IP Library Granted Patent US 12,741,925
Granted Patent B2
US 12,741,925 · App. 18/440,134 · Granted Sep 22, 2026

Inhibitor for RuO

Inventors: Tomoaki Sato (Yamaguchi, JP); Yuki Kikkawa (Yamaguchi, JP); Takafumi Shimoda (Yamaguchi, JP); Takayuki Negishi (Yamaguchi, JP)
Assignee: TOKUYAMA CORPORATION
C07C211/63H10P50/667H10P52/403
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12,741,925
App. No.
18/440,134
Granted
Sep 22, 2026
Kind
B2
Abstract

Provided are an inhibitor for RuO 4 gas generation used in a manufacturing process of a semiconductor element, that inhibits a RuO 4 gas generated when a semiconductor wafer containing ruthenium and a treatment liquid are brought into contact, and a method for inhibiting the RuO 4 gas. Specifically, provided is an inhibitor for RuO 4 gas generation for inhibiting a RuO 4 gas generated when a semiconductor wafer containing ruthenium and a treatment liquid are brought into contact in semiconductor formation steps, wherein the inhibitor includes an onium salt consisting of an onium ion and a bromine-containing ion. Also provided is a method for inhibiting RuO 4 gas generation by adding the inhibitor to a ruthenium treatment liquid or a ruthenium-containing liquid used in semiconductor formation steps.

Claims (16)

1 . A ruthenium treatment liquid comprising an onium salt consisting of an onium ion and a bromine-containing ion, and an oxidizing agent comprising a hypobromite ion, wherein the hypobromite ion concentration in the ruthenium treatment liquid is 0.001 mol/L or more and 0.20 mol/L or less, and the concentration of the onium salt in the ruthenium treatment liquid is 0.0001 to 50% by mass.

2 . The ruthenium treatment liquid according to claim 1 , wherein the concentration of the onium salt in the ruthenium treatment liquid is 0.01 to 50% by mass.

3 . The ruthenium treatment liquid according to claim 1 , wherein the onium salt is a quaternary onium salt of Formula (1), a tertiary onium salt of Formula (2), an onium salt of Formula (3), or an onium salt of Formula (4):

wherein in Formula (1), A + is an ammonium ion or a phosphonium ion; and R 1 , R 2 , R 3 , and R 4 are independently an alkyl group with a carbon number from 1 to 25, an allyl group, an aralkyl group having an alkyl group with a carbon number from 1 to 25, or an aryl group; when R 1 , R 2 , R 3 , and R 4 are alkyl groups, at least one of the alkyl groups in R 1 , R 2 , R 3 , and R 4 has a carbon number of 2 or more; at least one hydrogen atom in a ring of an aryl group in the aralkyl group, or the aryl group may be replaced with a fluorine atom, a chlorine atom, an alkyl group with a carbon number from 1 to 10, an alkenyl group with a carbon number from 2 to 10, an alkoxy group with a carbon number from 1 to 9, or an alkenyloxy group with a carbon number from 2 to 9; and in these groups, at least one hydrogen atom may be replaced with a fluorine atom or a chlorine atom;

wherein in Formula (2), A + is a sulfonium ion; and R 1 , R 2 , and R 3 are independently an alkyl group with a carbon number from 1 to 25, an allyl group, an aralkyl group having an alkyl group with a carbon number from 1 to 25, or an aryl group; when R 1 , R 2 , and R 3 are alkyl groups, at least one of the alkyl groups in R 1 , R 2 , and R 3 has a carbon number of 2 or more; at least one hydrogen atom in a ring of an aryl group in the aralkyl group, or the aryl group may be replaced with a fluorine atom, a chlorine atom, an alkyl group with a carbon number from 1 to 10, an alkenyl group with a carbon number from 2 to 10, an alkoxy group with a carbon number from 1 to 9, or an alkenyloxy group with a carbon number from 2 to 9; and in these groups, at least one hydrogen atom may be replaced with a fluorine atom or a chlorine atom;

