Elimination of overhang in liner/barrier/seed layers using post-deposition sputter etch
OwnerChing-Te Lin, Jiong-Ping Lu +1inventors
InventorsChing-Te Lin, Jiong-Ping Lu, Asad M. Haider
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Abstract
A post-liner/barrier/seed deposition sputter etch is used to remove an overhang portion (111) of a physical vapor deposited (PVD) film (110, 112, 214). A PVD process typically results in a liner/barrier (110,214) or seed (112) layer having thicker overhang portion (111) at the upper corners of a trench (108), via (106), or contact (212). A post deposition sputter etch using low bias is used to reduce the thickness of the overhang portion (111) and avoid a seam in a subsequent fill process.
Claims22
A method of fabricating an integrated circuit, comprising the steps of:
- forming a dielectric layer over a semiconductor body;
- forming a hole in said dielectric layer;
- depositing a metal layer over said dielectric layer including in said hole using physical vapor deposition;
- performing a sputter etch using a low bias after said step of depositing the metal layer;
- and
- depositing a metal filler to fill said hole.
A method of fabricating an integrated circuit, comprising the steps of:
- forming a dielectric layer over a semiconductor body;
- forming a trench in a first part of said dielectric layer;
- forming a via in a second part of said dielectric layer;
- depositing a liner/barrier layer over said dielectric layer including in said trench and in said via using physical vapor deposition (PVD);
- performing a sputter etch using a low bias after said step of depositing a liner/barrier layer;
- depositing a seed layer over said liner/barrier layer;
- and
- depositing a copper layer over said seed layer.
A method of fabricating an integrated circuit, comprising the steps of:
- forming a pre-metal dielectric (PMD) layer over a semiconductor body;
- forming a contact hole in said PMD layer;
- depositing a liner layer over said PMD layer including in said contact hole using physical vapor deposition, wherein said liner layer has an overhang portion at a top of said contact hole;
- performing a sputter etch using a low bias to at least reduce a thickness of said overhang portion;
- depositing a barrier layer over said liner layer;
- and
- depositing a metal filler to fill said contact hole.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.