Applied Materials, Inc.

Hoa Thi Kieu

Zheng Xu

Hien-Minh Huu Le

Peijun Ding

Gongda Yao

Tse-Yong Yao

Julio A Aranovich

Avi Tepman

Keith A Miller

Kenny King-Tai Ngan

Homoyoun Talieh

Chien-Rhone Wang

Rochelle King

Ingo Wilke

In a magnetron sputtering chamber, a substrate is placed in the chamber and a deposition shield is maintained about the substrate to shield internal surfaces in the chamber. The deposition shield has a textured surface that may be formed by a hot pressing process or by a coating process, and that allows the accumulated sputtered residues to stick thereto without flaking off. An electrical power is applied to a high density sputtering target facing the substrate to form a plasma in the chamber while a rotating magnetic field of at least about 300 Gauss is applied about the target to sputter the target. Advantageously, the sputtering process cycle can be repeated for at least about 8,000 substrates without cleaning the internal surfaces in the chamber, and even while still generating an average particle count on each processed substrate of less than 1 particle per 10 cmof substrate surface area.

Reducing particle generation during sputter deposition

A method of depositing a dielectric film, such as tantalum oxide, on a substrate is described. In one example, a substrate is placed in a process zone to face a metal target and a pulsed DC voltage is applied to the target. A sputtering gas comprising a non-reactive component and an oxygen-containing component is introduced to the process zone in a volumetric flow ratio selected to achieve the desired x and y values in the deposited dielectric film, for example, in the deposition of a non-stoichiometric TaOfilm or in the deposition of a tantalum oxide film in which the oxidation state of tantalum is less than +5. The sputtering gas is removed from the process zone by condensing at least some of the non-reactive component on a cooled surface external to the process zone, and exhausting at least some of the oxygen-containing component from the process zone with moving rotors. A multiple layer dielectric film having different stoichiometric ratios in the layers can also be deposited by the instant method.

Method and apparatus for depositing dielectric films

In a method of depositing a titanium oxide layer on a substrate, a substrate is placed on a support in a process zone of a sputtering chamber. A target containing titanium faces the substrate. A sputtering gas containing an oxygen-containing gas, such as oxygen, and a non-reactive gas, such as argon, is introduced into the process zone. A pulsed DC voltage is applied to the target to sputter titanium from the target. The sputtered titanium combines with oxygen from the oxygen-containing gas to form a titanium oxide layer on the substrate. A multiple layer titanium oxide deposition process may also be implemented.

Method and apparatus for forming an anti-reflective coating on a substrate

The present invention provides a method of forming an aluminum nitride layer on a substrate in a processing chamber comprising depositing a first aluminum nitride layer at a first chamber pressure on a substrate, and then depositing a second aluminum nitride layer at a second chamber pressure higher than the first chamber pressure on the aluminum nitride nucleating layer. The first aluminum nitride layer is deposited by sputtering an aluminum target in a nitrogen and inert gas plasma in a processing chamber at a chamber pressure of about 1.5 to about 3 milliTorr. The second aluminum nitride layer is deposited by sputtering an aluminum target in a nitrogen and inert gas plasma at a chamber pressure of about 5 to about 10 milliTorr. The process may be carried out in the same physical vapor deposition chamber with the substrate being maintained at a temperature of preferably between about 125&deg; C. and about 500&deg; C. The advantages provided by the invention include an improved deposition rate for aluminum nitride with a preferred crystal orientation and improved layer properties.

