# US 2013/0153093 A1 · Treatment, before the bonding of a mixed cu-oxide surface, by a plasma containing nitrogen and hydrogen

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- Number: US 2013/0153093 A1
- Document ID: US20130153093A1
- Status: Published application
- Kind: A1
- Application number: 13/818,864
- Filed: 2011-08-31
- Published: 2013-06-20
- Earliest claimed: 2010-08-31
- Assignees: Commissariat A L'energie Atomique Et Aux Energies Alternatives
- Inventors: Laurent Vandroux; Lea Di Cioccio; Pierric Gueguen
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20130153093A1

## CPC

- H01R 43/02: for soldered or welded connections
- H10P 10/12: {Bonding of semiconductor wafers or semiconductor substrates to semiconductor wafers or semiconductor substrates (preparing SOI wafers using bonding H10P90/1914)}
- H10P 70/27: {during, before or after processing of conductive materials, e.g. polysilicon or amorphous silicon layers}
- H10P 70/277: {the processing being a planarisation of conductive layers}
- H10P 90/1914: {using bonding}
- H10W 90/00: Package configurations
- C09J 2301/416: use of irradiation
- C09J 2400/163: in the substrate
- H10W 72/01971: {Cleaning, e.g. oxide removal}
- H10W 72/0198: {batch processes}
- H10W 72/251: {Materials}
- H10W 72/29: Bond pads specially adapted therefor
- H10W 72/921: {Structures or relative sizes of bond pads}
- H10W 72/923: {Bond pads having multiple stacked layers}
- H10W 72/941: {Dispositions of bond pads}
- H10W 72/9415: {relative to the surface, e.g. recessed, protruding}
- H10W 72/952: {comprising metals or metalloids, e.g. PbSn, Ag or Cu}
- H10W 72/953: {not comprising solid metals or solid metalloids, e.g. polymers, ceramics or liquids}
- H10W 80/016: {Cleaning}
- H10W 80/023: {Applying a coating on the bonding area}
- H10W 80/102: {Controlling the environment during the bonding, e.g. the temperature or pressure}
- H10W 80/301: {Bonding techniques, e.g. hybrid bonding}
- H10W 80/312: {characterised by the direct bonding of electrically conductive pads}
- H10W 80/327: {characterised by the direct bonding of insulating parts, e.g. of silicon oxide layers}
- H10W 80/701: {characterised by the pads after the direct bonding}
- H10W 90/792: {between multiple chips}
- H01R: ELECTRICALLY-CONDUCTIVE CONNECTIONS; STRUCTURAL ASSOCIATIONS OF A PLURALITY OF MUTUALLY-INSULATED ELECTRICAL CONNECTING ELEMENTS; COUPLING DEVICES; CURRENT COLLECTORS
- 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
- C09J: ADHESIVES; NON-MECHANICAL ASPECTS OF ADHESIVE PROCESSES IN GENERAL; ADHESIVE PROCESSES NOT PROVIDED FOR ELSEWHERE; USE OF MATERIALS AS ADHESIVES (preparation of glue or gelatine C09H)

## Abstract

A method for bonding a first surface provided with at least one copper area surrounded by a silicon oxide area to a second surface includes an operation of treatment of the first surface by a plasma, before placing the first surface in contact with the second surface. The plasma is formed from a gas source containing a silicon oxide nitriding agent and a copper oxide reducing agent containing hydrogen. The gas source may include an N2 and NH3 and/or H2 gas mixture or a N2O and H2 gas mixture, or ammonia, which is then used both as a nitriding agent and as a reducing agent. The plasma obtained from this gas source then necessarily contains nitrogen and hydrogen, which enables, in a single operation, to provide a high-performance bonding between the first and second surfaces.

## Claims

### Claim at position 1

1-11. (canceled)

### Claim 12

A method for bonding two surfaces comprising successively:
providing a first and second complementary shape surfaces, the first surface being provided with a first copper area surrounded by a first silicon oxide area,
submitting the first surface to a plasma containing a nitriding agent configured for nitriding silicon oxide, and a reducing agent containing hydrogen configured for reducing copper oxide,
contacting the first surface with the second surface for direct bonding of the first surface to the second surface at the interface between the first copper area and the second surface and at the interface between the first silicon oxide area and the second surface.

### Claim 13 (depends on 12)

The method of claim 12, wherein the nitriding agent is dinitrogen and wherein the reducing agent is selected from among ammonia, dihydrogen, and a mixture thereof.

### Claim 14 (depends on 12)

The method of claim 12, wherein the nitriding agent is nitrous oxide and wherein the reducing agent is dihydrogen.

### Claim 15 (depends on 12)

The method of claim 12, wherein the plasma comprises ammonia as the nitriding agent and at the same time as the reducing agent, the ammonia being configured to form silicon oxynitride surface film on the first silicon oxide area and to remove a surface copper film formed on the first copper area.

### Claim 16 (depends on 12)

The method of claim 12, wherein the plasma comprises at least one neutral gas.

### Claim 17 (depends on 16)

The method of claim 16, wherein the neutral gas is selected from among helium and argon.

### Claim 18 (depends on 12)

The method of claim 12, wherein the submitting the first surface to a plasma is preceded for the first surface by a chemical-mechanical polishing operation.

### Claim 19 (depends on 12)

The method of claim 12, wherein the contacting the first surface with the second surface is followed by an annealing configured to recrystallize copper in the first copper area.

### Claim 20 (depends on 12)

The method of claim 12, wherein the second surface is provided with a second copper area surrounded by a second silicon oxide area, and wherein the second surface is submitted to a plasma containing a nitriding agent configured for nitriding silicon oxide, and a reducing agent containing hydrogen configured for reducing copper oxide.

### Claim 21 (depends on 20)

The method of claim 20, wherein the contacting the first surface with the second surface forms a heterogeneous interface comprising a copper—copper portion, a nitride silicon oxide—nitride silicon oxide portion, and a copper—nitride silicon oxide portion.

### Claim 22 (depends on 12)

The method of claim 12, wherein the first and second surfaces are planar.