# US 12,191,199 B2 · Contact metallization process

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- Number: US 12,191,199 B2
- Document ID: US12191199B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 17/216,444
- Filed: 2021-03-29
- Published: 2021-09-09
- Granted: 2025-01-07
- Earliest claimed: 2017-11-15
- Assignees: Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company, Ltd.
- Applicants: Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co., Ltd.
- Inventors: Tien-Pei Chou; Ken-Yu Chang; Sheng-Hsuan Lin; Yueh-Ching Pai; Yu-Ting Lin
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US12191199B2

## CPC

- H10W 20/033: {in openings in dielectrics}
- H10W 20/4403: {based on metals, e.g. alloys, metal silicides (H10W20/4484 takes precedence)}
- H10D 64/01125: {the silicides being formed by chemical reaction with the semiconductor after the contact hole formation}
- H10P 14/418: {the conductive layers comprising transition metals}
- H10P 14/44: Physical vapour deposition [PVD]
- H10W 20/035: {combinations of barrier, adhesion or liner layers, e.g. multi-layered barrier layers}
- H10W 20/045: {for deposition from the gaseous phase, e.g. for chemical vapour deposition [CVD]}
- H10W 20/056: {by filling conductive material into holes, grooves or trenches}
- H10W 20/069: {by forming self-aligned vias or self-aligned contact plugs}
- H10W 20/081: {by forming openings in the dielectric parts}
- H10W 20/40: Interconnections external to wafers or substrates, e.g. back-end-of-line [BEOL] metallisations or vias connecting to gate electrodes
- H10W 20/4437: {the principal metal being a transition metal}
- H10D 64/0112: {using conductive layers comprising silicides}
- H10W 20/047: {by introducing additional elements therein}
- H10W: GENERIC PACKAGES, INTERCONNECTIONS, CONNECTORS OR OTHER CONSTRUCTIONAL DETAILS OF DEVICES COVERED BY CLASS H10
- H10D: INORGANIC ELECTRIC SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICES
- H10P: GENERIC PROCESSES OR APPARATUS FOR THE MANUFACTURE OR TREATMENT OF DEVICES COVERED BY CLASS H10

## Abstract

The present disclosure describes a method to a metallization process with improved gap fill properties. The method includes forming a contact opening in an oxide, forming a barrier layer in the contact opening, forming a liner layer on the barrier layer, and forming a first metal layer on the liner layer to partially fill the contact opening. The method further includes forming a second metal layer on the first metal layer to fill the contact opening, where forming the second metal layer includes sputter depositing the second metal layer with a first radio frequency (RF) power and a direct current power, as well as reflowing the second metal layer with a second RF power.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A method comprising:
depositing a first metal layer to partially fill an opening in a dielectric layer on a substrate;
depositing a second metal layer on the first metal layer to fill the opening, wherein depositing the second metal layer comprises:
sputter depositing the second metal layer from a metal target by applying a first radio frequency (RF) power to bias the metal target;
reflowing the second metal layer by applying a second RF power to bias the substrate; and
changing the first and second RF powers independently to adjust a ratio of the second RF power to the first RF power while reflowing the second metal layer.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein depositing the second metal layer comprises performing a physical vapor deposition process (PVD) at a process temperature between about 300° C. and about 500° C.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein reflowing the second metal layer comprises impinging the second metal layer with argon ions.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein sputter depositing the second metal layer comprises applying a direct current (DC) power to bias the metal target, wherein a magnitude ratio of the DC power to the first RF power is greater than about 65%.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein the ratio of the second RF power to the first RF power is between about 4% and about 10%.

### Claim 6 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein a magnitude of the first RF power is between about 500 Watts and about 3000 Watts, and the magnitude of the second RF power is between about 20 Watts and about 100 Watts.

### Claim 7 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein the first RF power has a frequency between about 40 MHz and about 45 MHZ, and the second RF power has a frequency between about 10 MHz and about 15 MHz.

### Claim 8 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, further comprising:
before forming the first metal layer, forming a liner layer in the opening, wherein each of the liner layer, the first metal layer, and the second metal layer comprises cobalt (Co).

### Claim 9 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, further comprising forming a silicide layer under a curved surface of the opening.

### Claim 10

A method comprising:
providing a substrate with a source/drain epitaxial layer;
depositing a dielectric layer over the substrate;
forming two gate electrodes in the dielectric layer;
etching an opening in the dielectric layer and between the two gate electrodes to expose the source/drain epitaxial layer;
forming a first metal layer in the opening and in contact with the source/drain epitaxial layer;
forming a barrier layer on the first metal layer, wherein the first metal layer and the barrier layer comprise a first metal material; and
forming a metal contact in the opening, wherein the metal contact comprises a liner layer, a second metal layer, and a third metal layer, and wherein the liner layer, the second metal layer, and the third metal layer comprise a second metal material different from the first metal material.

### Claim 11 (depends on 10)

The method of claim 10, wherein forming the metal contact comprises:
forming the liner layer on the barrier layer;
forming the second metal layer on the liner layer to partially fill the opening; and
forming the third metal layer on the second metal layer to fill the opening.

### Claim 12 (depends on 11)

The method of claim 11, wherein:
forming the liner layer comprises performing a first physical vapor deposition (PVD) process at a first temperature;
forming the second metal layer comprises performing a second PVD process at a second temperature higher than the first temperature; and
forming the third metal layer comprises performing a third PVD process at a third temperature higher than the second temperature.

### Claim 13 (depends on 12)

The method of claim 12, wherein:
the first temperature is about room temperature;
the second temperature is between about 150° C. and about 200° C.; and
the third temperature is between about 300° C. and about 500° C.

### Claim 14 (depends on 12)

The method of claim 12, wherein forming the third metal layer further comprises:
concurrently performing a reflow process during the third PVD process by using argon ions to impinge the third metal layer with argon ions to reflow the second metal material.

### Claim 15 (depends on 14)

The method of claim 14, wherein:
the third PVD process comprises applying a first RF power at a first frequency; and
the reflow process comprises applying a second RF power lower than the first RF power at a second frequency lower than the first frequency.

### Claim 16 (depends on 15)

The method of claim 15, wherein:
a ratio of the second RF power to the first RF power is between about 4% and about 10%;
the first RF power is between about 500 Watts and about 3000 Watts;
the second RF power is between about 20 Watts and about 1000 Watts;
the first RF power has a frequency between about 40 MHz and about 45 MHz; and
the second RF power has a frequency between about 10 MHz and about 15 MHz.

### Claim 17

A method, comprising:
providing a substrate with a field effect transistor (FET);
forming a dielectric layer over the FET;
forming an opening in the dielectric layer to expose a source/drain region of the FET;
forming a first metal layer to partially fill the opening; and
forming a second metal layer over the first metal layer, comprising:
performing a deposition process by sputtering a target while performing a reflow process by bombarding a surface of the second metal layer with ions; and
adjusting a ratio of a radio frequency (RF) power applied to the target to a direct current (DC) power applied to the target.

### Claim 18 (depends on 17)

The method of claim 17, wherein a ratio of the DC power to the RF power is greater than about 25%.

### Claim 19 (depends on 17)

The method of claim 17, wherein an aspect ratio of the opening is between about 3 and about 10.

### Claim 20 (depends on 17)

The method of claim 17, wherein performing the reflow process comprises removing a portion of the second metal layer accumulated at a top of the opening.