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US 7,745,335 B2Granted
Semiconductor device manufactured by reducing hillock formation in metal interconnects
AssigneeTexas Instruments Incorporated
InventorsJu-Ai Ruan, Changming Jin, Sopa Chevacharoenkul, Satyavolu Papa Rao, Tae Seung Kim
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A method of fabricating an interconnect structure, comprising exposing an empty deposition chamber to a process that includes generating reactive species produced from a source gas in the presence of a plasma. The method further comprises terminating the plasma and then introducing a semiconductor substrate with a metal layer thereon into the chamber while the reactive species are present in the chamber.
Claims10
A method of fabricating an integrated circuit, including the fabrication of an interconnect using a damascene process, the method comprising:
- forming a pre-metal dielectric layer over a semiconductor device formed on a substrate;
- forming a contact for electrical connection to the device through the pre-metal dielectric layer;
- forming an inter-layer dielectric layer over the pre-metal dielectric layer and the contact;
- forming an interconnect opening in the inter-level dielectric layer by etching through a patterned mask down to the contact;
- forming a metal layer over the inter-level dielectric layer and filling the interconnect opening;
- performing a planarization process to remove at least a portion of the metal layer from over the inter-level dielectric layer;
- pre-charging a reaction chamber of a plasma deposition tool without the substrate in the chamber, by generating a first reactive species from a first source gas in the presence of a first plasma at a first temperature;
- the first source gas including NH3 and the first temperature being higher than 400° C.;
- following planarization, introducing the substrate into the pre-charged chamber, with the first plasma terminated and the first reactive species still present in the chamber;
- with the substrate introduced into the pre-charged chamber, treating the substrate with a second reactive species from a second source gas in the presence of a second plasma at a second temperature;
- the second source gas including NH3 and He, the second temperature being lower than 400° C., and the second reactive species being started while the first reactive species is still present in the chamber;
- and
- with the substrate still in the chamber, depositing a layer of silicon carbon nitride over a remaining portion of the metal layer using a third source gas including silicon and carbon components.
10 more elements
A method of fabricating an integrated circuit, including the fabrication of an interconnect using a damascene process, the method comprising:
- forming a pre-metal dielectric layer over a semiconductor device formed on a substrate;
- forming a contact for electrical connection to the device through the pre-metal dielectric layer;
- forming an etch stop layer over the pre-metal dielectric layer and the contact;
- forming an inter-layer dielectric layer over the etch stop layer;
- forming and patterning a hardmask over the inter-level dielectric layer;
- forming an interconnect opening in the inter-level dielectric layer by etching through the patterned hardmask;
- forming a metal layer over the inter-level dielectric layer and filling the interconnect opening;
- performing a planarization process to remove at least a portion of the metal layer from over the inter-level dielectric layer;
- pre-charging a reaction chamber of a plasma deposition tool without the substrate in the chamber, by generating a first reactive species from a first source gas in the presence of a first plasma at a first temperature;
- the first source gas including NH3 and the first temperature being higher than 400° C.;
- following planarization, introducing the substrate into the pre-charged chamber, with the first plasma terminated and the first reactive species still present in the chamber;
- with the substrate introduced into the pre-charged chamber, treating the substrate with a second reactive species from a second source gas in the presence of a second plasma at a second temperature;
- the second source gas including NH3 and He, the second temperature being lower than 400° C., and the second reactive species being started while the first reactive species is still present in the chamber;
- and
- with the substrate still in the chamber, depositing a layer of silicon carbon nitride over a remaining portion of the metal layer using a third source gas including silicon and carbon components.
12 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.