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US 7,547,644 B2Granted
Methods and apparatus for forming barrier layers in high aspect ratio vias
AssigneeApplied Materials, Inc.
InventorsFusen Chen, Ling Chen, Walter Benjamin Glenn, Praburam Gopalraja, Jianming Fu
Life of this patent
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Abstract
In a first aspect, a method is provided that includes (1) forming a first barrier layer over the sidewalls and bottom of a via using atomic layer deposition within an atomic layer deposition (ALD) chamber; (2) removing at least a portion of the first barrier layer from the bottom of the via by sputter etching; and (3) depositing a second barrier layer on the sidewalls and bottom of the via within the ALD chamber. Numerous other embodiments are provided, as are systems, methods and computer program products in accordance with these and other aspects.
Claims30
An integrated system adapted to form a barrier layer on sidewalls and a bottom of a via that extends through a dielectric layer to expose an underlying metal feature of a substrate, the integrated system comprising:
- an atomic layer deposition (ALD) chamber adapted to deposit a conformal, first barrier layer over the sidewalls and bottom of the via;
- a high density plasma physical vapor deposition (HDPPVD) chamber adapted to deposit a second barrier layer on the sidewalls and bottom of the via;
- a transfer chamber coupled to the ALD chamber and adapted to transfer the substrate between the ALD chamber and the HDPPVD chamber under vacuum;
- and
- at least one controller coupled to the ALD chamber, the transfer chamber and the HDPPVD chamber and adapted to perform the steps of:
- (a) forming a first barrier layer over the sidewalls and bottom of the via using atomic layer deposition within the ALD chamber;
- (b) transferring the substrate from the ALD chamber to the HDPPVD chamber;
- (c) removing at least a portion of the first barrier layer from the bottom of the via by sputter etching the substrate within the HDPPVD chamber using a plasma ion density of at least 1010 ions/cm3, wherein a bias is applied to the substrate during at least a portion of the sputter etching;
- and
- (d) depositing a second barrier layer on the sidewalls and bottom of the via within the HDPPVD chamber.
7 more elements
An integrated system adapted to form a barrier layer on sidewalls and a bottom of a via that extends through a dielectric layer to expose an underlying metal feature of a substrate, the integrated system comprising:
- an atomic layer deposition (ALD) chamber adapted to deposit a conformal, tantalum nitride barrier layer over the sidewalls and bottom of the via;
- a high density plasma physical vapor deposition (HDPPVD) chamber adapted to deposit a tantalum barrier layer on the sidewalls and bottom of the via;
- a transfer chamber coupled to the ALD chamber and adapted to transfer the substrate between the ALD chamber and the HDPPVD chamber under vacuum;
- and
- at least one controller coupled to the ALD chamber, the transfer chamber and the HDPPVD chamber and adapted to perform the steps of:
- (a) employing the ALD chamber to deposit a conformal tantalum nitride barrier layer on the sidewalls and bottom of the via;
- (b) transferring the substrate through the transfer chamber to a substrate support pedestal of the HDPPVD chamber;
- (c) removing at least a portion of the tantalum nitride barrier layer deposited on the bottom of the via by:
- maintaining a noble-gas containing sub-atmospheric environment of less than about 100 millitorr within the HDPPVD chamber;
- generating a plasma having an ion density of at least 1010 ions/cm3 within the HDPPVD chamber;
- and
- applying power to the substrate support pedestal so as to attract at least noble-gas ions to the substrate and resputter at least a portion of the tantalum nitride barrier layer from the bottom of the via;
- and
- (d) depositing a tantalum barrier layer on the sidewalls and bottom of the via by:
- maintaining a noble-gas containing sub-atmospheric environment of less than about 100 millitorr within the HDPPVD chamber;
- generating a plasma having an ion density of at least 1010 ions/cm3 within the HDPPVD chamber;
- applying power to a tantalum target of the HDPPVD chamber so as to sputter tantalum atoms from the target;
- ionizing at least a portion of the sputtered tantalum atoms;
- and
- applying power to the substrate support pedestal so as to attract at least ionized tantalum atoms to the substrate, thereby forming a tantalum barrier layer on the bottom and sidewalls of the via.
17 more elements
An integrated system adapted to form a barrier layer on sidewalls and a bottom of a via that extends through a dielectric layer to expose an underlying metal feature of a substrate, the integrated system comprising:
- an atomic layer deposition (ALD) chamber adapted to deposit a conformal barrier layer over the sidewalls and bottom of the via;
- a sputter etch chamber adapted to sputter etch the substrate;
- a transfer chamber coupled to the ALD chamber and adapted to transfer the substrate between the ALD chamber and the sputter etch chamber under vacuum;
- and
- at least one controller coupled to the ALD chamber, the transfer chamber and the sputter etch chamber and adapted to perform the steps of:
- (a) forming a first barrier layer over the sidewalls and bottom of the via using atomic layer deposition within the ALD chamber;
- (b) transferring the substrate from the ALD chamber to the sputter etch chamber;
- (c) removing at least a portion of the first barrier layer from the bottom of the via by sputter etching the substrate within the sputter etch chamber;
- (d) transferring the substrate from the sputter etch chamber back to the ALD chamber;
- and
- (e) depositing a second barrier layer on the sidewalls and bottom of the via within the ALD chamber.
