# US 10,373,906 B2 · Structure and formation method of interconnection structure of semiconductor device

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- Number: US 10,373,906 B2
- Document ID: US10373906B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 15/492,603
- Filed: 2017-04-20
- Published: 2018-10-25
- Granted: 2019-08-06
- Earliest claimed: 2017-04-20
- Assignees: Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company, Ltd.
- Applicants: Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co., Ltd.
- Inventors: Jyh-Nan Lin; Tsung-Dar Lee; Li Chen
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10373906B2

## CPC

- H10W 20/42: Vias, e.g. via plugs
- H10P 14/6339: {deposition by cyclic CVD, e.g. ALD, ALE or pulsed CVD}
- H10P 14/6529: {by exposure to a gas or vapour}
- H10P 14/6532: {by exposure to a plasma}
- H10P 14/69391: {the material containing aluminium, e.g. Al2O3}
- H10W 20/056: {by filling conductive material into holes, grooves or trenches}
- H10W 20/075: {of multilayered thin functional dielectric layers}
- H10W 20/077: {on sidewalls or on top surfaces of conductors (H10W20/076 takes precedence)}
- H10W 20/082: {the openings being tapered via holes}
- H10W 20/47: comprising two or more dielectric layers having different properties, e.g. different dielectric constants
- H10W: GENERIC PACKAGES, INTERCONNECTIONS, CONNECTORS OR OTHER CONSTRUCTIONAL DETAILS OF DEVICES COVERED BY CLASS H10
- H10P: GENERIC PROCESSES OR APPARATUS FOR THE MANUFACTURE OR TREATMENT OF DEVICES COVERED BY CLASS H10

## Abstract

Structures and formation methods of a semiconductor device structure are provided. A method includes depositing a first layer including Al atoms to cover a first dielectric layer in a first conductive feature. The method also includes depositing a second layer including N atoms over the first layer. The first layer and the second layer form an etch stop layer including aluminum nitride. The etch stop layer includes vacancies and has an atomic percentage of Al to Al and N. The method also includes filling the vacancies in the etch stop layer with additional N atoms to reduce the atomic percentage of Al to Al and N. In addition, the method includes forming a second dielectric layer over the etch stop layer. The method also includes forming a second conductive feature in the second dielectric layer and the etch stop layer to be connected to the first conductive feature.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A method for forming a semiconductor device structure, comprising:
forming a first dielectric layer over a semiconductor substrate;
forming a first conductive feature in the first dielectric layer;
depositing a first layer comprising aluminum (Al) atoms to cover the first dielectric layer and the first conductive feature;
depositing a second layer comprising nitrogen (N) atoms by introducing a gas containing N atoms over the first layer such that the first layer and the second layer form an etch stop layer comprising aluminum nitride, wherein the etch stop layer comprises vacancies and has an atomic percentage of Al to Al and N;
filling the vacancies in the etch stop layer with a plasma containing additional N atoms to reduce the atomic percentage of Al to Al and N;
forming a second dielectric layer over the etch stop layer; and
forming a second conductive feature in the second dielectric layer and the etch stop layer to be connected to the first conductive feature.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The method for forming a semiconductor device structure as claimed in claim 1, wherein the atomic percentage of Al to Al and N is reduced to be in a range from about 46% to about 56%.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The method for forming a semiconductor device structure as claimed in claim 1, wherein the etch stop layer comprises carbon (C) atoms and has an atomic percentage of C to C, Al and N, and wherein the method for forming the semiconductor device structure further comprises:
removing the C atoms to form the vacancies and reduce the atomic percentage of C to C, Al and N before the Al atomic percentage is reduced.

### Claim 4 (depends on 3)

The method for forming a semiconductor device structure as claimed in claim 3, wherein the atomic percentage of C to C, Al and N is reduced by exposing the etch stop layer to an N-containing gas or plasma.

### Claim 5 (depends on 3)

The method for forming a semiconductor device structure as claimed in claim 3, wherein the C atoms are mixed with the second layer without being mixed with the first layer, and the vacancies are formed in the second layer.

### Claim 6 (depends on 1)

The method for forming a semiconductor device structure as claimed in claim 1, wherein the etch stop layer is formed using an atomic layer deposition (ALD) process comprising a plurality of deposition cycles, and each of the plurality of deposition cycles comprises the deposition of the first layer and the deposition of the second layer, and wherein the filling of the vacancies is performed after the plurality of deposition cycles.

