Effect of the Hydrophilic-Lipophilic Balance (HLB) of Surfactants Included in the Post-CMP Cleaning Chemicals on Porous SiOC Direct CMP

Abstract

To reduce the effective k-value for the 45-nm node, direct CMP of a porous SiOC film without a protective cap layer is required. The hydrophilic-lipophilic balance (HLB) of a surfactant included in the post-CMP cleaning chemical was found to be a parameter that determines SiOC film damage and cleaning ability after direct CMP. To suppress the k-value increase and watermark generation, we need to reduce the chemical and mechanical stress of the barrier metal CMP slurry and brush scrub cleaning. Moreover, IPA (or glycolether) cleaning and H2/He remote plasma treatment are an effective restoring treatment after direct CMP.