Background technology
Along with the making of integrated circuit develops to very lagre scale integrated circuit (VLSIC) (ULSI), current densities on the wafer is increasing, contained number of elements constantly increases, wafer surface can't provide enough areas to make required interconnection line (Interconnect), the method for designing of two-layer above multiple layer metal interconnection line has been proposed for this reason.This method for designing forms the groove or the through hole of wiring by the etching interlayer dielectric layer, and the filled conductive material is realized multilayer electrical interconnection in the chip in this groove and through hole.
After forming the electrical interconnection line structure,, also need form pad in wafer surface for realizing being electrically connected between chip and external circuit.During pad is made, the emphasis that needs to pay close attention to is the surface quality problems of pad, in case there is defective in bond pad surface or contaminatedly will causes pad tensile strength and bond strength uniformity variation, cause the lead-in wire failure, conductivity, the reliability of device are brought negative effect.Therefore, it is extremely important for the device manufacturing how to remove the various defectives of bond pad surface.
For eliminating the defective on aluminum pad surface, application number a kind of method of removing the aluminum pad blemish that has been 20050101110 U.S. Patent Application Publication, this method using plasma cleaning way is handled wafer, defective in the pad that causes with the fluorine of eliminating in the etching technics, the quality of connection between having improved pad and having gone between.But this method also is not suitable for the situation that there is defective in all aluminum pad surfaces, diffuses to this method of defective that bond pad surface causes as the copper because of pad below and just can't eliminate.
Semiconductor process techniques enters after 0.18 micron, the characteristic size of device is further dwindled, the RC of interconnection line postpones to become the principal contradiction that influences circuit speed gradually, for improving this point, begins to adopt the process of being made metal interconnected line structure by metallic copper.Compare with traditional aluminium technology, the advantage of process for copper is that its resistivity is lower, and conductivity is better, by its connecting lead wire of making can keep on an equal basis in addition more do forr a short time under the situation of heavy current bearing capacity, more intensive.In addition, it also has bigger advantage than aluminium technology at aspects such as electromigration, RC delay, reliability and life-spans.And for coupled pad structure, compare with the multiple layer metal interconnecting construction because of it and to have relatively large size, under the situation of taking into account device performance and cost of manufacture, be still usually and utilize traditional aluminium technology to make formation.
But after adopting process for copper to make interconnection line, because of copper metal diffusing speed is exceedingly fast, it easily diffuses to the aluminum pad surface, causes the bond pad surface degradation.
Fig. 1 is the device architecture profile behind the formation pad, as shown in Figure 1, and for preventing that the copper metal diffusing is to aluminum pad; usually can make separator 102 at copper layer 101 and 103 of aluminum pads, this separator can adopt Ta, W; Ti and their nitride TiN, WN, TaN etc.Wherein, higher because of the resistivity of separator, its growth thickness has certain restriction, can not stop copper to spread in aluminum pad completely effectively sometimes, especially exists at the TaN layer that forms in the defective such as uneven thickness.Therefore, when after forming aluminum pad, carrying out the high temperature alloy processing again, still often have copper and diffuse in the aluminum pad, form Cu group or Al-Cu group, when this formation thing diffuses to bond pad surface, just may cause the quality of connection variation of pad.As shown in Figure 1, for TaN layer 102 than weakness, the easily upwards diffusion of the copper 101 of its lower floor, in self, formed cavity 104, Cu group or Al-Cu group 110 in aluminum pad 103, have been formed, less because of the amount that diffuses to the aluminum pad surface, generally can not observe directly, can not cause tangible influence to the quality of connection of pad lead-in wire yet.Yet when the wafer after will forming pad placed deionized water to clean, the surface did not have the aluminum pad of difference can reveal some atraments originally, caused the failure of pad lead-in wire.Reason is, though microscope is difficult to observe, but the aluminum pad surface has been spread trace or a spot of copper metal originally, when placing deionized water to clean this wafer, because of metallic aluminium and copper have different electromotive forces, a spot of copper on aluminum pad in the water and surface thereof has just formed the negative electrode and the anode of primary cell (Galvanic Cell) respectively, with water following reaction takes place:
Al+4OH
-→Al(OH)
4 -+3e;
Cu
2O+H
2O+2e→2Cu+2OH
-
This course of reaction has obviously been quickened the diffusion of copper to the aluminum pad surface.Fig. 2 is the device architecture profile after the washed with de-ionized water, as shown in Figure 2, because of the copper on aluminium surface (Cu group shown in Fig. 1 or Al-Cu group 110) has formed the two poles of the earth of primary cell with aluminium, quickened of the diffusion of lower floor's copper to the aluminum pad surface, make the interior cavity 204 of copper layer of lower floor further become big on the one hand, can cause the device electricity to lose efficacy when serious, the Cu or the Al-Cu group 210 that also have a large amount of black on the other hand appear at the aluminum pad surface, these Cu or Al-Cu group 210 can cause the switching performance variation between pad and lead-in wire, even the connection that can't go between, finally cause the decrease in yield of device.
