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US5223081A Expired / Lapsed US ⏱️ 0.0 years remaining

Method for roughening a silicon or polysilicon surface for a semiconductor substrate

Assignee: Micron Technology Inc
•
Filing: 1991-07-03
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Granted: 1993-06-29
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Expires: 2011-07-03
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Abstract

Abstract This invention relates to a method for roughening a silicon or polysilicon substrate of a semiconductor. The method includes the steps of: depositing a metal layer onto the substrate, heating the metal layer and substrate through to form a metal silicide on the substrate by reaction of the metal layer and substrate, and removing the metal silicide and a metal oxide by selective etching to expose the roughened surface. The actual etching process may be a two-step procedure. A first etch uses ammonium hydroxide and hydrogen peroxide to remove the oxide layer formed with the silicide. A second etch uses hydrofluoric acid to remove the silicide.

Inventors

  • 👤 Trung T. Doan

Bibliographic Details

Application Number —
Jurisdiction US
Data Source google_patents
Last Synchronized 2026-10-29 07:08
CPC Classifications
H; H10; H10D; H10D1/00; H10D1/60; H10D1/68; H10D1/692; H10D1/711; H10D1/712; H10P; H10P50/00; H10P50/60; H10P50/66; H10P50/663; H10P50/667; Y; Y10; Y10S; Y10S438/00; Y10S438/964

Claims Analysis

Total Claims: 15
Claim 1
Independent Claim 102 words
In semiconductor manufacture a method for roughening a surface of a silicon or polysilicon substrate comprising: depositing a metal layer on the substrate; heating the substrate and metal layer in an atmosphere to initiate a chemical reaction between the metal layer and substrate to from a metal silicide layer on the substrate and to form a metal oxide-nitride layer on the metal silicide layer; removing the metal oxide-nitride layer with an etchant; and then removing the metal silicide layer with a selective etchant, thereby exposing a roughened surface area on the substrate t a boundary of the substrate and metal silicide layer.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim 102 words
In semiconductor manufacture a method for roughening a surface of a silicon or polysilicon substrate comprising: depositing a metal layer on the substrate; heating the substrate and metal layer in an atmosphere to initiate a chemical reaction between the metal layer and substrate to from a metal silicide layer on the substrate and to form a metal oxide-nitride layer on the metal silicide layer; removing the metal oxide-nitride layer with an etchant; and then removing the metal silicide layer with a selective etchant, thereby exposing a roughened surface area on the substrate t a boundary of the substrate and metal silicide layer.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim 25 words
The method as recited in claim 1 wherein: the metal layer is deposited to a thickness of between about 50 and about 3000 Angstrom (Å).
Claim 4
Dependent Claim 17 words
The method as recited in claim 2 and wherein: the metal layer thickness is about 500 Å.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim 16 words
The method as recited in claim 1 and wherein: the metal layer is a refractory metal.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim 15 words
The method as recited in claim 4 and wherein: the metal layer is titanium (Ti).
Claim 7
Dependent Claim 29 words
The method as recited in claim 5 and wherein: the metal silicide layer is titanium silicide (TiSi x ) and is removed by exposure to a hydrofluoric acid solution.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim 41 words
The method as recited in claim 6 and wherein: the metal oxide-nitride layer is titanium oxide-nitride (TiN x O y ) and is removed with a solution of ammonium hydroxide (NH 4 OH) and hydrogen peroxide (H 2 O 2 ).
Claim 9
Dependent Claim 131 words
In semiconductor manufacture a method for roughening a surface of a silicon or polysilicon substrate comprising: depositing a titanium layer on the substrate; heating the substrate and titanium layer in an atmosphere to a temperature for causing a chemical reaction that creates a titanium silicide (TiSi x ) layer on the substrate with a rough and irregular grain boundary and a titanium oxide-nitride (TiN x O y ) layer on the titanium silicide (TiSi x ) layer; and then removing the titanium oxide-nitride (TiN x O y ) layer with an etchant and removing the titanium silicide (TiSi x ) layer with an etchant selective to titanium silicide (TiSi x ) thereby exposing a roughened surface area on the substrate at the boundary between the silicide, and silicon or polysilicon substrate.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim 131 words
In semiconductor manufacture a method for roughening a surface of a silicon or polysilicon substrate comprising: depositing a titanium layer on the substrate; heating the substrate and titanium layer in an atmosphere to a temperature for causing a chemical reaction that creates a titanium silicide (TiSi x ) layer on the substrate with a rough and irregular grain boundary and a titanium oxide-nitride (TiN x O y ) layer on the titanium silicide (TiSi x ) layer; and then removing the titanium oxide-nitride (TiN x O y ) layer with an etchant and removing the titanium silicide (TiSi x ) layer with an etchant selective to titanium silicide (TiSi x ) thereby exposing a roughened surface area on the substrate at the boundary between the silicide, and silicon or polysilicon substrate.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim 37 words
The method as recited in claim 8 and wherein: the titanium oxide-nitride (TiN x O y ) layer is removed with a solution of ammonium hydroxide (NH 4 OH) and hydrogen peroxide (H 2 O 2 ).
Claim 12
Dependent Claim 41 words
The method as stated in claim 9 and wherein: the titanium oxide-nitirde (TiN x O y ) layer is removed by exposing the titanium oxide-nitride (TiN x O y ) layer to a 1:1 solution of ammonium hydroxide and hydrogen peroxide.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim 26 words
The method as stated in claim 9 and wherein: the titanium layer thickness is deposited to a thickness between about 50 and about 3000 Angstrom (Å).
Claim 14
Dependent Claim 17 words
The method as stated in claim 11 and wherein: the titanium layer thickness is about 500 Å.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim 31 words
The method as stated in claim 8 and wherein: the titanium silicide (TiSi x ) layer is removed by exposing the titanium silicide (TiSi x ) to a hydrofluoric acid solution.

References Cited (Backward Citations)

US3615948A Cited
US4147564A Cited
US4294651A Cited
US4663188A Cited
US4917752A Cited
JPS6261345A Cited

USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows

Annuity Stage Window Opens Payment Deadline Surcharge Period Until Estimated Fee Status
3.5 Years (Year 4) 1996-06-28 1996-12-28 1997-06-29 $2000.00 Window Closed / Lapsed
7.5 Years (Year 8) 2000-06-28 2000-12-28 2001-06-29 $3760.00 Window Closed / Lapsed
11.5 Years (Year 12) 2004-06-28 2004-12-28 2005-06-29 $7700.00 Window Closed / Lapsed

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