Active solid-state devices (e.g. – transistors – solid-state diode – Responsive to non-electrical signal – Electromagnetic or particle radiation
Reexamination Certificate
2001-02-20
2002-11-19
Cuneo, Kamand (Department: 2827)
Active solid-state devices (e.g., transistors, solid-state diode
Responsive to non-electrical signal
Electromagnetic or particle radiation
C257S774000, C257S758000, C257S759000, C257S764000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06483162
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to a semiconductor device and, more particularly, to a semiconductor device having improved metal line structure and a manufacturing method therefor.
2. Description of the Related Art
As semiconductor devices, particularly logic devices, have become more highly integrated and operate at higher speeds, the design rule has decreased to 0.25 microns or less. Accordingly, the width of metal lines and the spacing or interval between metal lines on the semiconductor devices have become narrower. However, with a decrease in the width of the metal line, the resistance of the metal line increases, and with a reduction in the spacing or interval between metal lines, the parasitic capacitance between the metal lines increases. Such an increase in resistance or parasitic capacitance can significantly reduce the speed of a semiconductor device, especially in a logic device.
In order to suppress an increase in capacitance between the metal lines, a dielectric material having a low dielectric constant k is required to be used as an interlayered dielectric material or an intermetallic dielectric material. There are two basic types of dielectric materials having a low dielectric constant k: an organic material and an inorganic material. Silicon oxyfluoride (SiOF) is an example of an inorganic material that exhibits a low dielectric constant. This material may be formed by a high density plasma process or other processes.
FIGS. 1 and 2
are cross-sectional views for illustrating the problems and shortcomings of a conventional metal line structure.
Referring to
FIG. 1
, when a SiOF film is used as a dielectric film
40
covering an anti-reflection layer
35
and a metal film pattern
31
formed on a dielectric layer
20
and a semiconductor substrate
10
, the metal film pattern
31
is subject to attack by a harmful or reactive material, such as fluorine, contained in the dielectric film
40
, resulting in the generation of a damage film
37
. More specifically, a harmful material or reactive material, such as fluorine, diffuses to the metal film pattern
31
and reacts with metal elements in the metal film pattern
31
to form the damage film
37
. As a product of such a reaction, the damage film
37
is formed of a metal fluoride, a highly resistive material. The formation of the damage film
37
may therefore cause an increase in the resistance of the metal film pattern
31
, thereby degrading the reliability of the metal line and causing a failure of the semiconductor device.
Meanwhile, damage to the metal film pattern
31
as described above may also occur in a metal line fabrication process including a process for forming a via contact plug, etc. Referring to
FIG. 2
, when an upper metal film
55
to be connected to a lower metal film pattern
31
is formed, the lower metal film pattern
31
may be damaged by a source gas which is used to form the upper metal film
55
or by a reactive material produced by the source gas, thereby producing a damage film
39
on the lower metal film pattern
31
.
For example, when the upper metal film
55
is a tungsten film, the tungsten film is formed from a reactive gas including source gases such as tungsten hexafluoride (WF
6
). A contact hole exposing the lower metal film pattern
31
is formed by selectively etching the first and second dielectric films
40
and
45
. Since semiconductor devices are highly integrated, it is difficult to accurately align the contact holes with respect to the lower metal film pattern
31
when the contact holes are formed. In particular, when via contact holes are formed in a logic device, misalignment may occur due to a very small edge portion. Accordingly, a sidewall surface of the lower metal film pattern
31
is generally exposed together with the upper surface of the lower metal film pattern
31
.
The upper portion of the lower metal film pattern
31
and the bottom surface of the contact hole form a recess (A) because of the misalignment. Because the recess (A) has a significant high aspect ratio, the step coverage of a glue layer
51
is weakened. This degradation in the step coverage may generate a step coverage failure so that the sidewall surface of the lower metal film pattern
31
may be exposed.
The exposed sidewall surface of the lower metal film pattern
31
contacts a source gas such as a tungsten hexafluoride gas introduced when the upper metal film
55
is formed, or a reactive material such as fluorine produced by the source gas. The reactive material, e.g., fluorine, is diffused into the lower metal film pattern
31
, and reacts with the metal of the lower metal film pattern
31
, thus forming a highly resistive material
39
such as a metal fluoride. Therefore, a resistance failure may occur in which the resistance of the lower metal film increases or the contact resistance between the upper metal film
55
and the lower metal film pattern
31
increases, resulting in a failure of the semiconductor device.
The present invention is directed to overcoming or at least reducing the effects of one or more of the problems set forth above.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
In accordance with one aspect of the present invention, there is provided a semiconductor device comprising a first dielectric layer formed on a semiconductor substrate, a metal film pattern formed on the first dielectric layer, an interface protection layer formed on the metal film pattern, and a second dielectric layer formed on the interface protection layer. The interface protection layer may be formed of aluminum oxide, silicon nitride or silicon oxynitride and prevents any reactive material in the second dielectric layer from diffusing to and attacking or reacting with the metal film pattern, especially when the reactive material is fluorine as may be the case when the second dielectric layer is formed of silicon oxyfluoride (SiOF).
In accordance with another aspect of the present invention, there is provided a semiconductor device comprising a first dielectric layer formed on a semiconductor substrate, a first metal film pattern formed on the first dielectric layer, an interface protection layer formed on the first metal film pattern, a second dielectric layer formed on the interface protection layer, a contact hole extending through the second dielectric layer and the interface protection layer to the first metal film pattern, a protection spacer covering the side walls of the contact hole, an adhesion layer formed on the second dielectric layer and along the side walls and bottom walls of the contact hole, and a second metal layer formed on the adhesion layer and extending into the contact hole.
The second dielectric layer is a dielectric layer, e.g., a silicon oxyfluoride layer, containing a reactive material, such as fluorine. The adhesion layer is formed on the exposed first metal film pattern and may be a double layer formed by stacking a titanium layer and a titanium nitride layer.
The interface protection layer may be formed of aluminum oxide, silicon nitride or silicon oxynitride and prevents any reactive material in the second dielectric layer from diffusing to and attacking or reacting with the metal film pattern, especially when the reactive material is fluorine as may be the case when the second dielectric layer is formed of silicon oxyfluoride (SiOF). It is preferable that the interface protection layer be formed of aluminum oxide.
In accordance with yet another aspect of the present invention, there is provided a method of manufacturing a metal line structure for semiconductor devices, by which the resistance of a metal film pattern can be prevented from increasing by protecting the metal film pattern from damage due to harmful or reactive material contained in a dielectric film.
In accordance with still another aspect of the present invention, there is provided a method of manufacturing a metal line structure for semiconductor devices, by which the contact resistance between a lower metal film pattern and an upper metal film c
Kim Sung-jin
Kwon Dong-chul
Shin Hong-jae
Wee Young-jin
Cruz Lourdes
Cuneo Kamand
Lee & Sterba, P.C.
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