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US 12,575,344 B2Granted
Interconnect structures and methods and apparatuses for forming the same
AssigneeTaiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company, Ltd.
InventorsChun-Hsu Yang, Huei-Wen Hsieh, Nai-Hao Yang, Yu-Cheng Hsiao, Chun-Sheng Chen, Che-Wei Tien, Kuan-Chia Chen
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Abstract
Interconnect structures and methods and apparatuses for forming the same are disclosed. In an embodiment, a method includes supplying a process gas to a process chamber; igniting the process gas into a plasma in the process chamber; reducing a pressure of the process chamber to less than 0.3 mTorr; and after reducing the pressure of the process chamber, depositing a conductive layer on a substrate in the process chamber.
Claims20
A method comprising:
- depositing a barrier layer in an opening extending through a dielectric layer;
- depositing a liner layer over the barrier layer;
- and
- forming a conductive feature in the opening, wherein forming the conductive feature comprises:
- generating a plasma from a process gas utilizing a first DC power to ignite the plasma;
- ceasing to provide the process gas to a process chamber;
- pumping out the plasma and the process gas from the process chamber at a flowrate from 500 L/sec to 2,500 L/sec while increasing the first DC power to a second DC power to increase a concentration of source particles to a target concentration, the second DC power being between 3 and 8 times the first DC power;
- after increasing the concentration of the source particles to the target concentration, depositing a conductive layer over the liner layer;
- and
- reflowing the conductive layer comprising heating the conductive layer to a temperature from 150° C. to 300° C. for between 10 seconds and 300 seconds.
7 more elements
A method comprising:
- depositing a dielectric layer on a substrate;
- forming a recess through the dielectric layer, the recess exposing a conductive feature of the substrate;
- depositing a barrier layer in the recess;
- depositing a liner layer on the barrier layer;
- and
- depositing a conductive layer on the barrier layer and filling the recess in a process chamber, wherein depositing the conductive layer comprises:
- supplying a process gas to the process chamber;
- dislodging deposition materials from a deposition target material by a plasma to create source particles;
- increasing a relative concentration of source particles in the process chamber, and applying a DC power of greater than 15 kW to the deposition target material while increasing the relative concentration of source particles;
- and
- after increasing the relative concentration of source particles, depositing the source particles to form the conductive layer on the liner layer and increasing the DC power to apply a DC power of greater than 30 kW to the deposition target material while depositing the conductive layer on the liner layer.
8 more elements
A method comprising:
- providing a conductive feature in a first dielectric layer on a substrate;
- depositing a second dielectric layer on the first dielectric layer;
- etching an opening through the second dielectric layer to expose the conductive feature;
- depositing a first conductive layer in the opening, wherein depositing the first conductive layer comprises:
- generating a plasma from a process gas in a process chamber at a first pressure greater than 10 mTorr, wherein the plasma is generated while supplying a first DC power of less than 5 kW;
- supplying a second DC power of greater than 15 kW while pumping the process chamber to a second pressure less than 0.3 mTorr, wherein the pumping removes plasma and process gas from the process chamber at a flowrate from 500 L/sec to about 2,500 L/sec;
- forming a conductive layer in the opening while applying a third DC power that is greater than the second DC power;
- heating the conductive layer to reflow the conductive layer into the first conductive layer;
- and
- depositing a second conductive layer in the opening, wherein depositing the second conductive layer comprises a same process as depositing the first conductive layer.
7 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.