Lam Research Corporation

Lie Zhao

Artur Kolics

Bart Jan Van Schravendijk

Deenesh Padhi

Patrick A Van Cleemput

George Andrew Antonelli

Kaihan Abidi Ashtiani

Nerissa Sue Draeger

Praveen Nalla

Derek Wong

Alice Hollister

Ragesh Puthenkovilakam

Daniela Anjos Rigsby

An amorphous carbon hard mask is formed having low hydrogen content and low sp3 carbon bonding but high modulus and hardness. The amorphous carbon hard mask is formed by depositing an amorphous carbon layer at a low temperature in a plasma deposition chamber and treating the amorphous carbon layer to a dual plasma-thermal treatment. The dual plasma-thermal treatment includes exposing the amorphous carbon layer to inert gas plasma for implanting an inert gas species in the amorphous carbon layer and exposing the amorphous carbon layer to a high temperature. The amorphous carbon hard mask has high etch selectivity relative to underlying materials.

Inert gas implantation for hard mask selectivity improvement

Implementations of the methods and apparatus disclosed herein relate to pore sealing of porous dielectric films using flowable dielectric material. The methods involve exposing a substrate having an exposed porous dielectric film thereon to a vapor phase dielectric precursor under conditions such that a flowable dielectric material selectively deposits in the pores of the porous dielectric material. The pores can be filled with the deposited flowable dielectric material without depositing a continuous film on any exposed metal surface.

Method for selectively sealing ultra low-k porous dielectric layer using flowable dielectric film formed from vapor phase dielectric precursor

A method for filling vias formed in a dielectric layer with a metal or metal alloy that has a low solubility with copper over copper containing interconnects, wherein the vias are part of a dual damascene structure with trenches and vias is provided. A sealing layer of a first metal or metal alloy that has a low solubility with copper is selectively deposited directly on the copper containing interconnects in at bottoms of the vias, wherein sidewalls of the dielectric layer forming the vias are exposed to the depositing the sealing layer, and wherein the first metal or metal alloy that has a low solubility is selectively deposited to only form a layer on the copper containing interconnects. A via fill of a second metal or metal alloy that has a low solubility with copper is electrolessly deposited over the sealing layer, which fills the vias.

Dual damascene fill

A method of filling features in a dielectric layer is provided. A pure Co or pure Ru adhesion layer is deposited against surfaces of the features, wherein the adhesion layer is separated from some of the surfaces of the features of the low-k dielectric layer by no more than 10 &#x212b;. The features are filled with Cu or a Cu alloy.

Copper interconnect

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Lake Oswego, OR, United States of America

Lie Zhao