Other

Novellus Systems Incorporated

Lam Research Corporation

Chiu Chi

Scott Robert Summerfelt

Bart Jan Van Schravendijk

Ming Chu Li

Kevin J Ilcisin

Tom Mountsier

Julian Hsieh

Sanjeev Aggarwal

S M Reza Sadjadi

Theodore Sidney Moise

Francis Gabriel Celii

Thomas W Mountsier

Vinay Pohray

Tomoyuki Sakoda

Si Yi Li

Stephan Lassig

Tomojuki Sakoda

Tomohuki Sakoda

A nitrogen-free anti-reflective layer for use in semiconductor photolithography is fabricated in a chemical vapor deposition process, optionally plasma-enhanced, using a gaseous mixture of carbon, silicon, and oxygen sources. By varying the process parameters, a substantially hermetic layer with acceptable values of the refractive index n and extinction coefficient k can be obtained. The nitrogen-free moisture barrier anti-reflective layer produced by this technique improves plasma etch of features such as vias in subsequent processing steps.

Methods of forming moisture barrier for low K film integration with anti-reflective layers

Methods of forming moisture barrier for low k film integration with anti-reflective layers

A method of forming a damascene structure above a substrate is provided. A low-k dielectric layer is formed over the substrate, wherein the low-k dielectric layer does not have a trench stop layer. A plurality of vias are etched through the low-k dielectric layer. Via plugs are formed in the plurality of vias. A plurality of trenches are etched into the low-k dielectric layer, wherein the etching with sufficiently high via plugs minimizes facet formation at the tops of vias exposed to the etch and wherein the trench etch process removes fences caused by the via plugs. The via plugs are stripped.

Method for patterning multilevel interconnects

The present invention is directed to a method of forming an FeRAM integrated circuit, which includes forming a TiAlON bottom electrode diffusion barrier layer prior to formation of the bottom electrode layer in an FeRAM capacitor stack. Subsequently, when performing the capacitor stack etch, the portion of the TiAlON diffusion barrier layer not covered by the FeRAM capacitor stack is etched substantially anisotropically due to the oxygen within the TiAlON diffusion barrier layer substantially preventing a lateral etching thereof. In the above manner, an undercut of the TiAlON diffusion barrier layer under the FeRAM capacitor stack is prevented. In another aspect of the invention, a method of forming an FeRAM capacitor comprises forming a multi-layer bottom electrode diffusion barrier layer. Such formation comprises forming a TiN layer over the interlayer dielectric layer and the conductive contact and forming a diffusion barrier layer thereover. The TiN layer at least partially fills any seam that exists within the conductive contact, thus improving a conductivity between the FeRAM capacitor and a conductive contact in the interlayer dielectric.

Method of forming an FeRAM capacitor having a bottom electrode diffusion barrier

The present invention is directed to a method of forming an FeRAM integrated circuit, which includes evaluating the capacitor stack to determine the efficacy of the sidewall diffusion barrier layer deposition. When evaluating the capacitor stack after etching a masking layer portion of the hard mask, if &ldquo;ears&rdquo; are seen on top of the stack, the sidewall diffusion barrier layer is sufficiently thick to provide an adequate sidewall barrier. Evaluation may be performed using a standard or tilt scanning electron microscope, for example.

Detection of AIOx ears for process control in FeRAM processing

The present invention is directed to a method of forming an FeRAM integrated circuit, which includes forming a sidewall diffusion barrier prior to etching the bottom electrode diffusion barrier layer. The sidewall diffusion barrier layer is then etched prior to the bottom electrode diffusion barrier layer. In patterning an AlOx sidewall diffusion barrier layer prior to etching the underlying bottom electrode diffusion barrier layer, the etch chemistry comprises BCl &plus;Ar. The BCl is effective in etching the AlOx with a good selectivity to the underlying nitride hard mask on top of the capacitor stack (e.g., TiAlN) and nitride bottom electrode diffusion barrier (e.g., TiAlON with small oxygen content) between the neighboring capacitor stacks. The Ar may be added to the etch chemistry because the resulting surface (of a top portion of the hard mask and the bottom electrode diffusion barrier) is smoother.

FeRAM sidewall diffusion barrier etch

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San Jose, CA, United States of America

Chiu Chi