At present, the situation for the bond pad surface that occurs after this cleaning worsens does not have good solution, for addressing this problem, wishes to propose a kind of wafer cleaning method new, that can not cause the bond pad surface deterioration.
Summary of the invention
The invention provides a kind of wafer cleaning method, this method can stop metallic aluminium and copper that the primary cell reaction takes place in water, improves the situation of the aluminum pad surface deterioration of cleaning the back appearance.
The cleaning method of a kind of wafer provided by the invention comprises step:
Deionized water is carried out the weak acid processing, form weakly acidic liquid;
Utilize described weakly acidic liquid that the wafer that the surface has formed pad is cleaned.
Wherein, deionized water is carried out the weak acid processing, forms weakly acidic liquid, comprise step:
Deionized water is fed in the mixed container;
In described mixed container, feed carbon dioxide;
Export described deionized water and described carbon dioxide by described mixed container and mix the weakly acidic liquid that forms.
Wherein, described mixed container is divided into upper and lower two-layer by molecular film, described carbon dioxide is fed by the gas access that is positioned at described mixed container upper strata, described deionized water is fed by the liquid inlet that is positioned at described mixed container lower floor, and the described deionized water that has dissolved in carbon dioxide is by the liquid outlet output that is positioned at described mixed container lower floor.And the preferred value of the flow of described carbon dioxide is between 1 to 5L/min, and the preferred value of the flow of described deionized water is between 10 to 50L/min.
Wherein, described mixed container is a bubbler.
Wherein, the weakly acidic liquid of described formation is to realize by add acidulous material in deionized water, and described acidulous material is carbonic acid or organic acid.
Wherein, described pad comprises aluminum metal, and described pad below comprises the copper metal.
Compared with prior art, the present invention has the following advantages:
Wafer cleaning method of the present invention when after forming pad wafer being cleaned, carries out the weak acid processing to the deionized water that is used to clean earlier, wafer is cleaned again.OH in the water
-Reduce because of this weak acid processing is a large amount of, can effectively stop metallic aluminium and copper that the primary cell reaction takes place in water, anti-sealing cleans aluminum pad surface, back and occurs worsening, the surface quality of aluminum pad and the welding quality of device have been improved, in addition, cleaning method of the present invention has also been avoided becoming the electric Problem of Failure that causes greatly, electrical property, reliability and the life-span of having improved device because of cavity in the copper connecting lines.
Wafer cleaning method of the present invention also has and realizes conveniently advantage simple to operate.
Embodiment
For above-mentioned purpose of the present invention, feature and advantage can be become apparent more, the specific embodiment of the present invention is described in detail below in conjunction with accompanying drawing.
Processing method of the present invention can be widely applied in many application; and can utilize many suitable material; be to be illustrated below by preferred embodiment; certainly the present invention is not limited to this specific embodiment, and the known general replacement of one of ordinary skilled in the art is encompassed in protection scope of the present invention far and away.
Secondly, the present invention utilizes schematic diagram to describe in detail, when the embodiment of the invention is described in detail in detail, for convenience of explanation, the profile of expression device architecture can be disobeyed general ratio and be done local the amplification, should be with this as limitation of the invention, in addition, in the making of reality, should comprise the three dimensions size of length, width and the degree of depth.
During semiconductor technology is made,, tend to cause a series of problem in the aluminium because of copper diffuses to when aluminium technology and process for copper being combined when wafer carried out metalized.Wafer cleaning method of the present invention is in order to solve copper and to diffuse to aluminum pad and adopting.In the semiconductor technology, behind the formation aluminum pad, need carry out the processing of attenuate, behind the attenuate,, need carry out water to wafer and clean in order to remove wafer residue residual on the wafer and to attach the bur residue that wafer is used to wafer.In this water cleaning process, if there is copper to diffuse in the aluminum pad, aluminium and its surperficial copper will form primary cell in deionized water, and quicken the diffusion of copper to the aluminium surface.For understanding the present invention better, below simply the phenomenon of copper to the aluminum pad diffusion described earlier.
