CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION

The present application claims priority to U.S. Provisional Application Serial No. 62/799,079, filed on January 31 , 2019, the contents of which are hereby incorporated by reference in their entirety.

FIELD OF THE DISCLOSURE

The present disclosure relates to etching compositions and processes of using etching compositions. In particular, the present disclosure relates to etching

compositions that can selectively etch titanium nitride (TiN) without substantially forming a passive layer over the etched substrate.

BACKGROUND OF THE DISCLOSURE

The semiconductor industry is rapidly decreasing the dimensions and increasing the density of electronic circuitry and electronic components in microelectronic devices, silicon chips, liquid crystal displays, MEMS (Micro Electro Mechanical Systems), printed wiring boards, and the like. The integrated circuits within them are being layered or stacked with constantly decreasing thicknesses of the insulating layer between each circuitry layer and smaller and smaller feature sizes. As the feature sizes have shrunk, patterns have become smaller, and device performance parameters tighter and more robust. As a result, various issues which heretofore could be tolerated, can no longer be tolerated or have become more of an issue due to the smaller feature size.

In the production of advanced integrated circuits, to minimize problems

associated with the higher density and to optimize performance, both high k and low k insulators, and assorted barrier layer materials have been employed.

Titanium nitride (TiN) is utilized for semiconductor devices, liquid crystal displays, MEMS (Micro Electro Mechanical Systems), printed wiring boards and the like, and as ground layers and cap layers for precious metal, aluminum (Al) and copper (Cu) wiring. In semiconductor devices, it may be used as a barrier metal, a hard mask, or a gate metal. In the construction of devices for these applications, TiN frequently needs to be etched. In the various types of uses and device environments of TiN, other layers are in contact with or otherwise exposed at the same time as the TiN is etched. Highly selective etching of the TiN in the presence of these other materials (e.g. metal conductors, dielectric, and hard marks) is mandatory for device yield and long life.

SUMMARY OF THE DISCLOSURE

The present disclosure is based on the unexpected discovery that certain etching compositions can selectively etch TiN without forming a CoOx hydroxide layer on a Co layer in the semiconductor device, thereby enabling a subsequent Co etch without delay.

In one aspect, the disclosure features an etching composition that includes 1 ) at least one oxidizing agent; 2) at least one unsaturated carboxylic acid; 3) at least one metal corrosion inhibitor; and 4) water.

In another aspect, the disclosure features a method that includes

contacting a semiconductor substrate containing a TiN feature with an etching composition described herein to remove the TiN feature.

In still another aspect, the disclosure features an article formed by the method described above, in which the article is a semiconductor device (e.g., an integrated circuit).

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE DISCLOSURE

As defined herein, unless otherwise noted, all percentages expressed should be understood to be percentages by weight to the total weight of the composition. Unless otherwise noted, ambient temperature is defined to be between about 16 and about 27 degrees Celsius (°C).

As defined herein, a“water-soluble” substance (e.g., a water-soluble alcohol, ketone, ester, ether, and the like) refers to a substance having a solubility of at least 0.5% by weight (e.g., at least 1 % by weight or at least 5% by weight) in water at 25°C.

Tautomerization is herein defined as the formal migration of a hydrogen atom or proton accompanied by a switch of a single and an adjacent double bond. The mention, description, or claim of triazole compounds also includes the tautomers of the triazole compounds due to the low activation energy for tautomerization in the triazole ring system.

In general, the disclosure features an etching composition (e.g., an etching composition for selectively removing TiN) that includes 1 ) at least one oxidizing agent;

2) at least one unsaturated carboxylic acid; 3) at least one metal corrosion inhibitor; and 4) water.

The etching composition of this disclosure can include at least one (e.g., two, three, or four) oxidizing agent suitable for use in microelectronic applications. Examples of suitable oxidizing agents include, but are not limited to, oxidizing acids or salts thereof (e.g., nitric acid, permanganic acid, or potassium permanganate), peroxides (e.g., hydrogen peroxide, dialkylperoxides, urea hydrogen peroxide), persulfonic acid (e.g., hexafluoropropanepersulfonic acid, methanepersulfonic acid,

trifluoromethanepersulfonic acid, or p-toluenepersulfonic acid) and salts thereof, ozone, percarbonic acids (e.g., peracetic acid) and salts thereof, perphosphoric acid and salts thereof, persulfuric acid and salts thereof (e.g., ammonium persulfate or

tetramethylammonium persulfate), perchloric acid and salts thereof (e.g., ammonium perchlorate, sodium perchlorate, or tetramethylammonium perchlorate)), and periodic acid and salts thereof (e.g., periodic acid, ammonium periodate, or tetramethylammonium periodate). These oxidizing agents can be used singly or in combination.

