IP Library Granted Patent US 7,052,624
Granted Patent B2
US 7,052,624 · App. 10/621,502 · Granted May 30, 2006

Manufacturing method for an electronic device, and the electronic device

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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 7,052,624
App. No.
10/621,502
Granted
May 30, 2006
Kind
B2
Abstract

The present invention provides a manufacturing method for an electronic device that enables high-yield manufacturing of electronic devices, by detecting potential short circuits between a contact plug and a conductive part contacting the periphery of the contact plug, directly after forming the contact plug; and the electronic device. The manufacturing method includes a hole-forming step of forming a contact hole in an insulating film that covers a conductive part formed on a first main surface of a substrate and an area surrounding the conductive part, the hole being formed beside the conductive part, and the conductive part including a first material; a material-supplying step of supplying a second material to the contact hole, the second material having a reactive property with the first material; and an inspection step, after the second material has been supplied, of inspecting for evidence of a reaction by the conductive part with the second material.

Claims (45)

1. A manufacturing method for an electronic device, comprising:

a hole-forming step of forming a contact hole in an insulating film that covers a conductive part formed on a first main surface of a substrate and an area surrounding the conductive part, the hole being formed beside the conductive part, and the conductive part including a first material;

a fluid-supplying step of supplying a second fluid material to the contact hole, the second fluid material having a reactive property with the first material; and

an inspection step, after the second fluid material has been supplied, of inspecting for evidence of a reaction by the conductive part with the second fluid material.

2. The manufacturing method of claim 1 , wherein

the reactive property of the second fluid material causes the conductive part to be eroded on contact with the second fluid material, and

in the inspection step, evidence that the conductive part has been eroded is inspected for.

3. The manufacturing method of claim 2 , wherein

in the inspection step, evidence of erosion is inspected for optically.

4. The manufacturing method of claim 3 , wherein

in the inspection step, evidence of erosion is inspected for after removing the second fluid material from the contact hole.

5. The manufacturing method of claim 4 , wherein

the first material is one of tungsten and a tungsten alloy, and

the second fluid material is a solution including one of hydrogen peroxide and ozone.

6. The manufacturing method of claim 5 , wherein

in the fluid-supplying step, the solution is supplied to the contact hole under a condition by which the solution is able to selectively erode the conductive part.

7. The manufacturing method of claim 1 , wherein

the electronic device is a memory device that includes a plurality of components that function as field effect transistors, and

the conductive part is a function electrode that is formed before the hole-forming step by applying a design rule that stipulates an electrode width of 0.18 μm or less.

8. The manufacturing method of claim 3 , wherein

the conductive part includes a large-area portion that is sufficient in size to enable inspection thereof with an optical microscope for evidence of the reaction, and

in the inspection step, evidence of the reaction in the large-area portion is inspected for.

9. The manufacturing method of claim 2 , wherein

in the inspection step, after a material including at least the second fluid material has been removed, presence of at least one of the first material and a compound of the first material and the second fluid material is inspected for in the removed material.

10. The manufacturing method of claim 1 , wherein

the substrate has a pre-formed inspection area that is independent of other circuits areas,

in the fluid-supplying step a contact hole formed in the inspection area is subject to the inspection, and

in the inspection step, a conductive part formed in the inspection area is subject to the inspection.

11. The manufacturing method of claim 1 , wherein

in the hole forming step, the contact hole is formed using a self-align contact method.

12. The manufacturing method of claim 11 , wherein

a silicon nitride film is provided on the substrate as an etching stopper layer in the hole forming step.

13. The manufacturing method of claim 12 , wherein

the insulating film is formed of boron phosphorus silicon glass, and

the first material has an etching selectivity ratio of 100 or higher in relation to material that composes the etching stopper layer and material that composes the insulating film.

14. An inspection method for a semiconductor member having a plurality of layers of at least two different materials formed on a substrate with portions thereof selectively removed to provide one of an electronic device and a pre-form thereof, comprising:

applying a fluid having a first characteristic property of being non-reactive to those exposed layers of the plurality of layers when one of the electronic device and the pre-form thereof is properly fabricated and a second characteristic of being reactive to one or more layers of the plurality of layers that are not exposed when properly fabricated; and

detecting a fluid reaction with one or more of materials to determine a flaw in fabrication of the one of the electronic device and the pre-form.

15. The inspection method of claim 14 wherein the step of detecting is performed with a scanning electron microscope.

16. The inspection method of claim 14 wherein the fluid reaction erodes away one or more of the different materials.

17. The inspection method of claim 14 wherein the fluid reaction provides an eluted byproduct.

18. The manufacturing method of claim 1 , wherein

the electronic device is a memory device that includes a plurality of components that function as field effect transistors.

19. The manufacturing method of claim 1 , wherein

the conductive part is a function electrode.

Assignments (7)
RELEASE OF SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Oct 26, 2020
From: JEFFERIES FINANCE LLC
To: RPX CORPORATION
Reel/Frame 054486/0422 →
SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Jun 29, 2018
From: RPX CORPORATION
To: JEFFERIES FINANCE LLC
Reel/Frame 046486/0433 →
RELEASE (REEL 038041 / FRAME 0001) Recorded Jan 2, 2018
From: JPMORGAN CHASE BANK, N.A.
To: RPX CORPORATION; RPX CLEARINGHOUSE LLC
Reel/Frame 044970/0030 →
SECURITY AGREEMENT Recorded Mar 9, 2016
From: RPX CORPORATION; RPX CLEARINGHOUSE LLC
To: JPMORGAN CHASE BANK, N.A., AS COLLATERAL AGENT
Reel/Frame 038041/0001 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded May 5, 2014
From: PANASONIC CORPORATION (FORMERLY KNOWN AS MATSUSHITA ELECTRIC INDUSTRIAL, CO., LTD.)
To: RPX CORPORATION
Reel/Frame 032826/0585 →
CHANGE OF NAME Recorded Jan 10, 2014
From: MATSUSHITA ELECTRIC INDUSTRIAL CO., LTD.
To: PANASONIC CORPORATION
Reel/Frame 031961/0079 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Nov 17, 2003
From: MATSUTANI, TETSUYA; JIWARI, NOBUHIRO
To: MATSUSHITA ELECTRIC INDUSTRIAL CO., LTD.
Reel/Frame 014700/0027 →