High negative zeta potential polyhedral silsesquioxane composition and method for damage free semiconductor wet clean

1. A composition comprising:

(a) one or more metal ion-free base;

(b) a water-soluble metal ion-free salt of a polyhedral silsesquioxane;

(c) an oxidizing agent; and

(d) metal ion-free water.

2. The composition of claim 1 wherein the water-soluble metal ion-free polyhedral silsesquioxane (b) is present as a water-soluble metal ion-free onium salt of a polyhedral silsesquioxane, wherein the onium has a general formula:

wherein each of R 1 , R 2 , R 3 and R 4 is independently H, an alkyl, alkoxy or alkanol C 1 -C 18 group, and A=N or P.

3. The composition of claim 2 wherein the polyhedral silsesquioxane (b) has general formula:

Si n O 5n/2 n−

wherein n is in the range from about 6 to about 20.

4. The composition of claim 2 wherein the polyhedral silsesquioxane (b) has a formula Si 8 O 20 8− , and structure (I):

5. The composition of claim 1 wherein the composition has a pH in the range from about 8 to about 14.

6. The composition of claim 1 wherein the composition comprises from about 0.001 wt. % to about 40 wt. % of (b).

7. The composition of claim 1 wherein the composition comprises from about 0.01 wt. % to about 10 wt. % of the oxidizing agent.

8. The composition of claim 1 wherein the metal ion-free base comprises ammonia, an onium hydroxide or any combination of two or more thereof.

9. The composition of claim 8 wherein the onium hydroxide has a general formula (III):

wherein in (III), each of R 1 , R 2 , R 3 and R 4 is independently H, an alkyl, alkoxy or alkanol group including C 1 -C 18 , and A=N or P.

10. The composition of claim 2 wherein A=N and each of R 1 , R 2 , R 3 and R 4 are alkyl.

11. The composition of claim 10 wherein the alkyl is methyl or ethyl.

12. The composition of claim 2 wherein A=P and each of R 1 , R 2 , R 3 and R 4 are alkyl.

13. The composition of claim 12 wherein the alkyl is methyl or ethyl.

14. The composition of claim 1 wherein the composition further comprises a metal chelating agent.

15. The composition of claim 1 wherein the polyhedral silsesquioxane has a general formula:

Si n O 5n/2 n−

wherein n is in the range from about 6 to about 20.

16. The composition of claim 1 wherein the oxidizing agent comprises hydrogen peroxide, ozone, a non-metal hypochlorite salt, or a combination of any two or more thereof.

17. The composition of claim 1 wherein the polyhedral silsesquioxane has a formula Si 8 O 20 8− , and structure (I):

18. The composition of claim 1 wherein the water-soluble metal ion-free polyhedral silsesquioxane is obtained from the reaction of a quaternary onium hydroxide with silicon dioxide in a substantially 1:1 stoichiometric ratio.

19. A process for removing particulate matter from a surface of an integrated circuit device, comprising applying to the surface the composition of claim 1 .

20. A process for removing particulate matter from a surface of an integrated circuit device during fabrication thereof, comprising:

applying to the surface a composition comprising:

(a) one or more metal ion-free base;

(b) a water-soluble metal ion-free salt of a polyhedral silsesquioxane;

(c) an oxidizing agent; and

(d) metal ion-free water; and

rinsing the surface with metal ion-free water.

21. The process of claim 20 wherein the water-soluble metal ion-free polyhedral silsesquioxane (b) is present as a water-soluble metal ion-free onium salt of a polyhedral silsesquioxane, wherein the onium has a general formula:

wherein each of R 1 , R 2 , R 3 and R 4 is independently H, an alkyl, alkoxy or alkanol C 1 -C 18 group, and A=N or P.

22. The process of claim 21 wherein the water-soluble metal ion-free onium salt of a polyhedral silsesquioxane (b) has general formula

Si n O 5n/2 n−

wherein n is in the range from about 6 to about 20.