In some embodiments, the at least one oxidizing agent can be from at least about 0.5% by weight (e.g., at least about 0.6% by weight, at least about 0.8% by weight, at least about 1 % by weight, at least about 1.2% by weight, at least about 1.4% by weight, at least about 1.5% by weight, at least about 1.6% by weight, at least about 1.8% by weight, at least about 2% by weight, or at least about 3% by weight) to at most about 20% by weight (e.g., at most about 18 wt%, at most about 16 wt%, at most about 15 wt%, at most about 14 wt%, at most about 12 wt%, at most about 10 wt%, or at most about 8 wt%) of the total weight of the etching composition of this disclosure. Without wishing to be bound by theory, it is believed that the oxidizing agent can facilitate and enhance the removal of TiN on a semiconductor substrate (e.g., by forming a TiOx type material that can be dissolved in the etching composition). Further, without wishing to be bound by theory, it is believed that the oxidizing agent may form an oxidized layer (e.g., CoOx) on the exposed metal (e.g., Co) in the semiconductor substrate.

In general, the etching composition of this disclosure can include at least one (e.g., two, three, or four) unsaturated carboxylic acid. In some embodiments, the unsaturated carboxylic acid can include one or more (e.g., two or three) carbon-carbon double or triple bonds and/or one or more (e.g., two or three) carboxylic acid groups. In some embodiments, the unsaturated carboxylic acid can be non-aromatic and/or non- cyclic (e.g., without a ring structure). For example, the unsaturated carboxylic acid can include crotonic acid, maleic acid, fumaric acid, propenoic acid, 3-pentenoic acid, 5- hexenoic acid, 6-heptenoic acid, 7-octenoic acid, 8-nonenoic acid, or 9-undecylenic acid.

In some embodiments, the at least one unsaturated carboxylic acid can be from at least about 50 ppm or about 0.005% by weight (e.g., at least about 0.01 % by weight, at least about 0.02% by weight, at least about 0.05% by weight, at least about 0.1 % by weight, at least about 0.2% by weight, or at least about 0.5% by weight) to at most about 3% by weight (e.g., at most about 2.5 wt%, at most about 2 wt%, at most about 1.5 wt%, at most about 1 wt%, at most about 0.8 wt%, or at most about 0.5 wt%) of total weight of the etching composition of this disclosure. Without wishing to be bound by theory, it is believed that the unsaturated carboxylic acid can minimize or prevent formation of a passive CoOx hydroxide layer on a CoOx layer in a semiconductor substrate.

In general, the etching composition of this disclosure can include at least one (e.g., two, three, or four) metal corrosion inhibitor. Examples of corrosion inhibitors include substituted or unsubstituted azole compounds, such as triazole compounds, imidazole compounds and tetrazole compounds. Triazole compounds can include triazole, benzotriazole, substituted triazole, and substituted benzotriazole. Examples of triazole compounds include, but are not limited to, 1 ,2,4-triazole, 1 ,2,3-triazole, or triazoles substituted with substituents such as C-i-Cs alkyl (e.g., 5-methyltriazole), amino, thiol, mercapto, imino, carboxy and nitro groups. Specific examples include tolyltriazole, 5-methyl-1 ,2,4-triazole, 3-amino-5- mercapto-1 ,2,4-triazole, 1 -amino-1 ,2,4- triazole, 1 -amino-1 ,2,3-triazole, 1 -amino-5-methyl-1 ,2,3-triazole, 3-amino-1 ,2,4-triazole, 3-mercapto-1 ,2,4-triazole, 3-isopropyl-1 ,2,4-triazole, and the like.