### Claim 7 (depends on 1)

The method for forming a semiconductor device structure as claimed in claim 1, further comprising:
forming a protection layer covering the etch stop layer after the filling of the vacancies and before the formation of the second dielectric layer, wherein the second conductive feature penetrates through the protection layer.

### Claim 8 (depends on 1)

The method for forming a semiconductor device structure as claimed in claim 1, further comprising:
cleaning the first conductive feature before depositing the first layer.

### Claim 9 (depends on 1)

The method for forming a semiconductor device structure as claimed in claim 1, wherein the first layer and the second layer are deposited in a first chamber, the vacancies in the etch stop layer are filled with the additional N atoms in a second chamber, and the second chamber is different from the first chamber.

### Claim 10 (depends on 1)

The method for forming a semiconductor device structure as claimed in claim 1, wherein the deposition of the second layer is performed in a first operation time, and the filling of the additional N atoms is performed in a second operation time, and wherein the second operation time is longer than the first operation time.

### Claim 11

A method for forming a semiconductor device structure, comprising:
forming a first conductive feature in a first dielectric layer;
performing a plurality of deposition cycles to form an aluminum nitride layer covering the first conductive feature and the first dielectric layer, wherein each of the plurality of deposition cycles comprises:
introducing an Al-containing precursor over the first conductive feature and the first dielectric layer to deposit a layer of Al atoms; and
introducing an N-containing precursor over the layer of Al atoms to deposit a layer of N atoms for a first operation time, wherein the aluminum nitride layer has an atomic percentage of N to Al and N;
introducing an N-containing reactant over the aluminum nitride layer for a second operation time to increase the atomic percentage of N to Al and N after the plurality of deposition cycles, wherein the second operation time is different from the first operation time.

### Claim 12 (depends on 11)

The method for forming a semiconductor device structure as claimed in claim 11, wherein the Al-containing precursor provides the aluminum nitride layer with C atoms, and the C atoms are removed from the aluminum nitride layer during the introduction of the N-containing reactant.

### Claim 13 (depends on 11)

The method for forming a semiconductor device structure as claimed in claim 11, wherein the aluminum nitride layer comprises vacancies in the layer of N atoms, and a number of the vacancies is reduced during the introduction of the N-containing reactant.

### Claim 14 (depends on 11)

The method for forming a semiconductor device structure as claimed in claim 11, wherein the N-containing precursor and the N-containing reactant comprises NH3 gas.

### Claim 15 (depends on 11)

The method for forming a semiconductor device structure as claimed in claim 11, wherein the N-containing precursor comprises a gas and the N-containing reactant comprises a plasma reactant.

### Claim 16 (depends on 11)

The method for forming a semiconductor device structure as claimed in claim 11, wherein the second operation time is longer than the first operation time.

### Claim 17 (depends on 11)

The method for forming a semiconductor device structure as claimed in claim 11, wherein the atomic percentage of N to Al and N is increased to be in a range from about 44% to about 54%.

### Claim 18 (depends on 11)

The method for forming a semiconductor device structure as claimed in claim 11, wherein the aluminum nitride layer has an atomic percentage of Al to Al and N after the introduction of the N-containing reactant, and wherein the atomic percentage of Al to Al and N is greater or less than the atomic percentage of N to Al and N.

### Claim 19 (depends on 11)

The method for forming a semiconductor device structure as claimed in claim 11, further comprising:
forming a second dielectric layer over the aluminum nitride layer after the atomic percentage of N to Al and N is increased;
partially etching the second dielectric layer until a portion of the aluminum nitride layer is exposed to form an opening in the second dielectric layer;
removing the portion of the aluminum nitride layer to expose the first conductive feature; and
forming a second conductive feature in the opening to be connected to the first conductive feature.

### Claim 20

A method for forming a semiconductor device structure, comprising:
forming a first conductive feature in a first dielectric layer;
depositing a first layer to cover the first dielectric layer and the first conductive feature, wherein the first layer comprises aluminum (Al) atoms and carbon (C) atoms;
depositing a nitrogen layer over the first layer to form an etch stop layer made of aluminum nitride in a first chamber, wherein the C atoms in the first layer are partially replaced by nitrogen (N) atoms in the nitrogen layer;
introducing a reactant to the etch stop layer to form vacancies in the etch stop layer in a second chamber; and
filling the vacancies in the etch stop layer with additional N atoms, wherein the second chamber is different from the first chamber.