Methods for coating a substrate with an amphiphilic compound

• US 8,535,972 B2
• Filed: 07/11/2008
• Issued: 09/17/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 07/13/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Intermolecular Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Intermolecular Incorporated
• Inventors: Fresco, Zachary M., Lang, Chi-I, Tong, Jinhong, Duong, Anh, Kumar, Nitin, Tsimelzon, Anna, Chiang, Tony
• Primary Examiner(s): CHEN, JACK S J
• Application Number:
  US12/172,110
• Publication Number:
  US 20090014846A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,894 Days
• Field of Search: 438/99, 438/778, 438/780, 438/790, 257/E21.259
• US Class Current: 438/99
• CPC Class Codes: C09D 129/04 Polyvinyl alcohol; Partially hydrolysed homopolymers or copolymers of esters of unsaturated alcohols with saturated carboxylic acids
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/02063 the processing being the formation of vias or contact holes
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/02074 the processing being a planarization of conductive layers
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/3105 After-treatment
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/31058 of organic layers
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/76814 post-treatment or after-treatment, e.g. cleaning or removal of oxides on underlying conductors
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/7682 the dielectric comprising air gaps
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/76826 by contacting the layer with gases, liquids or plasmas
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/76829 characterised by the formation of thin functional dielectric layers, e.g. dielectric etch-stop, barrier, capping or liner layers
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2221/1063 Sacrificial or temporary thin dielectric films in openings in a dielectric
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 23/5329 Insulating materials
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/00 Indexing scheme for arrangements or methods for connecting or disconnecting semiconductor or solid-state bodies as covered by H01L24/00
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/0002 Not covered by any one of groups H01L24/00, H01L24/00 and H01L2224/00

Abstract

Methods of modifying a patterned semiconductor substrate are presented including: providing a patterned semiconductor substrate surface including a dielectric region and a conductive region; and applying an amphiphilic surface modifier to the dielectric region to modify the dielectric region. In some embodiments, modifying the dielectric region includes modifying a wetting angle of the dielectric region. In some embodiments, modifying the wetting angle includes making a surface of the dielectric region hydrophilic. In some embodiments, methods further include applying an aqueous solution to the patterned semiconductor substrate surface. In some embodiments, the conductive region is selectively enhanced by the aqueous solution. In some embodiments, methods further include providing the dielectric region formed of a low-k dielectric material. In some embodiments, applying the amphiphilic surface modifier modifies an interaction of the low-k dielectric region with a subsequent process.

Claims

1. A method of modifying a patterned semiconductor substrate, comprising:

providing a patterned semiconductor substrate surface comprising a dielectric region and a conductive region; and

applying a polyvinyl alcohol (PVA)-based surface modifier to the dielectric region to modify the dielectric region.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein modifying the dielectric region comprises modifying a wetting angle of the dielectric region.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein modifying the wetting angle comprises making a surface of the dielectric region hydrophilic.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising applying an aqueous solution to the patterned semiconductor substrate surface after applying the polyvinyl alcohol (PVA)-based surface modifier.

5. The method of claim 4 wherein the polyvinyl alcohol (PVA)-based surface modifier enables the conductive region to be selectively enhanced by the aqueous solution.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising providing the dielectric region formed of a low-k dielectric material.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein applying the polyvinyl alcohol (PVA)-based surface modifier modifies an interaction of the low-k dielectric material with a subsequent process.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the subsequent process is a process selected from the group consisting of:

an electrochemical deposition process, a cleaning process, a pre-chemical mechanical planarization (CMP) cleaning process, a post-CMP cleaning process, a via cleaning process, a contact cleaning process, a trench cleaning process, a metallization process, and an electroless (e-less) deposition process.

9. The method of claim 7 wherein the subsequent process is an e-less deposition process utilized to deposit a capping layer selected from the group consisting of:

a Pt layer, a Co layer, a Ni layer, a CoWB layer, a CoWPB layer, and a CoWP layer on the conductive regions.

10. The method of claim 6, wherein applying the polyvinyl alcohol (PVA)-based surface modifier prevents reduction of a dielectric constant of the low-k dielectric material during a subsequent processing.

11. The method of claim 6, wherein applying the polyvinyl alcohol (PVA)-based surface modifier modifies the low-k dielectric material by blocking the pores of the low-k dielectric material.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein the polyvinyl alcohol (PVA)-based surface modifier is not subsequently removed from the dielectric region.

13. The method of claim 1, further comprising cross-linking the polyvinyl alcohol (PVA)-based surface modifier after applying the polyvinyl alcohol (PVA)-based surface modifier.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein cross-linking the polyvinyl alcohol (PVA)-based surface modifier proceeds through a modification selected from the group consisting of:

a chemical modification and a non-chemical modification.

15. The method of claim 4, further comprising removing the polyvinyl alcohol (PVA)-based surface modifier from the surface of the patterned semiconductor substrate after applying the aqueous solution.