Lam Research Corporation

Novellus Systems Incorporated

Applied Materials, Inc.

Chiukin Steven Lai

Michal Danek

Raashina Humayun

Jeong-Seok Na

Shruti Vivek Thombare

Xinye Liu

Samantha SiamHwa Tan

Hanna Bamnolker

Teh-Tien Su

Mei Yin Chang

Xinliang Lu

Patrick A Van Cleemput

Anand Chandrashekar

Joshua Collins

Michael J Wood

Gorun Butail

Griffin John Kennedy

Raihan Tarafdar

Chien-Teh Kao

Roderick Craig Mosely

Xiaoxiong Yuan

Keren Jacobs Kanarik

Wenbing Yang

Kaihan Abidi Ashtiani

Juwen Gao

Yu Wen Chang

Joel M Huston

See-Eng Phan

Francisco J Juarez

Aaron R Fellis

Son Trinh

Yu Yang

Do Young Kim

Sal Umotoy

Jing-Pei Chou

Yao-Tsung Hsieh

Megha Rathod

Wie W Wang

Provided are methods of filling patterned features with molybdenum (Mo). The methods involve selective deposition of Mo films on bottom metal-containing surfaces of a feature including dielectric sidewalls. The selective growth of Mo on the bottom surface allows bottom-up growth and high quality, void-free fill. Also provided are related apparatus.

Molybdenum deposition

Methods of depositing tungsten into high aspect ratio features using a dep-etch-dep process integrating various deposition techniques with alternating pulses of surface modification and removal during etch are provided herein.

Atomic layer etch of tungsten for enhanced tungsten deposition fill

Provided herein are low resistance metallization stack structures for logic and memory applications and related methods of fabrication. In some implementations, the methods involve providing a tungsten (W)-containing layer on a substrate; and depositing a molybdenum (Mo)-containing layer on the W-containing layer. In some implementations, the methods involve depositing a Mo-containing layer directly on a dielectric or titanium nitride (TiN) substrate without an intervening W-containing layer.

Low resistivity films containing molybdenum

In some embodiments, deposition processes for ruthenium (Ru) feature fill include deposition of a thin, protective Ru film under reducing conditions, followed by a Ru fill step under oxidizing conditions. The presence of protective Ru films formed under oxygen-free conditions or with an oxygen-removing operation can enable Ru fill without oxidation of an underlying adhesion layer or metal feature.

Depositing ruthenium layers in interconnect metallization

Provided herein are methods of forming conductive cobalt (Co) interconnects and Co features. The methods involve deposition of a thin manganese (Mn)-containing film on a dielectric followed by subsequent deposition of cobalt on the Mn-containing film. The Mn-containing film may be deposited on a silicon-containing dielectric, such as silicon dioxide, and annealed to form a manganese silicate.

Manganese barrier and adhesion layers for cobalt

Provided are methods of forming diffusion barriers and adhesion layers for interconnects such as cobalt (Co) interconnects or ruthenium (Ru) interconnects. The methods involve selective deposition of tungsten carbon nitride (WCN) films on the oxide surfaces of a feature including a Co surface. The selective growth of WCN on oxide allows the contact resistance at an interface such as a Co&#x2014;Co interface or a Co&#x2014;Ru interface to be significantly reduced while maintaining good film coverage, adhesion, and/or barrier properties on the sidewall oxide surfaces.

Selective deposition of WCN barrier/adhesion layer for interconnect

A method for depositing a metal layer on a barrier layer includes a) arranging a substrate in a processing chamber. The substrate has been exposed to at least one of air and/or oxidizing chemistry and includes a barrier layer and one or more underlying layers, wherein the barrier layer includes a material selected from a group consisting of tantalum nitride, titanium nitride, tantalum and titanium. The method includes b) supplying a gas selected from a group consisting of hydrazine, a gas including fluorine species, a gas including chlorine species, derivatives of hydrazine, ammonia, carbon monoxide, a gas including amidinates, and/or a gas including metal organic ligands to the processing chamber for a predetermined period to remove oxidation from the barrier layer. The method includes c) depositing a metal layer on the barrier layer after b). The metal layer includes a metal selected from a group consisting of cobalt, copper, tungsten, ruthenium, rhodium, molybdenum, and nickel.

