# US 7,608,537 B2 · Method for fabricating semiconductor device > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 7,608,537 B2 - Document ID: US7608537B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 11/861,087 - Filed: 2007-09-25 - Published: 2008-04-03 - Granted: 2009-10-27 - Earliest claimed: 2006-09-28 - Assignees: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba - Inventors: Mie Matsuo; Hisashi Kaneko - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US7608537B2 ## CPC - H10W 20/063: {by forming conductive members before forming protective insulating material} - G03F 9/708: {Mark formation} - G03F 9/7084: {Position of mark on substrate, i.e. position in (x, y, z) of mark, e.g. buried or resist covered mark, mark on rearside, at the substrate edge, in the circuit area, latent image mark, marks in plural levels} - H10P 74/277: {Circuits for electrically characterising or monitoring manufacturing processes, e.g. circuits in tested chips or circuits in testing wafers} - H10W 46/00: Marks applied to devices, e.g. for alignment or identification - H10W 46/501: {for use before dicing} - H10W: GENERIC PACKAGES, INTERCONNECTIONS, CONNECTORS OR OTHER CONSTRUCTIONAL DETAILS OF DEVICES COVERED BY CLASS H10 - G03F: PHOTOMECHANICAL PRODUCTION OF TEXTURED OR PATTERNED SURFACES, e.g. FOR PRINTING, FOR PROCESSING OF SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICES; MATERIALS THEREFOR; ORIGINALS THEREFOR; APPARATUS SPECIALLY ADAPTED THEREFOR; (phototypographic composing devices B41B; photosensitive materials or processes for photographic purposes G03C; electrophotography, sensitive layers or processes therefor G03G) - H10P: GENERIC PROCESSES OR APPARATUS FOR THE MANUFACTURE OR TREATMENT OF DEVICES COVERED BY CLASS H10 ## Abstract A method for fabricating a semiconductor device, includes forming an opening in a first film, embedding an alignment mark material for alignment with an upper layer in the opening, forming a second film on the first film in which the alignment mark material is embedded, irradiating the second film formed in a predetermined region including a position where the alignment mark material is embedded with a processing light, thereby to remove the second film to an extent that a portion of the second film remains in the predetermined region, and exposing the portion of the second film remaining in the predetermined region to an etching environment for etching the second film. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A method for fabricating a semiconductor device, comprising: forming a plurality of openings in a first film; embedding a metallic material serving as both a plug material and an alignment mark material for alignment with an upper layer in the plurality of openings; forming a second film on the first film in which the metallic material is embedded; irradiating the second film formed in a predetermined region including a position where the metallic material is embedded as the alignment mark material with a processing light, thereby to remove the second film to an extent that a portion of the second film remains in the predetermined region; and etching, by wet etching method, the portion of the second film remaining in the predetermined region and not having been removed by controlling that the portion of the second film remains in the predetermined region in the irradiating. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The method according to claim 1, wherein, when removing the second film by irradiation of the processing light, the second film is removed in such a way that a thickness of a residue of the second film remaining in the predetermined region outside the alignment mark material becomes thinner than the thickness of any residue of the second film remaining on the alignment mark material. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The method according to claim 2, wherein, when removing the second film by irradiation of the processing light, the second film is removed in such a way that the thickness of the residue of the second film remaining in the predetermined region outside the alignment mark material is 10 nm or less. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The method according to claim 1, wherein a material whose melting point is higher than that of a material of the second film is used as the metallic material. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The method according to claim 1, wherein the processing light in a substantial top hat waveform is applied. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The method according to claim 1, wherein, when etching the second film, a surface of the first film is etched in such a way that an upper part of the alignment mark material protrudes in the predetermined region. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The method according to claim 1, further comprising forming an aqueous protective film on the second film before irradiation of the processing light. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The method according to claim 1, further comprising etching a surface of the first film in such a way that an upper part of the alignment mark material protrudes, after the alignment mark material is embedded in the openings and before the second film is formed. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The method according to claim 1, further comprising: forming a resist film above the second film and the predetermined region after etching the portion of the second film; exposing a predetermined pattern to the resist film after performing alignment using the alignment mark material as an index mark; and etching the second film using as a mask the resist pattern formed based on the exposure, thereby to form wiring for connection to the metallic material embedded as the plug material. ### Claim 10 A method for fabricating a semiconductor device, comprising: forming an opening in a first film; embedding an alignment mark material for alignment with an upper layer in the opening; forming a second film on the first film in which the alignment mark material is embedded; irradiating the second film formed in a predetermined region including a position where the alignment mark material is embedded with a processing light, thereby to remove the second film to an extent that a portion of the second film remains in the predetermined region; and exposing the portion of the second film remaining in the predetermined region to an etching environment for etching, by wet etching method, the portion of the second film which has not been removed by controlling that the portion of the second film remains in the predetermined region in the irradiating. ### Claim 11 (depends on 10) The method according to claim 10, wherein, when removing the second film by irradiation of the processing light, the second film is removed in such a way that a thickness of a residue of the second film remaining in the predetermined region outside the alignment mark material becomes thinner than the thickness of a residue of the second film remaining on the alignment mark material. ### Claim 12 (depends on 11) The method according to claim 11, wherein, when removing the second film by irradiation of the processing light, the second film is removed in such a way that the thickness of the residue of the second film remaining in the predetermined region outside the alignment mark material is 10 nm or less. ### Claim 13 (depends on 10) The method according to claim 10, wherein a material whose melting point is higher than that of a material of the second film is used as the alignment mark material. ### Claim 14 (depends on 10) The method according to claim 10, wherein, when etching the second film, a surface of the first film is etched in such a way that an upper part of the alignment mark material protrudes in the predetermined region. ### Claim 15 (depends on 14) The method according to claim 14, wherein, when etching the surface of the first film, an etchant containing fluoric acid is used. ### Claim 16 (depends on 10) The method according to claim 10, wherein a laminated film of a metal film to be a wiring material is used as the second film. ### Claim 17 (depends on 10) The method according to claim 10, further comprising forming an aqueous protective film on the second film before irradiation of the processing light. ### Claim 18 (depends on 17) The method according to claim 17, further comprising washing the aqueous protective film after irradiation of the processing light. ### Claim 19 (depends on 10) The method according to claim 10, wherein, when exposing the portion of the second film to the etching environment, the portion of the second film is brought into contact with an etchant containing organic acid. ### Claim 20 (depends on 10) The method according to claim 10, further comprising etching a surface of the first film in such a way that an upper part of the alignment mark material protrudes, after the alignment mark material is embedded in the opening and before the second film is formed.