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EP0851483A2 Expired / Lapsed EP ⏱️ 0.0 years remaining

Fully planarized dual damascene metallization using copper line interconnect and selective CVD aluminium plug

Assignee: Applied Materials Inc
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Filing: 1997-12-30
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Granted: —
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Expires: 2017-12-30
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Abstract

Abstract The present invention generally provides a metallization process for forming a highly integrated interconnect. More particularly, the present invention provides a dual damascene interconnect module that incorporates selective chemical vapor deposition aluminium (CVD Al) via fill with a metal wire, preferably copper, formed within a barrier layer. The invention provides the advantages of having copper wires with lower resistivity (greater conductivity) and greater electromigration resistance than aluminium, a barrier layer between the copper wire and the surrounding dielectric material, void-free, sub-half micron selective CVD Al via plugs, and a reduced number of process steps to achieve such integration.

Inventors

  • 👤 Liang-Yuh Chen
  • 👤 Ted Guo
  • 👤 Roderick Craig Mosely
  • 👤 Fusen Chen

Bibliographic Details

Application Number —
Jurisdiction EP
Data Source google_patents
Last Synchronized 2026-10-31 10:36
CPC Classifications
H; H10; H10W; H10W20/00; H10W20/01; H10W20/071; H10W20/081; H10W20/084; H10P; H10P14/00; H10P14/40; H10P14/42; H10P14/43; H10P14/432; H10P52/00; H10P52/40; H10P52/403; H10P95/00; H10P95/06; H10P95/062; H10W20/031; H10W20/032; H10W20/033; H10W20/056; H10W20/057; H10W20/062; H10W20/092; H10W74/00; H10W74/10; H10W74/131; H10W74/137

Claims Analysis

Total Claims: 14
Claim 1
Independent Claim 109 words
A method of forming a dual damascene interconnect in a dielectric layer having a dual damascene via and wire definition, wherein the via has a floor exposing a deposition enhancing material, the method comprising the steps of: (a) selectively chemical vapor depositing a first conductive metal on the deposition enhancing material of the via floor to form a plug in the via; (b) depositing a barrier layer over the exposed surfaces of the plug and dielectric wire definition; (c) depositing a second conductive metal over the barrier layer to fill the wire definition; and (d) planarizing the second conductive metal, barrier and dielectric layers to define a conductive wire.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim 20 words
A method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the second conductive metal is selected from copper, aluminium and mixtures thereof.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim 17 words
A method as claimed in claim 1 or claim 2, wherein the first conductive metal is aluminium.
Claim 4
Independent Claim 117 words
A method of forming a dual damascene interconnect in a dielectric layer having a dual damascene via and wire definition, wherein the via has a floor exposing a deposition enhancing material, the method comprising the steps of: (a) selectively chemical vapor depositing aluminium on the deposition enhancing material of the via floor to form a plug in the via; (b) physical vapor depositing a thin layer of aluminium over the exposed surfaces of the plug and wire definition; (c) depositing a barrier layer over the aluminium layer; (d) depositing a conductive metal over the barrier layer to fill the wire definition; and (e) planarizing the conductive metal, barrier, aluminium and dielectric layers to define a conductive wire.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim 19 words
A method as claimed in claim 4, wherein the conductive metal is selected from copper, aluminum and mixtures thereof.
Claim 6
Independent Claim 122 words
A method of forming a dual damascene interconnect module over a deposition enhancing material, the method comprising the steps of: (a) forming a dielectric layer over the deposition enhancing material; (b) etching the dielectric layer to form a dual damascene via and wire definition, wherein the via has a floor exposing a deposition enhancing material; (c) selectively chemical vapor depositing a conductive material on the deposition enhancing material of the via floor to form a plug in the via; (d) depositing a barrier layer over the exposed surfaces of the plug and wire definition; (e) physical vapor depositing copper over the barrier layer to fill the wire definition; and (f) planarizing the copper, barrier and dielectric layers to define a conductive wire.
Claim 7
Independent Claim 23 words
A method as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the step of planarizing is performed by chemical mechanical polishing.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim 13 words
A method as claimed in claim 6, wherein the conductive material is aluminium.
Claim 9
Independent Claim 128 words
A method of forming a dual damascene interconnect module, the method comprising the steps of: (a) forming a dielectric layer over a deposition enhancing material; (b) etching the dielectric layer to form a dual damascene via and wire definition, wherein the via has a floor exposing the deposition enhancing material; (c) selectively chemical vapor depositing aluminium on the deposition enhancing material of the via floor to form a plug in the via; (d) physical vapor depositing a thin layer of aluminium over the exposed surfaces of the plug and wire definition; (e) depositing a barrier layer over the aluminium layer; (f) physical vapor depositing copper over the barrier layer to fill the wire definition; and (g) planarizing the upper surface of the structure to define a conductive wire.
Claim 10
Independent Claim 23 words
A method as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 9, wherein the deposition steps are performed in an integrated processing system.
Claim 11
Independent Claim 33 words
A method as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 10, wherein the barrier layer comprises a material selected from titanium, titanium nitride, tantalum, tantalum nitride, doped silicon, aluminium and aluminium oxides.
Claim 12
Independent Claim 40 words
A method as claimed in any one of claims 6 to 11, wherein the deposition enhancing material is provided by a barrier layer of a material selected from titanium, titanium nitride, tantalum, tantalum nitride, doped silicon, aluminium and aluminium oxides.
Claim 13
Independent Claim 170 words
A method of forming a multilevel metal interconnect, the method comprising the steps of: (a) providing a layer of a deposition enhancing material on a workpiece; (b) forming a dielectric layer over the exposed layer of deposition enhancing material; (c) etching the dielectric layer to form a dual damascene via and wire definition, wherein the via has a floor exposing a deposition enhancing material; (d) selectively chemical vapor depositing aluminium on the deposition enhancing material of the via floor to form a plug in the via; (e) physical vapor depositing a thin layer of aluminium over the exposed surfaces of the plug and wire definition; (f) depositing a first barrier layer over the aluminium layer; (g) physical vapor depositing copper over the barrier layer to fill the wire definition; (h) planarizing the copper, barrier, aluminium and dielectric layers to define a conductive wire; (i) depositing a second barrier layer over the planarized layers, wherein the second barrier layer is a deposition enhancing material; and (j) repeating steps (b) through (h).
Claim 14
Dependent Claim 21 words
A method as claimed in claim 13, further comprising the step of applying a passivating layer over the top planarized layer.

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