Operating a magnetron sputter reactor in two modes

A process of depositing into a hole having sidewalls and a bottom all coated with a barrier layer, comprising the steps of:

• a first step of operating a sputter reactor having a target comprising a metal selected from the group consisting of Cu, Al, Ti, Ta, and W under a first set of processing conditions selected to remove said barrier layer from said bottom of said hole while depositing a material comprising said metal onto said sidewalls of said hole, wherein said target includes an annular vault facing a pedestal supporting a substrate including said hole and wherein said sputter reactor further comprises a magnetron operative with said target;
• and
• a second step of operating said sputter reactor under a second set of processing conditions selected to deposit a material comprising said metal onto said bottom and said sidewalls of said hole.

A method for processing a substrate having a dielectric layer, a hole formed through said dielectric layer, and a nitride barrier layer coated onto a bottom and sidewalls of said hole, said process comprising the steps of:

• in a plasma sputter reactor including a metal target, a first step of sputtering under a first set of chamber conditions to produce a first concentration of metal ions impinging upon said substrate with a first energy level, whereby material from said target is preferentially deposited on said sidewalls as compared to said bottom;
• and
• subsequently in said sputter reactor, a second step of sputtering under a second set of chamber conditions to produce a second concentration of said metal ions impinging upon said substrate with a second energy level, wherein at least one of said first concentration and said first energy level is greater than a corresponding one of said second concentration and said second level, whereby material of said target is deposited at a greater rate on said bottom in said second step than in said first step.

A method for processing a substrate having a dielectric layer, a hole formed through said dielectric layer, and a nitride barrier layer coated onto a bottom and sidewalls of said hole, comprising the steps of:

• in a plasma sputter reactor including a metal target, sputtering under a first set of chamber conditions to produce a first concentration of metal ions impinging upon said substrate with a first energy level, whereby material of said barrier layer is preferentially removed from said bottom of said hole as compared to said sidewalls thereof;
• and
• subsequently in said plasma sputter reactor, sputtering under a second set of chamber conditions to produce a second concentration of said metal ions impinging upon said substrate with a second energy level, wherein at least one of said first concentration and said first energy level is greater than a corresponding one of said second concentration and said second level, whereby material of said target is deposited on said bottom and said sidewalls of said hole.