Patent Application
20080200032
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a method of determining the end point of polishing in the step of chemical mechanical polishing for surface smoothening in production of a semiconductor device.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Currently under research and development are processing methods for improvement in density and miniaturization in production of ULSI semiconductor devices. One of the methods, CMP (chemical mechanical polishing) technology, is now a technology essential in production of semiconductor devices, for example, for smoothening of interlayer dielectric film, forming a shallow trench device isolation, forming a plug and forming an embedded metal wiring.
Generally in chemical mechanical polishing, a polishing cloth is first fixed on a rotary polishing table of a polishing machine, while an irregular-surfaced semiconductor substrate is fixed on a carrier. Chemical mechanical polishing is performed by pressing the carrier onto the revolving polishing cloth, while a polishing slurry is supplied to the polishing cloth. Irregularity on the substrate present before polishing is eliminated by chemical mechanical polishing, and the substrate surface is smoothened. The polishing should be terminated rapidly after the surface is smoothened for uniformizing the removal amount.
A time management method of keeping the polishing period constant and an endpoint detection method of detecting the polishing end point have been used for making the thickness of the surface-smoothened film constant after polishing of a semiconductor substrate, but the endpoint detection method is advantageous because of its easiness of management. In polishing a semiconductor substrate carrying an integrated circuit formed, a film different from the polishing film exposed on the surface before polishing often becomes exposed during polishing. In such a case, the shearing force changes, according to the material used for the polished film, and methods of using such a shearing force in the endpoint detection method are disclosed, for example, in U.S. Pat. No. 5,036,015 and Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 8-197417. Endpoint detection leads to improvement in the reproducibility of polishing amount.
In the polishing method above, the shearing force gives a torque on the polishing table, and a load is applied to the polishing table. Thus, it is possible to determine the shearing force by measuring the electric current of the motor driving the polishing table. The shearing force F, the torque Tq generated on the polishing table, and the distance r between the position of the shearing force applied to the polishing table and the rotational center of the polishing table have the relationship: Tq=F×r. However, the position r of the semiconductor substrate on the polishing table is variable as it moves during polishing, and thus, the shearing force F cannot be determined only by the motor current. As described above, there is still no method of directly measuring the shearing force generated between a revolving semiconductor substrate and a polishing cloth that can be performed easily industrially.
For example, when conditioning, i.e., surface roughening of the polishing cloth, is performed simultaneously with polishing, a torque is applied to the motor driving the polishing table, and the motor current changes. In addition, a load of the polishing table itself is applied to the motor, and contribution of the shearing force between the semiconductor substrate and the polishing cloth in the motor torque becomes relatively smaller. Thus, determination of the shearing force between semiconductor substrate and polishing cloth from the motor current leads to expansion of error.
An object of the present invention is to provide a polishing method of measuring the friction coefficient during polishing of a semiconductor substrate and using the change thereof in determining the polishing end point.
The present invention relates to (1) a method of polishing a semiconductor substrate, comprising pressing a semiconductor substrate having a film to be polished that is held by a carrier onto a polishing cloth fixed on a revolving polishing table and supplying a polishing slurry to the space between the polishing cloth and the semiconductor substrate, wherein the end point of polishing is determined according to the change in the friction coefficient while the friction coefficient between the semiconductor substrate and the polishing cloth is measured.
The present invention also relates to (2) the method of polishing a semiconductor substrate according to (1), wherein the friction coefficient is determined from the shearing force applied to the polishing cloth and the semiconductor substrate by polishing.
The present invention also relates to (3) the method of polishing a semiconductor substrate according to (2), wherein the shearing force is detected as two forces mutually rectangular to each other in the horizontal direction transmitted to the carrier or polishing table.
The present invention also relates to (4) the method of polishing a semiconductor substrate according to (2) or (3), wherein the end point of polishing is identified by extracting frequency components by fast Fourier transformation of the shearing force and determining the intensity change of each extracted frequency component.