Systems and methods for forming low resistivity metal contacts and interconnects by reducing and removing metallic oxide

Atomic layer etching of tungsten for enhanced tungsten deposition fill

Provided herein are methods of depositing void-free cobalt into features with high aspect ratios. Methods involve (a) partially filling a feature with cobalt, (b) exposing the feature to a plasma generated from nitrogen-containing gas to selectively inhibit cobalt nucleation on surfaces near or at the top of the feature, optionally repeating (a) and (b), and depositing bulk cobalt into the feature by chemical vapor deposition. Methods may also involve exposing a feature including a barrier layer to a plasma generated from nitrogen-containing gas to selectively inhibit cobalt nucleation. The methods may be performed at low temperatures less than about 400&#xb0; C. using cobalt-containing precursors. Methods may also involve using a remote plasma source to generate the nitrogen-based plasma. Methods also involve annealing the substrate.

Method for void-free cobalt gap fill

Described are cleaning methods for removing contaminants from an electrical contact interface of a partially fabricated semiconductor substrate. The methods may include introducing a halogen-containing species into a processing chamber, and forming an adsorption-limited layer, which includes halogen from the halogen-containing species, atop the electrical contact interface and/or the contaminants thereon. The methods may further include thereafter removing un-adsorbed halogen-containing species from the processing chamber and activating a reaction between the halogen of the adsorption-limited layer and the contaminants present on the electrical contact interface. The reaction may then result in the removal of at least a portion of the contaminants from the electrical contact interface. In some embodiments, the halogen adsorbed onto the surface and reacted may be fluorine. Also described herein are apparatuses having controllers for implementing such electrical contact interface cleaning techniques.

Methods and apparatuses for atomic layer cleaning of contacts and vias

Etching of nitride and oxide layers with reactant gases is modulated by etching in different process regimes. High etch selectivity to silicon nitride is achieved in an adsorption regime where the partial pressure of the etchant is lower than its vapor pressure. Low etch selectivity to silicon nitride is achieved in a condensation regime where the partial pressure of the etchant is higher than its vapor pressure. By controlling partial pressure of the etchant, very high etch selectivity to silicon nitride may be achieved.

Modulating etch selectivity and etch rate of silicon nitride thin films

Methods for removing silicon nitride and elemental silicon during contact preclean process involve converting these materials to materials that are more readily etched by fluoride-based etching methods, and subsequently removing the converted materials by a fluoride-based etch. Specifically, silicon nitride and elemental silicon may be treated with an oxidizing agent, e.g., with an oxygen-containing gas in a plasma, or with Oor Oin the absence of plasma to produce a material that is more rich in Si&#x2014;O bonds and is more easily etched with a fluoride-based etch. Alternatively, silicon nitride or elemental silicon may be doped with a number of doping elements, e.g., hydrogen, to form materials which are more easily etched by fluoride based etches. The methods are particularly useful for pre-cleaning contact vias residing in a layer of silicon oxide based material because they minimize the unwanted increase of critical dimension of contact vias.

Methods for removing silicon nitride and other materials during fabrication of contacts

A method of forming a titanium silicide nitride (TiSiN) layer on a substrate id described. The titanium silicide nitride (TiSiN) layer is formed by providing a substrate to a process chamber and treating the substrate with a silicon-containing gas. A titanium nitride layer is formed on the treated substrate and exposed to a silicon-containing gas. The titanium nitride (TiN) layer reacts with the silicon-containing gas to form the titanium silicide nitride (TiSiN) layer. The formation of the titanium silicide nitride (TiSiN) layer is compatible with integrated circuit fabrication processes. In one integrated circuit fabrication process, the titanium silicide nitride (TiSiN) layer may be used as a diffusion barrier for a tungsten (W) metallization process.

Method of TiSiN deposition using a chemical vapor deposition (CVD) process

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Sunnyvale, CA, United States of America

Chiukin Steven Lai