Applied Materials, Inc.

Feiyue Ma

Kai Wu

Vikash Banthia

Yu Lei

Mei Yin Chang

He Ren

Nitin K Ingle

Mehul B Naik

Zhenjiang Cui

Kazuya Daito

Yi Xu

Zhiyuan Wu

Hanshen Zhang

Guoqiang Jian

Chi-Chou Lin

Daniella Holm

Siliang Chang

Avgerinos V Gelatos

Dien-Yeh Wu

Xinyu Fu

Sang Ho Yu

Wei V Tang

Sundar Ramamurthy

Raymond Hoiman Hung

David T Or

Xi Cen

Jing Zhou

Hua Ai

Jenn-Yue Wang

Pulkit Agarwal

Yakuan Yao

Yiming Lai

Jonathan Robert Bakke

Jia Ye

Hua Al

The present disclosure generally relates to methods for processing of substrates, and more particularly relates to methods for forming a metal gapfill. In one implementation, the method includes forming a metal gapfill in an opening using a multi-step process. The multi-step process includes forming a first portion of the metal gapfill, performing a sputter process to form one or more layers on one or more side walls, and growing a second portion of the metal gapfill to fill the opening with the metal gapfill. The metal gapfill formed by the multi-step process is seamless, and the one or more layers formed on the one or more side walls seal any gaps or defects between the metal gapfill and the side walls. As a result, fluids utilized in subsequent processes do not diffuse through the metal gapfill.

Method for forming a metal gapfill

Exemplary methods for etching a variety of metal-containing materials may include flowing an oxygen-containing precursor into a semiconductor processing chamber. A substrate positioned within the semiconductor processing chamber may include a trench formed between two vertical columns and a metal-containing material arranged within a plurality of recesses defined by the two vertical columns. The plurality of recesses may include a first recess and a second recess adjacent to the first recess. The metal-containing material arranged within the first recess and the metal-containing material arranged within the second recess may be connected by the metal-containing material lining a portion of sidewalls of the trench. The methods may further include oxidizing the metal-containing material with the oxygen-containing precursor. The methods may also include flowing a halide precursor into the semiconductor processing chamber. The methods may further include laterally etching the oxidized metal-containing material lining the portion of the sidewalls of the trench.

Metal recess for semiconductor structures

Exemplary methods for laterally etching tungsten may include flowing an oxygen-containing precursor into a semiconductor processing chamber. A substrate positioned within the semiconductor processing chamber may include a trench formed between two vertical columns and tungsten slabs arranged within a plurality of recesses defined by at least one of the two vertical columns. At least two of the tungsten slabs may be connected by tungsten lining a portion of sidewalls of the trench. The methods may further include oxidizing the tungsten connecting the at least two of the tungsten slabs with the oxygen-containing precursor. The methods may include flowing a halide precursor into the semiconductor processing chamber. The methods may also include laterally etching the oxidized tungsten from the sidewalls of the trench.

Interconnects and methods for forming interconnects are described and disclosed herein. The interconnect contains a stack formed on a substrate having a via and a trench formed therein, a first metal formed from a first material of a first type deposited in the via, and a second metal formed from a second material of a second type deposited in the trench.

Process integration approach of selective tungsten via fill

Methods to selectively deposit a film on a first surface (e.g., a metal surface) relative to a second surface (e.g., a dielectric surface) by exposing the surface to a pre-clean plasma comprising one or more of argon or hydrogen followed by deposition. The first surface and the second surface can be substantially coplanar. The selectivity of the deposited film may be increased by an order of magnitude relative to the substrate before exposure to the pre-cleaning plasma.

In-situ pre-clean for selectivity improvement for selective deposition

Embodiments of the present disclosure generally relate an interconnect formed on a substrate and a method of forming the interconnect thereon. In an embodiment, a via and trench in a stack formed on the substrate. A bottom of the via is pre-treated using a first pre-treatment procedure. A sidewall of the via is pre-treated using a second pre-treatment procedure. A first metal fill material of a first type is deposited on the stack, in the via. A second metal fill material of a second type is deposited on the stack, in the trench.

Methods for forming metal contacts having tungsten liner layers are provided herein. In some embodiments, a method of processing a substrate includes: exposing a substrate, within a first substrate process chamber, to a plasma formed from a first gas comprising a metal organic tungsten precursor gas or a fluorine-free tungsten halide precursor to deposit a tungsten liner layer, wherein the tungsten liner layer is deposited atop a dielectric layer and within a feature formed in a first surface of the dielectric layer of a substrate; transferring the substrate to a second substrate process chamber without exposing the substrate to atmosphere; and exposing the substrate to a second gas comprising a tungsten fluoride precursor to deposit a tungsten fill layer atop the tungsten liner layer.

Methods for forming low-resistance contacts through integrated process flow systems

Growing community of inventors

San Jose, CA, United States of America

Feiyue Ma