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US 6,958,247 B2Granted
Method of electroplating copper over a patterned dielectric layer to enhance process uniformity of a subsequent CMP process
AssigneeAdvanced Micro Devices, Inc.
InventorsGerd Marxsen, Axel Preusse, Markus Nopper, Frank Mauersberger
Life of this patent
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Abstract
In a new method of plating metal onto dielectric layers including small diameter vias and large diameter trenches, a surface roughness is created at least on non-patterned regions of the dielectric layer to enhance the uniformity of material removal in a subsequent chemical mechanical polishing (CMP) process.
Claims18
A method of depositing a metal over a substrate including a dielectric layer having a patterned region and a substantially non-patterned region formed therein, the method comprising:
- exposing said substrate to an electrolyte bath so as to non-conformally deposit metal in a bottom-to-top technique in said patterned region;
- forming an excess metal layer over said patterned region and said substantially non-patterned region;
- controlling at least one process parameter during the formation of said excess metal layer to adjust a surface roughness of said excess metal layer;
- removing said excess metal layer by chemical mechanical polishing using an endpoint detection signal;
- exposing a second substrate that is substantially identical to said substrate to said electrolyte bath so as to non-conformally deposit metal in a bottom-to-top technique in said patterned region;
- forming an excess metal layer over said patterned region and a substantially non-patterned region of said second substrate;
- and
- based on said endpoint detection signal, controlling at least one process parameter during the formation of said excess metal layer of said second substrate to adjust a surface roughness of said excess metal layer of said second substrate.
5 more elements
A method of forming a metallization layer of a semiconductor device, the method comprising:
- providing a substrate having formed thereon a dielectric layer with a first region and a second region, said first region including vias and trenches to be filled with a metal, said second region being substantially devoid of trenches and vias to be filled with metal;
- exposing said substrate to an electrolyte bath to fill said vias and trenches in said first region and to form an excess metal layer over said first and second regions, wherein a surface roughness at least of said second region is adjusted to be higher than approximately 50 nm;
- and
- removing said excess metal layer by chemical mechanical polishing, wherein said surface roughness of said metal layer above at least said second region promotes the removal of said excess metal layer above at least said second region during said chemical mechanical polishing process.
1 more element
A method, comprising:
- determining a surface roughness of a metal layer formed over a dielectric including a patterned region and a substantially non-patterned region;
- removing a portion of said metal layer by chemical mechanical polishing to expose said dielectric in said patterned and non-patterned regions;
- monitoring an endpoint detection signal during said chemical mechanical polishing;
- and
- relating said monitored endpoint detection signal to said determined surface roughness to determine an optimum surface roughness for a desired signal/noise ratio of said endpoint detection signal.
2 more elements
A method, comprising:
- determining a surface roughness of a metal layer formed over a dielectric including a patterned region and a substantially non-patterned region;
- removing a portion of said metal layer by chemical mechanical polishing to expose said dielectric in said patterned and non-patterned regions;
- monitoring a polishing time for substantially completely clearing said patterned and non-patterned regions;
- and
- relating said monitored polishing time to said determined surface roughness to determine a surface roughness that results in a reduced polishing time.
2 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.