# US 12,180,576 B2 · PVD target design and semiconductor devices formed using the same

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- Number: US 12,180,576 B2
- Document ID: US12180576B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 18/360,667
- Filed: 2023-07-27
- Published: 2023-11-16
- Granted: 2024-12-31
- Earliest claimed: 2020-01-30
- Assignees: Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company, Ltd.
- Applicants: Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co., Ltd.
- Inventors: Chia-Hsi Wang; Yen-Yu Chen; Yi-Chih Chen; Shih-Wei Bih
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US12180576B2

## CPC

- C23C 14/3407: {Cathode assembly for sputtering apparatus, e.g. Target}
- C23C 14/14: Metallic material, boron or silicon
- C23C 14/3414: {Metallurgical or chemical aspects of target preparation, e.g. casting, powder metallurgy}
- C23C 14/3464: {using more than one target (C23C14/56 takes precedence)}
- H01J 37/3429: {Plural materials}
- H01J 37/3435: {Target holders (includes backing plates and endblocks)}
- H10P 14/44: Physical vapour deposition [PVD]
- H10W 20/033: {in openings in dielectrics}
- H10W 20/056: {by filling conductive material into holes, grooves or trenches}
- H10W 20/062: {by smoothing of conductive parts, e.g. by planarisation}
- H10W 20/081: {by forming openings in the dielectric parts}
- H10W 20/425: {Barrier, adhesion or liner layers}
- 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)
- H01J: ELECTRIC DISCHARGE TUBES OR DISCHARGE LAMPS (spark-gaps H01T; electric arc lamps H05B31/00; particle accelerators H05H)
- 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 physical vapor deposition (PVD) target for performing a PVD process is provided. The PVD target includes a backing plate and a target plate coupled to the backing plate. The target plate includes a sputtering source material and a dopant, with the proviso that the dopant is not impurities in the sputtering source material. The sputtering source material includes a diffusion barrier material.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A physical vapor deposition (PVD) target, comprising:
a backing plate; and
a target plate coupled to the backing plate, the target plate comprising:
a first layer distal from the backing plate, wherein the first layer comprises a first target component; and
a second layer between the first layer and the backing plate, wherein the second layer comprises a second target component different from the first target component,
wherein the first layer provides a sputterable surface that is sputtered during a PVD process, and the second layer is not sputtered during the PVD process.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The PVD target of claim 1, wherein the first target component comprises a first material and a dopant.

### Claim 3 (depends on 2)

The PVD target of claim 2, wherein the first material comprises titanium (Ti) or tantalum (Ta) having a purity level of 99.99% or greater.

### Claim 4 (depends on 2)

The PVD target of claim 2, wherein the dopant comprises nickel (Ni).

### Claim 5 (depends on 2)

The PVD target of claim 2, wherein a concentration of the dopant in the first layer is from 0.025 ppm to 0.04 ppm relative to the first material.

### Claim 6 (depends on 2)

The PVD target of claim 2, wherein the second target component comprises a second material having a purity level lower than that of the first material.

### Claim 7 (depends on 6)

The PVD target of claim 6, wherein the first material is Ti having a purity level of 99.9995% or greater, and the second material is Ti having a purity level of less than 99.9995%.

### Claim 8 (depends on 7)

The PVD target of claim 7, wherein the second material is Ti having a purity level of 99.999%.

### Claim 9 (depends on 1)

The PVD target of claim 1, wherein the second target component has a dimension the same as a dimension of the first target component.

### Claim 10 (depends on 2)

The PVD target of claim 2, further comprising a third layer between the second layer and the backing plate, wherein the third layer comprises a third target component different from the first target component.

### Claim 11 (depends on 10)

The PVD target of claim 10, wherein the third target component comprises a third material having a purity level lower than that of the first material.

### Claim 12

A physical vapor deposition (PVD) target, comprising:
a backing plate; and
a target plate coupled to the backing plate, the target plate comprising:
a first target component, wherein the first target component comprises a first material and a dopant; and
a plurality of second target components embedded and randomly distributed in the first target component, wherein the plurality of second target components comprises a second material different from the first material,
wherein the first target component provides a sputterable surface that is sputtered during a PVD process, and the plurality of second target components is not sputtered during the PVD process.

### Claim 13 (depends on 12)

The PVD target of claim 12, wherein the plurality of second target components is in direct contact with the backing plate.

### Claim 14 (depends on 12)

The PVD target of claim 12, wherein the first material comprises titanium (Ti) or tantalum (Ta) having a purity level of 99.99% or greater.

### Claim 15 (depends on 12)

The PVD target of claim 12, wherein the dopant comprises nickel.

### Claim 16 (depends on 12)

The PVD target of claim 12, wherein the second material has a purity level less than that of the first material.

### Claim 17 (depends on 16)

The PVD target of claim 16, wherein the first material has a purity level of 99.9995% or greater, and the second material has a purity level of less than 99.9995%.

### Claim 18

A method for forming a semiconductor device, comprising:
depositing a dielectric layer over a substrate;
etching the dielectric layer to form a contact opening therein;
positioning the substrate into a physical vapor deposition (PVD) chamber facing a PVD target, wherein the PVD target comprises:
a backing plate; and
a target plate coupled to the backing plate, the target plate comprising:
a first layer distal from the backing plate, wherein the first layer comprises a first target component; and
a second layer between the first layer and the backing plate, wherein the second layer comprises a second target component different from the first target component,
sputtering a surface of the first layer of the PVD target to deposit a diffusion barrier layer on sidewall and bottom surfaces of the contact opening, wherein the second layer is intact; and
deposing a conductive material layer on the diffusion barrier layer to fill the contact opening.

### Claim 19 (depends on 18)

The method of claim 18, wherein sputtering the surface of the first layer comprises sputtering the first layer by a plasma.

### Claim 20 (depends on 19)

The method of claim 19, wherein the first target component comprises Ni doped Ti with a purity level of 99.9995% or greater, and the second target component comprises Ti with a purity level of less than 99.9995%.