Coating processes – Measuring – testing – or indicating – Thickness or uniformity of thickness determined
Patent
1983-07-28
1985-04-30
Smith, John D.
Coating processes
Measuring, testing, or indicating
Thickness or uniformity of thickness determined
204 1T, 156627, 430 30, 29574, B05D 512
Patent
active
045144362
ABSTRACT:
A production control process includes a method of highlighting pinholes in a surface layer (37), such as a photoresist layer, of an article (31), such as a semiconductor wafer. The photoresist typically covers a dielectric base layer, such as an oxide layer (28). After a typical photoresist application, a typical test wafer (31) is submitted to an etching operation wherein pinhole sized defects in the photoresist layer (37) cause like defects to be etched through the underlying oxide layer (28). Thereafter, the wafer is submitted to an electrolytic treatment step, wherein the preferred process involves treating a positive photoresist in an alcohol with the wafer being cathodically coupled into the treating circuit. Activating light can be used simultaneously with the treatment. As an alternative, the photoresist is exposed prior to the electrolytic treatment of the wafer. During the electrolytic treatment the electrolytic fluid is activated in the immediate area of pinholes to act on the photoresist and dissolve the photoresist immediately about each of the pinholes. The resulting enlarged areas (46) of missing photoresist about each of the pinholes are readily recognized by visual inspection of the wafer (31) at the conclusion of the electrolytic treatment.
REFERENCES:
patent: 3379625 (1968-04-01), Csabi
patent: 3518131 (1970-06-01), Glendinning
patent: 3530045 (1970-09-01), Alburger
patent: 4125440 (1978-11-01), Markovits
patent: 4180439 (1979-12-01), Deines et al.
"Detecting Pinholes," IBM Technical Disclosure Bulletin, R. Auyang et al., vol. 12, No. 9, Feb. 1970.
"Metal Deposition Technique for Pinhole Analysis in Solid Dielectrics," IBM Technical Disclosure Bulletin, J. S. Lechaton et al., vol. 19, No. 9, Feb. 1977.
AT&T - Technologies, Inc.
Jaconetty K.
Schellin W. O.
Smith John D.
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