8 more elements
An integrated system adapted to form a barrier layer on sidewalls and a bottom of a via that extends through a dielectric layer to expose an underlying metal feature of a substrate, the integrated system comprising:
- an atomic layer deposition (ALD) chamber adapted to deposit a conformal, first barrier layer over the sidewalls and bottom of the via;
- a sputter etch chamber adapted to sputter etch the substrate;
- a transfer chamber coupled to the ALD chamber and adapted to transfer the substrate between the ALD chamber and the sputter etch chamber under vacuum;
- and
- at least one controller coupled to the ALD chamber, the transfer chamber and the sputter etch chamber and adapted to perform the steps of:
- (a) employing the ALD chamber to deposit a conformal first tantalum nitride barrier layer on the sidewalls and bottom of the via;
- (b) transferring the substrate through the transfer chamber to the sputter etch chamber;
- (c) removing at least a portion of the first tantalum nitride barrier layer on the bottom of the via within the sputter etch chamber;
- (d) transferring the substrate through the transfer chamber to the ALD chamber;
- and
- (e) depositing a second conformal tantalum nitride barrier layer on the sidewalls and bottom of the via within the ALD chamber, the second tantalum nitride barrier layer being thinner than the first tantalum nitride barrier layer.
8 more elements
An integrated system adapted to form a barrier layer on sidewalls and a bottom of a via that extends through a dielectric layer to expose an underlying metal feature of a substrate, the integrated system comprising:
- a first atomic layer deposition (ALD) chamber adapted to deposit a conformal barrier layer over sidewalls and a bottom of a via of a first substrate;
- a first high density plasma physical vapor deposition (HDPPVD) chamber adapted to deposit a seed layer on the sidewalls and bottom of the via of the first substrate;
- a second ALD chamber adapted to deposit a conformal barrier layer over sidewalls and a bottom of a via of a second substrate;
- a second HDPPVD chamber adapted to deposit a seed layer on the sidewalls and bottom of the via of the second substrate;
- a transfer chamber coupled to the first ALD chamber, the first HDPPVD chamber, the second ALD chamber and the second HDPPVD chamber and having a robot adapted to transfer the first substrate between the first ALD chamber and the first HDPPVD chamber and to transfer the second substrate between the second ALD chamber and the second HDPPVD chamber;
- and
- at least one controller coupled to the first and second ALD chambers, the first and second HDPPVD chambers and to the robot of the transfer chamber and adapted to perform the steps of:
- (a) employing the first ALD chamber to deposit a conformal Ta-containing barrier layer on the sidewalls and bottom of the via of the first substrate, the barrier layer having sufficient thickness to serve as a diffusion barrier to copper atoms;
- (b) transferring the first substrate through the transfer chamber to a substrate support pedestal of the first HDPPVD chamber;
- (c) removing at least a portion of the barrier layer deposited on the bottom of the via of the first substrate by:
- maintaining a noble-gas containing sub-atmospheric environment of less than about 100 millitorr within the first HDPPVD chamber;
- generating a plasma having an ion density of at least 1010 ions/cm3 within the first HDPPVD chamber;
- and
- applying power to the substrate support pedestal of the first HDPPVD chamber so as to attract at least noble-gas ions to the first substrate and resputter at least a portion of the barrier layer from the bottom of the via of the first substrate;
- (d) depositing a copper seed layer on the sidewalls and bottom of the via of the first substrate by:
- maintaining a noble-gas containing sub-atmospheric environment of less than about 100 millitorr within the first HDPPVD chamber;
- generating a plasma having an ion density of at least 1010 ions/cm3 within the first HDPPVD chamber;
- applying power to a copper target of the first HDPPVD chamber so as to sputter copper atoms from the target;
- ionizing at least a portion of the sputtered copper atoms;
- and
- applying power to the substrate support pedestal of the first HDPPVD chamber so as to attract at least ionized copper atoms to the first substrate, thereby forming a copper seed layer on the bottom and sidewalls of the via of the first substrate;
- (e) employing the second ALD chamber to deposit a conformal Ta-containing barrier layer on the sidewalls and bottom of the via of the second substrate, the barrier layer having sufficient thickness to serve as a diffusion barrier to copper atoms;
- (f) transferring the second substrate through the transfer chamber to a substrate support pedestal of the second HDPPVD chamber;
- (g) removing at least a portion of the barrier layer deposited on the bottom of the via of the second substrate by:
- maintaining a noble-gas containing sub-atmospheric environment of less than about 100 millitorr within the second HDPPVD chamber;
- generating a plasma having an ion density of at least 1010 ions/cm3 within the second HDPPVD chamber;
- and
- applying power to the substrate support pedestal of the second HDPPVD chamber so as to attract at least noble-gas ions to the second substrate and resputter at least a portion of the barrier layer from the bottom of the via of the second substrate;
- and
- (h) depositing a copper seed layer on the sidewalls and bottom of the via of the second substrate by:
- maintaining a noble-gas containing sub-atmospheric environment of less than about 100 millitorr within the second HDPPVD chamber;
- generating a plasma having an ion density of at least 1010 ions/cm3 within the second HDPPVD chamber;
- applying power to a copper target of the second HDPPVD chamber so as to sputter copper atoms from the target;
- ionizing at least a portion of the sputtered copper atoms;
- and
- applying power to the substrate support pedestal of the second HDPPVD chamber so as to attract at least ionized copper atoms to the second substrate, thereby forming a copper seed layer on the bottom and sidewalls of the via of the second substrate.
33 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.