# US 7,745,937 B2 · Semiconductor device and method of manufacturing the same

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- Number: US 7,745,937 B2
- Document ID: US7745937B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 11/355,003
- Filed: 2006-02-16
- Published: 2006-08-24
- Granted: 2010-06-29
- Earliest claimed: 2005-02-24
- Assignees: NEC Electronics Corporation
- Inventors: Tatsuya Usami; Koichi Ohto; Toshiyuki Takewaki
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US7745937B2

## CPC

- H10W 20/055: {by formation methods other than physical vapour deposition [PVD], chemical vapour deposition [CVD] or liquid deposition}
- H10W 20/037: {the barrier, adhesion or liner layers being on top of a main fill metal}
- H10W 20/064: {by modifying the conductivity of conductive parts, e.g. by alloying}
- H10W 20/074: {of dielectric parts comprising thin functional dielectric layers, e.g. dielectric etch-stop, barrier, capping or liner layers}
- H10W 20/096: {by contacting with gases, liquids or plasmas}
- H10P 14/6336: {in the presence of a plasma [PECVD]}
- H10P 14/6524: {the substance being nitrogen}
- H10P 14/665: {Porous materials}
- H10P 14/69433: {the material being a silicon nitride not containing oxygen, e.g. SixNy or SixByNz}
- H10W: GENERIC PACKAGES, INTERCONNECTIONS, CONNECTORS OR OTHER CONSTRUCTIONAL DETAILS OF DEVICES COVERED BY CLASS H10
- H10P: GENERIC PROCESSES OR APPARATUS FOR THE MANUFACTURE OR TREATMENT OF DEVICES COVERED BY CLASS H10

## Abstract

A first gas including a silicon-containing compound is introduced into a vacuum chamber, to expose a semiconductor substrate placed in the chamber to the first gas atmosphere (silicon processing step). Then the pressure inside the vacuum chamber is reduced to a level lower than the pressure at the time of starting the silicon processing step (depressurizing step). Thereafter, a second gas including a nitrogen-containing compound is introduced into the vacuum chamber, and the semiconductor substrate is irradiated with the second gas plasma (nitrogen plasma step).

## Claims

### Claim 1

A semiconductor device comprising:
a semiconductor substrate;
an insulating layer provided on said semiconductor substrate;
a conductive layer composed essentially of a copper-containing metal, filled in a recessed portion provided in said insulating layer;
an alloy layer containing copper and silicon, formed in a surface layer of said conductive layer; and
a nitride layer formed by nitriding said insulating layer, in a uniform thickness in a surface layer of said insulating layer, wherein nitrogen is unevenly distributed in the nitride layer.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The semiconductor device according to claim 1,
wherein said insulating layer is a porous film.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The semiconductor device according to claim 1, wherein the insulating layer comprises at least one bilayer formed from an etch stop layer over a porous film.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The semiconductor device according to claim 1, wherein the insulating layer comprises:
a first porous film on the substrate;
a first etch stop layer on the first porous film;
a second porous film on the first etch stop layer; and
a second etch stop layer on the second porous film.

### Claim 5 (depends on 4)

The semiconductor device according to claim 4, wherein the recessed portion contacts the first porous film, the first etch stop layer, the second porous film and the second etch stop layer.

### Claim 6 (depends on 4)

The semiconductor device according to claim 4, wherein the conductive layer contacts the first porous film, the first etch stop layer and the second porous film.

### Claim 7 (depends on 4)

The semiconductor device according to claim 4, wherein the alloy layer contacts the nitride layer, the second etch stop layer and the second porous film.

### Claim 8 (depends on 4)

The semiconductor device according to claim 4, wherein the conductive layer contacts the first porous film, the first etch stop layer, the second porous film and the second etch stop layer.

### Claim 9 (depends on 4)

The semiconductor device according to claim 4, wherein the alloy layer contacts the nitride layer and the second etch stop layer.

### Claim 10

A semiconductor device comprising:
a semiconductor substrate;
an insulating layer provided on said semiconductor substrate, the insulating layer being formed from:
a first porous film on the substrate,
a first etch stop layer on the first porous film, a second porous film on the first etch stop layer, and
a second etch stop layer on the second porous film;
a conductive layer composed essentially of a copper-containing metal, filled in a recessed portion provided in said insulating layer;
an alloy layer containing copper and silicon, formed in a surface layer of said conductive layer; and
a nitride layer formed by nitriding said insulating layer, in a uniform thickness in a surface layer of said insulating layer, wherein nitrogen is unevenly distributed in the nitride layer

### Claim 11 (depends on 10)

The semiconductor device according to claim 10, wherein the recessed portion contacts the first porous film, the first etch stop layer, the second porous film and the second etch stop layer.

### Claim 12 (depends on 10)

The semiconductor device according to claim 10, wherein the conductive layer contacts the first porous film, the first etch stop layer and the second porous film.

### Claim 13 (depends on 10)

The semiconductor device according to claim 10, wherein the alloy layer contacts the nitride layer, the second etch stop layer and the second porous film.

### Claim 14 (depends on 10)

The semiconductor device according to claim 10, wherein the conductive layer contacts the first porous film, the first etch stop layer, the second porous film and the second etch stop layer.

### Claim 15 (depends on 10)

The semiconductor device according to claim 10, wherein the alloy layer contacts the nitride layer and the second etch stop layer.