Compositions and methods for selectively etching titanium nitride

1. A composition for selectively removing titanium nitride and/or photoresist etch residue material from the surface of a microelectronic device having same thereon, said composition comprising at least one oxidizing agent, at least one etchant, at least one corrosion inhibitor, and at least one solvent,

wherein the composition is substantially devoid of hydrogen peroxide

wherein the at least one corrosion inhibitor comprises a cationic quaternary species selected from the group consisting of cationic quaternary salts such as benzalkonium chloride, benzyldimethyldodecylammonium chloride, myristyltrimethylammonium bromide, dodecyltrimethylammonium bromide, hexadecylpyridinium chloride, Aliquat 336, benzyldimethylphenylammonium chloride, Crodaquat TES, Rewoquat CPEM, hexadecyltrimethylammonium p-toluenesulfonate, hexadecyltrimethylammonium hydroxide, 1-methyl-1′-tetradecyl-4,4′-bipyridium dichloride, alkyltrimethylammonium bromide, amprolium hydrochloride, benzethonium hydroxide, benzethonium chloride, benzyldimethylhexadecylammonium chloride, benzyldimethyltetradecylammonium chloride, benzyldodecyldimethylammonium bromide, benzyldodecyldimethylammonium chloride, cetylpyridinium chloride, choline p-toluenesulfonate salt, dimethyldioctadecylammonium bromide, dodecylethyldimethylammonium bromide, dodecyltrimethylammonium chloride, ethylhexadecyldimethylammonium bromide, Girard's reagent, hexadecyl(2-hydroxyethyl)dimethylammonium dihydrogen phosphate, dexadecylpyridinium bromide, hexadecyltrimethylammonium bromide, hexadecyltrimethylammonium chloride, methylbenzethonium chloride, Hyamine® 1622, Luviquat™, N,N′,N′-polyoxyethylene (10)-N-tallow-1,3-diaminopropane liquid, oxyphenonium bromide, tetraheptylammonium bromide, tetrakis(decyl)ammonium bromide, thonzonium bromide, tridodecylammonium chloride, trimethyloctadecylammonium bromide, 1-methyl-3-n-octylimidazolium tetrafluoroborate, 1-decyl-3-methylimidazolium tetrafluoroborate. 1-decyl-3-methylimidazolium chloride, tridodecylmethylammonium bromide, dimethyldistearylammonium chloride, and hexamethonium chloride, and

wherein the etchant comprises a species selected from the group consisting of H 2 ZrF 6 , H 2 TiF 6 , HPF 6 , HF, ammonium fluoride, tetrafluoroboric acid, hexafluorosilicic acid, tetrabutylammonium tetrafluoroborate (TBA-BF 4 ), ammonium hexafluorosilicate, ammonium hexafluorotitanate, tetraalkylammonium fluoride (NR 1 R 2 R 3 R 4 F), tetraalkylammonium hydroxide (NR 1 R 2 R 3 R 4 OH), where R 1 , R 2 , R 3 , R 4 may be the same as or different from one another and is selected from the group consisting of straight-chained or branched C 1 -C 6 alkyl groups, weak bases, and combinations thereof.

2. The composition of claim 1 , wherein the etchant comprises a species selected from the group consisting of H 2 ZrF 6 , H 2 TiF 6 , HPF 6 , HF, ammonium fluoride, tetrafluoroboric acid, hexafluorosilicic acid, tetrabutylammonium tetrafluoroborate (TBA-BF 4 ), ammonium hexafluorosilicate, ammonium hexafluorotitanate, tetraalkylammonium fluoride (NR 1 R 2 R 3 R 4 F), where R 1 , R 2 , R 3 , R 4 may be the same as or different from one another and is selected from the group consisting of straight-chained or branched C 1 -C 6 alkyl groups, weak bases, and combinations thereof.

3. The composition of claim 1 , wherein the etchant comprises tetrafluoroboric acid or hexafluorosilicic acid.

4. The composition of claim 1 , wherein the oxidizing agent comprises a species selected from the group consisting of FeCl 3 (both hydrated and unhydrated), Fe(NO 3 ) 3 , Sr(NO 3 ) 2 , CoF 3 , FeF 3 , MnF 3 , oxone (2KHSO 5 . KHSO 4 . K 2 SO 4 ), periodic acid, iodic acid, vanadium (V) oxide, vanadium (IV,V) oxide, ammonium vanadate, ammonium peroxomonosulfate, ammonium chlorite (NH 4 ClO 2 ), ammonium chlorate (NH 4 ClO 3 ), ammonium iodate (NH 4 IO 3 ), ammonium nitrate (NH 4 NO 3 ), ammonium perborate (NH 4 BO 3 ), ammonium perchlorate (NH 4 ClO 4 ), ammonium periodate (NH 4 IO 3 ), ammonium persulfate ((NH 4 ) 2 S 2 O 8 ), ammonium hypochlorite (NH 4 ClO), ammonium tungstate ((NH 4 ) 10 H 2 (W 2 O 7 )), sodium persulfate (Na 2 S 2 O 8 ), sodium hypochlorite (NaClO), sodium perborate, potassium iodate (KIO 3 ), potassium permanganate (KMnO 4 ), potassium persulfate, nitric acid (HNO 3 ), potassium persulfate (K 2 S 2 O 8 ), potassium hypochlorite (KClO), tetramethylammonium chlorite ((N(CH 3 ) 4 )ClO 2 ), tetramethylammonium chlorate ((N(CH 3 ) 4 )ClO 3 ), tetramethylammonium iodate ((N(CH 3 ) 4 )IO 3 ), tetramethylammonium perborate ((N(CH 3 ) 4 )BO 3 ), tetramethylammonium perchlorate ((N(CH 3 ) 4 )ClO 4 ), tetramethylammonium periodate ((N(CH 3 ) 4 )IO 4 ), tetramethylammonium persulfate ((N(CH 3 ) 4 )S 2 O 8 ), tetrabutylammonium peroxomonosulfate, peroxomonosulfuric acid, ferric nitrate (Fe(NO 3 ) 3 ), peracetic acid (CH 3 (CO)OOH), 1,4-benzoquinone, toluquinone, dimethyl-1,4-benzoquinone, chloranil, alloxan, N-methylmorpholine N-oxide, trimethylamine N-oxide, and combinations thereof.

