METHOD FOR REMOVING COPPER FROM A WAFER EDGE

摘要

A method for removing copper (16) from the edge (18) of a semiconductor wafer (10) to prevent particle and copper contamination provides a photorist or other protective layer (20) on top of the copper (16). An edge bead removal process is performed on the photoresist (20) to expose the edge (18) of the copper (16) on the semiconductor wafer (10). An etchant (32, 42) that is selective to the copper (16) and does not attack photoresist material is applied to the semiconductor wafer (10). The edge (18) of the copper (16), which forms the potential source of particle or copper contamination, is thereby etched. The remaining copper (16), protected by the photoresist layer (20), remains unexposed to the etchant (32, 42). After the copper edge (18) has been removed, the photoresist material (20) is also removed to expose the protected underlying copper (16) for further processing.