In some embodiments, the at least one metal corrosion inhibitor can include a benzotriazole optionally substituted by at least one substituent selected from the group consisting of alkyl groups, aryl groups, halogen groups, amino groups, nitro groups, alkoxy groups, and hydroxyl groups. Examples include benzotriazole, 5- aminobenzotriazole, hydroxybenzotriazoles (e.g., 1 -hydroxybenzotriazole), 5- phenylthiol-benzotriazole, halo-benzotriazoles (halo = F, Cl, Br or I) (such as 5- chlorobenzotriazole, 4-chlorobenzotriazole, 5-bromobenzotriazole, 4- bromobenzotriazole, 5-fluorobenzotriazole, and 4-fluorobenzotriazole), naphthotriazole, tolyltriazole, 5-phenyl-benzotriazole, 5-nitrobenzotriazole, 4-nitrobenzotriazole, 3-amino- 5-mercapto-1 ,2,4-triazole, 2-(5-amino-pentyl)-benzotriazole, 1 -amino-benzotriazole, 5- methyl-1 H-benzotriazole, benzotriazole-5-carboxylic acid, 4-methylbenzotriazole, 4- ethylbenzotriazole, 5-ethylbenzotriazole, 4-propylbenzotriazole, 5-propylbenzotriazole, 4-isopropylbenzotriazole, 5-isopropylbenzotriazole, 4-n-butylbenzotriazole, 5-n- butylbenzotriazole, 4-isobutylbenzotriazole, 5-isobutylbenzotriazole, 4- pentylbenzotriazole, 5-pentylbenzotriazole, 4-hexylbenzotriazole, 5-hexylbenzotriazole,

5-methoxybenzotriazole, 5-hydroxybenzotriazole, dihydroxypropylbenzotriazole, 1 -[N,N- bis(2-ethylhexyl)aminomethyl]-benzotriazole, 5-t-butyl benzotriazole, 5-(1 1

diimethylpropyl)-benzotriazole, 5-(1 1 ',3'-trimethylbutyl)benzotriazole, 5-n-octyl benzotriazole, and 5-(1 1 ',3',3'-tetramethylbutyl)benzotriazole.

Examples of imidazole compounds include, but are not limited to, 2-alkyl-4- methyl imidazole, 2-phenyl-4-alkyl imidazole, 2-methyl-4(5)-nitroimidazole, 5-methyl-4- nitroimidazole, 4-lmidazolemethanol hydrochloride, and 2-mercapto-1 -methylimidazole.

Examples of tetrazole compounds include 1 -H-tetrazole, 5-methyl-1 H-tetrazole, 5-phenyl-1 H-tetrazole, 5-amino-1 H-tetrazole, 1 -phenyl-5-mercapto-1 H-tetrazole, 5,5'-bis- 1 H-tetrazole, 1 -methyl-5-ethyltetrazole, 1 -methyl-5-mercaptotetrazole, 1 -carboxymethyl- 5-mercaptotetrazole, and the like.

In some embodiments, the at least one metal corrosion inhibitor can be from at least about 50 ppm or about 0.005% by weight (e.g., at least about 0.01 % by weight, at least about 0.02% by weight, at least about 0.05% by weight, at least about 0.1 % by weight, at least about 0.2% by weight, or at least about 0.5% by weight) to at most about 3% by weight (e.g., at most about 2.5 wt%, at most about 2 wt%, at most about 1 .5 wt%, at most about 1 wt%, at most about 0.8 wt%, or at most about 0.5 wt%) of total weight of the etching composition of this disclosure.

In general, the etching composition of this disclosure can include water as a solvent. In some embodiments, the water can be de-ionized and ultra-pure, contain no organic contaminants and have a minimum resistivity of about 4 to about 17 mega Ohms, or at least about 17 mega Ohms. In some embodiments, the water is in an amount of from at least about 60 wt% (e.g., at least about 65% by weight, at least about 70% by weight, at least about 75% by weight, at least about 80% by weight, at least about 85% by weight, at least about 90% by weight, or at least about 95% by weight) to at most about 98 wt% (e.g., at most about 97 wt%, at most about 95 wt%, at most about 90 wt%, at most about 85 wt%, at most about 80 wt%, at most about 75 wt%, or at most about 70 wt%) of the etching composition. Without wishing to be bound by theory, it is believed that, if the amount of water is greater than 98 wt% of the composition, it would adversely impact the TiN etch rate, and reduce its removal during the etching process. On the other hand, without wishing to be bound by theory, it is believed that the etching composition of this disclosure should include a certain level of water (e.g., at least about 60 wt%) to keep all other components solubilized and to avoid reduction in the etching performance.

In some embodiments, the etching composition of this disclosure can optionally further include at least one (e.g., two, three, or four) organic solvent. The organic solvent can be selected from the group consisting of water soluble alcohols, water soluble ketones, water soluble esters, and water soluble ethers.

Classes of water soluble alcohols include, but are not limited to, alkane diols (including, but not limited to, alkylene glycols), glycols, alkoxyalcohols (including, but not limited to, glycol monoethers), saturated aliphatic monohydric alcohols, unsaturated non-aromatic monohydric alcohols, and low molecular weight alcohols containing a ring structure.

