CMOS chemical bath purification

Details CMOS chemical bath purification CMOS chemical bath purification

2000-01-25

2001-12-25

Phasge, Arun S. (Department: 1741)

Electrolysis: processes, compositions used therein, and methods

Electrolytic material treatment

Removing metal

C205S574000, C204S275100, C204S276000

Reexamination Certificate

active

06332973

ABSTRACT:

FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates generally to semiconductor devices and their fabrication and, more particularly, to semiconductor devices and their manufacture involving techniques for the purification of copper-contaminated chemical baths used in CMOS processing.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The semiconductor industry has recently experienced technological advances that have permitted dramatic increases in circuit density and complexity, and equally dramatic decreases in power consumption and package sizes. Present semiconductor technology now permits single-chip microprocessors with many millions of transistors, operating at speeds of hundreds of millions of instructions per second, to be packaged in relatively small, air-cooled semiconductor device packages. Related to the technological advances in the semiconductor industry is a corresponding growth in the use of such technology in virtually every aspect of the economy. This widespread growth has led to a demand for heightened production of semiconductor devices having increasingly complex architecture, as well as a heightened demand for providing access to such technologies for a large portion of the general public at an affordable price.
The increasing demand for products utilizing semiconductor technology has resulted in increased competition among manufacturers of semiconductor products. One of the biggest challenges to semiconductor manufacturers includes the production of reliable, complex devices while keeping costs at a marketable or even reduced level. As technology advances and architecture becomes more complex, the manufacturing processes for semiconductor devices and integrated circuits increase in difficulty. The increase in difficulty is accompanied by increased time and value put into the manufacture of the devices. The ability to achieve the manufacture of such devices in an efficient and cost-effective manner is paramount to the success of any semiconductor device manufacturer and to the promulgation of products employing new technologies at an affordable price.
One semiconductor manufacturing system that is typically used in semiconductor processing, such as for CMOS devices, is a wet chemical bath. One problem associated with wet chemical baths is the copper cross-contamination of the wet chemical equipment. Copper existing in the wet chemical solution tends to contaminate the tools, often requiring redundant tool sets. The requirement of redundant tool sets increases the cost of the manufacturing process. The difficulty, cost, and destructive aspects of existing methods for CMOS wet chemical processing are impediments to the growth and improvement of semiconductor technologies.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention is directed to a method and system for cleaning chemical baths used in semiconductor processing, and is exemplified in a number of implementations and applications, some of which are summarized below.
According to an example embodiment of the present invention, copper-contaminated wet chemical bath solution is cleaned by plating out the copper from the solution in an electrowinning arrangement. The solution is passed from the chemical bath over a powered cathode and anode. The powered cathode and anode plate out the copper from the solution, and the solution is returned to the chemical bath. In this manner, cross-contamination of equipment used in wet chemical baths is reduced or even eliminated, reducing or eliminating the need for redundant tool sets.
The above summary of the present invention is not intended to describe each illustrated embodiment or every implementation of the present invention. The figures and detailed description which follow more particularly exemplify these embodiments.


REFERENCES:
patent: 4187166 (1980-02-01), Kruper
patent: 4595451 (1986-06-01), Holzer
patent: 355049187 (1980-04-01), None

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