US5356836A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Aluminum plug process
Assignee: Industrial Technology Research Institute
•
Filing: 1993-08-19
•
Granted: 1994-10-18
•
Expires: 2013-08-19
Abstract
Abstract A new method of metallization of an integrated circuit is described. This method can be used for a first metallization to contact the semiconductor substrate regions or for a subsequent metallizations for interconnection within the integrated circuit. An insulating layer is provided over the surface of a semiconductor substrate or over a metallization layer. At least one contact opening is made through the insulating layer to the semiconductor substrate or to the metallization layer. A barrier metal layer is deposited over the surface of the substrate and within the contact opening wherein most of the barrier metal is deposited on the bottom of the contact opening rather than on the sides of the opening. A metal layer is cold sputtered over the barrier metal layer, then the metal is hot sputtered over the cold-sputtered metal layer wherein the cold and hot sputtering are continuous operations to complete the metallization of the integrated circuit.
Inventors
- 👤 Kuang-Chao Chen
- 👤 Shaw-Tzeng Hsia
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-30 21:52
CPC Classifications
H; H10; H10W; H10W20/00; H10W20/01; H10W20/031; H10W20/032; H10W20/033; H10W20/035; H10W20/047; H10W20/049; H10P; H10P14/00; H10P14/40; H10P14/42; H10P14/44; H10W20/021; H10W20/056; H10W20/40; H10W20/41; H10W20/42; H10W20/425
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 32
Claim 1
Independent Claim
149 words
The method of metallization of an integrated circuit comprising: providing an insulating layer over the surface of a semiconductor substrate; providing at least one contact opening through said insulating layer to said semiconductor substrate; depositing a barrier metal layer over the surface of said substrate and within said contact opening wherein most of said barrier metal is deposited on the bottom of said contact opening rather than on the sides of said opening; cold sputtering an aluminum layer over said barrier metal layer at a temperature of less than about 150° C. and a deposition rate of more than about 180 Angstroms/sec.; and hot sputtering an aluminum layer over said cold-sputtered layer at a temperature of more than about 500° C. and at a deposition rate of less than about 50 Angstroms/sec. wherein said cold and hot sputtering are continuous operations to complete said metallization of said integrated circuit.
Claim 2
Independent Claim
149 words
The method of metallization of an integrated circuit comprising: providing an insulating layer over the surface of a semiconductor substrate; providing at least one contact opening through said insulating layer to said semiconductor substrate; depositing a barrier metal layer over the surface of said substrate and within said contact opening wherein most of said barrier metal is deposited on the bottom of said contact opening rather than on the sides of said opening; cold sputtering an aluminum layer over said barrier metal layer at a temperature of less than about 150° C. and a deposition rate of more than about 180 Angstroms/sec.; and hot sputtering an aluminum layer over said cold-sputtered layer at a temperature of more than about 500° C. and at a deposition rate of less than about 50 Angstroms/sec. wherein said cold and hot sputtering are continuous operations to complete said metallization of said integrated circuit.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
25 words
The method of claim 1 wherein said insulating layer is composed of silicon dioxide deposited to a thickness of between about 4000 to 10,000 Angstroms.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
54 words
The method of claim 1 wherein said barrier metal layer is composed of a multilayer of titanium, titanium nitride, and titanium and wherein a collimator is used in sputtering this multilayer so that most of said multilayer is deposited on the bottom of said contact opening rather than on the sidewalls of said opening.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
34 words
The method of claim 3 wherein the thicknesses of said multilayer are between about 50 to 300 Angstroms of titanium, 750 to 2000 Angstroms of titanium nitride, and 300 to 800 Angstroms of titanium.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
25 words
The method of claim 1 wherein said cold sputtering of said aluminum layer is performed at a temperature of between about 20° and 150° C.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
39 words
The method of claim 1 wherein said cold sputtering of said aluminum layer is performed at a high deposition rate of more than about 150 Angstroms/sec so as to assure a full and continuous film within said contact opening.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
25 words
The method of claim 1 wherein said hot sputtering of said aluminum layer is performed at a temperature of between about 500° to 550° C.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
27 words
The method of claim 1 wherein said hot sputtering of said aluminum layer is performed at a very low deposition rate of less than about 20 Angstroms/sec.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
29 words
The method of claim 8 wherein said hot sputtering of said aluminum layer at a very low deposition rate causes no void to be formed within said contact opening.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
48 words
The method of claim 8 wherein said hot sputtering of said aluminum layer at a very low deposition rate causes the formation of an alloy between said cold sputtered aluminum layer and said barrier metal layer wherein said alloy prevents formation of a void within said contact opening.
