Novellus Systems Incorporated

Nerissa Taylor

James A Fair

Jungwan Sung

Robert H Havemann

Sang-Hyeob Lee

Mary Anne Plano

Junghwan Sung

Wilbert G Van Den Hoek

Ion-induced, UV-induced, and electron-induced sequential chemical vapor deposition (CVD) processes are disclosed where an ion flux, a flux of ultra-violet radiation, or an electron flux, respectively, is used to induce the chemical reaction in the process. The process for depositing a thin film on a substrate includes introducing a flow of a first reactant gas in vapor phase into a process chamber where the gas forms an adsorbed saturated layer on the substrate and exposing the substrate to a flux of ions, a flux of ultra-violet radiation, or a flux of electrons for inducing a chemical reaction of the adsorbed layer of the first reactant gas to form the thin film. A second reactant gas can be used to form a compound thin film. The ion-induced, UV-induced, and electron-induced sequential CVD process of the present invention can be repeated to form a thin film of the desired thickness.

Sequential UV induced chemical vapor deposition

A method for creating a refractory metal and refractory metal nitride cap effective for reducing copper electromigration and copper diffusion is described. The method includes depositing a refractory metal nucleation layer and nitriding at least the upper portion of the refractory metal layer to form a refractory metal nitride. Methods to reduce and clean the copper lines before refractory metal deposition are also described. Methods to form a thicker refractory metal layer using bulk deposition are also described.

Selective refractory metal and nitride capping

An ALD method deposits conformal tantalum-containing material layers on small features of a substrate surface. The method includes the following principal operations: depositing a thin conformal and saturated layer of tantalum-containing precursor over some or all of the substrate surface; using an inert gas or hydrogen plasma to purge the halogen byproducts and unused reactants; reducing the precursor to convert it to a conformal layer of tantalum or tantalum-containing material; using another purge of inert gas or hydrogen plasma to remove the halogen byproducts and unused reactants; and repeating the deposition/reduction cycles until a desired tantalum-containing material layer is achieved. An optional step of treating each newly formed surface of tantalum containing material with a nitrogen-containing agent can be added to create varying amounts of tantalum nitride.

ALD of tantalum using a hydride reducing agent

The nucleation delay in the formation of a tungsten layer on a substrate is reduced or eliminated by alternative processes. In one process the substrate is exposed to atomic hydrogen before the tungsten nucleation layer is formed. In the other process the substrate is exposed to a boron hydride such as diborane (BH) before the nucleation layer is formed. The process works effectively to reduce or eliminate the tungsten nucleation delay on a variety of surfaces, including silicon, silicon dioxide, silicon nitride and titanium nitride.

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Milpitas, CA, United States of America

Nerissa Taylor