Ozone for selective hydrophilic surface treatment

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11495456-B2
Application number	US-201916589270-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 1, 2019
Priority date	Oct 15, 2018
Publication date	Nov 8, 2022
Grant date	Nov 8, 2022

Abstract

Processes for surface treatment of a workpiece are provided. In one example implementation, a method can include placing the workpiece on a workpiece support in a processing chamber. The method can include admitting a process gas into the processing chamber. The process gas can include an ozone gas. The method can include exposing the silicon nitride layer and the low-k dielectric layer to the process gas to modify a surface wetting angle of the silicon nitride layer.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method for processing a workpiece, the workpiece comprising a semiconductor material, the workpiece comprising a first layer and a second layer, the process comprising:
placing the workpiece on a workpiece support in a processing chamber;
admitting a process gas into the processing chamber, the process gas comprising an ozone gas;
simultaneously exposing the first layer and the second layer to the process gas to decrease a surface wetting angle of the first layer by at least about 5°, wherein a surface wetting angle of the second layer is decreased by less than about 5°; and
depositing a photoresist layer on the first layer;
wherein modifying the surface wetting angle of the first layer promotes adhesion of the photoresist layer across the first layer;
wherein the first layer is a silicon nitride layer and the second layer is a low-k dielectric layer,
wherein the method comprises conducting an organic radical based surface treatment process on the workpiece to modify a surface wetting angle of the low-k dielectric layer selectively relative to the silicon nitride layer.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the low-k dielectric layer is an SiOC layer.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the ozone gas is admitted through a separation grid separating a plasma chamber from the processing chamber.

4. The method of claim 3 , wherein the ozone gas is admitted through one or more gas injection ports into the separation grid.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the ozone gas is admitted from a gas injection port located below a separation grid separating the processing chamber from a plasma chamber.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein exposing the first layer and the second layer to the process gas to modify a surface wetting angle of the first layer occurs when the workpiece is at a processing temperature, the processing temperature in a range of about 25° C. to about 500° C.

7. The method of claim 6 , wherein the processing temperature is in a range of about 150° C. to about 500° C.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein a concentration of ozone gas in the process gas is in a range of about 0.1% by weight to about 20% by weight.

9. The method of claim 1 , wherein a concentration of ozone gas in the process gas is in a range of about 0.5% by weight to 5% by weight.

10. The method of claim 1 , wherein the process gas comprises a carrier gas, the carrier gas being one or more of nitrogen or an inert gas.

11. The method of claim 1 , wherein the process gas comprises an oxygen gas (O 2 gas).

12. The method of claim 1 , exposing the first layer and the second layer to the process gas to modify a surface wetting angle of the first layer occurs for a process period, the process period being in a range of about 5 second to 600 seconds.

13. The method of claim 12 , wherein the process period is in a range of about 3 seconds to 90 seconds.

14. The method of claim 1 , wherein admitting a process gas into the processing chamber and exposing the first layer and the second layer to the process gas to modify a surface wetting angle of the first layer is implemented in a pulsed mode.

15. A method for processing a workpiece, the workpiece comprising a semiconductor material, the workpiece comprising a silicon nitride layer and a low-k dielectric layer, the process comprising:
placing the workpiece on a workpiece support in a processing chamber;
conducting an ozone based hydrophilic surface treatment process on the workpiece, the ozone based hydrophilic surface treatment process comprising:
admitting a process gas into the processing chamber, the process gas comprising an ozone gas;
simultaneously exposing the silicon nitride layer and the low-k dielectric layer to the process gas for a processing period while the workpiece is at a processing temperature to decrease a surface wetting angle of the silicon nitride layer by at least 5°, wherein the surface wetting angle of the low-k dielectric layer is decreased by less than about 5°; and

depositing a photoresist layer on the silicon nitride layer;
wherein modifying the surface wetting angle of the silicon nitride layer promotes adhesion of the photoresist layer across the silicon nitride layer;
wherein a concentration of the ozone gas in the process gas is in a range of about 0.1% by weight to about 20% by weight;
wherein the processing temperature is in a range of about 25° C. to about 500° C.; and
wherein the processing period is in a range of about 5 second to 600 seconds;
wherein the method comprises conducting an organic radical based surface treatment process on the workpiece to modify a surface wetting angle of the low-k dielectric layer selectively relative to the silicon nitride layer.

16. The method of claim 15 , wherein the organic radical based surface treatment process comprises exposing the low-k dielectric layer to one or more methyl radicals.

17. The method of claim 15 , wherein the method comprises conducting a plasma based surface treatment process on the workpiece to modify a surface wetting angle of both the silicon nitride layer and the low-k dielectric layer, the ozone based hydrophilic surface treatment process comprising exposing the workpiece to one or more hydrogen radicals, oxygen radicals, or nitrogen radicals.

Assignees

• Mattson Tech Inc
• Beijing E Town Semiconductor Tech Co Ltd
• Mattson Tech In

Inventors

• Xie Ting
• Lu Xinliang
• Chung Hua
• Yang Michael X

Classifications

• H10P14/6334 Primary

  using decomposition or reaction of gaseous or vapour phase compounds, i.e. chemical vapour deposition (deposition by physical ablation of a target H10P14/6329) · CPC title

• H10P76/4085

  characterised by the processes involved to create the masks · CPC title

• H10P14/6512

  by exposure to a gas or vapour · CPC title

• H10P14/683 Primary

  carbon-based polymeric organic materials, e.g. polyimides, poly cyclobutene or PVC · CPC title

• H01J37/32357

  Generation remote from the workpiece, e.g. down-stream · CPC title