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US 8,946,015 B2Granted
Aqua regia and hydrogen peroxide HCI combination to remove Ni and NiPt residues
AssigneesIntermolecular, Inc., Globalfoundries Inc.
InventorsAnh Duong, Clemens Fitz, Olov Karlsson
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Abstract
A method for cleaning residues from a semiconductor substrate during a nickel platinum silicidation process is disclosed, including a multi-step residue cleaning, including exposing the substrate to an aqua regia solution, followed by an exposure to a solution having hydrochloric acid and hydrogen peroxide. The SC2 solution can further react with remaining platinum residues, rendering it more soluble in an aqueous solution and thereby dissolving it from the surface of the substrate.
Claims20
A method comprising:
- providing a substrate having a layer formed above, the layer comprising nickel and platinum;
- heating the substrate such that at least some of the layer is converted into nickel platinum silicide;
- exposing the substrate to a first solution, wherein the exposing of the substrate to the first solution causes some of the nickel to be removed from the layer and some of the platinum in the layer to be oxidized;
- and
- after the exposing of the substrate to the first solution, exposing the substrate to a second solution, wherein the exposing of the substrate to the second solution removes additional nickel from the layer, oxidizes additional platinum in the layer, and dissolves at least some of the oxidized platinum in the layer.
2 more elements
A method comprising:
- providing a substrate having a layer formed above, the layer comprising nickel and platinum;
- performing a first rapid thermal process on the substrate such that at least some of the layer is converted into nickel platinum silicide;
- after the performing of the first rapid thermal process, exposing the substrate to a first solution, wherein the exposing of the substrate to the first solution causes some of the nickel to be removed from the layer and some of the platinum in the layer to be oxidized;
- after the exposing of the substrate to the first solution, performing a second rapid thermal process on the substrate;
- after the performing of the second rapid thermal process, exposing the substrate to a second solution, wherein the exposing of the substrate to the second solution removes additional nickel from the layer, oxidize additional platinum in the layer, and dissolve at least some of the oxidized platinum in the layer;
- and
- after the exposing the substrate to the second solution, exposing the substrate to a third solution, wherein the third solution comprises hydrogen peroxide and hydrochloric acid.
4 more elements
A method for forming a semiconductor device, the method comprising:
- forming a transistor comprising a gate electrode and a source/drain diffused layer over a semiconductor substrate;
- forming a nickel platinum layer over the gate electrode and the source/drain diffused layer;
- heating the semiconductor substrate such that at least some of the nickel platinum layer is converted into nickel platinum silicide;
- exposing the semiconductor substrate to a first solution, wherein the exposing of the semiconductor substrate to the first solution causes some of the nickel to be removed from the nickel platinum layer and some of the platinum in the nickel platinum layer to be oxidized;
- and
- after the exposing of the semiconductor substrate to the first solution, exposing the semiconductor substrate to a second solution, wherein the exposing of the semiconductor substrate to the second solution removes additional nickel from the nickel platinum layer, oxidize additional platinum in the nickel platinum layer, and dissolve at least some of the oxidized platinum in the nickel platinum layer.
3 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.