Applied Materials, Inc.

Yu D Cong

Tony P Chiang

Jianming Fu

Peijun Ding

Howard H Tang

Anish Tolia

Mei Yin Chang

Ling Chen

Alfred W Mak

John Vincent Schmitt

George Michael Bleyle

A DC magnetron sputter reactor for sputtering copper, its method of use, and shields and other parts promoting self-ionized plasma (SIP) sputtering, preferably at pressures below 5 milliTorr, preferably below 1 milliTorr. Also, a method of coating copper into a narrow and deep via or trench using SIP for a first copper layer. SIP is promoted by a small magnetron having poles of unequal magnetic strength and a high power applied to the target during sputtering. The SIP copper layer can act as a seed and nucleation layer for hole filling with conventional sputtering (PVD) or with electrochemical plating (ECP). For very high aspect-ratio holes, a copper seed layer is deposited by chemical vapor deposition (CVD) over the SIP copper nucleation layer, and PVD or ECP completes the hole filling. The copper seed layer may be deposited by a combination of SIP and high-density plasma sputtering. For very narrow holes, the CVD copper layer may fill the hole.

Multi-step process for depositing copper seed layer in a via

Process for sputtering copper in a self ionized plasma

A DC magnetron sputter reactor for sputtering copper, its method of use, particularly the ignition sequence, and shields and other parts promoting self-ionized plasma (SIP) sputtering, preferably at pressures below 5 milliTorr, preferably below 1 milliTorr. The SIP copper layer can act as a seed and nucleation layer for hole filling with conventional sputtering (PVD) or with electrochemical plating (ECP). Preferably, the plasma is ignited in a cool process in which low power is applied to the target in the presence of a higher pressure of argon working gas. After ignition, the pressure is reduced, and target power is ramped up to a relatively high operational level to sputter deposit the film.

Method for igniting a plasma in a sputter reactor

A hot trap converts unreacted organic metal-film precursor from the exhaust stream of a CVD process. The converted precursor forms a metal film on the surface of the hot trap, thereby protecting hot vacuum pump surfaces from metal build up. A cold trap downstream from the hot trap freezes effluents from the exhaust stream. The metal captured by the hot trap and the effluents captured by the cold trap may then be recycled, rather than being released as environmental emissions.

Method for unreacted precursor conversion and effluent removal

A DC magnetron sputter reactor for sputtering copper, its method of use, and shields and other parts promoting self-ionized plasma (SIP) sputtering, preferably at pressures below 5 milliTorr, preferably below 1 milliTorr. Also, a method of coating copper into a narrow and deep via or trench using SIP for a first copper layer. SIP is promoted by a small magnetron having poles of unequal magnetic strength and a high power applied to the target during sputtering. The target power for a 200 mm wafer is preferably at least 10 kW; more preferably, at least 18 kW; and most preferably, at least 24 kW. Hole filling with SIP is improved by long-throw sputtering in which the target-to-substrate spacing is at least 50% of substrate diameter, more preferably at least 80%, most preferably at least 140%. The SIP copper layer can act as a seed and nucleation layer for hole filling with conventional sputtering (PVD) or with electrochemical plating (ECP). For very high aspect-ratio holes, a copper seed layer is deposited by chemical vapor deposition (CVD) over the SIP copper nucleation layer, and PVD or ECP completes the hole filling. The copper seed layer may be deposited by a combination of SIP and high-density plasma sputtering. For very narrow holes, the CVD copper layer may fill the hole. Preferably, the plasma is ignited in a cool process in which low power is applied to the target in the presence of a higher pressure of argon working gas. After ignition, the pressure is reduced, and target power is ramped up to a relatively high operational level to sputter deposit the film.

Plasma reactor and shields generating self-ionized plasma for sputtering

Chemical vapor deposition hot-trap for unreacted precursor conversion

Growing community of inventors

Sunnyvale, CA, United States of America

Yu D Cong