The present invention also relates to (5) the method of polishing a semiconductor substrate according to any one of (1) to (4), comprising exposing a different film to be polished during polishing, wherein the ratio of the polishing rate RR2 of the newly exposed film to be polished to the polishing rate RR1 of the film exposed on the semiconductor substrate surface immediately therebefore, RR1/RR2, is 10 or more.
The present invention also relates to (6) the method of polishing a semiconductor substrate according to any one of (1) to (5), wherein the surface of the film to be polished is irregular when polishing is initiated.
The present invention also relates to (7) the method of polishing a semiconductor substrate according to any one of (1) to (6), wherein a polishing slurry containing cerium oxide particles and ammonium polyacrylate or an ammonium acrylate copolymer is used.
The present invention also relates to (8) the method of polishing a semiconductor substrate according to any one of (1) to (7), wherein the film to be polished contains silicon oxide (SiO2) and silicon nitride (SiN).
It is possible to determine the polishing end point easily and prevent excessive or insufficient polishing, according to the present invention. In particular, it is possible to terminate polishing reliably after exposure of the silicon nitride (SiN) film in surface-smoothening a dielectric film for shallow trench isolation.
In the method of polishing a semiconductor substrate according to the present invention, a semiconductor substrate having a polishing film on the surface is polished, while it is pressed on a polishing cloth fixed on a revolving polishing table. A polishing slurry is supplied to the space between the polishing cloth and the semiconductor substrate at the same time. The semiconductor substrate may be held by a carrier, and the carrier may be rotated by a driving unit, separately from the polishing table.
In the polishing method according to the present invention, the end point of polishing is determined from the change in the coefficient of friction COF between the substrate and polishing cloth during polishing. The coefficient of friction COF between the substrate and polishing cloth during polishing is represented by the ratio of the shearing force Fshear applied to the substrate and the polishing cloth to the load applied to the substrate Fnormal (Fshear/Fnormal). Fnormal is a value in proportion to the load applied to the carrier, and thus, the coefficient of friction COF is in proportion to the shearing force Fshear when Fnormal is constant.
In directly determining the shearing force Fshear applied to the substrate and the polishing cloth (hereinafter, referred to also as shearing force), a force in the horizontal direction generated on the polishing table or the carrier may be measured.
(1) The method of determining the coefficient of friction COF by the force in the horizontal direction generated on the carrier and the load applied via the carrier onto the polishing table will be described with reference to drawings.
The center position of the semiconductor substrate 15 is fixed by the carrier 16 and is placed eccentric on the polishing table 12, and thus, a shearing force in the horizontal direction is applied by friction with the polishing cloth 13. The shearing force generated on the semiconductor substrate 15 is transmitted, through the carrier 16, motor 2, and slide plate 17, to the load cells 19b and 19c. The load cell 19b detects the depth-direction component of shearing force, while the load cell 19c the width-direction component of shearing force; and these components are transmitted to the recorder 20 and FFT21.
The ratio Fshear/Fnormal and the coefficient of friction COF are calculated from the shearing force in combination of these two components and the load in the vertical direction.
(2) The method of measuring the force in the horizontal direction generated on the polishing table is the same in principle as the method (1). The carrier and the driving unit are fixed on a stand separated from the polishing machine containing a polishing table, and the shearing force generated on the carrier is designed not to be transmitted to the polishing machine. The polishing machine is mounted via bearings on a stand, as it is allowed to move freely in a straight-line direction. When the substrate becomes in contact with the polishing cloth, a force in the horizontal direction is generated onto the polishing table by the shearing force, and the travelling distance is detected by strain gauge or the force is detected by the load cell as voltage. The voltage signal thus obtained is sent to a signal-processing unit, where it is processed.
Although the carrier presses the polishing table downward in
The shearing force is measured in real time, and all components including direct-current to high-frequency components are determined according to the frequency characteristics of the load cell or strain gauge. The friction coefficient obtained from the shearing force also includes a high-frequency component, and it is possible to analyze the friction coefficient at each frequency by fast Fourier transformation (FFT) thereof.