Examples of water soluble alkane diols includes, but are not limited to, 2-methyl- 1 ,3-propanediol, 1 ,3-propanediol, 2,2-dimethyl-1 ,3-diol, 1 ,4-butanediol, 1 ,3-butanediol,

1 ,2-butanediol, 2,3-butanediol, pinacol, and alkylene glycols.

Examples of water soluble alkylene glycols include, but are not limited to, ethylene glycol, propylene glycol, diethylene glycol, dipropylene glycol, triethylene glycol and tetraethylene glycol. Examples of water soluble alkoxyalcohols include, but are not limited to, 3- methoxy-3-methyl-1 -butanol, 3-methoxy-1 -butanol, 1 -methoxy-2-butanol, and water soluble glycol monoethers.

Examples of water soluble glycol monoethers include, but are not limited to, ethylene glycol monomethyl ether, ethylene glycol monoethyl ether, ethylene glycol mono n-propyl ether, ethylene glycol monoisopropyl ether, ethylene glycol mono n-butyl ether, diethylene glycol monomethyl ether, diethylene glycol monoethyl ether, diethylene glycol monobutylether, triethylene glycol monomethyl ether, triethylene glycol monoethyl ether, triethylene glycol monobutyl ether, 1-methoxy-2-propanol, 2-methoxy- 1 -propanol, 1-ethoxy-2-propanol, 2-ethoxy-1 -propanol, propylene glycol mono-n-propyl ether, dipropylene glycol monomethyl ether, dipropylene glycol monoethyl ether, dipropylene glycol monobutyl ether, dipropylene glycol mono-n-propyl ether,

tripropylene glycol monoethyl ether, tripropylene glycol monomethyl ether, ethylene glycol monobenzyl ether, and diethylene glycol monobenzyl ether.

Examples of water soluble saturated aliphatic monohydric alcohols include, but are not limited to methanol, ethanol, n-propyl alcohol, isopropyl alcohol, 1 -butanol, 2- butanol, isobutyl alcohol, tert-butyl alcohol, 2-pentanol, t-pentyl alcohol, and 1-hexanol.

Examples of water soluble unsaturated non-aromatic monohydric alcohols include, but are not limited to allyl alcohol, propargyl alcohol, 2-butenyl alcohol, 3- butenyl alcohol, and 4- penten-2-ol.

Examples of water soluble, low molecular weight alcohols containing a ring structure include, but are not limited, to tetrahydrofurfuryl alcohol, furfuryl alcohol, and 1 ,3-cyclopentanediol.

Examples of water soluble ketones include, but are not limited to, acetone, propanone, cyclobutanone, cyclopentanone, cyclohexanone, diacetone alcohol, 2- butanone, ,5-hexanedione, 1 ,4-cyclohexanedione, 3-hydroxyacetophenone, 1 ,3- cyclohexanedione, and cyclohexanone.

Examples of water soluble esters include, but are not limited to, ethyl acetate, glycol monoesters (such as ethylene glycol monoacetate and diethyleneglycol monoacetate), and glycol monoether monoesters (such as propylene glycol

monomethyl ether acetate, ethylene glycol monomethyl ether acetate, propylene glycol monoethyl ether acetate, and ethylene glycol monoethylether acetate).

In some embodiments, the at least one organic solvent can be from at least about 2 wt% (e.g., at least about 4% by weight, at least about 5% by weight, at least about 6% by weight, at least about 8% by weight, or at least about 10% by weight) to at most about 20 wt% (e.g., at most about 18 wt%, at most about 16 wt%, at most about 15 wt%, at most about 14 wt%, at most about 12 wt%, or at most about 10 wt%) of the total weight of the etching composition.

In some embodiments, the etching composition of this disclosure can optionally further include at least one (e.g., two, three, or four) pH adjust agent, such as an acid or a base. In some embodiments, the pH adjusting agent can be a base free of a metal ion. Suitable metal ion free bases include quaternary ammonium hydroxides (e.g., a tetraalkylammonium hydroxide such as TMAH), ammonium hydroxide, monoamines (including alkanolamines), amidines (such as 1 ,8-diazabicyclo[5.4.0]-7-undecene (DBU) and 1 ,5-diazabicyclo[4.3.0]-5-nonene (DBN)), and guanidine salts (such as guanidine carbonate). In some embodiments, the base is not a quaternary ammonium hydroxide (e.g., a tetraalkylammonium hydroxide such as TMAH).

