Composition and process for post-etch removal of photoresist and/or sacrificial anti-reflective material deposited on a substrate

Abstract

A composition and process for removing photoresist and/or sacrificial anti-reflective coating (SARC) materials from a substrate having such material(s) thereon. The composition includes a base component, such as a quaternary ammonium base in combination with an alkali or alkaline earth base, or alternatively a strong base in combination with an oxidant. The composition may be utilized in aqueous medium, e.g., with chelator, surfactant, and/or co-solvent species, to achieve high-efficiency removal of photoresist and/or SARC materials in the manufacture of integrated circuitry, without adverse effect on metal species on the substrate, such as copper, aluminum and/or cobalt alloys, and without damage to SiOC-based dielectric materials employed in the semiconductor architecture.

1 . A cleaning composition useful for removing photoresist and/or sacrificial anti-reflective coating (SARC) materials from a substrate having such material(s) thereon, said composition comprising potassium hydroxide in combination with an oxidant. 
     
     
         2 .- 8 . (canceled) 
     
     
         9 . The cleaning composition of  claim 1 , which includes an aqueous solution of at least one oxidant, potassium hydroxide, optionally a chelator and optionally a co-solvent and/or a surfactant. 
     
     
         10 . (canceled) 
     
     
         11 . The cleaning composition of  claim 1  including the following components:
 0.1-30 wt % potassium hydroxide strong base; 
 0.01-30 wt % oxidant; 
 0-10 wt % chelator; 
 0-5 wt % surfactant; 
 0-50 wt % co-solvent; and 
 20-98.9 wt % deionized water, 
 wherein percentages of the components are percentages by weight, based on total weight of the composition, and wherein the total of the weight percentages of such components of the composition does not exceed 100 weight %. 
 
     
     
         12 . (canceled) 
     
     
         13 . The cleaning composition of  claim 1  wherein the oxidant comprises an oxidant species selected from the group consisting of hydrogen peroxide, amine-N-oxides, perborate salts, persulfate salts, and combinations of two or more of the foregoing. 
     
     
         14 . The cleaning composition of  claim 1 , including a chelator. 
     
     
         15 . (canceled) 
     
     
         16 . The cleaning composition of  claim 14 , wherein the chelator comprises a chelator species selected from the group consisting of: 1,2,4-triazole; benzotriazole; tolyltriazole; 5-phenyl-benzotriazole; 5-nitro-benzotriazole; 4-methyl-2-phenylimidazole; 2-mercaptothiazoline; 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-amino-5-mercapto-1,2,4-triazole, 3-isopropyl-1,2,4-triazole; 5-phenylthiol-benzotriazole; halo-benzotriazoles wherein halo is selected from the group consisting of F, Cl, Br and I; naphthotriazole; 2-mercaptobenzoimidizole; 2-mercaptobenzothiazole; 5-aminotetrazole; 5-amino-1,3,4-thiadiazole-2-thiol; 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; mercaptobenzothiazole; imidazoline thione; mercaptobenzimidazole ; 4-methyl-4H-1,2,4-triazole-3-thiol; 5-amino -1,3,4 -thiadiazole-2-thiol; benzothiazole; tritolyl phosphate; indiazole; guanine; adenine; glycerol; thioglycerol; nitrilotriacetic acid; salicylamide; iminodiacetic acid; benzoguanamine; melamine; thiocyranuric acid; anthranilic acid; gallic acid; ascorbic acid; salicylic acid; 8-hydroxyquinoline; 5-carboxylic acid-benzotriazole; 3-mercaptopropanol; boric acid; and iminodiacetic acid. 
     
     
         17 . The cleaning composition of  claim 1 , comprising a surfactant wherein the surfactant comprises a surfactant species selected from the group consisting of: fluoroalkyl surfactants; polyethylene glycols; polypropylene glycols; polyethylene glycol ethers; polypropylene glycol ethers; carboxylic acid salts; dodecylbenzenesulfonic acid and salts thereof; polyacrylate polymers; dinonylphenyl polyoxyethylene; silicone polymers; modified silicone polymers; acetylenic diols; modified acetylenic diols, alkylammonium salts; modified alkylammonium salts; and combinations of two or more of the foregoing. 
     
     
         18 . (canceled) 
     
     
         19 . The cleaning composition of  claim 9 , comprising a co-solvent. 
     
     
         20 . (canceled) 
     
     
         21 . The composition of  claim 19 , wherein the co-solvent comprises a co-solvent species selected from the group consisting of: dimethyldiglycolamine; 1,8-diazabicyclo[5.4.0]undecene; aminopropylmorpholine; triethanolamine; methylethanolamine; diethylene glycol; propylene glycol; neopentyl glycol; hydroxyethylmorpholine; aminopropylmorpholine; di(ethylene glycol)monoethyl ether; di(propylene glycol)propyl ether; ethylene glycol phenyl ether; di(propylene glycol) butyl ether; butyl carbitol; polyglycol ethers; and combinations of two or more of the foregoing. 
     
