US5470798A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Moisture-free sog process
Assignee: Teledyne Digital Imaging Inc
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Filing: 1991-05-28
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Granted: 1995-11-28
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Expires: 2011-05-28
Abstract
Abstract In a method of planarizing a semiconductor wafer having aluminum interconnect tracks formed thereon, a method is disclosed for applying inorganic spin-on glass which comprises applying the spin-on glass to the wafer in a coating and spinning chamber in a moisture-free environment, transferring the wafer in a moisture-free environment to a curing station, curing the spin-on glass at a temperature in the range of about 80° to 250° C. in the moisture-free environment at the curing station, and returning the wafers to the coating and spinning chamber. The above steps are repeated until a sufficient film thickness has been achieved without in the interim exposing the wafer to moisture conditions such that reverse hydrolysis si minimized during the planarization process. In this way crack-free inorganic SOG films can be produced.
Inventors
- 👤 Luc Ouellet
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-30 12:33
CPC Classifications
H; H10; H10P; H10P95/00; H10P95/06; H10P72/00; H10P72/04; H10P72/0451; H10P72/0452; H10P72/0456; H10P14/00; H10P14/60; H10P14/65; H10P14/6502; H10P14/6512; H10P14/69; H10P14/692; H10P14/6921; H10P14/6922; H10P14/6923; H10P72/0448; H10P72/0468; H10P14/63; H10P14/6326; H10P14/6342; Y; Y10; Y10S; Y10S148/00; Y10S148/133
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 8
Claim 1
Independent Claim
163 words
A method of planarizing a semiconductor wafer having interconnect tracks of non-refractory material formed thereon, comprising the steps of: i) applying a layer of inorganic phosphorus-based spin-on glass to the wafer in a coating and spinning chamber in the absence of moisture; ii) transferring the wafer in the absence of moisture to a curing station; (iii) curing the spin-on glass at a temperature in the range of at least about 80° C. and not more than 450° C. in the absence of moisture at said curing station to form an SiO 2 lattice connected to phosphorus atoms; (iv) returning the wafer to the coating and spinning chamber and repeating steps (i) to (iii) until a sufficient film thickness has been achieved without in the interim exposing the wafer to moisture so as to minimize reverse hydrolysis during a planarization process and thereby prevent irreversible reactions that form phosphorus acids and thus lead to disconnection of the phosphorus atoms from the SiO 2 lattice.
Claim 2
Independent Claim
163 words
A method of planarizing a semiconductor wafer having interconnect tracks of non-refractory material formed thereon, comprising the steps of: i) applying a layer of inorganic phosphorus-based spin-on glass to the wafer in a coating and spinning chamber in the absence of moisture; ii) transferring the wafer in the absence of moisture to a curing station; (iii) curing the spin-on glass at a temperature in the range of at least about 80° C. and not more than 450° C. in the absence of moisture at said curing station to form an SiO 2 lattice connected to phosphorus atoms; (iv) returning the wafer to the coating and spinning chamber and repeating steps (i) to (iii) until a sufficient film thickness has been achieved without in the interim exposing the wafer to moisture so as to minimize reverse hydrolysis during a planarization process and thereby prevent irreversible reactions that form phosphorus acids and thus lead to disconnection of the phosphorus atoms from the SiO 2 lattice.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
22 words
A method as claimed in claim 1, wherein steps (i) to (iii) are carried out in an inert gas free of moisture.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
21 words
A method as claimed in claim 2, wherein said inert gas is selected from the group consisting of: nitrogen and argon.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
18 words
A method as claimed in claim 1, wherein steps (i) to (iii) are carried out in a vacuum.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
16 words
A method as claimed in claim 1, wherein said spin-on glass is a phosphorus-alloyed spin-on glass.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
166 words
A method as claimed in claim 1, further comprising the steps of: 1) placing the wafer(s) to be processed in a sending cassette; 2) transferring the wafers one by one from the sending cassette to the coating and spinning chamber; 3) dispensing a few ml of SOG solution at the center of the wafer, and spinning said wafer; 4) transferring the coated wafers from the coating and spinning chamber to a first in-line temperature controlled hot plate; 5) transferring the wafers from the said first in-line hot plate to the next and so on to the last in-line hot plate; 6) transferring the wafers from the last in-line hot plate to a wafer cooling zone; 7) transferring the wafers from the wafer cooling zone to a receiving cassette zone; and 8) storing the wafer that have received a first spin-on glass coat in a receiving cassette; and 9) repeating steps 1 to 8 as many times as required until a sufficient film thickness has been achieved.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
13 words
A method as claimed in claim 1, wherein said non-refractory material is aluminum.
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USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1998-11-27 | 1999-05-29 | 1999-11-28 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 2002-11-27 | 2003-05-29 | 2003-11-28 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 2006-11-27 | 2007-05-29 | 2007-11-28 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |