# US 7,411,300 B2 · Agglomeration control using early transition metal alloys > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 7,411,300 B2 - Document ID: US7411300B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 11/347,051 - Filed: 2006-02-03 - Published: 2006-06-29 - Granted: 2008-08-12 - Earliest claimed: 2001-06-28 - Assignees: Micron Technology, Inc. - Inventors: Yonjun Jeff Hu - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US7411300B2 ## CPC - H10W 20/033: {in openings in dielectrics} - H10W 20/035: {combinations of barrier, adhesion or liner layers, e.g. multi-layered barrier layers} - H10W 20/045: {for deposition from the gaseous phase, e.g. for chemical vapour deposition [CVD]} - H10W 20/056: {by filling conductive material into holes, grooves or trenches} - H10W 20/425: {Barrier, adhesion or liner layers} - H10W 20/4424: {Copper alloys} - H10W 20/4432: {the principal metal being a noble metal, e.g. gold} - H10W 20/4435: {Noble-metal alloys} - H10W: GENERIC PACKAGES, INTERCONNECTIONS, CONNECTORS OR OTHER CONSTRUCTIONAL DETAILS OF DEVICES COVERED BY CLASS H10 ## Abstract Structures and methods of fabricating portions of integrated circuit devices to reduce agglomeration tendencies of high surface-energy metals used in interconnects and contacts. Early transition metals having relatively low surface energies are chosen to form stable crystalline compounds rich in the high surface-energy metal. Agglomeration control layers containing such alloy compounds facilitate adhesion between the high surface-energy metal and an underlying layer of the integrated circuit device, such as a diffusion barrier layer. These agglomeration control layers may be nitrided to improve robustness at higher temperatures. ## Claims ### Claim 1 An interconnect of an integrated circuit device, comprising: a diffusion barrier layer; a layer of a metal alloy nitride on the diffusion barrier layer, wherein the layer of metal alloy nitride comprises a first metal component, a second metal component that can form a crystalline compound with the first metal component, and nitrogen, wherein the second metal component has a surface energy lower than a surface energy of the first metal component, and wherein the layer of metal alloy nitride is rich in the first metal component; and a second metal layer on the layer of metal alloy nitride, wherein the second metal layer comprises the first metal component. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The interconnect of claim 1, wherein the diffusion baffler layer is a titanium-containing layer. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The interconnect of claim 1, wherein the diffusion baffler layer is titanium nitride. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The interconnect of claim 1, wherein the first metal component is selected from the group consisting of copper, silver, gold, palladium, platinum, rhenium, iridium, ruthenium and osmium. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The interconnect of claim 1, wherein the second metal component is selected from the group consisting of scandium, yttrium, lanthanum, titanium, zirconium and hafnium. ### Claim 6 An interconnect of an integrated circuit device, comprising: a layer of titanium nitride; a nitrided metal layer on the layer of titanium nitride, wherein the nitrided metal layer comprises a nitride metal alloy compound containing a first metal component, a second metal component and nitrogen, wherein the second metal component is selected from the group consisting of Group lilA and Group WA elements, and wherein an atomic ratio of the first metal component to the second metal component in the nitrided metal layer is greater than one; and a metal layer on the nitrided metal layer, wherein the metal layer comprises the first metal component. ### Claim 7 (depends on 6) The interconnect of claim 6, wherein the atomic ratio of the first metal component to the second metal component in the nitride metal alloy compound is greater than two. ### Claim 8 (depends on 6) The interconnect of claim 6, wherein the atomic ratio of the first metal component to the second metal component in the nitride metal alloy compound is greater than ten. ### Claim 9 (depends on 6) The interconnect of claim 6, wherein the atomic ratio of the first metal component to the second metal component in the nitride metal alloy compound is greater than twenty. ### Claim 10 A portion of an integrated circuit device, comprising: a dielectric layer on a base layer; a titanium nitride layer overlying the dielectric layer; a layer of a metal alloy nitride on the titanium nitride layer, wherein the layer of metal alloy nitride comprises copper, a metal component that can form a crystalline compound with the copper, and nitrogen, wherein the metal component is selected from the group consisting of scandium, yttrium, lanthanum, titanium, zirconium and hafnium, and wherein an atomic ratio of copper to the metal component in the layer of metal alloy nitride is greater than one; and a copper layer on the layer of metal alloy nitride. ### Claim 11 (depends on 10) The portion of an integrated circuit device of claim 10, wherein a portion of the titanium nitride layer is adjoining a portion of the base layer. ### Claim 12 A portion of an integrated circuit device, comprising: a layer of titanium nitride; a nitrided metal layer on the layer of titanium nitride, wherein the nitrided metal layer is of the form MTxNy, where M is a first metal component, T is a Group IIIA or Group IVA transition metal, N is nitrogen, x is an atomic fraction of T, y is an atomic fraction of N, and x andy are each less than one; and a metal layer on the nitrided metal layer, wherein the metal layer comprises the first metal component. ### Claim 13 (depends on 12) The portion of an integrated circuit device of claim 12, wherein M is selected from the group consisting of copper, silver, gold, palladium, platinum, rhenium, iridium, ruthenium and osmium. ### Claim 14 (depends on 12) The portion of an integrated circuit device of claim 12, wherein T is selected from