The friction coefficient depends on the physical properties of the film to be polished, the polishing slurry, and the polishing cloth. Conditioning by using a dresser may be needed for keeping the polishing cloth surface state constant, but the conditioning is performed at least during polishing or after polishing. According to the present invention, it is possible to detect the shearing force between the semiconductor substrate and the polishing cloth with smaller error, because there is no influence on the friction coefficient between semiconductor substrate and polishing cloth even when conditioning is performed simultaneously with polishing.
When there is irregularity on the surface of the film to be polished, the load concentrates on the raised regions. The area of concentrated load widens, as the surface irregularity is reduced by progress of polishing, and the load is applied uniformly on the entire semiconductor substrate surface after the surface is smoothened completely. The measured shearing force varies by the change of the area exposed to concentrated load by surface smoothening by polishing, and the polishing end point can be determined by using the change.
When the shearing force at each frequency is determined by fast Fourier transformation of the shearing force, the maximum (peak) intensity appears at a particular frequency. The peak intensity varies in proportion to the irregularity, and thus, it is possible to determine the polishing end point also by using the change in the peak intensity. The peak frequency, which is influenced by the shape, dimension of the irregularity and the polishing condition, is determined separately for each semiconductor substrate produced.
For example, when a different film to be polished is exposed during polishing as in shallow trench isolation, exposure of the new film to be polished leads to change of the friction coefficient. Silicon oxide (SiO2) is used as the separation film and silicon nitride (SiN) as the stopper film during shallow trench isolation, and polishing is terminated when SiN is exposed on the entire surface of raised region. SiN is more resistant to polishing than SiO2 and thus suitable as the stopper film. The friction coefficient of a semiconductor substrate surface is lower when SiN is exposed than when SiO2 is exposed on the surface. If the present invention is applied to shallow trench isolation, SiN exposure leads to decrease in friction coefficient, and thus, the endpoint is detected more definitely when the polishing method according to the present invention is applied. Thus, exposure of a different polishing film during polishing leads to change in friction coefficient, which is favorable for detection of polishing endpoint.
In the embodiment above of a new polishing film being exposed during the polishing, the change in friction coefficient when a different polishing film is newly exposed becomes greater, if the polishing rates of respective polishing films are different from each other significantly. For that reason, when a newly polishing film is exposed, the ratio of the polishing rate RR1 of the film to be polished that was exposed on the semiconductor substrate surface immediately before to the polishing rate RR2 of the newly exposed film to be polished (RR1/RR2) is preferably larger, and a ratio RR1/RR2 of 10 or more is preferable for increasing the change in friction coefficient.
For example, increase in the ratio of the polishing rate ratio of SiO2 to SiN during polishing of shallow trench isolation is advantageous in that it is possible to terminate polishing immediately after exposure of the entire stopper SiN. It is possible to raise the polishing rate ratio of SiO2 to SiN to 10 or more, by using a polishing slurry containing cerium oxide particles and an ammonium polyacrylate or an ammonium acrylate copolymer. Silica particles have been used widely for polishing semiconductor products, but the polishing rate ratio of SiO2 to SiN is approximately 3, when silica particles are used. Although it is possible to perform the method of polishing a semiconductor substrate according to the present invention by using silica particles, use of a polishing slurry containing cerium oxide particles and an ammonium polyacrylate or ammonium acrylate copolymer is desirable for shallow trench isolation, because it leads to increase of the change in friction coefficient when a new SiN film is exposed.
The different kind of film is exposed completely on the surface at time T3 in the third range. The time T3 represents the end point of polishing; in determining time T3 from the change in shearing force, the time T2 when the shearing force changes from climbing to constant or declining is calculated from the differential of the shearing force during polishing. The period from time T2 to T3 is a period needed for making the exposure state of the different kind of film, thickness of the different kind of film, level difference and others satisfy the requirements in production control of semiconductor integrated circuits, which is determined by preliminary polishing, and may be set to a certain period. Thus, the time T3 is a certain period after the time T2.