Two-step AIN-PVD for improved film properties

A process for fabricating metal plugs, such as aluminum plugs, in a semiconductor workpiece. The invention is suitable for filling narrow, high aspect ratio holes, and the invention minimizes the formation of TiAl,or other products of interdiffusion between the plug and the wetting layer. First, an optional barrier layer is created by covering the bottom of a hole with a film containing titanium nitride doped with silicon. Second, a wetting layer is created by covering the side walls of a hole with a film containing titanium doped with silicon, in a Ti:Si molar ratio greater than 1:2. Preferably, the wetting layer is created by sputter deposition using a titanium sputtering target containing 0.1% to 20% wt silicon, most preferably 5% to 10% wt silicon. Third, the hole is filled by depositing a material consisting primarily of aluminum. The hole preferably is filled by sputter deposition using an aluminum sputtering target, optionally containing dopants such as copper. To facilitate filling the hole without voids, the aluminum sputter deposition preferably is performed &ldquo;warm&rdquo;, i.e., with the workpiece at a temperature below the melting point of aluminum but high enough to promote reflow of the deposited material. The silicon atoms in the wetting layer inhibit the titanium from reacting with the aluminum, and the wetting layer facilitates filling the hole with the aluminum material without leaving unfilled voids.

Silicon-doped titanium wetting layer for aluminum plug

A method and apparatus for depositing material to conformally cover or fill holes within the surface of a semiconductor substrate. The preferred method includes the steps of coherently depositing a first thickness of the material onto the surface of the substrate; reverse sputtering the deposited material so as to coat the sidewalls of the contact holes with the deposited material; after the first thickness of the material is deposited onto the surface of the substrate, depositing a second thickness of the material onto the surface of the substrate; and while depositing the second thickness of the material onto the surface of the substrate, heating the substrate to enhance reflow of the material being deposited.

Deposition process for coating or filling re-entry shaped contact holes

A process for fabricating metal plugs, such as aluminum plugs, in a semiconductor workpiece. The invention is suitable for filling narrow, high aspect ratio holes, and the invention minimizes the formation of TiAl3 or other products of interdiffusion between the plug and the wetting layer. First, an optional barrier layer is created by covering the bottom of a hole with a film containing titanium nitride doped with silicon. Second, a wetting layer is created by covering the side walls of a hole with a film containing titanium doped with silicon, in a Ti:Si molar ratio greater than 1:2. Preferably, the wetting layer is created by sputter deposition using a titanium sputtering target containing 0.1% to 20% wt silicon, most preferably 5% to 10% wt silicon. Third, the hole is filled by depositing a material consisting primarily of aluminum. The hole preferably is filled by sputter deposition using an aluminum sputtering target, optionally containing dopants such as copper. To facilitate filling the hole without voids, the aluminum sputter deposition preferably is performed 'warm', i.e., with the workpiece at a temperature below the melting point of aluminum but high enough to promote reflow of the deposited material. The silicon atoms in the wetting layer inhibit the titanium from reacting with the aluminum, and the wetting layer facilitates filling the hole with the aluminum material without leaving unfilled voids.

A process and resulting structure are described for using a metal layer formed over an insulating layer as both the filler material to fill openings in the insulating layer and as the patterned metal interconnect or wiring harness on the surface of the insulating layer. The process includes the steps of forming a compressively stressed metal layer over an insulating layer having previously formed openings therethrough to the material under the insulating layer; forming a high tensile strength cap layer of material over the compressively stressed metal layer; and then heating the structure to a temperature sufficient to cause the compressively stressed metal layer to extrude down into the openings in the underlying insulating layer. The overlying cap layer has sufficient tensile strength to prevent or inhibit the compressive stressed metal layer from extruding upwardly to form hillocks which would need to be removed, i.e., by planarization. The temperature to which the compressively stressed metal layer is subsequently heated to cause it to extrude should be less than the melting point of the compressively stressed metal layer.

Integrated circuit structure having contact openings and vias filled by

Method of filling of contact openings and vias by self-extrusion of

The improved material deposition process of the present invention utilizes a first, low temperature deposition step followed by a second, high temperature/high power deposition step. In the first deposition step a collimation plate is placed between the sputtering target and the substrate, such that a collimated stream of sputtered material is deposited upon the substrate. The collimated stream provides a seed layer which aids in eliminating voids by partially filling the holes and grooves in the surface of the substrate. The second deposition step is conducted as a high temperature sputtering deposition. At the high temperature the sputtered material joins and flows with the seed layer, whereby the holes and grooves are more easily filled without voids and an improved planarized layer is achieved.

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Sunnyvale, CA, United States of America

Hoa Thi Kieu