Semiconductor device manufacturing: process – Coating with electrically or thermally conductive material – To form ohmic contact to semiconductive material
Reexamination Certificate
2001-09-26
2003-04-01
Tsai, Jey (Department: 2812)
Semiconductor device manufacturing: process
Coating with electrically or thermally conductive material
To form ohmic contact to semiconductive material
C438S653000, C438S656000, C438S687000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06541374
ABSTRACT:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention pertains to methods for forming diffusion barrier layers in the context of integrated circuit fabrication. Methods of the invention allow selective deposition of a metal-nitride barrier layer material on a partially fabricated integrated circuit having exposed conductor and dielectric regions and conversion of the metal-nitride barrier material into an effective diffusion barrier layer having low via resistance. The invention also pertains to novel integrated circuit structures resulting from application of the described methods.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Integrated circuit (IC) manufacturers have traditionally used aluminum and aluminum alloys, among other metals, as the conductive metal for integrated circuits. While copper has a greater conductivity than aluminum, it has not been used because of certain challenges it presents, including the fact that it readily diffuses into silicon oxide and degrades insulating electrical properties even at very low concentrations. Recently, however, IC manufacturers have been turning to copper because of its high conductivity and electromigration resistance, among other desirable properties. Most notable among the IC metalization processes that use copper is Damascene processing. Damascene processing is often a preferred method because it requires fewer processing steps than other methods and offers a higher yield. It is also particularly well-suited to metals such as Cu that cannot readily be patterned by plasma etching.
Damascene processing is a method for forming metal lines on integrated circuits. It involves formation of inlaid metal lines in trenches and vias formed in a dielectric layer (inter-metal dielectric). Damascene processing is often a preferred method because it requires fewer processing steps than other methods and offers a higher yield. It is also particularly well-suited to metals such as Cu that cannot readily be patterned by plasma etching. In order to frame the context of this invention, a brief description of a copper dual Damascene process for forming a partially fabricated integrated circuit is described below.
Presented in
FIGS. 1A-1G
, is a cross sectional depiction of a dual Damascene fabrication process. Referring to
FIG. 1A
, an example of a typical substrate,
100
, used for dual damascene fabrication is illustrated. Substrate
100
includes a pre-formed dielectric layer
103
(such as silicon dioxide or organic-containing low-k materials) with etched line paths (trenches and vias) in which; a diffusion barrier layer
105
has been deposited followed by inlaying with copper conductive routes
107
. Because copper or other mobile conductive material provides the conductive paths of the semiconductor wafer, the underlying silicon devices must be protected from metal ions (e.g., copper) that might otherwise diffuse into the silicon. Suitable materials for diffusion barrier layer
105
include tantalum, tantalum nitride, tungsten, titanium, titanium tungsten, titanium nitride, and the like. In a typical process, barrier layer
105
is formed by a physical vapor deposition (PVD) process such as sputtering or a chemical vapor deposition (CVD) process. Typical metals for the conductive routes are aluminum and copper. More frequently, copper serves as the metal in damascene processes, as depicted in these figures. The resultant partially fabricated integrated circuit
100
is a representative substrate for subsequent Damascene processing, as depicted in
FIGS. 1B-1G
.
As depicted in
FIG. 1B
, a silicon nitride or silicon carbide diffusion barrier
109
is deposited to encapsulate conductive routes
107
. Next, a first dielectric layer,
111
, of a dual damascene dielectric structure is deposited on diffusion barrier
109
. This is followed by deposition of an etch-stop layer
113
(typically composed of silicon nitride or silicon carbide) on the first dielectric layer
111
.
The process follows, as depicted in
FIG. 1C
, where a second dielectric layer
115
of the dual damascene dielectric structure is deposited in a similar manner to the first dielectric layer
111
, onto etch-stop layer
113
. Deposition of an antireflective layer
117
, typically a silicon oxynitride, follows.
The dual Damascene process continues, as depicted in
FIGS. 1D-1E
, with etching of vias and trenches in the first and second dielectric layers. First, vias
119
are etched through antireflective layer
117
and the second dielectric layer
115
. Standard lithography techniques are used to etch a pattern of these vias. The etching of vias
119
is controlled such that etch-stop layer
113
is not penetrated. As depicted in
FIG. 1E
, in a subsequent lithiography process, antireflective layer
117
is removed and trenches
121
are etched in the second dielectric layer
115
; vias
119
are propagated through etch-stop layer
113
, first dielectric layer
111
, and diffusion barrier
109
.
Next, as depicted in
FIG. 1F
, these newly formed vias and trenches are, as described above, coated with a conformal diffusion barrier
123
. As mentioned above, barrier
123
comprises tantalum, titanium, or other materials that effectively block diffusion of copper atoms into the dielectric layers.
After diffusion barrier
123
is deposited, a seed layer of copper is applied (typically a PVD process) to enable subsequent electrofilling of the features with copper inlay.
FIG. 1G
shows the completed dual Damascene process, wherein copper conductive routes
125
are inlaid (seed layer not depicted) into the via and trench features over barrier layer
123
.
Copper routes
125
and
107
are now in electrical contact and form conductive pathways, as they are separated by only by diffusion barrier
123
which is itself somewhat conductive. Although conformal barrier layers are sufficiently conductive for conventional circuitry, with the continuing need for faster (signal propagation speed) and more reliable microchip circuitry, the resistance of conformal barrier layers comprised of the materials mentioned above is problematic. To reduce resistance between the copper routes, a portion of the barrier layer may be etched away in order to expose the lower copper plug. In this way, the subsequent copper inlay can be deposited directly onto the lower copper plug. Conventional methods for etching away barrier layers only at the bottom of vias (for example, the region of barrier layer
123
contacting copper inlay
107
in
FIG. 1F
) are problematic in that their not selective enough. That is, conventional etch methods remove barrier material from undesired areas as well, such as the corners (edges) of the via, trench, and, field regions. This can destroy critical dimensions of the via and trench features (faceting of the corners) and unnecessarily exposes the dielectric to plasma.
In addition, conventional etching methods do not address unlanded contact regions. As illustrated in
FIG. 1F
, a portion of barrier layer
123
located at via bottom
127
does not fully contact copper inlay
107
. In this case, a portion of the barrier rests on copper inlay
107
and a portion rests on dielectric
103
. A conventional barrier layer etch, meant to expose copper inlay
107
, would expose both copper inlay
107
and dielectric
103
in region
127
. In that case, more process steps would be needed to repair or replace barrier layer on the newly-exposed region of dielectric
103
, before any subsequent copper could be deposited thereon. Using conventional unselective “blanket” conformal deposition methods to reprotect the dielectric, one would create the same problem that existed before the etch, that is, higher resistance between copper routes due to the barrier layer itself.
What is therefore needed is a way to selectively form barrier layers on integrated circuit structures, such that barrier layer material deposited on exposed dielectric surfaces is conformal and continuous, while barrier material deposited on exposed conductor surfaces is discontinuous. In this way, the resistance between inlayed metal conductive r
Danek Michal
de Felipe Tarek Suwwan
Klawuhn Erich
Powell Ronald A.
Beyer Weaver & Thomas LLP
Novellus Systems Inc.
Tsai Jey
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