Etching compositions and methods for fabricating semiconductor devices by using the same

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2022267673-A1
Application number	US-202217573734-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Jan 12, 2022
Priority date	Feb 22, 2021
Publication date	Aug 25, 2022
Grant date	—

Abstract

Etching compositions are provided. The etching compositions can be used for etching cobalt. The etching compositions may include a chelator, water, an oxidizer, and an organic solvent, and the chelator may include an organic acid, an amine compound and/or a polyhydric alcohol. Water may be present in an amount of 1 wt % to 10 wt % based on a total weight of the etching composition.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . An etching composition for etching cobalt, the etching composition comprising:
a chelator; water; an oxidizer; and an organic solvent, wherein the chelator includes an organic acid, an amine compound and/or a polyhydric alcohol, and the water is present in an amount of 1 wt % to 10 wt % based on a total weight of the etching composition.

2 . The etching composition of claim 1 , wherein the chelator includes the organic acid, and the organic acid includes methanesulfonic acid, ethanesulfonic acid, benzenesulfonic acid, p-toluenesulfonic acid, sulfobenzoic acid, sulfosuccinic acid, sulfophthalic acid, sulfosalicylic acid, acetic acid, butanoic acid, citric acid, formic acid, caprylic acid, imminodiacetic acid, propenoic acid, isocitric acid, tartaric acid, glycolic acid, malonic acid, oxalic acid, pentanoic acid, phthalic acid, salicylic acid, benzoic acid, lactic acid, propionic acid, glutaric acid, fumaric acid, adipic acid, glutamic acid, glyceric acid, succinic acid, malic acid, maleic acid, glycine, ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid, and/or nitrilotriacetic acid.

3 . The etching composition of claim 1 , wherein the chelator includes the amine compound, and the amine compound includes an alkyl group, a cycloalkyl group or an aryl group bound to an amine, and
the amine compound includes at least one primary amine at one end of the amine compound.

4 . The etching composition of claim 1 , wherein the chelator includes the polyhydric alcohol, and the polyhydric alcohol includes diol, ethylene glycol, propylene glycol, glycerine and/or nitrilotriethanol.

5 . The etching composition of claim 1 , wherein the oxidizer includes hydrogen peroxide, N-methylmorpholine-N-oxide (NMMO), trimethylamine-N-oxide, triethylamine-N-oxide, pyridine-N-oxide, 4-nitropyridine-N-oxide, N-ethylmorpholine-N-oxide, N-methylpyrrolidin-N-oxide and/or N-ethylpyrrolidin-N-oxide.

6 . The etching composition of claim 1 , wherein the organic solvent includes dimethyl sulfoxide, dimethylsulfone, diethylsulfone, methylsulfolane, sulfolane, γ-butylo lactone, delta-valerolactone, diethyl ketone, ethyleneglycol, diethyl acetamide, triethylphosphate, monomethyl ether acetate, and/or 1,3-dimethyl-2-imidazolinone.

7 . The etching composition of claim 1 , wherein the etching composition comprises the chelator in an amount of 1 wt % to 23 wt % based on the total weight of the etching composition.

8 . The etching composition of claim 1 , wherein the chelator is configured to bind to cobalt to form a compound having a pentagonal ring structure or a hexagonal ring structure.

9 . The etching composition of claim 1 , wherein the etching composition has a pH of 4 to 9.

10 . An etching composition for etching cobalt, the etching composition comprising:
a chelator; an oxidizer; and an organic solvent, wherein the chelator includes an organic acid, an amine compound and/or a polyhydric alcohol, and the chelator is configured to bind to cobalt to form a compound having a pentagonal ring structure or a hexagonal ring structure.

11 . The etching composition of claim 10 , wherein the etching composition comprises the chelator in an amount of 1 wt % to 23 wt % based on a total weight of the etching composition.

12 . The etching composition of claim 10 , wherein the oxidizer includes hydrogen peroxide, N-methylmorpholine-N-oxide (NMMO), trimethylamine-N-oxide, triethylamine-N-oxide, pyridine-N-oxide, 4-nitropyridine-N-oxide, N-ethylmorpholine-N-oxide, N-methylpyrrolidin-N-oxide and/or N-ethylpyrrolidin-N-oxide.

13 . The etching composition of claim 10 , wherein the etching composition further comprises water in an amount of 1 wt % to 10 wt % based on a total weight of the etching composition.

14 . A method for fabricating a semiconductor device using an etching composition, the method comprising:
forming an active pattern on a substrate; forming a gate electrode traversing the active pattern; forming a first interlayer insulating layer on the gate electrode; forming a contact trench extending through the first interlayer insulating layer in a vertical direction that is perpendicular to an upper surface of the substrate; forming a contact barrier layer in the contact trench; forming a contact filling layer including cobalt on the contact barrier layer in the contact trench; removing a portion of the contact filling layer using the etching composition to form a first trench; forming a second interlayer insulating layer in the first trench; and forming a via that extends through the second interlayer insulating layer in the vertical direction and is connected to the contact filling layer, wherein the etching composition includes a chelator, water, an oxidizer, and an organic solvent, the chelator includes an organic acid, an amine compound and/or a polyhydric alcohol, and the chelator is configured to bind to cobalt to form a compound having a pentagonal ring structure or a hexagonal ring structure.

15 . The method of claim 14 , further comprising forming a source/drain region in the active pattern, wherein the formation of the contact trench includes
forming the contact trench exposing a portion of the source/drain region.

16 . The method of claim 14 , wherein the formation of the contact trench includes
forming the contact trench exposing a portion of the gate electrode.

17 . The method of claim 16 , wherein the formation of the contact trench includes
forming the contact trench on the active pattern.

18 . The method of claim 14 , wherein the formation of the second interlayer insulating layer includes
forming the second interlayer insulating layer on the contact barrier layer such that the contact barrier layer extends between the first interlayer insulating layer and the second interlayer insulating layer.

19 . The method of claim 14 , further comprising:
after forming the first trench, removing the contact barrier layer exposed to the first trench to form a second trench; and forming the second interlayer insulating layer inside the second trench.

20 . The method of claim 14 , wherein the etching composition comprises water in an amount of 1 wt % to 10 wt % based on a total weight of the etching composition.

Assignees

• Samsung Electronics Co Ltd
• Dongwoo Fine Chem Co Ltd

Inventors

• Cho Min Hyung
• Yoon Hyo Joong
• Im Min Ju
• Oh Jung Min
• Bae Sang Won
• Lee Hyo San

Classifications

• H10W20/4437

  the principal metal being a transition metal · CPC title

• H10P50/667 Primary

  by liquid etching only · CPC title

• H10W20/0698

  Local interconnections · CPC title

• H10W20/083

  the openings being via holes penetrating underlying conductors · CPC title

• H10W20/033

  in openings in dielectrics · CPC title