Fig. 3 A to 3D is the device architecture profile of explanation copper to the aluminum pad diffusion phenomena.As shown in Figure 3A, adopt process for copper to make metal connecting line, normally utilize dual-damascene structure, in interlayer dielectric layer 301, form the groove and the through hole of dual-damascene structure earlier, in this groove and through hole, insert metallic copper 302 again; And after copper being carried out planarization and cleaning, at wafer surface deposition last layer etching stop layer 303, usually this layer can be formed by silicon nitride or carborundum dielectric materials layer, it is oxidized both can to have prevented that copper was exposed in the air, can in the etching of back, play the effect of etching stop layer again, prevent the copper metal of over etching damage lower floor.After forming etching stop layer 303, deposit one dielectric layer 304 and anti-reflecting layer 305 again.Then, just can carry out photoetching, etching to form bonding pad opening to wafer, this step etching should stop at etching stop layer 303 places, with the copper 302 of protection lower floor.But on the one hand because during wafer engraving, between the different zone of its device closeness and the etch rate between central area and the fringe region have than big difference; The situation of unanimity in uneven thickness also can appear in each layer of etching removal when deposition on the other hand, so regular meeting has the etching stop layer of the subregion on the wafer to be etched thinly excessively, even the situation of fine pore occurs.The appearance of this fine pore, can make in ashing that the copper of its lower floor carries out after etching, the cleaning process oxidizedly, this Cu oxide can be diffused out by the fine pore, forms grain defect 310 in the bottom of bonding pad opening, simultaneously, also can form cavity 311 in copper inside.
Fig. 3 B is the device profile schematic diagram after the etching removal stops layer, shown in Fig. 3 B, grain defect 310 and cavity 311 that the front forms in the bottom of bonding pad opening, can have influence on the normal removal of etching stop layer 303, after removing this layer, the grain defect of bonding pad opening bottom still can exist, even even more serious.
Fig. 3 C is the device profile schematic diagram behind the formation separator, shown in Fig. 3 C, because the existence of grain defect 310, when being formed for isolating the separator 330 (as TaN) of copper and aluminium, abnormal conditions have appearred near the separator the grain defect zone, have formed the weak spot of isolating.
Fig. 3 D is the device architecture profile after forming pad and carrying out the alloying high-temperature process, shown in Fig. 3 D, make and to carry out high temperature alloy behind the aluminum pad 341 when handling, have the weakness of more copper metal by separator 330 and diffuse in the aluminum pad, form Cu group or Al-Cu group 340.
Behind the alloy, need carry out the attenuate operation, in order to remove wafer residue residual on the wafer and to attach the bur residue that wafer is used, need carry out water to wafer and clean behind the attenuate wafer.And the Cu that the front forms in aluminum pad group or Al-Cu group 340 are when water cleans, the galvanic effect that can in water, occur because of copper and aluminium, and acceleration is to the diffusion on aluminum pad surface, this can cause the obvious variation of quality of connection of pad on the one hand, also can cause empty the change greatly in the copper metal on the other hand, thereby cause that the device electricity lost efficacy.
For preventing the generation of above-mentioned phenomenon; at first be to wish to stop the diffusion of copper metal in aluminium; as; for each layer uneven distribution of preventing to remove because of etching or zones of different etch rate difference make the phenomenon that produces the fine pore on the etching stop layer; can thicken the thickness of this etching stop layer; with the protective effect of reinforcement to lower floor's copper metal, as, adopted 300 to 500 originally
Silicon nitride layer be etching stop layer, can be changed to 600 to 1000 now
About, fact proved that it can effectively prevent to produce on the silicon nitride fine pore, reduce the diffusion probability of copper to aluminum pad.But,, increase the thickness that this layer have the etching stop layer of higher k value and be unfavorable for device performance for process for copper; In addition, above-described only is that a kind of copper that causes diffuses to situation in the aluminum pad, and copper diffuses to and also may cause because of variety of issues such as photoetching alignment deviation or etching undercuttings in the aluminium, therefore, effective method still adopts suitable cleaning method, stop copper and aluminium in water, to form primary cell, thereby prevent the further deterioration of copper spread condition in aluminum pad.
The cleaning method of wafer of the present invention, diffuse to aluminum pad at a little copper after, again wafer is carried out water when cleaning, the primary cell reaction can take place in metallic aluminium and copper in water, thereby causes the phenomenon that aluminum pad goes bad, and wafer cleaning process is improved.The present invention has carried out the weak acid processing to the deionized water that is used to clean, and has formed weakly acidic liquid, utilizes this faintly acid liquid that the wafer that the surface has formed pad is cleaned again.This method realizes simple, and is easy to operate, makes OH in the water because of adding weak acid
-The a large amount of minimizing, the situation that has effectively stoped copper to spread rapidly to aluminum pad.Simultaneously, used weakly acidic deionized water does not all have destructive effects to each structure on the wafer, so can not influence the performance of device yet.
