Hybrid in-situ dry cleaning of oxidized surface layers

A method of processing a substrate, comprising:

• providing the substrate in a vacuum processing tool;
• depositing a metal-containing barrier layer on the substrate in the vacuum processing tool;
• performing a hybrid in-situ dry cleaning of an oxidized surface layer on the metal-containing barrier layer by:
• exposing the oxidized surface layer to a flow of a first process gas containing plasma-excited argon gas to activate the oxidized surface layer;
• applying substrate bias power during the exposing of the oxidized surface layer to the flow of the first process gas;
• and
• exposing the activated oxidized surface layer to a second process gas containing non-plasma-excited hydrogen gas, wherein the exposure to the first process gas, in addition to activating the oxidized surface layer, facilitates chemical reduction of the activated oxidized surface layer by the second process gas containing the hydrogen gas, wherein a thickness of the metal-containing barrier layer is not substantially changed by the exposing and applying steps;
• and
• following the performing, depositing a metal-containing film on the metal-containing barrier layer, wherein the hybrid in-situ dry cleaning and the depositing the metal-containing film on the metal-containing barrier layer are carried out without exposing the metal-containing barrier layer to air.

A method of processing a substrate, comprising:

• providing the substrate in a first vacuum processing tool;
• depositing a metal-containing barrier layer on the substrate in the first vacuum processing tool;
• transferring in air the substrate containing the metal-containing barrier layer from the first vacuum processing tool to a second vacuum processing tool;
• performing a hybrid in-situ dry cleaning of an oxidized surface layer of the metal-containing barrier layer in the second vacuum processing tool by:
• exposing the oxidized surface layer to a flow of a first process gas containing plasma-excited argon gas to activate the oxidized surface layer;
• applying substrate bias power during the exposing of the oxidized surface layer to the flow of the first process gas;
• and
• exposing the activated oxidized surface layer to a second process gas containing non-plasma-excited hydrogen gas, wherein the exposure to the first process gas, in addition to activating the oxidized surface layer, facilitates chemical reduction of the activated oxidized surface layer by the second process gas containing the hydrogen gas, wherein a thickness of the metal-containing barrier layer is not substantially changed by the exposing and applying steps;
• and
• following the performing, depositing a metal-containing film on the metal-containing barrier layer in the second vacuum processing tool, wherein the hybrid in-situ dry cleaning and the depositing the metal-containing film on the metal-containing barrier layer are carried out without exposing the metal-containing barrier layer to air.