Boron ionization for aluminum oxide etch enhancement

• Main Authors: YU SANG HO, PARK KIE JIN, MORI GLEN T, COLLINS JOSHUA, WU KAI
• Format: Patent
• Language: English
• Published: 09.06.2015
• Subjects: BASIC ELECTRIC ELEMENTS; CHEMICAL SURFACE TREATMENT; CHEMISTRY; CLEANING OR DEGREASING OF METALLIC MATERIAL BY CHEMICALMETHODS OTHER THAN ELECTROLYSIS; COATING BY VACUUM EVAPORATION, BY SPUTTERING, BY ION IMPLANTATIONOR BY CHEMICAL VAPOUR DEPOSITION, IN GENERAL; COATING MATERIAL WITH METALLIC MATERIAL; COATING METALLIC MATERIAL; DECORATIVE ARTS; DIFFUSION TREATMENT OF METALLIC MATERIAL; ELECTRIC DISCHARGE TUBES OR DISCHARGE LAMPS; ELECTRIC SOLID STATE DEVICES NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR; ELECTRICITY; INHIBITING CORROSION OF METALLIC MATERIAL OR INCRUSTATION INGENERAL; METALLURGY; MOSAICS; MULTI-STEP PROCESSES FOR SURFACE TREATMENT OF METALLICMATERIAL INVOLVING AT LEAST ONE PROCESS PROVIDED FOR IN CLASSC23 AND AT LEAST ONEPROCESS COVERED BY SUBCLASS C21D OR C22F OR CLASS C25; NON-MECHANICAL REMOVAL OF METALLIC MATERIAL FROM SURFACE; PAPERHANGING; PERFORMING OPERATIONS; PRODUCING DECORATIVE EFFECTS; SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICES; TARSIA WORK; TRANSPORTING

Embodiments described herein generally provide a method for performing a semiconductor precleaning process. More specifically, embodiments provided herein relate to boron ionization for aluminum oxide etch enhancement. A process for removing native oxide from aluminum may utilize ionized boron alone or in combination with a halogen plasma. The ionized boron may provide improved aluminum oxide etching properties while being highly selective for native oxides more generally.