Compositions and methods for the selective removal of silicon nitride

• Main Authors: SPARKS EILEEN R, YANDERS KEVIN P, BOWERS WILLIAM R, BISCOTTO MARK A, COOPER EMANUEL I, KORZENSKI MICHAEL B, THOMAS NICOLE E, SONTHALIA PRERNA
• Format: Patent
• Language: English
• Published: 15.07.2014
• Subjects: ACCESSORIES, CLOSURES, OR FITTINGS THEREFOR; ADHESIVES; APPARATUS SPECIALLY ADAPTED THEREFOR; BASIC ELECTRIC ELEMENTS; CHEMICAL COMPOSITION OF GLASSES, GLAZES, OR VITREOUSENAMELS; CHEMISTRY; CINEMATOGRAPHY; CONTAINERS FOR STORAGE OR TRANSPORT OF ARTICLES OR MATERIALS,e.g. BAGS, BARRELS, BOTTLES, BOXES, CANS, CARTONS, CRATES,DRUMS, JARS, TANKS, HOPPERS, FORWARDING CONTAINERS; CONVEYING; DYES; ELECTRIC SOLID STATE DEVICES NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR; ELECTRICITY; ELECTROGRAPHY; GLASS; HANDLING THIN OR FILAMENTARY MATERIAL; HOLOGRAPHY; JOINING GLASS TO GLASS OR OTHER MATERIALS; MATERIALS FOR MISCELLANEOUS APPLICATIONS, NOT PROVIDED FORELSEWHERE; MATERIALS THEREFOR; METALLURGY; MINERAL OR SLAG WOOL; MISCELLANEOUS APPLICATIONS OF MATERIALS; MISCELLANEOUS COMPOSITIONS; NATURAL RESINS; ORIGINALS THEREFOR; PACKAGES; PACKAGING ELEMENTS; PACKING; PAINTS; PERFORMING OPERATIONS; PHOTOGRAPHY; PHOTOMECHANICAL PRODUCTION OF TEXTURED OR PATTERNED SURFACES,e.g. FOR PRINTING, FOR PROCESSING OF SEMICONDUCTORDEVICES; PHYSICS; POLISHES; SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICES; STORING; SURFACE TREATMENT OF FIBRES OR FILAMENTS MADE FROM GLASS,MINERALS OR SLAGS; SURFACE TREATMENT OF GLASS; TRANSPORTING

Compositions useful for the selective removal of silicon nitride materials relative to poly-silicon, silicon oxide materials and/or silicide materials from a microelectronic device having same thereon. The removal compositions include fluorosilicic acid, silicic acid, and at least one organic solvent. Typical process temperatures are less than about 100° C. and typical selectivity for nitride versus oxide etch is about 200:1 to about 2000:1. Under typical process conditions, nickel-based silicides as well as titanium and tantalum nitrides are largely unaffected, and polysilicon etch rates are less than about 1 min−1.