Advanced Technology Materials, Inc.

Other

Gautam Bhandari

Thomas H Baum

Michael A Todd

Lawrence J Charneski

Chongying Xu

Tue H Nguyen

Timothy E Glassman

Brian A Vaartstra

Edward A Sturm

W Karl Olander

Peter S Kirlin

Frank DiMeo, Jr

Duncan W Brown

Gregory T Stauf

Robin A Gardiner

Dennis F Brestovansky

Margaret Chappuis

Tuc Nguyen

Craig Ragaglia

Chemical vapor deposition precursors for deposition of copper

A method is provided for promoting adhesion of CVD copper to diffusion barrier material in integrated circuit manufacturing. The method uses a two-step CVD copper metallization process. Following deposition of a diffusion barrier layer on the IC substrate, a first layer of CVD copper is deposited on the barrier material. The first layer is preferably thin (less than 300 &angst;) and deposited using a precursor which yields an adherent conforming layer of copper. The suggested precursor for use in depositing the first layer of CVD copper is (hfac)Cu(1,5-Dimethylcyclooctadiene). The first layer of CVD copper serves as a &ldquo;seed&rdquo; layer to which a subsequently-deposited &ldquo;fill&rdquo; or &ldquo;bulk&rdquo; layer of CVD copper will readily adhere. The second copper deposition step of the two-step process is the deposit of a second layer of copper by means of CVD using another precursor, different from (hfac)Cu(1,5-Dimethylcyclooctadiene). The precursor selected for depositing the second layer of CVD copper is preferably one which has a substantially higher deposition rate, or is otherwise less costly or simpler to use, which will lower production costs since most of the mass of deposited copper is in the second layer. Because the second CVD copper layer is deposited on copper, adhesion to the first-deposited layer will be good because the layers are joined by copper-to-copper bonds. Thus, the two layer process provides optimal economy with good adhesion to barrier material.

Adhesion promotion method for CVD copper metallization in IC applications

Tantalum and titanium source reagents are described, including tantalum amide and tantalum silicon nitride precursors for the deposition of tantalum nitride material on a substrate by processes such as chemical vapor deposition, assisted chemical vapor deposition, ion implantation, molecular beam epitaxy and rapid thermal processing. The precursors may be employed to form diffusion barrier layers on microelectronic device structures enabling the use of copper metallization and ferroelectric thin films in device construction.

Tantalum amide precursors for deposition of tantalum nitride on a substrate

A metal hydride derivative wherein at least one hydrogen atom is replaced by deuterium (,H) or tritium (,H) isotope. The metal constituent of such metal hydride may, be a Group III, IV or V metal or a transition metal, e.g., antimony, aluminum, gallium, tin, or germanium. The isotopically stabilized metal hydride derivatives of the invention are useful as metal source compositions for chemical vapor deposition, assisted chemical vapor deposition (e.g., laser-assisted chemical vapor deposition, light-assisted chemical vapor deposition, plasma-assisted chemical vapor deposition and ion-assisted chemical vapor deposition), ion implantation, molecular beam epitaxy, and rapid thermal processing.

Stable hydride source compositions for manufacture of semiconductor devices and structures

A method is provided for promoting adhesion of CVD copper to diffusion barrier material in integrated circuit manufacturing. The method includes depositing a first seed layer of copper on the barrier material by chemical vapor deposition (CVD) using (hfac)Cu(1,5-Dimethylcyclooctadiene) precursor. Following the deposition of the seed layer, which strongly adheres and conforms to the copper receiving surfaces on the diffusion barrier, the wafer substrate is positioned in an electro-chemical deposition apparatus, such as an electroplating or electroless plating bath. A second layer of copper is then deposited on the seed layer by means of electrochemical deposition, e.g., electroplating or electroless plating. The second layer of copper deposited by electro-chemical deposition is a &ldquo;fill&rdquo; or &ldquo;bulk&rdquo; layer, substantially thicker than the seed layer. The method provides good adhesion between the copper and barrier material because the seed layer deposited by (hfac)Cu(1,5-Dimethylcyclooctadiene) strongly adheres and conforms to barrier material and the electroplated or electroless plated copper strongly adheres to the copper seed layer.

