A POST METAL ETCH CLEANING PROCESS FOR 0.25 MU-M TECHNOLOGY

This paper describes the development of a process to clean photoresist and postetch residues from metal lines. The design rules for this 0.2 5 micron technology demand that not only should the device structure b e clean but also that residual chlorine is reduced to minimise the pos sibilities of lateral erosion of the metal stack. Several analytical t echniques are used in this evaluation, including FESEM for morphologic al examination, Wavelenght Dispersive X-Ray Fluorescence (WDXRF) and X -Ray Photoelectron Spectroscopy (XPS) for chlorine determination and f inally electrical testing of the device to support our study.