Sequential sputter and reactive precleans of vias and contacts
    1.
    发明授权
    Sequential sputter and reactive precleans of vias and contacts 有权
    连续溅射和通孔和触点的反应预处理

    公开(公告)号:US07014887B1

    公开(公告)日:2006-03-21

    申请号:US09388989

    申请日:1999-09-02

    摘要: The present invention generally provides a method for improving fill and electrical performance of metals deposited on patterned dielectric layers. Apertures such as vias and trenches in the patterned dielectric layer are etched to enhance filling and then cleaned in the same chamber to reduce metal oxides within the aperture. The invention also provides cleaning the patterned dielectric layer in a processing chamber with a first plasma consisting essentially of argon, wherein the first plasma is generated by supplying power to a coil surrounding the processing chamber and supplying bias to a substrate support member supporting the substrate, cleaning the patterned dielectric layer in the processing chamber with a second plasma consisting essentially of hydrogen and helium, wherein the second plasma is generated by increasing the supply of power to the coil surrounding the processing chamber and reducing the supply of bias to the substrate support member supporting the substrate, depositing a barrier layer on the patterned dielectric layer after exposing the dielectric layer to the first plasma and the second plasma, and depositing a metal on the barrier layer. Furthermore, the sequential plasma treatments can be practiced in a variety of plasma processing chambers of an integrated process sequence, including pre-clean chambers, physical vapor deposition chambers, etch chambers, and other plasma processing chambers.

    摘要翻译: 本发明通常提供了一种改善沉积在图案化电介质层上的金属的填充和电性能的方法。 蚀刻图案化电介质层中诸如过孔和沟槽的孔,以增强填充,然后在相同的室中进行清洗以减少孔内的金属氧化物。 本发明还提供了在具有基本上由氩组成的第一等离子体的处理室中清洁图案化的介电层,其中通过向围绕处理室的线圈供电并且向支撑衬底的衬底支撑构件提供偏压来产生第一等离子体, 用基本上由氢和氦组成的第二等离子体清洁处理室中的图案化电介质层,其中通过增加对处理室周围的线圈的功率供给并减少对衬底支撑构件的偏压供应来产生第二等离子体 支撑衬底,在将介电层暴露于第一等离子体和第二等离子体之后,在图案化的介电层上沉积阻挡层,以及在阻挡层上沉积金属。 此外,顺序等离子体处理可以在包括预清洁室,物理气相沉积室,蚀刻室和其它等离子体处理室的综合工艺顺序的各种等离子体处理室中实施。

    Reactive plasma etch cleaning of high aspect ratio openings
    2.
    发明授权
    Reactive plasma etch cleaning of high aspect ratio openings 有权
    反应性等离子体蚀刻清洗高纵横比开口

    公开(公告)号:US6110836A

    公开(公告)日:2000-08-29

    申请号:US298065

    申请日:1999-04-22

    摘要: Native oxides can be removed from a substrate having high aspect ratio openings therein by using a plasma gas precursor mixture of a reactive halogen-containing gas and a carrier gas such as helium. The lightweight ions generated in the plasma react with oxygen to produce very volatile oxygen-containing species that can be readily removed through the exhaust system of the plasma chamber, preventing re-deposition of oxides on the surface of the substrate or on the sidewalls or bottom of the openings. When the substrate is mounted in a plasma chamber having dual power sources that can form a plasma above the substrate and can apply bias to the substrate, tapered openings are formed rapidly that can be readily filled without forming voids.

    摘要翻译: 可以通过使用反应性含卤素气体和诸如氦的载气的等离子体气体前体混合物,从具有高纵横比孔的基底中除去天然氧化物。 在等离子体中产生的轻质离子与氧反应产生非常易挥发的含氧物质,其可以通过等离子体室的排气系统容易地除去,从而防止氧化物在基材表面或侧壁或底部再沉积 的开口。 当基板安装在具有双电源的等离子体室中时,其可以在基板上形成等离子体并且可以向基板施加偏压,所以快速形成锥形开口,其可容易地填充而不形成空隙。

    Precleaning process for metal plug that minimizes damage to low-&kgr; dielectric

    公开(公告)号:US06589890B2

    公开(公告)日:2003-07-08

    申请号:US10075510

    申请日:2002-02-12

    IPC分类号: H01L21597

    摘要: The invention is a precleaning process suitable for fabricating metal plugs in a low-&kgr;, carbon-containing dielectric. More specifically, the invention is a process for cleaning a contact area of a metal conductor on a semiconductor workpiece so as to minimize damage to a low-&kgr;, carbon-containing dielectric overlying the metal. After forming contact openings in the low-&kgr; dielectric so as to expose contact areas on the underlying metal conductor, the contact areas are cleaned by exposing the workpiece to an atmosphere formed by plasma decomposition of a mixture of hydrogen-containing and helium gases. Surprisingly, our preclean process can repair damage to the dielectric caused by preceding process steps, such as oxygen plasma ashing processes for removing photoresist.

