Apparatus for conducting a refractory metal deposition process

An apparatus for forming a barrier layer for electrically contacting a conductive interconnect layer to one or more exposed silicon regions on a wafer, said apparatus comprising:

• means for heating said wafer in a CVD chamber at a substantially constant deposition temperature;
• means for ramping up a supply rate of reducing gas into said CVD chamber while providing a substantially constant supply rate of refractory metal based gas into said CVD chamber at said deposition temperature in order to increase the deposition rate of refractory metal as exothermic reduction reactions continue to increase the temperature of refractory metal deposited over said exposed silicon regions;
• means for annealing said wafer, after a barrier layer having a desired thickness is formed, to form a silicide at an interface of said refractory metal and silicon regions;
• and
• means programmed for automatically controlling said means for heating, said means for ramping up, and said means for annealing.

An apparatus for forming a barrier layer for electrically contacting a conductive interconnect layer to one or more exposed silicon regions on a wafer, said apparatus comprising:

• means for saturating surfaces of said exposed silicon regions at approximately room temperature with refractory metal based gas to form a base layer of refractory metal on said surfaces of said silicon regions in order to increase bonding strength between a subsequently deposited refractory metal layer and said surfaces and to act as a catalyst for subsequent deposition of said refractory metal;
• means for heating said wafer in a CVD chamber at a substantially constant deposition temperature while supplying an amount of reducing gas and an amount of refractory metal based gas for a time to form a barrier layer having a desired thickness;
• means for annealing said wafer to form a silicide at an interface of said refractory metal and said silicon regions;
• and
• means programmed for automatically controlling said means for saturating, said means for heating, and said means for annealing.

An apparatus for forming a conductive via in contact with a polysilicon layer for providing electrical contact between said polysilicon layer and a metal layer, said polysilicon layer being formed on a wafer, said apparatus comprising:

• means for heating said wafer in a CVD chamber at a substantially constant deposition temperature;
• means for ramping up a supply rate of reducing gas into said CVD chamber while providing a substantially constant supply rate of refractory metal based gas into said CVD chamber at said deposition temperature in order to increase the deposition rate of refractory metal on said polysilicon layer as exothermic reduction reactions continue to increase the temperature of refractory metal deposited over said polysilicon layer;
• means for annealing said wafer, after a via is formed having a desired thickness, to form a silicide at an interface of said refractory metal and said polysilicon layer;
• and
• means programmed for automatically controlling said means for heating, said means for ramping up, and said means for annealing.

An apparatus for forming a conductive via in contact with a first metal layer for providing electrical contact between said first metal layer and a second metal layer, said first metal layer being formed on a wafer, said apparatus comprising:

• means for cleaning an exposed surface of said first metal layer;
• means for heating said wafer in a CVD chamber at a substantially constant deposition temperature;
• means for ramping up a supply rate of reducing gas into said CVD chamber while providing a substantially constant supply rate of refractory metal based gas into said CVD chamber at said deposition temperature in order to increase the deposition rate of refractory metal on said first metal layer as exothermic reduction reactions continue to increase the temperature of a refractory metal layer deposited over said first metal layer;
• and
• means programmed for automatically controlling said means for cleaning, said means for ramping up, and said means for heating.