Semiconductor device manufacturing: process – Coating with electrically or thermally conductive material – To form ohmic contact to semiconductive material
Reexamination Certificate
2003-03-13
2004-12-14
Coleman, W. David (Department: 2823)
Semiconductor device manufacturing: process
Coating with electrically or thermally conductive material
To form ohmic contact to semiconductive material
C438S628000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06831004
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to the formation of boride barrier layers and, more particularly to boride barrier layers formed using chemisorption techniques.
2. Description of the Related Art
In the manufacture of integrated circuits, barrier layers are often used to inhibit the diffusion of metals and other impurities into regions underlying such barrier layers. These underlying regions may include transistor gates, capacitor dielectric, semiconductor substrates, metal lines, as well as many other structures that appear in integrated circuits.
For the current subhalf-micron (0.5 &mgr;m) generation of semiconductor devices, any microscopic reaction at an interface between interconnection layers can cause degradation of the resulting integrated circuits (e. g., increase the resistivity of the interconnection layers). Consequently, barrier layers have become a critical component for improving the reliability of interconnect metallization schemes.
Compounds of refractory metals such as, for example, nitrides, borides, and carbides have been suggested as diffusion barriers because of their chemical inertness and low resistivities (e. g., resistivities typically less than about 200 &mgr;&OHgr;-cm). In particular, borides such as, for example, titanium diboride (TiB
2
) have been suggested for use as a barrier material since layers formed thereof generally have low resistivities (e. g., resistivities less than about 150 &mgr;&OHgr;-cm).
Boride barrier layers are typically formed using chemical vapor deposition (CVD) techniques. For example, titanium tetrachloride (TiCl
4
) may be reacted with diborane (B
2
H
6
) to form titanium diboride (TiB
2
) using CVD. However, when Cl-based chemistries are used to form boride barrier layers, reliability problems can occur. In particular, boride layers formed using CVD chlorine-based chemistries typically have a high chlorine (Cl) content (e. g., chlorine content greater than about 3%). A high chlorine content is undesirable because the chlorine may migrate from the boride barrier layer into adjacent interconnection layers, which can increase the contact resistance of such interconnection layers and potentially change the characteristics of integrated circuits made therefrom.
Therefore, a need exists in the art for reliable boride barrier layers for integrated circuit fabrication. Particularly desirable would be reliable boride barrier layers useful for interconnect structures.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
Boride barrier layers for integrated circuit fabrication are provided. In one embodiment, the boride barrier layer comprises one refractory metal. The boride barrier layer may be formed by sequentially chemisorbing alternating monolayers of a boron compound and a refractory metal compound onto a substrate.
In an alternate embodiment, a composite boride barrier layer is formed. The composite boride barrier layer comprises two or more refractory metals. The composite boride barrier layer may be formed by sequentially chemisorbing monolayers of a boron compound and two or more refractory metal compounds onto a substrate.
The boride barrier layer is compatible with integrated circuit fabrication processes. In one integrated circuit fabrication process, the boride barrier layer comprises one refractory metal. The boride barrier layer is formed by sequentially chemisorbing alternating monolayers of a boron compound and one refractory metal compound on a substrate. Thereafter, one or more metal layers are deposited on the boride barrier layer to form an interconnect structure.
In another integrated circuit fabrication process, the boride barrier layer has a composite structure. The composite boride barrier layer comprises two or more refractory metals. The composite boride barrier layer is formed by sequentially chemisorbing monolayers of a boron compound and two or more refractory metal compounds on a substrate. Thereafter, one or more metal layers are deposited on the composite boride barrier layer to form an interconnect structure.
REFERENCES:
patent: 4389973 (1983-06-01), Suntola et al.
patent: 4413022 (1983-11-01), Suntola et al.
patent: 4486487 (1984-12-01), Skarp
patent: 5290609 (1994-03-01), Horiike et al.
patent: 5306666 (1994-04-01), Izumi
patent: 5374570 (1994-12-01), Nasu et al.
patent: 5526244 (1996-06-01), Bishop
patent: 5711811 (1998-01-01), Suntola et al.
patent: 5804488 (1998-09-01), Shih et al.
patent: 5916365 (1999-06-01), Sherman
patent: 5923056 (1999-07-01), Lee et al.
patent: 6013553 (2000-01-01), Wallace et al.
patent: 6015590 (2000-01-01), Suntola et al.
patent: 6015917 (2000-01-01), Bhandari et al.
patent: 6020243 (2000-02-01), Wallace et al.
patent: 6042652 (2000-03-01), Hynn et al.
patent: 6084302 (2000-07-01), Sandhu
patent: 6124158 (2000-09-01), Dautartas et al.
patent: 6139700 (2000-10-01), Kang et al.
patent: 6144060 (2000-11-01), Park et al.
patent: 6174809 (2001-01-01), Kang et al.
patent: 6197683 (2001-03-01), Kang et al.