    Inductively coupled plasma reactor with top electrode for enhancing
plasma ignition
    6.
    发明授权
    Inductively coupled plasma reactor with top electrode for enhancing plasma ignition 失效
    具有顶部电极的电感耦合等离子体反应器,用于增强等离子体点火

    公开(公告)号:US5685941A

    公开(公告)日:1997-11-11

    申请号:US561144

    申请日:1995-11-21

    摘要: A plasma reactor for carrying out plasma processing of a semiconductor substrate includes a vacuum chamber including apparatus for introducing a gas into the interior thereof, an induction coil encircling a region of the vacuum chamber, the coil being connected across an RF power source, and an electrode positioned adjacent the region and connected to the RF power source for capacitively coupling RF power to the gas in the interior of the vacuum chamber. The electrode has a surface area facing the region which is large enough to provide capacitive coupling of RF power to the gas in the region sufficient to facilitate igniting a plasma, but which is small enough so that, during steady-state maintenance of the plasma, most of the RF power coupled to the plasma from the RF power source is coupled inductively rather than capacitively.

    摘要翻译: 用于进行半导体衬底的等离子体处理的等离子体反应器包括:真空室,包括用于将气体引入其内部的装置;环绕真空室的区域的感应线圈,所述线圈横跨RF电源连接, 电极位于该区域附近并连接到RF电源,用于将RF功率电容耦合到真空室内部的气体。 电极具有面对该区域的表面积,该表面积足够大以提供RF功率与该区域中的气体的电容耦合,足以促进点燃等离子体,但足够小,使得在等离子体的稳态维持期间, 耦合到来自RF电源的等离子体的大部分RF功率被电感地耦合而不是电容耦合。

    Plasma preclean with argon, helium, and hydrogen gases
    7.
    发明授权
    Plasma preclean with argon, helium, and hydrogen gases 有权
    具有氩,氦和氢气的等离子体预清洗液

    公开(公告)号:US07053002B2

    公开(公告)日:2006-05-30

    申请号:US09206027

    申请日:1998-12-04

    IPC分类号: H01L21/302

    摘要: The present invention provides a method and apparatus for precleaning a patterned substrate with a plasma comprising a mixture of argon, helium, and hydrogen. Addition of helium to the gas mixture of argon and hydrogen surprisingly increases the etch rate in comparison to argon/hydrogen mixtures. Etch rates are improved for argon concentrations below about 75% by volume. RF power is capacitively and inductively coupled to the plasma to enhance control of the etch properties. Argon, helium, and hydrogen can be provided as separate gases or as mixtures.

    摘要翻译: 本发明提供了一种用包含氩,氦和氢的混合物的等离子体预清洗图案化衬底的方法和装置。 与氩气/氢气混合物相比,向氩气和氢气的气体混合物中添加氦气令人惊奇地增加了蚀刻速率。 对于低于约75体积%的氩浓度,蚀刻速率得到改善。 RF功率是电容性地和电感耦合到等离子体以增强对蚀刻性能的控制。 氩,氦和氢可以作为单独的气体或混合物提供。

    Reduction of metal oxide in a dual frequency etch chamber
    8.
    发明授权
    Reduction of metal oxide in a dual frequency etch chamber 失效
    在双频蚀刻室中还原金属氧化物

    公开(公告)号:US06547934B2

    公开(公告)日:2003-04-15

    申请号:US09082746

    申请日:1998-05-21

    IPC分类号: C25B500

    摘要: The invention generally provides an apparatus and a method of removing metal oxides, particularly copper oxides and aluminum oxides, from a substrate surface. Primarily, the invention eliminates sputtering of copper oxide from the bottom of an interconnect feature onto the side walls of an interconnect feature, thereby preventing diffusion of the copper atom through the dielectric material and degradation of the device. The invention also eliminates sputtering of the copper oxides onto the chamber side walls that may eventually flake off and cause defects on the substrate. The method of reducing metal oxides from a substrate surface comprises placing the substrate within a plasma processing chamber, flowing a processing gas comprising hydrogen into the chamber, and maintaining a plasma of the processing gas within the chamber through inductive coupling. The method is preferably performed using a dual frequency etch chamber wherein adjustments are made in the processing gas flow, the RF powers and the exhaust pumping speeds to eliminate sputtering of the copper oxide and to maximize the reduction reaction.