wherein in Formula (3), Z is an aromatic group or alicyclic group that may comprise a nitrogen atom, a sulfur atom, or an oxygen atom, and in the aromatic group or the alicyclic group, a hydrogen atom bonded to a carbon atom or a nitrogen atom may have a chlorine atom, a bromine atom, a fluorine atom, an iodine atom, at least one alkyl group with a carbon number from 1 to 15, at least one alkenyloxy group with a carbon number from 2 to 9, an aromatic group that may be substituted with at least one alkyl group with a carbon number from 1 to 15, or an alicyclic group that may be substituted with at least one alkyl group with a carbon number from 1 to 15; A + is an ammonium ion or a sulfonium ion; R is a chlorine atom, a bromine atom, a fluorine atom, an iodine atom, an alkyl group with a carbon number from 1 to 15, an allyl group, an aromatic group that may be substituted with at least one alkyl group with a carbon number from 1 to 15, or an alicyclic group that may be substituted with at least one alkyl group with a carbon number from 1 to 15; the n is an integer of 1 or 2 and indicates the number of R; when n is 2, R may be the same or different and may form a ring;

wherein in Formula (4), A + is independently an ammonium ion, or a phosphonium ion; and R 1 , R 2 , R 3 , R 4 , R 5 , and R 6 are independently an alkyl group with a carbon number from 1 to 25, an allyl group, an aralkyl group having an alkyl group with a carbon number from 1 to 25, or an aryl group; at least one hydrogen atom in a ring of an aryl group in the aralkyl group, or the aryl group may be replaced with a fluorine atom, a chlorine atom, an alkyl group with a carbon number from 1 to 10, an alkenyl group with a carbon number from 2 to 10, an alkoxy group with a carbon number from 1 to 9, or an alkenyloxy group with a carbon number from 2 to 9; and in these groups, at least one hydrogen atom may be replaced with a fluorine atom or a chlorine atom; the a is an integer from 1 to 10; and

wherein in Formulas (1) to (4), X − is a bromine-containing ion.

4 . The ruthenium treatment liquid according to claim 3 , wherein the quaternary onium salt is a salt comprising at least one ammonium ion selected from the group consisting of tetraethylammonium ion, tetrapropylammonium ion, tetrabutylammonium ion, tetrapentylammonium ion, and tetrahexylammonium ion.

5 . The ruthenium treatment liquid according to claim 1 , wherein the ruthenium treatment liquid contains water.

6 . The ruthenium treatment liquid according to claim 1 , comprising additives, and the additives is at least one additive selected from the group consisting of a metal corrosion inhibitor, a water-soluble organic solvent, a fluorine compound, a complexing agent, a chelating agent, a surfactant, a defoaming agent, a pH adjuster, and a stabilizer.

7 . The ruthenium treatment liquid according to claim 1 , wherein the bromine-containing ion is a bromite ion, a bromate ion, a perbromate ion, a hypobromite ion, or a bromide ion.

8 . The ruthenium treatment liquid according to claim 1 , wherein the concentration of hypobromite ion in the ruthenium treatment liquid is 0.01 mol/L or more and 0.10 mol/L or less.

9 . The ruthenium treatment liquid according to claim 1 , wherein the pH of the ruthenium treatment liquid at 25° C. is 8 or more and 14 or less.

10 . The ruthenium treatment liquid according to claim 1 , wherein the ruthenium treatment liquid comprises an oxidizing agent different from the bromine-containing ion.

11 . The ruthenium treatment liquid according to claim 10 , wherein the oxidizing agent different from the bromine-containing ion is at least one selected from the group consisting of hypochlorite ion, ozone, orthoperiodic acid, metaperiodic acid, orthoperiodic acid ion, and metaperiodic acid ion.

Priority Claims (5)
JP 2019-176727 · Sep 27, 2019 · national
JP 2019-193081 · Oct 23, 2019 · national
JP 2019-211875 · Nov 22, 2019 · national
JP 2020-045869 · Mar 16, 2020 · national
JP 2020-117652 · Jul 8, 2020 · national
Continuity (2)
Continuation 17266283 · Sep 23, 2020
Related Publication 20240182404A1 · Jun 6, 2024
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