Integrated process for copper via filling

An integrated copper fill process, comprising the steps of:

• providing a substrate having a copper feature at a surface in a first dielectric layer, a second dielectric layer formed over said first dielectric layer, a hole formed through said second dielectric layer, and a barrier layer coated onto a bottom and sidewalls of said hole;
• a first step of sputtering copper into said hole with a first fraction of copper ionization;
• then a second step of sputtering copper into said hole with a second fractions of copper ionization less than said first fraction;
• and
• then electrochemically depositing copper into said hole.

An integrated copper fill process, comprising the steps of:

• providing a substrate having a copper feature at a surface in a first dielectric layer, a second dielectric layer formed over said first dielectric layer, a hole formed through said second dielectric layer, and a barrier layer is coated onto a bottom and sidewalls of said hole;
• removing said barrier layer from said bottom of said hole, wherein said removing is performed in a chamber adapted for plasma sputtering of a metal target;
• depositing a copper layer onto said sidewalls over said barrier layer and onto said bottom of said hole;
• and
• then electrochemically depositing copper into said hole.

An integrated copper fill process, comprising the steps of:

• providing a substrate having a copper feature at a surface in a first dielectric layer, a second dielectric layer formed over said first dielectric layer, a hole formed through said second dielectric layer, and a barrier layer coated on a bottom and sidewalls of said hole;
• a first step of removing at least a portion of said barrier layer coated on said bottom of said hole which is performed in a sputtering reactor having a copper target;
• and
• a second step performed in said sputtering reactor of depositing a copper seed layer on said bottom and said sidewalls of said hole.