In some embodiments, the pH adjusting agent can be an organic acid, such as a sulfonic acid (e.g., methanesulfonic acid, trifluoromethanesulfonic acid, and p- toluenesulfonic acid). In some embodiments, when the pH adjusting agent is an organic acid, the organic acid is not an unsaturated carboxylic acid described above or a saturated carboxylic acid containing one or more (e.g., two, three, or four) carboxyl groups (e.g., citric acid, oxalic acid, or acetic acid). In some embodiments, the pH adjusting agent is not a hydrogen halide.

In general, the pH adjusting agent in the etching composition of this disclosure can be in an amount sufficient to adjust the pH of the etching composition to a desired value. In some embodiments, the pH adjusting agent can be from at least about 0.01 wt% (e.g., at least about 0.05 wt%, at least about 0.1 wt%, at least about 0.5 wt%, at least about 1 wt%, or at least about 2 wt%) to at most about 6 wt% (e.g., at most about 5.5 wt%, at most about 5 wt%, at most about 4 wt%, at most about 3 wt%, at most about 2 wt%, or at most about 1 wt%) of the total weight of the etching composition.

In some embodiments, the etching composition of this disclosure can have a pH of at least about 0 (e.g., at least about 0.2, at least about 0.4, at least about 0.5, at least about 0.6, at least about 0.8, at least about 1 , at least about 1.5, at least about 2, at least about 2.5, or at least about 3) and/or at most about 7 (e.g., at most about 6.5, at most about 6, at most about 5.5, at most about 5, at most about 4.5, at most about 4, at most about 3.5, or at most about 3). Without wishing to be bound by theory, it is believed that an etching composition having a pH higher than 7 would not have sufficient TiN etch rate. Further, it is believed that an etching composition having a pH lower than 0 could produce an excessive Co etch, prevent certain components (e.g., a metal corrosion inhibitor) in the composition from functioning, or decompose certain components in the composition due to strong acidity.

In addition, in some embodiments, the etching composition of the present disclosure may contain additives such as, additional corrosion inhibitors, surfactants, additional organic solvents, biocides, and defoaming agents as optional components. Examples of suitable defoaming agents include polysiloxane defoamers (e.g., polydimethylsiloxane), polyethylene glycol methyl ether polymers, ethylene oxide/propylene oxide copolymers, and glycidyl ether capped acetylenic diol ethoxylates (such as those described in U.S. Patent No. 6,717,019, herein incorporated by reference). Examples of suitable surfactants may be cationic, anionic, nonionic or amphoteric.

In general, the etching composition of the present disclosure can have a relatively high TiN/dielectric material (e.g., SiN, polysilicon, high k dielectrics, AIOx,

SiOx, or SiCO) etch selectivity (i.e. , a high ratio of TiN etch rate over dielectric material etch rate). In some embodiments, the etching composition can have a TiN/dielectric material etch selectivity of at least about 2 (e.g., at least about 3, at least about 4, at least about 5, at least about 6, at least about 7, at least about 8, at least about 9, at least about 10, at least about 15, at least about 20, at least about 30, at least about 40, or at least about 50) and/or at most about 500 (e.g., at most about 100).

In some embodiments, the etching composition of the present disclosure may specifically exclude one or more of the additive components, in any combination if more than one. Such components are selected from the group consisting of organic solvents, pH adjusting agents, polymers (e.g., cationic or anionic polymers), oxygen scavengers, quaternary ammonium salts or quaternary ammonium hydroxides, amines, alkaline bases (such as NaOH, KOH, and LiOH), surfactants other than a defoamer, a

defoamer, fluoride containing compounds, abrasives (e.g., cationic or anionic

abrasives), silicates, hydroxycarboxylic acids (e.g., those containing more than two hydroxyl groups), carboxylic and polycarboxylic acids (e.g., those containing or lacking amino groups), silanes (e.g., alkoxysilanes), cyclic compounds (e.g., azoles (such as diazoles, triazoles, or tetrazoles), triazines, and cyclic compounds containing at least two rings, such as substituted or unsubstituted naphthalenes, or substituted or unsubstituted biphenylethers), buffering agents, non-azole corrosion inhibitors, halide salts, and metal salts (e.g., metal halides).

The etching composition of this disclosure can be prepared by simply mixing the components together, or can be prepared by blending two compositions in a kit. The first composition in the kit can be an aqueous solution of an oxidizing agent (e.g., H2O2). The second composition in the kit can contain the remaining components of the etching composition of this disclosure at predetermined ratios in a concentrated form such that the blending of the two compositions will yield a desired etching composition of the disclosure.

