Applied Materials, Inc.

Other

Fusen E Chen

Zheng Xu

Jianming Fu

Praburam Gopalraja

Peijun Ding

Hong Zhang

Gongda Yao

Barry Lee Chin

Gene Y Kohara

Tony P Chiang

Girish Anant Dixit

Roderick Craig Mosely

John C Forster

Ted Tie Guo

Wei D Wang

Ashok K Sinha

Xianmin Tang

Suraj Rengarajan

Liang-Yuh Chen

Ling Chen

Michael A Miller

Rong Tao

Arvind Sundarrajan

Jick M Yu

Daniel Clarence Lubben

Walter Benjamin Glenn

Sankaram Athreya

Anantha K Subramani

Bo Zheng

Jaim Nulman

Hyman J Levinstein

Liang Light Chen

Hougong Wang

Roderick Craig Mosley

Mei Yin Chang

Srinivas Gandikota

Michael Xiaoxuan Yang

Vijay D Parkhe

Hiroji Hanawa

Robin W Cheung

Shaoher X Pan

Ming Xi

Fuhong Zhang

Christophe Marcadal

Dennis Stanley Grimard

John R Foster

Paul F Smith

Michael G Chafin

Tse-Yong Yao

Sivakami Ramanathan

Jenny Lin

Jingang Su

John S Lewis

Zhang Xu

Hsien-Lung Yang

A magnetron sputter reactor for sputtering deposition materials such as tantalum, tantalum nitride and copper, for example, and its method of use, in which self-ionized plasma (SIP) sputtering and inductively coupled plasma (ICP) sputtering are promoted, either together or alternately, in the same or different chambers. Also, bottom coverage may be thinned or eliminated by ICP resputtering in one chamber and SIP in another. SIP is promoted by a small magnetron having poles of unequal magnetic strength and a high power applied to the target during sputtering. ICP is provided by one or more RF coils which inductively couple RF energy into a plasma. The combined SIP-ICP layers can act as a liner or barrier or seed or nucleation layer for hole. In addition, an RF coil may be sputtered to provide protective material during ICP resputtering. In another chamber an array of auxiliary magnets positioned along sidewalls of a magnetron sputter reactor on a side towards the wafer from the target. The magnetron preferably is a small, strong one having a stronger outer pole of a first magnetic polarity surrounding a weaker outer pole of a second magnetic polarity and rotates about the central axis of the chamber. The auxiliary magnets preferably have the first magnetic polarity to draw the unbalanced magnetic field component toward the wafer. The auxiliary magnets may be either permanent magnets or electromagnets.

Self-ionized and inductively-coupled plasma for sputtering and resputtering

We disclose a method of applying a sculptured layer of material on a semiconductor feature surface using ion deposition sputtering, wherein a surface onto which the sculptured layer is applied is protected to resist erosion and contamination by impacting ions of a depositing layer. A first protective layer of material is deposited on a substrate surface using traditional sputtering or ion deposition sputtering, in combination with sufficiently low substrate bias that a surface onto which the layer is applied is not eroded away or contaminated during deposition of the protective layer. Subsequently, a sculptured second layer of material is applied using ion deposition sputtering at an increased substrate bias, to sculpture a shape from a portion of the first protective layer of material and the second layer of depositing material. The method is particularly applicable to the sculpturing of barrier layers, wetting layers, and conductive layers upon semiconductor feature surfaces.

Method for depositing a diffusion barrier layer and a metal conductive layer

We disclose a method of applying a sculptured layer of material on a semiconductor feature surface using ion deposition sputtering, wherein a surface onto which the sculptured layer is applied is protected to resist erosion and contamination by impacting ions of a depositing layer, A first protective layer of material is deposited on a substrate surface using traditional sputtering or ion deposition sputtering, in combination with sufficiently low substrate bias that a surface onto which the layer is applied is not eroded away or contaminated during deposition of the protective layer. Subsequently, a sculptured second layer of material is applied using ion deposition sputtering at an increased substrate bias, to sculpture a shape from a portion of the first protective layer of material and the second layer of depositing material. The method is particularly applicable to the sculpturing of barrier layers, wetting layers, and conductive layers upon semiconductor feature surfaces.

A magnetron sputter reactor () and its method of use, in which SIP sputtering and ICP sputtering are promoted is disclosed. In another chamber () an array of auxiliary magnets positioned along sidewalls () of a magnetron sputter reactor on a side towards the wafer from the target is disclosed. The magnetron () preferably is a small one having a stronger outer pole () of a first polarity surrounding a weaker inner pole () of a second polarity all on a yoke () and rotates about the axis () of the chamber using rotation means (). The auxiliary magnets () preferably have the first polarity to draw the unbalanced magnetic field () towards the wafer (), which is on a pedestal () supplied with power (). Argon () is supplied through a valve (). The target () is supplied with power ().

