Composition and method for cleaning semiconductor substrates comprising an alkyl diphosphonic acid

A method of cleaning semiconductor substrates comprising the steps of:

• a. providing a substrate having a surface comprising copper-containing conductor and a low-k dielectric material and one or more of etching residue, planarization residue, and copper oxide disposed on the surface, which generated from a damascene or dual damascene manufacturing processes or thereof;
• b. contacting the surface of the substrate with an effective amount of an aqueous cleaning solution, for a time and at a temperature sufficient to remove residue and/or copper oxide, wherein the solution comprises:
• i. from about 6 wt % to about 30 wt % of an alkyl diphosphonic acid of the basic structure:
• wherein R1 and R2 are either the same or different and select from the group consisting of hydrogen (H), hydroxide (OH), chloride (Cl), alkyl or aryl having between 1 to about 8 carbon atoms and alkyl or aryl amine;
• ii. a second acidic compound is selected from the group consisting of;
• phosphonoformic acid, sulfamic acid, and fluoroboric acid;
• iii. a buffering amount of one or more basic compounds to adjust pH from about 6 to about 10;
• iv. from 0% by weight and up to 5% by weight of a surfactant;
• and
• v. water;
• wherein the cleaning process is following chemical mechanical planarization step during the semiconductor fabrication processes;
• wherein the mole ratio of alkyl diphosphonic acid to second acidic compound is from about 1:1 to about 10:1.