# US 11,908,696 B2 · Methods and devices for subtractive self-alignment

> Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt

- Number: US 11,908,696 B2
- Document ID: US11908696B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 17/569,870
- Filed: 2022-01-06
- Published: 2022-04-28
- Granted: 2024-02-20
- Earliest claimed: 2020-01-24
- Assignees: Applied Materials, Inc.
- Applicants: Applied Materials, Inc.
- Inventors: He Ren; Hao Jiang; Mehul Naik; Wenting Hou; Jianxin Lei; Chen Gong; Yong Cao
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US11908696B2

## CPC

- C23C 14/568: {Transferring the substrates through a series of coating stations (C23C14/562 takes precedence)}
- H10P 14/44: Physical vapour deposition [PVD]
- C23C 14/0641: {Nitrides (C23C14/0617 takes precedence)}
- C23C 14/14: Metallic material, boron or silicon
- C23C 14/24: Vacuum evaporation
- C23C 14/56: Apparatus specially adapted for continuous coating; Arrangements for maintaining the vacuum, e.g. vacuum locks
- H10W 20/045: {for deposition from the gaseous phase, e.g. for chemical vapour deposition [CVD]}
- H10W 20/074: {of dielectric parts comprising thin functional dielectric layers, e.g. dielectric etch-stop, barrier, capping or liner layers}
- H10P 72/0461: {characterised by the presence of two or more transfer chambers}
- H10W 20/4432: {the principal metal being a noble metal, e.g. gold}
- C23C: COATING METALLIC MATERIAL; COATING MATERIAL WITH METALLIC MATERIAL; SURFACE TREATMENT OF METALLIC MATERIAL BY DIFFUSION INTO THE SURFACE, BY CHEMICAL CONVERSION OR SUBSTITUTION; COATING BY VACUUM EVAPORATION, BY SPUTTERING, BY ION IMPLANTATION OR BY CHEMICAL VAPOUR DEPOSITION, IN GENERAL (making metal-coated products by extrusion B21C23/22; covering with metal by connecting pre-existing layers to articles, see the relevant places, e.g. B21D39/00, B23K; metallising of glass C03C; metallising mortars, concrete, artificial stone, ceramics or natural stone C04B41/00; enamelling of, or applying a vitreous layer to, metals C23D; treating metal surfaces or coating of metals by electrolysis or electrophoresis C25D; single-crystal film growth C30B; by metallising textiles D06M11/83; decorating textiles by locally metallising D06Q1/04)
- H10P: GENERIC PROCESSES OR APPARATUS FOR THE MANUFACTURE OR TREATMENT OF DEVICES COVERED BY CLASS H10
- H10W: GENERIC PACKAGES, INTERCONNECTIONS, CONNECTORS OR OTHER CONSTRUCTIONAL DETAILS OF DEVICES COVERED BY CLASS H10

## Abstract

A method of forming an interconnect structure for semiconductor devices is described. The method comprises depositing an etch stop layer on a substrate by physical vapor deposition followed by in situ deposition of a metal layer on the etch stop layer. The in situ deposition comprises flowing a plasma processing gas into the chamber and exciting the plasma processing gas into a plasma to deposit the metal layer on the etch stop layer on the substrate. The substrate is continuously under vacuum and is not exposed to ambient air during the deposition processes.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A processing tool comprising:
a central transfer station comprising a robot configured to move a wafer, the wafer continuously under vacuum and not exposed to ambient air; and
a plurality of process stations, each process station connected to the central transfer station and providing a processing region separated from processing regions of adjacent process stations, the plurality of process stations comprising a first physical vapor deposition chamber and a second physical vapor deposition chamber;
a controller connected to the central transfer station and the plurality of process stations, the controller configured to activate the robot to move the wafer between the first physical vapor deposition chamber and the second physical vapor deposition chamber without breaking vacuum, and to control a process occurring in each of the process stations,
wherein the controller controls a first process comprising depositing an etch stop layer on a substrate by physical vapor deposition in the first physical vapor deposition chamber at a temperature in a range of from about 200° C. to about 300° C., and
wherein the controller controls a second process comprising in situ depositing a metal layer on the etch stop layer by flowing a plasma processing gas into the second physical vapor deposition chamber at a temperature in a range of from about 200° C. to about 450° C. and exciting the plasma processing gas into a plasma to deposit the metal layer on the etch stop layer on the substrate.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The processing tool of claim 1, wherein the first physical vapor deposition chamber includes a first target comprising one or more of titanium (Ti), titanium nitride (TiN), tantalum (Ta), tantalum nitride (TaN), molybdenum (Mo), tungsten (W), and ruthenium (Ru).

### Claim 3 (depends on 2)

The processing tool of claim 2, wherein the second physical vapor deposition chamber includes a second target comprising one or more of ruthenium (Ru), molybdenum (Mo), tungsten (W), copper (Cu), cobalt (Co), iridium (Ir), metal silicides, and metal alloys.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The processing tool of claim 1, further comprising an RF power source with a power in a range of from about 1 kW to about 10 kW.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

The processing tool of claim 1, wherein the RF power source has a power in a range of from about 2 kW to about 3 kW.

### Claim 6 (depends on 1)

The processing tool of claim 1, further comprising a power source that negatively biases a metal target from about 500 W to about 10 kW to excite the plasma processing gas into a plasma.

### Claim 7 (depends on 1)

The processing tool of claim 1, wherein the plasma processing gas comprises one or more of neon (Ne), argon (Ar), krypton (Kr), xenon (Xe).

### Claim 8 (depends on 1)

The processing tool of claim 1, wherein the plasma processing gas comprises krypton (Kr).

### Claim 9 (depends on 1)

The processing tool of claim 1, wherein the controlled is configured to control a third process comprising depositing a metal seed on the etch stop layer prior to deposition of the metal layer, wherein deposition of the metal seed comprises flowing a plasma processing gas into the chamber and exciting the plasma processing gas into a plasma to deposit the metal seed on the etch stop layer.

### Claim 10 (depends on 9)

The processing tool of claim 9, wherein the metal seed comprises one or more of ruthenium (Ru), molybdenum (Mo), tungsten (W), copper (Cu), cobalt (Co), iridium (Ir), metal silicides, and metal alloys.