Abstract
Water rinse of aluminum metallized integrated circuits must be carefully monitored because the Al can oxidize rapidly under certain conditions. Al oxidation in 10 MΩ deionized water was therefore studied using Auger spectroscopy, and transmission and scanning electron microscopies, to investigate the oxide growth as a function of water temperature and rinse time, use of photolithography, and Cu‐doping of the Al. Al oxide thicknesses were 20–30Å before any treatment and were 35, 70, and ≅3000Å after 5 min rinses in 40°, 60°, and 80°C water, respectively. Photolithography and Cu doping induced no large effects. In 40°C water, little oxidation occurred for 20 min and rapid oxidation began after 40 min, especially at nucleation sites with C and Si contamination. The oxide grown in water has a porous structure, is nearly amorphous, and contains gamma‐alumina and hydrated oxides. Near 80°C, several thousand angstroms of oxide can grow in minutes.
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