated, the process comprises the oxidation of at least a portion of the at least one thin-film layer and the etching of the oxidized thin-film layer using an etchant that selectively etches primarily the oxidized thin-film layer.
Claims20
A process for removing at least one thin-film copper layer from a surface of a workpiece pursuant to manufacturing a microelectronic interconnect or component, the process comprising the steps of:
- oxidizing at least a portion of the at least one thin-film copper layer;
- and
- etching oxidized portions of the thin-film copper layer using an etchant comprising sulfamic acid and iron (III) chloride that selectively etches primarily the oxidized thin-film copper layer.
A process for manufacturing a microelectronic interconnect or component formed of copper on a surface of a workpiece, the process comprising the steps of:
- depositing a copper seed layer over a surface of the workpiece;
- electrochemically depositing a patterned copper layer over portions of the copper seed layer;
- exposing portions of the copper seed layer and the patterned copper layer to an etchant for a predetermined period of time, the predetermined period of time being selected to allow substantial removal of portions of the copper seed layer by the etchant while preventing substantial removal of the electrochemically deposited patterned copper layer by the etchant.
A process for manufacturing a microelectronic interconnect or component formed of a metal on a surface of a workpiece, the process comprising the steps of:
- depositing a metal seed layer over a surface of the workpiece using a first deposition process;
- depositing one or more metal structures over the metal seed layer through one or more patterned openings formed in at least one patterned mask overlying the seed layer using a second deposition process, the one or more metal structures having a thickness substantially greater than the thickness of the metal seed layer;
- removing the at least one patterned mask;
- and
- etching the metal seed layer and the one or more metal structures using an etchant that selectively etches the metal seed layer at a greater rate than the rate at which the etchant etches the one or more metal structures.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.