Method of manufacturing semiconductor device for protecting Cu layer from post chemical mechanical polishing-corrosion and chemical mechanical polishing equipment used in the same

Abstract

A method of manufacturing a semiconductor device for protecting a Cu layer from post chemical mechanical polishing (CMP) corrosion and CMP equipment therefore wherein, when wafers on which a Cu layer is formed wait to be transferred to a cleaning system after being polished in a CMP equipment, the wafers collected at a stand-by station are supplied with a solution containing a corrosion inhibitor, thus at least keeping the polished surface of Cu layer wet with the solution. Then, the wafers collected at the stand-by station are transferred to the cleaning system and cleaned. In the present invention, the solution uses a solution in which the corrosion inhibitor is added to de-ionized water. Furthermore, while transferring the wafers, the surfaces of the transferred wafers are kept wet with a solution containing a corrosion inhibitor.

What is claimed is:  
     
         1 . A method of manufacturing a semiconductor device for preventing the corrosion of a copper (Cu) layer, the method comprising: 
 performing chemical mechanical polishing (CMP) on a Cu layer formed on a wafer;    providing a solution containing a corrosion inhibitor onto the surface of the Cu layer subjected to CMP;    placing the wafer at a stand-by station with the polished surface of the Cu layer wet with the solution;    transferring the wafer to a cleaning system; and    cleaning the wafer.    
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the solution is a solution in which the corrosion inhibitor is added to de-ionized water.  
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein the corrosion inhibitor is selected from the group consisting of benzo-tri-azole, indiazole, benzimidazole, mercaptobenzothiazole, or imidazoline thione.  
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein transferring the wafer to the cleaning system is performed with the polished surface of the Cu layer wet with the solution.  
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 4 , wherein transferring the wafer to the cleaning system comprises additionally supplying a solution containing a corrosion inhibitor onto the wafer.  
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 5 , wherein the corrosion inhibitor is selected from the group consisting of benzo-tri-azole, indiazole, benzimidazole, mercaptobenzothiazole, or imidazoline thione.  
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein cleaning the wafer comprises supplying de-ionized water to which a corrosion inhibitor is added onto the surface of the wafer.  
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 7 , wherein the corrosion inhibitor is benzo-tri-azole, indiazole, benzimidazole, mercaptobenzothiazole, or imidazoline thione.  
     
     
         9 . A method of manufacturing a semiconductor device for preventing corrosion of a copper (Cu) layer, the method comprising: 
 sequentially loading a plurality of wafers, on each of which a Cu layer is formed, into a polishing pad of a chemical mechanical polishing (CMP) equipment, and polishing the Cu layer;    sequentially unloading the wafers, on which the surface of the Cu layer is polished, from the polishing pad to a stand-by station;    supplying a solution containing a corrosion inhibitor to the wafers sequentially unloaded and placing the unloaded wafers with the polished surface of the Cu layer wet with the solution;    transferring the wafers collected at the stand-by station to a cleaning system; and    cleaning the wafers.    
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 9 , wherein the wafers held in a carrier are loaded into the CMP equipment, 
 wherein the unloaded wafers are sequentially inserted into a vacant carrier prepared at the stand-by station of the CMP equipment, and the carrier filled with the unloaded wafers is transferred to the cleaning system, and    wherein the carrier into which the unloaded wafers are inserted stands by at the stand-by station while being soaked in the solution.    
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 10 , wherein the solution is continuously supplied to the carrier into which the unloaded wafers are inserted while the carrier waits at the stand-by station.  
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 9 , wherein the solution is a solution in which the corrosion inhibitor is added to de-ionized water.  
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 9 , wherein the corrosion inhibitor is selected from the group consisting of benzo-tri-azole, indiazole, benzimidazole, mercaptobenzothiazole, or imidazoline thione.  
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 9 , wherein transferring the wafer to the cleaning system is performed with the polished surface of the Cu layer wet with the solution.  
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 14 , wherein transferring the wafer to the cleaning system comprises additionally supplying a solution containing a corrosion inhibitor to the wafer.  
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 15 , wherein the corrosion inhibitor is one among the group consisting of benzo-tri-azole, indiazole, benzimidazole, mercaptobenzothiazole, and imidazoline thione.  
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 9 , wherein cleaning the wafer comprises supplying de-ionized water containing a corrosion inhibitor onto the surface of the wafer.  
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 17 , wherein the corrosion inhibitor is selected from the group consisting of benzo-tri-azole, indiazole, benzimidazole, mercaptobenzothiazole, or imidazoline thione.  
     
     
         19 . A chemical mechanical polishing equipment comprising: 
 a polishing station including a polishing pad on which wafers from a carrier are sequentially loaded and a copper (Cu) layer formed on a wafer is polished; and    a stand-by station for offering a place where a vacant carrier into which wafers unloaded by a robot at the polishing station are sequentially inserted stands by and for supplying a solution containing a corrosion inhibitor onto the polished surface of the Cu layer on the inserted wafers.    
     
     
         20 . The equipment of  claim 19 , wherein the stand-by station comprises: 
 a solution vessel for containing the solution so that the carrier may be loaded and soaked in the supplied solution;    a supply pipe for supplying the solution to the solution vessel;    a discharge pipe for drawing the solution from the solution vessel; and    a solution supply container, connected to the supply pipe, for supplying the solution.    
     
     
         21 . The equipment of  claim 19 , wherein the solution is de-ionized water to which the corrosion inhibitor is added.  
     
     
         22 . The equipment of  claim 19 , wherein the corrosion inhibitor is selected from the group consisting of benzo-tri-azole, indiazole, benzimidazole, mercaptobenzothiazole, or imidazoline thione.