In some embodiments, the present disclosure features a method of etching a semiconductor substrate containing at least one TiN feature (e.g., a TiN film or layer).

In some embodiments, the TiN feature can be a liner or barrier (e.g., having a thickness of about 1 nm) around a Co filled via or trench, or a film coating sidewalls of a Co filled via or trench.

In some embodiments, the method can include contacting a semiconductor substrate containing the at least one TiN feature with an etching composition of this disclosure to remove the TiN feature. The method can further include rinsing the semiconductor substrate with a rinse solvent after the contacting step and/or drying the semiconductor substrate after the rinsing step. In some embodiments, an advantage of the method described herein is that it does not substantially form a cobalt oxide hydroxide (CoOx hydroxide or CoOx-OH) layer on a CoOx layer in the semiconductor substrate that is exposed to the etching composition. For example, the method does not form more than about 5 A (e.g., more than about 3 A or more than about 1 A) of a CoOx hydroxide layer on the semiconductor substrate. Without wishing to be bound by theory, it is believed that the CoOx-OH layer can be passive and can function as a barrier to prevent subsequent etching or removal of a CoOx layer or Co covered by the CoOx-OH layer. Thus, such a CoOx-OH layer would need to be removed in order to perform the subsequent etch of a CoOx layer or Co, thereby decreasing the efficiency and increasing the time and costs of the semiconductor manufacturing process.

In some embodiments, the etching method includes the steps of:

(A) providing a semiconductor substrate containing a TiN feature; (B) contacting the semiconductor substrate with an etching composition described herein;

(C) rinsing the semiconductor substrate with one or more suitable rinse solvents; and

(D) optionally, drying the semiconductor substrate (e.g., by any suitable means that removes the rinse solvent and does not compromise the integrity of the

semiconductor substrate).

Semiconductor substrates described herein (e.g., wafers) typically are

constructed of silicon, silicon germanium, Group lll-V compounds such as GaAs, or any combination thereof. The semiconductor substrates can additionally contain exposed integrated circuit structures such as interconnect features (e.g., metal lines and dielectric materials). Metals and metal alloys used for interconnect features include, but are not limited to, aluminum, aluminum alloyed with copper, copper, titanium, tantalum, cobalt, silicon, titanium nitride, tantalum nitride, and tungsten. The semiconductor substrates may also contain layers of interlayer dielectrics, polysilicon, silicon oxide, silicon nitride, silicon carbide, titanium oxide, and carbon doped silicon oxides.

A semiconductor substrate can be contacted with the etching composition by any suitable method, such as placing the etching composition into a tank and immersing and/or submerging the semiconductor substrate into the etching composition, spraying the etching composition onto the semiconductor substrate, streaming the etching composition onto the semiconductor substrate, or any combinations thereof.

The etching composition of the present disclosure can be effectively used up to a temperature of about 85°C (e.g., from about 20°C to about 80°C, from about 55°C to about 65°C, or from about 60°C to about 65°C). The etch rates of TiN increase with temperature in this range, thus the processes at a higher temperature can be run for shorter times. Conversely, lower etching temperatures typically require longer etching times. Etching times can vary over a wide range depending on the particular etching method, thickness, and temperature employed. When etching in an immersion batch type process, a suitable time range is, for example, up to about 10 minutes (e.g., from about 1 minute to about 7 minutes, from about 1 minute to about 5 minutes, or from about 2 minutes to about 4 minutes). Etching times for a single wafer process can range from about 30 seconds to about 5 minutes (e.g., from about 30 seconds to about 4 minutes, from about 1 minute to about 3 minutes, or from about 1 minute to about 2 minutes).

To further promote the etching ability of the etching composition of the present disclosure, mechanical agitation means can be employed. Examples of suitable agitation means include circulation of the etching composition over the substrate, streaming or spraying the etching composition over the substrate, and ultrasonic or megasonic agitation during the etching process. The orientation of the semiconductor substrate relative to the ground can be at any angle. Horizontal or vertical orientations are preferred.

Subsequent to the etching, the semiconductor substrate can be rinsed with a suitable rinse solvent for about 5 seconds up to about 5 minutes with or without agitation means. Multiple rinse steps employing different rinse solvents can be employed. Examples of suitable rinse solvents include, but are not limited to, deionized (Dl) water, methanol, ethanol, isopropyl alcohol, N-methylpyrrolidinone, gamma- butyrolactone, dimethyl sulfoxide, ethyl lactate and propylene glycol monomethyl ether acetate. Alternatively, or in addition, aqueous rinses with pH>8 (such as dilute aqueous ammonium hydroxide) can be employed. Examples of rinse solvents include, but are not limited to, dilute aqueous ammonium hydroxide, Dl water, methanol, ethanol, and isopropyl alcohol. The rinse solvent can be applied using means similar to that used in applying an etching composition described herein. The etching composition may have been removed from the semiconductor substrate prior to the start of the rinsing step or it may still be in contact with the semiconductor substrate at the start of the rinsing step. In some embodiments, the temperature employed in the rinsing step is between 16°C and 27°C.