    摘要翻译: 本发明通常提供从基材表面去除金属氧化物,特别是铜氧化物和氧化铝的装置和方法。 首先,本发明消除了氧化铜从互连结构的底部溅射到互连部件的侧壁上,从而防止铜原子通过电介质材料的扩散和器件的劣化。 本发明还消除了铜氧化物溅射到腔室侧壁上,这可最终剥落并引起衬底上的缺陷。 从衬底表面还原金属氧化物的方法包括将衬底放置在等离子体处理室内,使包含氢气的处理气体流入室中,以及通过电感耦合将处理气体的等离子体保持在室内。 该方法优选使用双频蚀刻室进行,其中在处理气体流中进行调节,RF功率和排气泵送速度以消除氧化铜的溅射并使还原反应最大化。

    Precleaning process for metal plug that minimizes damage to low-&kgr; dielectric
    9.
    发明授权
    Precleaning process for metal plug that minimizes damage to low-&kgr; dielectric 有权
    金属插塞的预清洗工艺可最大限度地降低对低kappa电介质的损伤

    公开(公告)号:US06346489B1

    公开(公告)日:2002-02-12

    申请号:US09388991

    申请日:1999-09-02

    IPC分类号: H01L21469

    摘要: The invention is a precleaning process suitable for fabricating metal plugs in a low-&kgr;, carbon-containing dielectric. More specifically, the invention is a process for cleaning a contact area of a metal conductor on a semiconductor workpiece so as to minimize damage to a low-&kgr;, carbon-containing dielectric overlying the metal. After forming contact openings in the low-&kgr; dielectric so as to expose contact areas on the underlying metal conductor, the contact areas are cleaned by exposing the workpiece to an atmosphere formed by plasma decomposition of a mixture of hydrogen-containing and helium gases. Surprisingly, our preclean process can repair damage to the dielectric caused by preceding process steps, such as oxygen plasma ashing processes for removing photoresist.

    摘要翻译: 本发明是适用于制造低κ,含碳电介质中的金属塞的预清洗方法。 更具体地,本发明是一种用于清洁半导体工件上的金属导体的接触面积的方法,以便使对覆盖金属的低κ,含碳电介质的损伤最小化。 在低k电介质中形成接触开口以暴露下面的金属导体上的接触区域之后,通过将工件暴露于由含氢和氦气的混合物的等离子体分解形成的气氛中来清洁接触区域。 令人惊讶的是,我们的预清洗工艺可以修复由先前的工艺步骤引起的介电损坏,例如用于除去光致抗蚀剂的氧等离子体灰化处理。

    Cleaning contact with successive fluorine and hydrogen plasmas
    10.
    发明授权
    Cleaning contact with successive fluorine and hydrogen plasmas 失效
    与连续的氟和氢等离子体清洁接触

    公开(公告)号:US06313042B1

    公开(公告)日:2001-11-06

    申请号:US09390135

    申请日:1999-09-03

    IPC分类号: H01L21302

    摘要: A method of cleaning a contact area of a semiconductor or metal region on a substrate of an electronic device. First, the contact area is cleaned by exposing the substrate to a plasma that includes fluorine-containing species. Second, the substrate is exposed to a second atmosphere that scavenges fluorine, preferably formed by plasma decomposition of a hydrogen-containing gas. The second atmosphere removes any fluorine residue remaining on the contact area and overcomes any need to include argon sputtering in the cleaning process. Another aspect of the invention is a method of depositing a refractory metal over a contact area of a semiconductor region on a substrate. The contact area is cleaned according to the two-step process of the preceding paragraph. Then a refractory metal is deposited over the contact area. The two-step cleaning process can reduce the electrical resistance between the refractory metal and the semiconductor region. Furthermore, if the substrate is annealed to interdiffuse atoms of the semiconductor material and the refractory metal, the two-step cleaning process can reduce the anneal temperature required to achieve a desired low electrical resistance.

    摘要翻译: 一种清洁电子设备的基板上的半导体或金属区域的接触区域的方法。 首先,通过将衬底暴露于包含含氟物质的等离子体来清洁接触区域。 其次,将基板暴露于清除氟的第二气氛,优选通过含氢气体的等离子体分解形成。 第二个气氛除去残留在接触区域上的任何氟残余物,并且克服了在清洗过程中包括氩气溅射的任何需要。 本发明的另一方面是在基板上的半导体区域的接触区域上沉积难熔金属的方法。 接触面积按前款两步法清洗。 然后在接触区域上沉积难熔金属。 两步清洁工艺可​​以降低难熔金属和半导体区域之间的电阻。 此外,如果衬底对半导体材料和难熔金属的相互扩散原子退火,则两步清洁工艺可​​以降低实现期望的低电阻所需的退火温度。