Method and system for cleaning semiconductor substrate

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10032623-B2
Application number	US-201314423270-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 19, 2013
Priority date	Aug 22, 2012
Publication date	Jul 24, 2018
Grant date	Jul 24, 2018

Abstract

A cleaning method including a persulphuric acid producing step of causing a cleaning sulfuric acid solution to travel into an electrolyzing section and to circulate therethrough to produce persulphuric acid having a predetermined concentration by electrolysis in the electrolyzing section, a solution mixing step of mixing the sulfuric acid solution containing the persulphuric acid produced in the persulphuric acid producing step with a halide solution containing one or more types of halide ion without causing the solutions to travel into the electrolyzing section to produce a mixed solution having a post-mixture concentration of oxidant including the persulphuric acid that ranges from 0.001 to 2 mol/L, a heating step of heating the mixed solution, and a cleaning step of cleaning a semiconductor substrate by transporting the heated mixed solution to cause the heated mixed solution to come into contact with the semiconductor substrate.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A method for cleaning a semiconductor surface, having a silicide film residing on the surface thereof as a result of undergoing silicidation, so as to dissolve NiPt from the semiconductor surface while avoiding the dissolution of TiN from the silicide film without damaging the silicide film, with the method comprising the steps of:
a persulphuric acid producing step of causing a sulfuric acid solution to travel into an electrolyzing section and circulating the sulfuric acid solution therethrough to produce persulphuric acid having a predetermined concentration based on electrolysis in the electrolyzing section;
a solution mixing step of mixing the sulfuric acid solution containing the persulphuric acid produced in the persulphuric acid producing step with a halide solution containing one or more types of halide ion without causing the solutions to travel into the electrolyzing section such that the mixing step results in producing a mixed solution having a concentration of halide ions ranging from 0.2 mmol/L to 2 mol/L and a post-mixture concentration of oxidant including the persulphuric acid that ranges from 0.001 to 2 mol/L and with the resulting mixed solution having a minimum concentration of 50 mass % sulfuric acid solution and up to mass % in the mixed solution;
a heating step in which the mixed solution is heated to have a liquid temperature ranging from 80 to 200° C., which is lower than or equal to a boiling point of the mixed solution; and
a cleaning step of cleaning the semiconductor substrate so that the mixed solution in the solution mixing step is transported to come into contact with the semiconductor after heating the mixed solution to at least 100° C. or higher whereby said method avoids the dissolution of TiN from the silicide film without damaging the silicide film.

2. The method for cleaning a semiconductor substrate according to claim 1 , wherein the mixed solution is caused to come into contact with the semiconductor substrate after the mixed solution with a temperature ranging from 80° C. to 200° C. is produced but within 5 minutes.

3. The method for cleaning a semiconductor substrate according to claim 1 , wherein the method further comprises, after the cleaning step, a mixed solution discharging step of causing mixed solution which remains in the system and is not used in the cleaning step to pass through a heater used for heating the mixed solution in the heating step for discharge out of the system without heating the mixed solution by the heater.

4. A method for cleaning a semiconductor surface, having a silicide film residing on the surface thereof as a result of undergoing silicidation, so as to dissolve NiPt from the semiconductor surface while avoiding dissolution of TiN without damaging the silicide film with the method comprising
a persulphuric acid producing step of causing a sulfuric acid solution to travel into an electrolyzing section and circulating the sulfuric acid solution therethrough to produce persulphuric acid having a predetermined concentration based on electrolysis in the electrolyzing section;
a solution mixing step of mixing the sulfuric acid solution containing the persulphuric acid produced in the persulphuric acid producing step with a halide solution containing one or more types of halide ion such that the solutions do not travel into the electrolyzing section so as to form a mixed solution having a concentration of halide ions ranging from 0.2 mmol/L to 2 mol/L and a post-mixture concentration of oxidant including the persulphuric acid that ranges from 0.001 to 2 mol/L and having a minimum concentration of 50 mass % of sulfuric acid and up to 90 mass % of sulfuric acid in the mixed solution;
a heating step in which the mixed solution is heated to have a liquid temperature ranging from 80 to 200° C., which is lower than or equal to a boiling point of the mixed solution;
a mixed solution discharging step for causing the solution heated at the beginning of the heating step to be transported without being used with the cleaning step and without being allowed to come into contact with the semiconductor substrate for discharge out of the system; and
a cleaning step of cleaning the semiconductor substrate, after the mixed solution discharging step, so that the mixed solution in the solution mixing step is transported to come into contact with the semiconductor after heating the mixed solution to at least 100° C. or higher whereby said method avoids the dissolution of TiN from the silicide film without damaging the silicide film.

5. The method for cleaning a semiconductor substrate according to claim 4 , wherein the heating step includes a once-through heating process, and the heating is initiated with the solution being caused to undergo the once-through heating process.

Assignees

• Ogawa Yuichi
• Yamakawa Haruyoshi
• Kurita Water Ind Ltd

Inventors

• Ogawa Yuichi
• Yamakawa Haruyoshi

Classifications

• H10P72/0402

  Apparatus for fluid treatment (H10P72/0441, H10P72/0448 take precedence) · CPC title

• H10P50/667

  by liquid etching only · CPC title

• H10D64/01318

  the conductor comprising a layer of alloy material, compound material or organic material contacting the insulator, e.g. TiN (comprising a layer of alloys of Si, Ge or C H10D64/01314) · CPC title

• H10P70/27 Primary

  during, before or after processing of conductive materials, e.g. polysilicon or amorphous silicon layers · CPC title

• B08B3/10

  with additional treatment of the liquid or of the object being cleaned, e.g. by heat, by electricity or by vibration · CPC title