The polishing condition is kept constant in the embodiments above, but, for example, the load applied to the substrate or the rotational frequency of the surface plate or substrate may be altered. Even in such a case, it is possible to determine the time T2 in
Results (spectra) obtained by fast Fourier transformation of the shearing forces at T1, T2, and T3 in
The polishing method according to the present invention can also be used in the conductor polishing step and in the barrier film polishing step in embedding metal wiring in semiconductor devices.
Hereinafter, the present invention will be described with reference to Examples.
The center position of the semiconductor substrate 15 is fixed by the carrier 16 and is placed eccentric on the polishing table 12, and thus, a shearing force in the horizontal direction is applied by friction with the polishing cloth 13. The shearing force generated on the semiconductor substrate 15 is transmitted, through the carrier 16, motor 2, and slide plate 17, to the load cells 19b and 19c. The load cell 19b detects the depth-direction component of shearing force, while the load cell 19c the width-direction component of shearing force, and these components are transmitted to the recorder 20 and FFT21.
A test pattern having the cross-sectional structure shown in
The operational condition of the polishing machine is as follows: polishing table rotational frequency: 93 min−1, carrier rotational frequency: 87 min−1, carrier pressure: 22 kPa, dresser load: 26N, and dresser rotational frequency: 30 min−1. The dressing was performed simultaneously during polishing. The amount of the polishing slurry supplied was 200 ml/min.
T=0 (before polishing)
Thickness of stopper layer (SiN) t2: 101 nm
Thickness of dent layer (SiO2) t1: 678 nm
Level difference h2: 542 nm
No stopper film exposed
T=70 s (T2)
Thickness of stopper layer (SiN) t2: 101 nm
Thickness of dent layer (SiO2) t1: 540 nm
Level difference h2: 4 nm
Part of stopper film exposed
T=80 s (T2+10 S)
Thickness of stopper layer (SiN) t2: 100 nm
Thickness of dent layer (SiO2) t1: 522 nm
Level difference h2: 18 nm
Part of stopper film exposed
T=90 s (T2+20 s)
Thickness of stopper layer (SiN) t2: 101 nm
Thickness of dent layer (SiO2) t1: 501 nm
Level difference h2: 39 nm
Entire stopper film exposed
T=100 s (T2+30 s)
Thickness of stopper layer (SiN) t2: 101 nm
Thickness of dent layer (SiO2) t1: 481 nm
Level difference h2: 62 nm
Entire stopper film exposed
T=110 s (over-polishing)
Thickness of stopper layer (SiN) t2: 103 nm
Thickness of dent layer (SiO2) t1: 450 nm
Level difference h2: 94 nm
Entire stopper film exposed
Spectra obtained by fast Fourier transformation of the shearing force are shown in
Favorably in the example, all stopper film was exposed in 90 seconds, and the level difference was small at 39 nm. When polishing was continued for up to 110 seconds, the level difference expanded to 94 nm. When the same test pattern is polished continuously in the condition of the Example, the polishing end point T3 is found to be desirably 20 seconds after the time T2 (70 seconds) when the shearing force Fshear is largest. It is possible to determine the maximum point T2 of each polishing substrate, and thus, to reduce the fluctuation of the polishing end point of each substrate even if there is some dispersion.
The polishing rates of the blanket wafers with the polishing slurry used were as follows: The polishing condition was the same as that for the test pattern polishing.
SiO2 (plasma TEOS) film: 450 nm/min
SiN film: 8 nm/min
SiO2/SiN polishing rate ratio: 56
The shearing force showed a tendency to decline after the time T2. It was because of gradual exposure of the SiN film, and the tendency was more distinct, especially when a polishing slurry having a high SiO2/SiN polishing rate ratio of 10 or more was used. Thus, the position of T2 becomes more distinctive.
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 60902056 | Feb 2007 | US | |
| 60943407 | Jun 2007 | US |