     
         22 . (canceled) 
     
     
         23 . (canceled) 
     
     
         24 . A method of removing photoresist and/or SARC material from a substrate having said material thereon, said method comprising contacting the substrate with a cleaning composition for sufficient time to at least partially remove said material from the substrate, wherein the cleaning composition comprises potassium hydroxide in combination with an oxidant. 
     
     
         25 . The method of  claim 24 , wherein the substrate comprises a semiconductor device structure. 
     
     
         26 .- 28 . (canceled) 
     
     
         29 . The method of  claim 24 , wherein said contacting is carried out for a time of from about 10 to about 45 minutes, and at temperature in a range of from about 50° C. to about 80° C. 
     
     
         30 .- 37 . (canceled) 
     
     
         38 . The method of  claim 24 , wherein the cleaning composition includes an aqueous solution of at least one oxidant, potassium hydroxide, optionally a chelator and optionally a co-solvent and/or a surfactant. 
     
     
         39 . (canceled) 
     
     
         40 . The method of  claim 24 , wherein the cleaning composition includes the following components:
 0.1-30 wt % potassium hydroxide strong base;   0.01-30 wt % oxidant;   0-10 wt % chelator;   0-5 wt % surfactant;   0-50 wt % co-solvent; and   20-98.9 wt % deionized water,   wherein percentages of the components are percentages by weight, based on total weight of the composition, and wherein the total of the weight percentages of such components of the composition does not exceed 100 weight %.   
     
     
         41 . (canceled) 
     
     
         42 . The method of  claim 24 , wherein the oxidant comprises an oxidant species selected from the group consisting of hydrogen peroxide, organic peroxides, amine-N-oxides, perborate salts, persulfate salts, and combinations of two or more of the foregoing. 
     
     
         43 . The method of  claim 24 , including a chelator. 
     
     
         44 . (canceled) 
     
     
         45 . The method of  claim 43 , wherein the chelator comprises a chelator species selected from the group consisting of: 1,2,4-triazole; benzotriazole; tolyltriazole; 5-phenyl-benzotriazole; 5-nitro-benzotriazole; 1-amino-1,2,4-triazole; hydroxybenzotriazole; 2-(5-amino-pentyl)-benzotriazole; 1-amino-1,2,3-triazole; 4-methyl-2phenylimidazole; 2-mercaptothiazoline; 1-amino-5-methyl-1,2,3-triazole; 3-amino-1,2,4-triazole; 3-amino-5-mercapto-1,2,4-triazole, 3-mercapto-1,2,4-triazole; 3-isopropyl-1,2,4-triazole; 5-phenylthiol-benzotriazole; halo-benzotriazoles wherein halo is selected from the group consisting of F, Cl, Br and I; naphthotriazole; 2-mercaptobenzoimidizole; 2-mercaptobenzothiazole; 5-aminotetrazole; 5-amino-1,3,4-thiadiazole-2-thiol; 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; mercaptobenzothiazole; imidazoline thione; mercaptobenzimidazole; 4-methyl-4H-1,2,4-triazole-3-thiol; 5-amino-1,3,4-thiadiazole-2-thiol; benzothiazole; tritolyl phosphate; indiazole; guanine; adenine; glycerol; thioglycerol; nitrilotriacetic acid; salicylamide; iminodiacetic acid; benzoguanamine; melamine; thiocyranuric acid; anthranilic acid; gallic acid; ascorbic acid; salicylic acid; 8-hydroxyquinoline; 5-carboxylic acid-benzotriazole; 3-mercaptopropanol; boric acid; and iminodiacetic acid. 
     
     
         46 . The method of  claim 24 , wherein the cleaning composition comprises a surfactant, wherein the surfactant comprises a surfactant species selected from the group consisting of: fluoroalkyl surfactants; polyethylene glycols; polypropylene glycols; polyethylene glycol ethers; polypropylene glycol ethers; carboxylic acid salts; dodecylbenzenesulfonic acid and salts thereof; polyacrylate polymers; dinonylphenyl polyoxyethylene; silicone polymers; modified silicone polymers; acetylenic diols; modified acetylenic diols, alkylammonium salts; modified alkylammonium salts; and combinations of two or more of the foregoing. 
     
     
         47 . (canceled) 
     
     
         48 . The method of  claim 24 , wherein the cleaning composition includes a co-solvent. 
     
     
         49 . (canceled) 
     
     
         50 . The method of  claim 48 , wherein the co-solvent comprises a co-solvent species selected from the group consisting of: dimethyldiglycolamine; 1,8-diazabicyclo[5.4.0]undecene; methyldiethanolamine; aminopropylmorpholine; triethanolamine; methylethanolamine; diethylene glycol; propylene glycol; neopentyl glycol; hydroxyethylmorpholine; aminopropylmorpholine; di(ethylene glycol)monoethyl ether; di(propylene glycol)propyl ether; ethylene glycol phenyl ether; di(propylene glycol) butyl ether; butyl carbitol; polyglycol ethers; and combinations of two or more of the foregoing. 
     
     
         51 . (canceled) 
     
     
         52 . (canceled)