Process for the use of bis-choline and tris-choline in the cleaning of quartz-coated polysilicon and other materials

• US 7,135,445 B2
• Filed: 10/22/2003
• Issued: 11/14/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 12/04/2001
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: EKC Technology, Inc (DuPont de Nemours, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: EKC Technology, Inc (DuPont de Nemours, Inc.)
• Inventors: Charm, Richard William, Zhou, De-Ling, Small, Robert J., Lee, Shihying
• Primary Examiner(s): WEBB, GREGORY E
• Application Number:
  US10/689,657
• Publication Number:
  US 20040147421A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,119 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 510/175
• CPC Class Codes: C11D 2111/22 Electronic devices, e.g. PCBs or semiconductors
• CPC Class Codes: C11D 7/3218 Alkanolamines or alkanolimines
• CPC Class Codes: C11D 7/3281 Heterocyclic compounds
• CPC Class Codes: C11D 7/34 containing sulfur
• CPC Class Codes: G03F 7/425 containing mineral alkaline compounds; containing organic basic compounds, e.g. quaternary ammonium compounds; containing heterocyclic basic compounds containing nitrogen
• CPC Class Codes: G03F 7/426 containing organic halogen compounds; containing organic sulfonic acids or salts thereof; containing sulfoxides

Abstract

A new cleaning chemistry based on bis-choline and tris-choline compounds, such as their hydroxides, is provided in order to address the removal of photoresist and flux while minimizing any etching of the substrate.

Claims

1. A cleaning or photoresist stripping composition comprising:

(a) from about 5% to about 50% by weight of a polar aprotic nitrogen-containing solvent having a dipole moment of more than about 3.5;

(b) from about 0.2% to about 20% by weight of a compound selected from the group consisting of a hydroxide and/or salt of bis-(2-hydroxy-ethyl)-dimethyl ammonium, a hydroxide and/or salt of tris-(2-hydroxy-ethyl)-methyl ammonium, and a mixture thereof; and

(c) from about 50% to about 94% by weight of a sulfur-containing solvent selected from the group consisting of a sulfoxide, a sulfone, and a mixture thereof, wherein the composition is substantially free of hydroxylamine.

2. The composition of claim 1, wherein the polar aprotic nitrogen-containing solvent comprises N methyl 2 pyrrolidone.

3. The composition of claim 1, wherein the polar aprotic nitrogen-containing solvent is present in an amount from about 15% to about 35% by weight.

4. The composition of claim 3, wherein the polar aprotic nitrogen-containing solvent is present in an amount from about 20% to about 30% by weight.

5. The composition of claim 4, wherein the polar aprotic nitrogen-containing solvent is present in an amount from about 24% to about 26% by weight.

6. The composition of claim 1, wherein the hydroxide and/or salt of bis-(2-hydroxy-ethyl)-dimethyl ammonium, a hydroxide and/or salt of tris-(2-hydroxy-ethyl)-methyl ammonium, or mixture thereof is present in an amount from about 0.5% to about 10% by weight.

7. The composition of claim 6, wherein the hydroxide and/or salt of bis-(2-hydroxy-ethyl)-dimethyl ammonium, a hydroxide and/or salt of tris-(2-hydroxy-ethyl)-methyl ammonium, or mixture thereof is present in an amount from about 1% to about 5% by weight.

8. The composition of claim 7, wherein the hydroxide and/or salt of bis-(2-hydroxy-ethyl)-dimethyl ammonium, a hydroxide and/or salt of tris-(2-hydroxy-ethyl)-methyl ammonium, or mixture thereof is present in an amount from about 1% to about 3% by weight.

9. The composition of claim 1, wherein the sulfur-containing solvent comprises dimethyl sulfoxide, methyl sulfoxide, or a mixture thereof.

10. The composition of claim 9, wherein the sulfur-containing solvent is present in an amount from about 60% to about 84% by weight.

11. The composition of claim 10, wherein the sulfur-containing solvent is present in an amount from about 66% to about 76% by weight.

12. The composition of claim 11, wherein the sulfur-containing solvent is present in an amount from about 70% to about 72% by weight.

13. The composition of claim 1, which is further substantially free of water.

14. The composition of claim 1, which is further substantially free of one or more of the following:

additional amines, additional corrosion inhibitors, additional chelating agents, additional surfactants, additional organic solvents, additional acids, and additional bases.

15. The composition of claim 1, further comprising up to about 10% by weight of water.

25. The composition of claim 1 comprising from about 0.2% to about 20% by weight of a hydroxide or salt of bis-(2-hydroxy-ethyl)-dimethyl ammonium and further comprising 2-(2-aminoethylamino)ethanol.

26. The composition of claim 1 further comprising 2-(2-aminoethylamino)ethanol.

16. A cleaning or photoresist stripping composition consisting essentially of:

(a) from about 5% to about 50% by weight of a polar aprotic nitrogen-containing solvent having a dipole moment of more than about 3.5;

(b) from about 0.2% to about 20% by weight of a choline derivative selected from the group consisting of a bis-choline salt, a tris-choline salt, and a mixture thereof; and

(c) from about 50% to about 94% by weight of a sulfur-containing solvent selected from the group consisting of a sulfoxide, a sulfone, and a mixture thereof.

17. The composition of claim 16, wherein the polar aprotic nitrogen-containing solvent comprises N-methyl-2-pyrrolidone.

18. The composition of claim 16, wherein the polar aprotic nitrogen-containing solvent is present in an amount from about 15% to about 35% by weight.

19. The composition of claim 18, wherein the polar aprotic nitrogen-containing solvent is present in an amount from about 20% to about 30% by weight.

20. The composition of claim 16, wherein the choline derivative is present in an amount from about 0.5% to about 10% by weight.

21. The composition of claim 20, wherein the choline derivative is present in an amount from about 1% to about 5% by weight.

22. The composition of claim 16, wherein the sulfur-containing solvent comprises dimethyl sulfoxide, methyl sulfoxide, or a mixture thereof.

23. The composition of claim 22, wherein the sulfur-containing solvent is present in an amount from about 60% to about 84% by weight.

24. The composition of claim 23, wherein the sulfur-containing solvent is present in an amount from about 66% to about 76% by weight.

27. The composition of claim 16 comprising from about 0.2% to about 20% by weight of a hydroxide or salt of bis-(2-hydroxy-ethyl)-dimethyl ammonium.