International Business Machines Corporation

Other

Siemens Aktlengesellschaft

David Craig Strippe

William Joseph Murphy

Edward Crandal Cooney, Iii

Thomas L McDevitt

James Gardner Ryan

Daniel Scott Vanslette

Matthew J Rutten

Stephen Bruce Brodsky

Richard R Phinney

Anthony K Stamper

Paul Christian Parries

David Lewis Gardell

Felix Patrick Anderson

Thomas J Licata

Pei-ing P Lee

Bernd M Vollmer

Josef W Korejwa

Steven P Barkyoumb

Scott L Pennington

Processes for improving adhesion of films to semiconductor wafers and a semiconductor structure are provided. By implementing the processes of the invention, it is possible to significantly suppress defect creation, e.g., decrease particle generation, during wafer fabrication processes. More specifically, the processes described significantly reduce flaking of a TaN film from edges or extreme edges (bevel) of the wafer by effectively increasing the adhesion properties of the TaN film on the wafer. The method increasing a mol percent of nitride with respect to a total tantalum plus nitride to 25% or greater during a barrier layer fabrication process.

Methods of manufacturing semiconductor devices and a semiconductor structure

A method and apparatus for sputter deposition. The method including: providing a sputter target having a back surface and an exposed front surface; providing a source of magnetic field lines, the magnetic field lines extending through the sputter target from the back surface to the exposed front surface of the sputter target; providing one or more pole extenders between magnetic poles of the source of the magnetic field lines and the exposed front surface of the sputter target.

Sputtering target fixture

An apparatus and a method for operating the same. The method includes providing an apparatus which includes a chamber, wherein the chamber includes first and second inlets, an anode and a cathode structures in the chamber, and a wafer on the cathode structure. A cleaning gas is injected into the chamber via the first inlet. A collecting gas is injected into the chamber via the second inlet. The cleaning gas when ionized has a property of etching a top surface of the wafer resulting in a by-product mixture in the chamber. The collecting gas has a property of preventing the by-product mixture from depositing back to the surface of the wafer.

By-product collecting processes for cleaning processes

A method of forming inter-level contacts or vias between metal layers using a tungsten film deposited into the via using non-collimated sputter deposition. The sputter chamber is configured with a pressure of about 1 mTorr to about 10 mTorr with an inert gas flow of at least 25 cm/min to about 150 cm/min. Shielding inside the chamber is coated with a material, preferably, aluminum oxide, that promotes adhesion of tungsten to the shielding. An adhesion layer of titanium may be included prior to deposition of the tungsten film. Non-collimated sputter deposition increases the target to substrate distance inside the sputter chamber; reduces the heating effect associated with traditional collimated sputtering; and provides more robust diffusion barriers.

Sputtered tungsten diffusion barrier for improved interconnect robustness

A method of forming inter-level contacts or vias between metal layers using a tungsten film deposited into the via using non-collimated sputter deposition. The sputter chamber is configured with a pressure of about 1 mTorr to about 10 mTorr with an inert gas flow of at least at least 25 cm,/min to about 150 cm,/min. Shielding inside the chamber is coated with a material, preferably, aluminum oxide, that promotes adhesion of tungsten to the shielding. An adhesion layer of titanium may be included prior to deposition of the tungsten film. Non-collimated sputter deposition increases the target to substrate distance inside the sputter chamber; reduces the heating effect associated with traditional collimated sputtering; and provides more robust diffusion barriers.

A process and apparatus for depositing thin films onto a substrate. The process comprises mounting a wafer onto a wafer chuck and pumping a cryogenic fluid through the chuck which cools the wafer chuck and the wafer to a temperature below about &plus;20&deg; C. A thin film is then deposited over the cooled wafer using a sputter deposition process while maintaining the temperature of the wafer chuck and the wafer below about &plus;20&deg; C. The preferred embodiment of the present invention includes the use of liquid nitrogen as the cryogenic fluid, and copper as the material to be deposited through the sputtering process. In addition, the preferred embodiment cools the wafer chuck and the wafer to a temperature of about &minus;100&deg; C. The apparatus includes the physical vapor deposition vessel, the wafer chuck, the source of material to be deposited, the wafer, and the cooling line which passes through the wafer chuck to carry the cooling fluid to the chuck.

Process and apparatus for cold copper deposition to enhance copper plating fill

A high power capacity magnetron cathode has coolant fluid control surfaces attached to a supporting structure of a magnet array housed by a magnet array housing. The coolant fluid control surfaces provide radial and axial pumping and circulatory action of liquid coolant introduced into the magnet array housing throughout the housing and about the magnet array to significantly increase cooling efficiency by increasing distribution of coolant circulation. The fluid control surfaces may include fluid conductive vanes in patterns designed to maximize coolant flow. Fluid control surfaces and vanes are additionally provided on interior surfaces of the magnet array housing. The fluid control surfaces and vanes increase the surface area of the array and housing to increase the cooling action of the coolant at the bonding interface of cathode material to the magnet array housing, allowing the cathode to be operated at high power levels without thermal or pressure induced damage to the cathode bond. A non-flat configuration to the mating surfaces of the cathode material with the magnet array housing improves heat transfer away from the bonding layer of the cathode material.

High power capacity magnetron cathode

A sputtering deposition wherein high aspect ratio apertures are coated with conductive films exhibiting low bulk resistivity, low impurity concentrations, and regular morphologies. A collimator is used having an aspect ratio that approximates the aspect ratio of the apertures. The resulting film thickness at the bottom of the aperture is at least 2.times. what can be achieved using conventional sputtering methods. The amount of material deposited at the bottom of the apertures can be further enhanced by elevating the temperature of the substrate (e.g. 450.degree. C.) during the deposition process.

Method of depositing conductors in high aspect ratio apertures under

A process for sputter deposition wherein high aspect ratio apertures are coated with conductive films exhibiting low bulk resistivity, low impurity concentrations, and regular morphologies. A collimator is used having an aspect ratio that approximates the aspect ratio of the apertures.

Method of depositing conductors in high aspect ratio apertures using a

A process for the evaporation deposition of a layer of metal on a workpiece is described in which a charge of a metal is placed in a crucible formed of a material having a vapor pressure lower than the vapor pressure of the metal at a selected temperature, a shield is placed between the workpiece and the crucible, and the crucible is then heated to a first temperature sufficient to melt said charge, but insufficient to cause substantial evaporation of said charge following which the crucible is heated to a second temperature level for a time sufficient to fractionally distill the charge and sublime or vaporize any non-metallic contaminants in said charge and finally the crucible is heated to a third temperature sufficient to evaporate the charge at a selected rate at which time the shield is removed from between the cricuble and the workpiece to permit evaporant from the charge to coat the workpiece.

Process for the self fractionation deposition of a metallic layer on a

An evaporation source for RF heated evaporators in which the crucible has a susceptor made of a solid block of graphite carbon having a volume commensurate with the volume of molten material prior to evaporation. Moreover, the crucible has a depth that is less than twice its diameter. These features enhance the self-fractionation of the molten material prior to evaporation to thus enhance the properties of the film as-deposited.

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Westford, VT, United States of America

David Craig Strippe