Multi-layer feature fill
AssigneeLam Research Corporation
InventorsXiaolan Ba, Ruopeng Deng, Juwen Gao, Sanjay Gopinath, Lawrence Schloss
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Abstract
Described herein are methods and apparatuses for filling semiconductor substrate structures with conductive material. The methods involve depositing multi-layer bulk metal films in structures with one or more deposition conditions changed when transitioning from layer-to-layer. The methods result in high fill quality, high throughput, low precursor consumption, and low roughness. Multi-station chambers to perform the methods are also provided.
Claims17
A method of filling a 3-D structure of a partially manufactured semiconductor substrate with a conductive material, the 3-D structure comprising sidewalls, a plurality of openings in the sidewalls leading to a plurality of features having a plurality of interior regions fluidically accessible through the openings, the method comprising:
- depositing a first bulk layer of the conductive material within the 3-D structure such that the first bulk layer partially fills the plurality of interior regions of the 3-D structure;
- depositing a second bulk layer of the conductive material within the 3-D structure on the first bulk layer such that the second bulk layer at least partially fills the plurality of interior regions of the 3-D structure;
- and
- depositing a third bulk layer of the conductive material within the 3-D structure on the sidewalls, wherein the first bulk layer, second bulk layer, and third bulk layer are deposited at different conditions.
A method comprising:
- providing a substrate to a multi-station deposition chamber;
- depositing in a first station of the multi-station deposition chamber a first metal bulk layer on the substrate at a first set of conditions;
- transferring the substrate to a second station of the multi- station deposition chamber and depositing a second metal bulk layer on the first metal bulk layer at a second set of conditions;
- transferring the substrate to a third station of the multi-station deposition chamber and depositing a third metal bulk layer on the second metal bulk layer at a third set of conditions, wherein transitioning from the first set of conditions to the second set of conditions comprises one or more of:
- changing a metal precursor pulse time, changing a metal precursor flowrate, and changing a pedestal temperature, and transitioning from the second set of conditions to the third set of conditions comprises one or more of:
- changing a metal-containing precursor pulse time, changing a metal-containing precursor flowrate, and changing a pedestal temperature.
A multi-station chamber comprising:
- a first station comprising a first showerhead and a first pedestal;
- a second station comprising a second showerhead and a second pedestal;
- a third station comprising a third showerhead and a third pedestal;
- and a controller comprising machine-readable instructions to:
- deposit in the first station of the multi-station chamber a first metal bulk layer on a substrate at a first set of conditions;
- transfer the substrate to the second station of the multi-station chamber and deposit a second metal bulk layer on the first metal bulk layer at a second set of conditions;
- transfer the substrate to the third station of the multi-station chamber and deposit a third metal bulk layer on the second metal bulk layer at a third set of conditions, wherein transitioning from the first set of conditions to the second set of conditions comprises one or more of:
- changing a metal precursor pulse time, changing a metal precursor flowrate, and changing a pedestal temperature, and transitioning from the second set of conditions to the third set of conditions comprises one or more of:
- changing a metal-containing precursor pulse time, changing a metal-containing precursor flowrate, and changing a pedestal temperature.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.