Nitride capping of titanium material to improve barrier properties
AssigneeApplied Materials, Inc.
InventorsYiyang WAN, Takashi KURATOMI
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Abstract
A method and apparatus for nitride capping of titanium materials via chemical vapor deposition techniques is provided. The method includes forming a titanium nitride layer upon a titanium material layer formed on a substrate. The titanium nitride layer is formed by exposing the titanium material layer to a hydrogen-rich nitrogen-containing plasma followed by exposing the titanium material layer to a nitrogen-rich nitrogen-containing plasma. The titanium nitride layer is then exposed to an argon plasma followed by exposing the titanium nitride layer to a halide soak process.
Claims20
A method of forming a nitride capping layer, comprising:
- forming a titanium nitride layer upon a titanium material layer formed on a substrate, comprising:
- exposing the titanium material layer to a hydrogen-rich nitrogen-containing plasma;
- and
- exposing the titanium material layer to a nitrogen-rich nitrogen-containing plasma;
- exposing the titanium nitride layer to an argon plasma;
- and
- exposing the titanium nitride layer to a halide soak process.
A method of forming a nitride capping layer, comprising:
- forming a titanium nitride layer upon a titanium material layer formed on a substrate, comprising:
- forming a direct plasma reaction between nitrogen (N2), hydrogen (H2), and argon (Ar) inside a process chamber between a showerhead and the substrate, wherein a first ratio of a volumetric flow rate of hydrogen to a volumetric flow rate of nitrogen is greater than about 1:1;
- increasing the volumetric flow rate of nitrogen and decreasing the volumetric flow rate of hydrogen, wherein a second ratio of a second volumetric flow rate of hydrogen to a second volumetric flow rate of nitrogen is less than about 1:1;
- exposing the titanium nitride layer to argon plasma;
- and
- exposing the titanium nitride layer to a chlorine soak process.
A method of forming a nitride capping layer, comprising:
- forming a titanium silicon nitride capping layer upon a titanium silicide layer formed on a substrate, comprising:
- exposing the titanium silicide layer to a hydrogen-rich nitrogen-containing plasma to form a first portion of the titanium silicon nitride capping layer;
- and
- exposing the first portion of the titanium silicon nitride capping layer to a nitrogen-rich nitrogen-containing plasma to form a second portion of the titanium silicon nitride capping layer;
- exposing the titanium silicon nitride capping layer to an argon plasma to form a plasma treated titanium silicon nitride capping layer;
- and
- exposing the plasma treated titanium silicon nitride capping layer to a chlorine soak process to reduce a thickness of the plasma treated silicon nitride capping layer.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.