To deionized weak acid processing multiple mode can be arranged in the cleaning method of wafer of the present invention, as: gas can be fed in the deionized water, utilize this gas to dissolve in and finish the weak acid processing in the water, for example in deionized water, feed carbon dioxide and form weakly acidic carbon acid solution.In addition, can also directly in deionized water, add acidulous material and make its weak acidization.No matter adopt which kind of method, will guarantee that all the solution of this weak acidization can be not influential to each structure on the wafer.In addition, for taking into account the OH in the not impaired and deionized water of device
-Reduction is enough, generally deionized water is being carried out in the process of weak acidization, employing all be the weak acid that can not cause damage to device architecture.
Weak acid processing among first embodiment of the cleaning method of wafer of the present invention, be that deionized water is fed in the mixed container, and in this mixed container, feed carbon dioxide, make carbon dioxide dissolve in the deionized water, dissolve in the deionized water of carbon dioxide again by this mixed container output, utilized the deionized water of this weak acidization that wafer is cleaned then.
Fig. 4 is the schematic diagram of explanation first embodiment of the invention, as shown in Figure 4, utilized a mixed container 400 in this step, should be divided into upper and lower two-layer by molecular film (Molecular Membrane) 403 by mixed container, wherein, carbon dioxide is fed by the gas access 401 that is positioned at mixed container upper strata, and deionized water is fed by the liquid inlet 402 that is positioned at mixed container lower floor.In the present embodiment, deionized water and CO in this mixed container
2Gas all flows, and wherein the flow velocity of CO2 can be arranged between 1 to 5L/min, as is 2L/min, and the flow velocity of deionized water can be arranged between 10 to 50L/min, as is 20L/min.Mix in the container process of flowing CO that mixed container feeds at the middle and upper levels at this CO2 and deionized water through being somebody's turn to do
2Gas permeation molecular film 403 has been added in the deionized water of lower floor, till saturated.At last, will dissolve in CO by the liquid outlet 404 that is positioned at mixed container lower floor
2The deionized water of gas exports in the clean container 405, and wafer is cleaned.Be placed with the wafer to be cleaned that forms pad in this clean container, feed in this clean container when wafer cleaned any in the cleaning way that to take to flow, the cleaning way of hydro-peening or the static cleaning way or several combinations at the weakly acidic liquid that will form previously.
In the present embodiment, deionized water is in mixed container 400 and CO
2After mixed, formed weakly acidic liquid, the pH value that records this liquid about about 3.2, the OH in it
-Content is about 1/1000 of pure deionized water, and the reaction rate between itself and copper, aluminum metal is about 10 of pure deionized water
-9To 10
-12Doubly, confirm this weakly acidic solution--dissolved in CO
2Deionized water, can prevent effectively that aluminium and copper from primary cell reaction taking place, and has also just stoped the further diffusion of copper to aluminum pad within it.
Second embodiment of the cleaning method of wafer of the present invention utilizes CO
2Gas dissolves in the liquid that obtains weak acidization in the deionized water, Fig. 5 is the schematic diagram of explanation second embodiment of the invention, as shown in Figure 5, used mixed container and a last embodiment's is different in the present embodiment, it only is made up of the container 502 and the gas inlet pipe 501 that are used to hold deionized water, can be realized by general bubbler.In the present embodiment, made the liquid of weak acidization for clean wafers earlier, deionized water has been contained in the container 502, again with CO
2Feed in the deionized water CO that in deionization, dissolves by gas inlet pipe 501
2Reach capacity, stop to feed CO
2, finish the weak acid processing of deionized water, then, utilize the liquid of this weak acidization that the wafer that forms pad is cleaned again.The cleaning method of used wafer in the present embodiment can reduce the OH that cleans used liquid equally
-Content reaches the purpose of prevention copper to the further diffusion of aluminum pad.
The 3rd embodiment of the cleaning method of wafer of the present invention by directly add acidulous material in deionized water, realizes the weak acid processing to deionized water.In the present embodiment, in deionized water, directly added a spot of weak acid, as carbonic acid, or a kind of in the organic acids such as citric acid, formic acid, acetate, malic acid, to reduce the OH in the deionized water
-Content.And then, can effectively stop the diffusion of copper in aluminum pad equally with the solution clean wafers of this weak acidization, realize improving the purpose of pad quality.Attention during mode, will guarantee that equally the deionized water after the weak acidization can not react with device in adopting present embodiment, impaired to prevent device.
Though the present invention with preferred embodiment openly as above; but it is not to be used for limiting the present invention; any those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention; can make possible change and modification, so protection scope of the present invention should be as the criterion with the scope that claim of the present invention was defined.