Optionally, the semiconductor substrate is dried after the rinsing step. Any suitable drying means known in the art can be employed. Examples of suitable drying means include spin drying, flowing a dry gas across the semiconductor substrate, heating the semiconductor substrate with a heating means such as a hotplate or infrared lamp, Marangoni drying, rotagoni drying, isopropyl alcohol (IPA) drying or any combinations thereof. Drying times will be dependent on the specific method employed but are typically on the order of 30 seconds up to several minutes.

In some embodiments, the etching method described herein further includes forming a semiconductor device (e.g., an integrated circuit device such as a

semiconductor chip) from the semiconductor substrate obtained by the method described above.

The present disclosure is illustrated in more detail with reference to the following examples, which are for illustrative purposes and should not be construed as limiting the scope of the present disclosure.

EXAMPLES

Any percentages listed are by weight (wt%) unless otherwise specified.

Controlled stirring during testing was done with a 1 inch stirring bar at 300 rpm unless otherwise noted.

GENERAL PROCEDURE 1

Formulation blending

Samples of etching compositions were prepared by adding, while stirring, to the calculated amount of the solvent the remaining components of the formulation. After a uniform solution was achieved, optional additives, if used, were added. GENERAL PROCEDURE 2

Materials and Methods

Blanket test coupons were evaluated for etching and materials compatibility in the test solutions prepared by General Procedure 1 according to the procedures described in General Procedure 3.

Blanket film etch rate measurements on films were carried out using

commercially available unpatterned 300 mm diameter wafers that were diced into 0.5”x1.0” test coupons for evaluation. Primary blanket film materials used for testing included (1 ) a TiN film of about 130 A thickness deposited on a silicon substrate, and (2) a Co film of about 2000 A thickness deposited on a silicon substrate, (3) a SiN film of about 290 A thickness deposited on a silicon substrate, (4) a AIOx film of about 460 A thickness deposited on a silicon substrate, and a SiOx film of about 210 A thickness deposited on a silicon substrate.

The blanket film test coupons were measured for pre-treatment and post treatment thickness to determine blanket film etch rates. For the TiN, SiN, AIOx, and SiOx films, the film thickness was measured pre-treatment and post-treatment by Ellipsometry using a Woollam VASE. For the Co film, the film thickness was measured pre-treatment and post-treatment by using a CDE RESMAP 4 point probe.

The CoOx-OFI layer was measured using a Woolam Ellipsometer as follows.

First, Co films with a native CoOx layer were measured based on an ellipsometry model with several different pre-cleaned Co films to confirm that a CoOx layer having a thickness of about 10 A was detected only over the opaque Co metal layer.

Subsequently, the CoOx layer was used as a first layer to establish an ellipsometry model for measuring the CoOx-OH layer thickness over the 10 A CoOx layer. The presence of the CoOx layer and the CoOx-OH layer was confirmed by XPS. GENERAL PROCEDURE 3

Etching evaluation with beaker test

All blanket film etch testing was carried out at 50°C (except that CFE-1 was tested at 30°C) in a 600 mL glass beaker containing 200 g of a sample solution with continuous stirring at 250 rpm, with the Parafilm® cover in place at all times to minimize evaporative losses. All blanket test coupons having a blanket dielectric film exposed on one side to the sample solution were diced by diamond scribe into 0.5” x 1.0” square test coupon size for beaker scale testing. Each individual test coupon was held into position using a single 4” long, locking plastic tweezers clip. The test coupon, held on one edge by the locking tweezers clip, was suspended into the 600 mL glass beaker and immersed into the 200 g test solution while the solution was stirred continuously at 250 rpm at 50°C. Immediately after each sample coupon was placed into the stirred solution, the top of the 600 mL HDPE beaker was covered and resealed with Parafilm®. The test coupons were held static in the stirred solution until the treatment time (as described in General Procedure 3A) had elapsed. After the treatment time in the test solution had elapsed, the sample coupons were immediately removed from the 600 mL glass beaker and rinsed according to General Procedure 3A. After the final IPA rinse step, all test coupons were subject to a filtered nitrogen gas blow off step using a hand held nitrogen gas blower which forcefully removed all traces of IPA to produce a final dry sample for test measurements.

