Determining the Fundamental Kinetic Parameters for Rinsing and Cleaning of Hafnium-Based High-k Materials

Abstract

The interactions of HF with hafnium oxide are important during post-etch cleaning of high-k dielectrics. The dynamics of these interactions during the rinse process are studied using a quartz crystal microbalance (QCM) equipped with a flow-through cell. A process model is developed showing that the overall process consists of three simultaneous process steps: adsorption, desorption and etching involving fluoride species. The model was validated using the experimental data obtained in QCM. The key parameters of these process steps namely adsorption, desorption and etch rate coefficients were determined using the combined experimental measurement and process modeling.