A method of depositing a metal seed layer with underlying barrier layer on a wafer substrate comprising a plurality of recessed device features. A first portion of the barrier layer is deposited on the wafer substrate without excessive build-up of barrier layer material on the openings to the plurality of recessed device features, while obtaining bottom coverage without substantial sputtering of the bottom surface. Subsequently, a metal seed layer is deposited using the same techniques used to deposit the barrier layer, to avoid excessive build up of metal seed layer material on the openings to the features, with minimal sputtering of the barrier layer surface.

Method of depositing a uniform barrier layer and metal seed layer with reduced overhang over a plurality of recessed semiconductor features

We disclose a method of depositing a metal seed layer on a wafer substrate comprising a plurality of recessed device features. The method comprises depositing a first portion of a copper seed layer on a wafer substrate without excessive build-up on the openings of each of the plurality of recessed device features, while obtaining bottom coverage without substantial sputtering of the bottom surface. The method also comprises depositing a second portion of the metal seed layer while redistributing at least a portion of the bottom coverage material to the sidewalls of each recessed device feature, to provide a uniform seed layer coverage over the interior surface of the recessed device features.

Method of depositing a uniform metal seed layer over a plurality of recessed semiconductor features

We disclose a method of depositing a metal seed layer on a wafer substrate comprising a plurality of recessed device features. The method comprises depositing a first portion of the metal seed layer on the wafer via plasma deposition at a sufficient ratio of wafer substrate bias to DC source power that bottom coverage is achieved while resputtering of surfaces of the recessed device features is inhibited. The method also comprises depositing a second portion of the metal seed layer at a ration of substrate RF bias to DC source power such that resputtering is not inhibited.

Method of depositing a metal seed layer over recessed feature surfaces in a semiconductor substrate

A metal/metal nitride barrier layer for semiconductor device applications. The barrier layer is particularly useful in contact vias where high conductivity of the via is important, and a lower resistivity barrier layer provides improved overall via conductivity.

Metal / metal nitride barrier layer for semiconductor device applications

A method of applying a sculptured copper seed layer on a semiconductor feature surface using ion deposition sputtering. A first protective layer of material is deposited on a substrate surface using traditional sputtering or ion deposition sputtering, in combination with sufficiently low substrate bias that a surface onto which the layer is applied is not eroded away or contaminated during deposition of the protective layer. Subsequently, a sculptured second layer of material is applied using ion deposition sputtering at an increased substrate bias, to sculpture a shape from a portion of the first protective layer of material and the second layer of depositing material.

Method of depositing a sculptured copper seed layer

In a first aspect, a method is provided that includes () forming a first barrier layer over the sidewalls and bottom of a via using atomic layer deposition within an atomic layer deposition (ALD) chamber; () removing at least a portion of the first barrier layer from the bottom of the via by sputter etching; and () depositing a second barrier layer on the sidewalls and bottom of the via within the ALD chamber. Numerous other embodiments are provided, as are systems, methods and computer program products in accordance with these and other aspects.

Methods and apparatus for forming barrier layers in high aspect ratio vias

Method of depositing a metal seed layer on semiconductor substrates

A sputtering process and magnetron especially advantageous for low-pressure plasma sputtering or sustained self-sputtering, in which the magnetron has a reduced area but full target coverage. The magnetron includes an outer pole face surrounding an inner pole face with a gap therebetween. The outer pole of the magnetron of the invention is smaller than that of a circular magnetron similarly extending from the center to the periphery of the target and has a substantially larger total magnetic intensity. Thereby, sputtering at low pressure and high ionization fraction is enabled.

Sputtering using an unbalanced magnetron

An integrated sputtering method and reactor for copper or aluminum seed layers in which a plasma sputter reactor initially deposits a thin conformal layer onto a substrate including a high-aspect ratio hole subject to the formation of overhangs. After the seed deposition, the same sputter reactor is used to sputter etch the substrate with energetic light ions, especially helium, having an energy sufficiently low that it selectively etches the metallization to the heavier underlying barrier layer, for example, copper over tantalum or aluminum over titanium. An RF inductive coil generates the plasma during the sputtering etching while the target power is turned off. A final copper flash step deposits copper over the bare barrier field region before copper is electrochemically plated to fill the hole. The invention also includes a simultaneous sputter deposition and sputter etch, and an energetic ion processing of the copper seed sidewall.

Sputter deposition and etching of metallization seed layer for overhang and sidewall improvement

We have discovered a method of providing a thin, approximately from about 2 &#x212b; to about 100 &#x212b; thick Taseed layer, which can be used to induce the formation of alpha tantalum when tantalum is deposited over the Taseed layer. Further, the Taseed layer exhibits low resistivity, in the range of 30 &#x3bc;&#x3a9;cm and can be used as a low resistivity barrier layer in the absence of an alpha tantalum layer. In one embodiment of the method, a TaN film is altered on its surface to form the Taseed layer. In another embodiment of the method, a Ta film is altered on its surface to form the Taseed layer.

Method of depositing a tantalum nitride/tantalum diffusion barrier layer system

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Cupertino, CA, United States of America

Fusen E Chen