General Procedure 3A (blanket test coupons)

Immediately after a treatment time of 2 to 10 minutes according to General Procedure 3, the coupon was immersed in a 300 mL volume of IPA for 15 seconds with mild agitation, which was followed by 300 mL of IPA for 15 seconds with mild agitation, and a final rinse in 300 mL of Dl water for 15 seconds with mild agitation. The

processing was completed according to General Procedure 3.

Example 1

Formulation Example 1 (FE-1 ) and a known formulation CFE-1 (which included 1 part of a 29% NFUOFI aqueous solution, 2 parts of a 30% FI2O2 aqueous solution, and 30 parts Dl water) were prepared according to General Procedure 1 , and evaluated according to General Procedures 2 and 3. The formulations and the test results are summarized in Table 1 .

Table 1

ER = etch rate

As shown in Table 1 , the commercial formulation CFE-1 exhibited a reasonable TiN etch rate, but formed a passive CoOx hydroxide layer (i.e. , having a thickness of 5.1 A) over a CoOx layer, which prevents the formulation from performing a subsequent Co etch. By contrast, FE-1 exhibited somewhat higher a TiN etch rate and did not form a passive CoOx hydroxide layer (i.e., having a thickness of 0 A, which means that no CoOx hydroxide layer was formed) over a CoOx layer, which enables the formulation to perform a subsequent Co etch without delay due to the absence of a CoOx hydroxide layer.

Example 2

Formulation Example 2 (FE-2) and Comparative Formulation Examples 2-9 (CFE-2 to CFE-9) were prepared according to General Procedure 1 , and evaluated according to General Procedures 2 and 3. The formulations and the test results are summarized in Table 2.

Table 2

1 = estimated value MSA = Methanesulfonic acid

HA HCI = Hydroxylamine HCI BTA = Benzotriazole

N/A = Not available or not measured As shown in Table 2, comparative formulations CFE-2 to CFE-9 all contained an organic acid or salt that is not crotonic acid. After the first Co etch, only two of the comparative formulations (i.e. , CFE-2 and CFE-3) did not result in a passive CoOx-OH layer, and the other comparative formulations either formed a thick passive CoOx-OH layer or suffered damage to the Co layer. However, after the second Co etch, comparative formulations CFE-2 and CFE-3 also formed a passive CoOx-OH layer. By contrast, after either the first or the second Co etch, formulation FE-2 (which contained crotonic acid) did not form a passive CoOx-OH layer with a substantial thickness.

Example 3

Formulation Examples 3-7 (FE-3 to FE-7) and Comparative Formulation

Examples 10-12 (CFE-10 to CFE-12) were prepared according to General Procedure 1 , and evaluated according to General Procedures 2 and 3. The formulations and the test results are summarized in Table 3.

Table 3

1 = estimated value 5MBTA = 5-Methylbenzotriazole

As shown in Table 3, comparative formulations CFE-10 and CFE-12 did not contain crotonic acid and formed a passive CoOx-OFI layer. In addition, comparative formulation CFE-1 1 did not contain a metal corrosion inhibitor (which resulted in an excess Co etch) and also formed a passive CoOx-OH layer. By contrast, formulations FE-3, FE-4, FE-6, and FE-7 formed less or no CoOx-OFI layer. It is believed that formulation FE-5 formed a relatively thick CoOx-OH layer due to a combination of factors, including a relatively low pH, a relatively small amount of the inhibitor, and the use of an inhibitor with a relatively low inhibition efficacy.

Example 4

Formulation Examples 8-9 (FE-8 to FE-9) were prepared according to General Procedure 1 , and evaluated according to General Procedures 2 and 3. The formulations and the test results are summarized in Table 4.

Table 4

1 = estimated value As shown in Table 4, both formulations FE-8 and FE-9 contained crotonic acid and had relatively high pH to inhibit excess Co etch. The results show that neither formulation formed a passive CoOx-OH layer. In addition, both formulations FE-8 and FE-9 exhibited relatively high TiN/SiN, TiN/AIOx, and TiN/SiOx etch selectivity, thereby reducing the removal of SiN, AIOx, and SiOx in the semiconductor substrate exposed to the formulations during the removal of TiN.

While the invention has been described in detail with reference to certain embodiments thereof, it will be understood that modifications and variations are within the spirit and scope of that which is described and claimed.