23. The process of claim 21 wherein the polyhedral silsesquioxane (b) has a formula Si 8 O 20 8− , and structure (I):

24. The process of claim 20 wherein the composition has a pH in the range from about 8 to about 14.

25. The process of claim 20 wherein the composition comprises from about 0.001 wt. % to about 40 wt. % of (b).

26. The process of claim 20 wherein the composition comprises from about 0.01 wt. % to about 10 wt. % of the oxidizing agent.

27. The process of claim 20 wherein the metal ion-free base comprises ammonia, an onium hydroxide or any combination of two or more thereof.

28. The process of claim 27 wherein the onium hydroxide has a general formula (III):

wherein in (III), each of R 1 , R 2 , R 3 and R 4 is independently H, an alkyl, alkoxy or alkanol group including C 1 -C 18 , and A=N or P.

29. The process of claim 21 wherein A=N and each of R 1 , R 2 , R 3 and R 4 are alkyl.

30. The process of claim 29 wherein the alkyl is methyl or ethyl.

31. The process of claim 21 wherein A=P and each of R 1 , R 2 , R 3 and R 4 are alkyl.

32. The process of claim 31 wherein the alkyl is methyl or ethyl.

33. The process of claim 20 wherein the composition further comprises a metal chelating agent.

34. The process of claim 20 wherein the polyhedral silsesquioxane has a general formula:

Si n O 5n/2 n−

wherein n is in the range from about 6 to about 20.

35. The process of claim 20 wherein the oxidizing agent comprises hydrogen peroxide, ozone, a metal-free hypochlorite salt or a combination of any two or more thereof.

36. The process of claim 20 wherein the polyhedral silsesquioxane has a formula Si 8 O 20 8− , and structure (I):

37. The process of claim 20 wherein the particulate matter comprises nanoparticles.

38. The process of claim 20 wherein the particulate matter comprises a major portion of particles having a particle size in the range from about 0.1 nm to about 80 nm.

39. The process of claim 20 wherein the composition exhibits a zeta potential for nanoparticles adhered to the integrated circuit device substantially lower than a zeta potential of a composition comprising tetraalkyl ammonium silicate as substantially the only silicate.

40. The process of claim 20 wherein the integrated circuit device comprises at least one dielectric material and the composition exhibits substantially no etching of the dielectric material.

41. The process of claim 20 wherein the integrated circuit device comprises at least one silicon material and the composition exhibits substantially no etching of the silicon material.

42. The process of claim 20 wherein the integrated circuit device comprises at least one metal and the composition exhibits substantially no etching of the metal.

43. The process of claim 20 wherein the providing further comprises preparing the water-soluble metal ion-free polyhedral silsesquioxane by reacting a quaternary onium hydroxide with silicon dioxide in a substantially 1:1 stoichiometric ratio.

44. A composition obtained by combining ingredients comprising:

(a) one or more metal ion-free base;

(b) a water-soluble metal ion-free salt of a polyhedral silsesquioxane;

(c) an oxidizing agent; and

(d) metal ion-free water.

45. The composition of claim 44 wherein the water-soluble metal ion-free polyhedral silsesquioxane is obtained by reacting a quaternary onium hydroxide with silicon dioxide in a substantially 1:1 stoichiometric ratio.

46. A process for removing particulate matter from a surface of an integrated circuit device during fabrication thereof, comprising:

providing a composition by combining ingredients comprising:

(a) one or more metal ion-free base;

(b) a water-soluble metal ion-free salt of a polyhedral silsesquioxane;

(c) an oxidizing agent; and

(d) metal ion-free water;

applying the provided composition to the surface; and

rinsing the surface with metal ion-free water.

47. The process of claim 46 wherein the providing further comprises preparing the water-soluble metal ion-free polyhedral silsesquioxane by reacting a quaternary onium hydroxide with silicon dioxide in a substantially 1:1 stoichiometric ratio.