the group consisting of scandium, yttrium, lanthanum, titanium, zirconium and hafnium. ### Claim 15 A portion of an integrated circuit device, comprising: a layer of titanium nitride; a nitrided metal layer on the layer of titanium nitride, wherein the nitrided metal layer is of the form MTxNy, where M is a first metal component, T is a Group IIIA or Group IVA transition metal, N is nitrogen, x is an atomic fraction of T, y is an atomic fraction of N, x is less than approximately 0.1 andy is less than approximately 0.9; and a metal layer on the nitrided metal layer, wherein the metal layer comprises the first metal component. ### Claim 16 A portion of an integrated circuit device, comprising: a layer of titanium nitride; a nitrided metal layer on the layer of titanium nitride, wherein the nitrided metal layer is of the form CuTxNy, where Cu is copper, T is a Group IIIA or Group IVA transition metal, N is nitrogen, x is an atomic fraction of T, y is an atomic fraction of N, and x andy are each less than one; and a metal layer on the nitrided metal layer, wherein the metal layer comprises copper. ### Claim 17 (depends on 16) The portion of an integrated circuit device of claim 16, wherein T is selected from the group consisting of scandium, yttrium, lanthanum, titanium, zirconium and hafnium. ### Claim 18 An interconnect of an integrated circuit device, comprising: a diffusion barrier layer; a layer of a metal alloy nitride on the diffusion barrier layer, wherein the layer of metal alloy nitride comprises a first metal component, a second metal component that can form a crystalline compound with the first metal component, and nitrogen, wherein the second metal component has a surface energy lower than a surface energy of the first metal component, and wherein the layer of metal alloy nitride is rich in the first metal component; and a second metal layer on the layer of metal alloy nitride, wherein the second metal layer comprises the first metal component; wherein the first metal component is selected from the group consisting of silver, gold, palladium, platinum, rhenium, iridium, ruthenium and osmium. ### Claim 19 (depends on 18) The interconnect of claim 18, wherein the diffusion barrier layer is a titanium-containing layer. ### Claim 20 (depends on 18) The interconnect of claim 18, wherein the diffusion barrier layer is titanium nitride. ### Claim 21 (depends on 18) The interconnect of claim 18, wherein the second metal component is selected from the group consisting of scandium, yttrium, lanthanum, titanium, zirconium and hafnium. ### Claim 22 An interconnect of an integrated circuit device, comprising: a layer of titanium nitride; a nitrided metal layer on the layer of titanium nitride, wherein the nitrided metal layer comprises a nitride metal alloy compound containing a first metal component and a second metal component and nitrogen, wherein the first metal component is selected from the group consisting of silver, gold, palladium, platinum, rhenium, iridium, ruthenium and osmium, wherein the second metal component is selected from the group consisting of Group IIIA and Group IVA elements, and wherein an atomic ratio of the first metal component to the second metal component in the nitrided metal layer is greater than one; and a metal layer on the nitrided metal layer, wherein the metal layer comprises the first metal component. ### Claim 23 (depends on 22) The interconnect of claim 22, wherein the atomic ratio of the first metal component to the second metal component in the nitride metal alloy compound is greater than two. ### Claim 24 (depends on 22) The interconnect of claim 22, wherein the atomic ratio of the first metal component to the second metal component in nitride metal alloy compound is greater than ten. ### Claim 25 (depends on 22) The interconnect of claim 22, wherein the atomic ratio of the first metal component to the second metal component in the nitride metal alloy compound is greater than twenty. ### Claim 26 A portion of an integrated circuit device, comprising: a dielectric layer on a base layer; a titanium nitride layer overlying the dielectric layer; a layer of a metal alloy nitride on the titanium nitride layer, wherein the layer of metal alloy nitride comprises copper, a metal component that can form a crystalline compound with the copper, and nitrogen, wherein the metal component is selected from the group consisting of scandium and yttrium, and wherein an atomic ratio of copper to the metal component in the-layer of metal alloy nitride is greater than one; and a copper layer on the layer of metal alloy nitride. ### Claim 27 (depends on 26) The portion of an integrated circuit device of claim 26, wherein a portion of the titanium nitride layer is adjoining a portion of the base layer. ### Claim 28 A portion of an integrated circuit device, comprising: a dielectric layer on a base layer; a titanium nitride layer overlying the dielectric layer; a layer of a metal alloy nitride on the titanium nitride layer, wherein the layer of metal alloy nitride comprises a copper-rich alloy selected from the group consisting of Cu4Sc, Cu6Y, Cu4Ti, Cu3Ti and Cu5Zr; and a copper layer on the metal layer. ### Claim 29 (depends on 28) The portion of an integrated circuit device of claim 28, wherein the copper-rich alloy has a crystalline structure. ### Claim 30 (depends on 28) The portion of an integrated circuit device of claim 28, wherein the layer of metal alloy nitride further comprises elemental copper. ### Claim 31 (depends on 30) The portion of an integrated circuit device of claim 30, wherein at least 25 wt % of the layer of metal alloy nitride is the elemental copper. ### Claim 32 (depends on 30) The portion of an integrated circuit device of claim 30, wherein at least 50 wt % of the layer of metal alloy nitride is the elemental copper. ### Claim 33 (depends on 28) The portion of an integrated circuit device of claim 28, wherein the titanium nitride layer is further adjoining the base layer, wherein the base layer is selected from the group consisting of a semiconductor substrate and a conductor layer.