Granted Patent B2

US 8,497,233 · App. 13/138,468 · Granted Jul 30, 2013

Abstract

Claims (27)

1. A composition for removal of high dosage ion implanted photoresist from the surface of a semiconductor device, the composition comprising:

at least one solvent having a flash point of >65° C.,

at least one component providing a nitronium ion, and

at least one phosphonic acid corrosion inhibitor compound.

2. A composition according to claim 1 wherein the at least one solvent is sulfolane.

3. A composition of claim 1 wherein the at least one component providing a nitronium ion is a nitronium compound selected from the group consisting of nitronium tetrafluoroborate (NO 2 BF 4 ), nitronium perchlorate (NO 2 ClO 4 ), nitronium fluorosulfate (NO 2 SO 3 F), and nitronium triflate (NO 2 SO 2 CF 3 ).

4. A composition according to claim 1 wherein the phosphonic acid corrosion inhibitor compound is selected from the group consisting of aminotrimethylenephosphonic acid, diethylenetriaminepenta(methylenephosphonic acid) (DETPA), N,N,N′,N′-ethylenediaminetetra(methylenephosphonic) 1,5,9-triazacyclododecane-N,N′,N″-tris(methylenephosphonic acid) (DOTRP), 1,4,7,10-tetrazacyclododecane-N,N′,N″,N′″-tetrakis(methylenephosphonic acid) (DOTP), nitrilotris(methylene) triphosphonic acid, diethylenetriaminepenta(methylenephosphonic acid) (DETAP), aminotri(methylenephosphonic acid), 1-hydroxyethylene-1,1-diphosphonic acid, bis(hexamethylene)triamine phosphonic acid, and 1,4,7-triazacyclononane-N,N′,N″-tris(methylenephosphonic acid) (NOTP).

5. A composition according to claim 1 wherein the at least one solvent is sulfolane, the nitronium compound is nitronium tetrafluoroborate, and the phosphonic acid corrosion inhibitor compound is aminotrimethylenephosphonic acid.

6. A composition according to claim 1 wherein the solvent is sulfolane and is present in an amount of from about 10 wt. % to about 94.99 wt. %, the at least one component providing a nitronium ion is present in an amount of from about 5 wt. % to about 90 wt. %, and the at least one phosphonic acid corrosion inhibitor is present in an amount of from about 0.01 wt. % to about 5.0 wt. % wherein the wt. percents are based on the total combined weight of the sulfolane, nitronium ion providing component, and phosphonic acid corrosion inhibitor compound.

7. A composition according to claim 1 comprising:

at least one solvent having a flash point >65° C.,

at least one component providing a nitronium ion and selected from the group consisting of nitric acid and a nitrate,

at least one phosphonic acid corrosion inhibitor, and

an acid stronger than nitric acid.

8. A composition according to claim 7 wherein the solvent is sulfolane.

9. A composition according to claim 7 wherein the acid stronger than nitric acid is selected from the group consisting of sulfuric acid, triflic acid, and tetrafluoroboric acid.

10. A composition according to claim 7 wherein the at least one component providing a nitronium ion is nitric acid.

11. A composition according to claim 7 wherein the phosphonic acid corrosion inhibitor compound is selected from the group consisting of aminotrimethylenephosphonic acid, diethylenetriaminepenta(methylenephosphonic acid) (DETPA), N,N,N′,N′-ethylenediaminetetra(methylenephosphonic) 1,5,9-triazacyclododecane-N,N′,N″-tris(methylenephosphonic acid) (DOTRP), 1,4,7,10-tetraazacyclododecane-N,N′,N″,N′″-tetrakis(methylenephosphonic acid) (DOTP), nitrilotris(methylene) triphosphonic acid, diethylenetriaminepenta(methylenephosphonic acid) (DETAP), aminotri(methylenephosphonic acid), 1-hydroxyethylene-1,1-diphosphonic acid, bis(hexamethylene)triamine phosphonic acid, and 1,4,7-triazacyclononane-N,N′,N″-tris(methylenephosphonic acid) (NOTP).

12. A composition according to claim 7 wherein the at least one solvent is sulfolane, the acid stronger than nitric acid is sulfuric acid, the phosphonic acid corrosion inhibitor compound is aminotrimethylenephosphonic acid, and the at least one component providing a nitronium ion is nitric acid.

13. A composition according to claim 7 wherein the weight ratio of the acid stronger than nitric acid to the remaining components of the composition is from about 20:1 to 1:10.

14. A composition according to claim 13 wherein the acid stronger than nitric acid is sulfuric acid and the weight ratio of sulfuric acid/remaining components of the composition is from about 9:2.

15. A composition according to claim 7 comprising:

about 49.75 wt % sulfolane, about 49.75 wt. % nitric acid (70%), and about 0.50 wt. % aminotrimethylenephosphonic acid,

said components being mixed with sulfuric acid in a weight ratio of sulfuric acid to said components of about 9:2.

16. A composition according to claim 7 wherein at least one or more of the solvent, the acid stronger than nitric acid, and the phosphonic acid corrosion inhibitor components has been heated to a temperature above a temperature to be used for cleaning ion implanted photoresist, and the composition is formed by mixing the heated component(s) with the nitronium ion providing component that has been maintained at a temperature of about room temperature.

17. A composition according to claim 16 wherein the composition is formed by mixing all the components of the composition together at a time of about 5 minutes or less before the composition is to be used as a cleaner of high dosage ion implanted photoresist from the surface of a semiconductor device.

18. A process for the removal of high dosage ion implanted photoresist from the surface of a semiconductor device, the process comprising contacting the high dosage ion implanted photoresist with a composition of claim 1 for a time and temperature sufficient to remove the photoresist.

Assignments (17)