Adhesion promotion method for electro-chemical copper metallization in IC applications

A hydrogen sensor including a thin film sensor element formed, e.g., by metalorganic chemical vapor deposition (MOCVD) or physical vapor deposition (PVD), on a microhotplate structure. The thin film sensor element includes a film of a hydrogen-interactive metal film that reversibly interacts with hydrogen to provide a correspondingly altered response characteristic, such as optical transmissivity, electrical conductance, electrical resistance, electrical capacitance, magnetoresistance, photoconductivity, etc., relative to the response characteristic of the film in the absence of hydrogen. The hydrogen-interactive metal film may be overcoated with a thin film hydrogen-permeable barrier layer to protect the hydrogen-interactive film from deleterious interaction with non-hydrogen species. The hydrogen sensor of the invention may be usefully employed for the detection of hydrogen in an environment susceptible to the incursion or generation of hydrogen and may be conveniently configured as a hand-held apparatus.

Micro-machined thin film hydrogen gas sensor, and method of making and using the same

A liquid delivery system (,) for vaporization of a liquid pecursor to form precursor vapor for transport to a deposition zone (,). The system includes a vaporization chamber (,), a porous vaporization element (,) positioned in the vaporization chamber (,) to define an upstream portion (,) of the vaporization chamber (,) upstream of the porous vaporization element (,), and a downstream portion (,) of the vaporization chamber (,) downstream of the porous vaporization element (,) therein, a vaporization element heater (,), a liquid precursor supply (,) for introducing liquid precursor to the vaporization element (,) for vaporization thereof, a precursor vapor discharge (,) from the chamber, and means (,and,) for diverting at least a part of the fluid in the upstream portion of the vaporization chamber (,) past the porous vaporization element (,), to stabilize fluid pressure in the upstream portion of the vaporization chamber (,) under conditions tending to perturb such fluid pressure.

Liquid delivery system comprising upstream pressure control means

A liquid delivery apparatus for vaporizing a liquid to produce a vapor therefrom. The apparatus incorporates a vaporizer with a surface arranged to receive liquid thereon. A liquid feed assembly is provided, including (i) a liquid source and (ii) a liquid flow circuit coupled to the liquid source and arranged to discharge liquid onto the vaporizer surface during liquid vaporization operation. The apparatus features a burst purging assembly including a pressurized gas source joined in gas flow communication with the liquid flow circuit. The pressurized gas source is arranged to introduce a clearance burst of pressurized gas into the liquid flow circuit after completion of the liquid vaporization operation, so that hold-up liquid in the liquid flow circuit and/or vaporizer following completion of the liquid vaporization operation is discharged onto the vaporizer surface and vaporized. Such operation avoids retention of hold-up liquid in the liquid flow circuit until renewal of the liquid vaporization operation, such as would otherwise increase the residence time of liquid in the system, increase the susceptibility of the liquid flow circuit to contamination and plugging, and decrease the operating life of the system between maintenance events.

Burst pulse cleaning method and apparatus for liquid delivery system

A metal hydride derivative wherein at least one hydrogen atom is replaced by deuterium (.sup.2.sub.1 H) or tritium (.sup.3.sub.1 H) isotope. The metal constituent of such metal hydride may be a Group III, IV or V metal or a transition metal, e.g., antimony, aluminum, gallium, tin, or germanium. The isotopically stabilized metal hydride derivatives of the invention are useful as metal source compositions for chemical vapor deposition, assisted chemical vapor deposition (e.g., laser-assisted chemical vapor deposition, light-assisted chemical vapor deposition, plasma-assisted chemical vapor deposition and ion-assisted chemical vapor deposition), ion implantation, molecular beam epitaxy, and rapid thermal processing.