5. The composition of claim 1 , wherein the oxidizing agent comprises a species selected from the group consisting of vanadium oxide, ammonium iodate, ammonium periodate, ammonium vanadate, periodic acid, iodic acid, and 1,4-benzoquinone.

6. The composition of claim 1 , wherein the oxidizing agent comprises a species selected from the group consisting of ammonium iodate, ammonium periodate, iodic acid, and periodic acid.

7. The composition of claim 6 , further comprising at least one iodine scavenger comprising a ketone.

8. The composition of claim 6 , further comprising at least one iodine scavenger selected from the group consisting of 4-methyl-2-pentanone, 2,4-dimethyl-3-pentanone, cyclohexanone, 5-methyl-3-heptanone, 3-pentanone, 5-hydroxy-2-pentanone, 2,5-hexanedione, 4-hydroxy-4-methyl-2-pentanone, acetone, butanone, 2-methyl-2-butanone, 3,3-dimethyl-2-butanone, 4-hydroxy-2-butanone, cyclopentanone, 2-pentanone, 3-pentanone, 1-phenylethanone, acetophenone, benzophenone, 2-hexanone, 3-hexanone, 2-heptanone, 3-heptanone, 4-heptanone, 2,6-dimethyl-4-heptanone, 2-octanone, 3-octanone, 4-octanone, dicyclohexyl ketone, 2,6-dimethylcyclohexanone, 2-acetylcyclohexanone, 2,4-pentanedione, menthone, and combinations thereof.

9. The composition of claim 6 , further comprising at least one iodine scavenger selected from the group consisting of 4-methyl-2-pentanone, 2,4-dimethyl-3-pentanone, and cyclohexanone.

10. The composition of claim 1 , wherein the at least one solvent comprises water.

11. The composition of claim 1 , wherein the composition comprises at least about 98 wt % water, based on the total weight of the composition.

12. The composition of claim 1 , wherein the composition further comprises at least one corrosion inhibitor comprising a species selected from the group consisting of 5-amino-1,3,4-thiadiazole-2-thiol (ATDT), benzotriazole (BTA), 1,2,4-triazole (TAZ), tolyltriazole, 5-methyl-benzotriazole, 5-phenyl-benzotriazole, 5-nitro -benzotriazole, benzotriazole carboxylic acid, 3-amino-5-mercapto-1,2,4-triazole, 1-amino-1,2,4-triazole, hydroxybenzotriazole, 2-(5-amino-pentyl)-benzotriazole, 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,5-phenylthiol-benzotriazole, halo-benzotriazoles (halo =F, Cl, Br or I), naphthotriazole, 2-mercaptobenzimidazole (MBI), 2-mercaptobenzothiazole, 4-methyl-2-phenylimidazole, 2-mercaptothiazoline, 5-aminotetrazole, pentylenetetrazole, 5-phenyl-1H-tetrazole, 5-benzyl-1H-tetrazole, Ablumine O, 2-benzylpyridine, succinimide, 2,4-diamino-6-methyl-1,3,5-triazine, thiazole, triazine, methyltetrazole, 1,3-dimethyl-2-imidazolidinone, 1,5-pentamethylenetetrazole, 1-phenyl-5-mercaptotetrazole, diaminomethyltriazine, imidazoline thione, 4-methyl-4H -1,2,4-triazole -3-thiol, benzothiazole, imidazole, indiazole, adenosine, carbazole, saccharin, benzoin oxime, PolyFox PF-159, poly(ethylene glycol), poly(propylene glycol), PEG-PPG copolymers, dodecylbenzenesulfonic acid, sodium dodecylbenzenesulfonate, and combinations thereof.

13. The composition of claim 1 , wherein the composition further comprises at least one additional component selected from the group consisting of at least one surfactant, at least one low-k passivating agent, at least one silicon-containing compound, and combinations thereof.

14. The composition of claim 13 , comprising at least one passivating agent selected from the group consisting of boric acid, ammonium pentaborate, sodium tetraborate, 3-hydroxy-2-naphthoic acid, malonic acid, iminodiacetic acid, and combinations thereof.

15. The composition of claim 13 , comprising at least one silicon-containing compound selected from the group consisting of methyltrimethoxysilane, dimethyldimethoxysilane, phenyltrimethoxysilane, tetraethoxysilane (TEOS), N-propyltrimethoxysilane, N-propyltriethoxysilane, hexyltrimethoxysilane, hexyltriethoxysilane, ammonium hexaflurorosilicate, sodium silicate, tetramethyl ammonium silicate (TMAS), and combinations thereof.

16. The composition of claim 1 , wherein the composition is substantially devoid of amines, abrasive materials, chloride sources, metal halides, and combinations thereof.

17. The composition of claim 1 , wherein the pH of the composition is in a range from 0 to 4.