Yield improvement by avoiding a metal chemical reaction in the metal etching post-treatment

As semiconductor devices have been manufactured, a short circuit between metal interconnects is one of the major causes of lower product yields. There are many causes for interconnect short circuits. Increasingly complex semiconductor manufacturing processes these years cause micro interconnect short circuits in metal chemical reaction during wet posttreatment. We focused on and studied these interconnect short circuits. Wet post-treatment performed after metal interconnect etching is purposed to eliminate by-products that adhere to the metal interconnect during etching. However, metal components elute into the post, wet treatment chemicals during post-treatment and furthermore they are segregated out between interconnects by metal chemical reaction. We analyzed the symptom, and designed and implemented countermeasures