Stable hydride source compositions for manufacture of semiconductor

Copper precursor formulations, including a copper precursor with at least one of (a) water, (b) a water precursor and (c) a non-ligand organic hydrate, are useful in CVD processes, e.g., in liquid delivery chemical vapor deposition, for forming a copper-containing material on a substrate. The disclosed copper precursor formulations are particularly useful in the formation of copper layers in semiconductor integrated circuits, e.g., for metallization of interconnections in such semiconductor device structures.

Copper precursor composition and process for manufacture of

A liquid reagent delivery and vaporization system, including a housing defining a flow passage for flow of a process fluid therethrough. A vaporizer element is positioned within the housing and includes a heated vaporization surface. Liquid reagent is selectively delivered to the heated vaporization surface, to vaporize the liquid reagent and form reagent vapor for flow through the flow passage of the housing, e.g., to a chemical vapor deposition reactor for deposition of a film on a substrate. A thermal damping fluid source is arranged to selectively deliver a thermal damping fluid into the flow passage to maintain a predetermined thermal condition therein. For example, the system may be arranged to selectively terminate delivery of liquid reagent to the vaporization surface and to contemporaneously selectively initiate delivery of the thermal damping fluid into the flow passage to maintain a thermal condition thermally matches the vaporization conditions when the liquid reagent is vaporized. The use of a thermal damping fluid prevents the occurrence of undesired thermal gradients in the system when the system is cyclically operated to vaporize reagent liquid.

Liquid reagent delivery system with constant thermal loading of vaporizer

Tantalum and titanium source reagents are described, including tantalum amide and tantalum silicon nitride precursors for the deposition of tantalum nitride material on a substrate by processes such as chemical vapor deposition, assisted chemical vapor deposition, ion implantation, molecular beam epitaxy and rapid thermal processing. The precursors may be employed to form diffusion barrier layers on microlectronic device structures enabling the use of copper metallization and ferroelectric thin films in device construction.

Tantalum amide precursors for deposition of tantalum nitride on a

A hydrogen sensor for the detection of hydrogen, e.g., in an environment susceptible to the incursion or generation of hydrogen. The sensor includes a rare earth metal thin film arranged for exposure to the environment and exhibiting a detectable change of physical property, e.g., optical transmissivity, electrical resistivity, magneto-resistance, and/or photoconductivity, when the rare earth metal thin film is contacted with hydrogen gas. The sensor may include an output assembly for converting the physical property change to a perceivable output. The rare earth metal thin film may correspondingly be used for signal processing applications, in which the rare earth metal thin film is contacted with hydrogen gas, and a predetermined voltage signal is selectively imposed across the rare earth metal thin film, to selectively electrically switch the film between mirror and window states, with a response being generated according to which of the mirror and window states is present.

Hydrogen sensor utilizing rare earth metal thin film detection element

An antimony/Lewis base adduct of the formula SbR.sub.3.L, wherein each R is independently selected from C.sub.1 -C.sub.8 alkyl, C.sub.1 -C.sub.8 perfluoroalkyl, C.sub.1 -C.sub.8 haloalkyl, C.sub.6 -C.sub.10 aryl, C.sub.6 -C.sub.10 perfluoroaryl, C.sub.6 -C.sub.10 haloaryl, C.sub.6 -C.sub.10 cycloalkyl, substituted C.sub.6 -C.sub.10 aryl and halo; and L is a Lewis base ligand coordinating with SbR.sub.3. The adducts of the invention are useful as metal source compositions for chemical vapor deposition, assisted chemical vapor deposition (e.g., laser-assisted chemical vapor deposition, light-assisted chemical vapor deposition, plasma-assisted chemical vapor deposition and ion-assisted chemical vapor deposition), ion implantation, molecular beam epitaxy, and rapid thermal processing, to form antimony or antimony-containing films.

Growing community of inventors

Danbury, CT, United States of America

Gautam Bhandari