patent: 6200893 (2001-03-01), Sneh
patent: 6203613 (2001-03-01), Gates et al.
patent: 6207302 (2001-03-01), Sugiura et al.
patent: 6207487 (2001-03-01), Kim et al.
patent: 6218298 (2001-04-01), Hoinkis
patent: 6238734 (2001-05-01), Senzaki et al.
patent: 6270572 (2001-08-01), Kim et al.
patent: 6284646 (2001-09-01), Leem
patent: 6287965 (2001-09-01), Kang et al.
patent: 6291283 (2001-09-01), Wilk
patent: 6297539 (2001-10-01), Ma et al.
patent: 6299294 (2001-10-01), Regan
patent: 6305314 (2001-10-01), Sneh et al.
patent: 6333260 (2001-12-01), Kwon et al.
patent: 6335280 (2002-01-01), van der Jeugd
patent: 6342277 (2002-01-01), Sherman
patent: 6348376 (2002-02-01), Lim et al.
patent: 6348386 (2002-02-01), Gilmer
patent: 6355561 (2002-03-01), Sandhu et al.
patent: 6358829 (2002-03-01), Yoon et al.
patent: 6368954 (2002-04-01), Lopatin et al.
patent: 6369430 (2002-04-01), Adetutu et al.
patent: 6372598 (2002-04-01), Kang et al.
patent: 6379748 (2002-04-01), Bhandari et al.
patent: 6391785 (2002-05-01), Satta et al.
patent: 6391803 (2002-05-01), Kim et al.
patent: 6395650 (2002-05-01), Callegari et al.
patent: 6399491 (2002-06-01), Jeon et al.
patent: 6416577 (2002-07-01), Suntoloa et al.
patent: 6420189 (2002-07-01), Lopatin
patent: 6420279 (2002-07-01), Ono et al.
patent: 6423619 (2002-07-01), Grant et al.
patent: 6447933 (2002-09-01), Wang et al.
patent: 6451119 (2002-09-01), Sneh et al.
patent: 6451695 (2002-09-01), Sneh
patent: 6452229 (2002-09-01), Krivokapic
patent: 6458701 (2002-10-01), Chae et al.
patent: 6468924 (2002-10-01), Lee et al.
patent: 6475276 (2002-11-01), Elers et al.
patent: 6475910 (2002-11-01), Sneh
patent: 6478872 (2002-11-01), Chae et al.
patent: 6482262 (2002-11-01), Elers et al.
patent: 6482733 (2002-11-01), Raaijmakers et al.
patent: 6482740 (2002-11-01), Soininen et al.
patent: 6511539 (2003-01-01), Raaijmakers
patent: 6534395 (2003-03-01), Werkhoven et al.
patent: 6548424 (2003-04-01), Putkonen
patent: 6551929 (2003-04-01), Kori et al.
patent: 6569501 (2003-05-01), Chiang et al.
patent: 6585823 (2003-07-01), Van Wijck
patent: 6599572 (2003-07-01), Saanila et al.
patent: 6607976 (2003-08-01), Chen et al.
patent: 6620723 (2003-09-01), Byun et al.
patent: 6630201 (2003-10-01), Chiang et al.
patent: 6632279 (2003-10-01), Ritala et al.
patent: 6660126 (2003-12-01), Nguyen et al.
patent: 6686271 (2004-02-01), Raaijmakers et al.
patent: 2001/0000866 (2001-05-01), Sneh et al.
patent: 2001/0002280 (2001-05-01), Sneh
patent: 2001/0009140 (2001-07-01), Bondestam et al.
patent: 2001/0009695 (2001-07-01), Saanila et al.
patent: 2001/0021589 (2001-09-01), Wilk
patent: 2001/0024387 (2001-09-01), Raaijmakers et al.
patent: 2001/0025979 (2001-10-01), Kim et al.
patent: 2001/0028924 (2001-10-01), Sherman
patent: 2001/0029094 (2001-10-01), Mee-Young et al.
patent: 2001/0029891 (2001-10-01), Oh et al.
patent: 2001/0034123 (2001-10-01), Jeon et al.
patent: 2001/0041250 (2001-11-01), Werkhoven et al.
patent: 2001/0050039 (2001-12-01), Park
patent: 2001/0054730 (2001-12-01), Kim et al.
patent: 2001/0054769 (2001-12-01), Raaijmakers et al.
pat
Byun Jeong Soo
Mak Alfred
Applied Materials Inc.
Moser Patterson & Sheridan
LandOfFree
Formation of boride barrier layers using chemisorption... does not yet have a rating. At this time, there are no reviews or comments for this patent.
If you have personal experience with Formation of boride barrier layers using chemisorption..., we encourage you to share that experience with our LandOfFree.com community. Your opinion is very important and Formation of boride barrier layers using chemisorption... will most certainly appreciate the feedback.
Profile ID: LFUS-PAI-O-3271858