Claim 12
Independent Claim
183 words
The method of metallization of an integrated circuit comprising: providing a first insulating layer over the surface of a semiconductor substrate; providing at least a first metallization layer over said insulating layer; providing a second insulating layer over the surface of said first metallization layer; providing at least one contact opening through said second insulating layer to said first metallization layer; depositing a barrier metal layer composed of titanium over the surface of said substrate and within said contact opening wherein most of said barrier metal is deposited on the bottom of said contact opening rather than on the sides of said opening by a collimator process; cold sputtering an aluminum layer over said barrier metal layer at a temperature of less than about 150° C. and a deposition rate of more than about 180 Angstroms/sec.; and hot sputtering an aluminum layer over said cold-sputtered layer at a temperature of more than about 500° C. and at a deposition rate of less than about 50 Angstroms/sec. wherein said cold and hot sputtering are continuous operations to complete said metallization of said integrated circuit.
Claim 13
Independent Claim
183 words
The method of metallization of an integrated circuit comprising: providing a first insulating layer over the surface of a semiconductor substrate; providing at least a first metallization layer over said insulating layer; providing a second insulating layer over the surface of said first metallization layer; providing at least one contact opening through said second insulating layer to said first metallization layer; depositing a barrier metal layer composed of titanium over the surface of said substrate and within said contact opening wherein most of said barrier metal is deposited on the bottom of said contact opening rather than on the sides of said opening by a collimator process; cold sputtering an aluminum layer over said barrier metal layer at a temperature of less than about 150° C. and a deposition rate of more than about 180 Angstroms/sec.; and hot sputtering an aluminum layer over said cold-sputtered layer at a temperature of more than about 500° C. and at a deposition rate of less than about 50 Angstroms/sec. wherein said cold and hot sputtering are continuous operations to complete said metallization of said integrated circuit.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
18 words
The method of claim 11 wherein said barrier metal layer is composed of titanium, titanium nitride and titanium.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
19 words
The method of claim 11 wherein the thicknesses of said barrier layer is between about 500 to 2000 Angstroms.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
39 words
The method of claim 11 wherein said cold sputtering of said aluminum layer is performed at a high deposition rate of more than about 150 Angstroms/sec so as to assure a full and continuous film within said contact opening.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
25 words
The method of claim 11 wherein said hot sputtering of said aluminum layer is performed at a temperature of between about 500° to 550° C.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
26 words
The method of claim 11 wherein said hot sputtering of said aluminum layer is performed at a low deposition rate of less than about 20 Angstroms/sec.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim
28 words
The method of claim 16 wherein said hot sputtering of said aluminum layer at a low deposition rate causes no void to be formed within said contact opening.
Claim 20
Dependent Claim
47 words
The method of claim 16 wherein said hot sputtering of said aluminum layer at a low deposition rate causes the formation of an alloy between said cold sputtered aluminum layer and said barrier metal layer wherein said alloy prevents formation of a void within said contact opening.
Claim 21
Independent Claim
157 words
The method of metallization of an integrated circuit comprising: providing an insulating layer over a conducting layer on a semiconductor substrate; providing at least one contact opening through said insulating layer to said conducting layer; depositing a barrier metal layer composed of titanium over the surface of said substrate and within said contact opening wherein most of said barrier metal is deposited on the bottom of said contact opening rather than on the sides of said opening by a collimator process: cold sputtering an aluminum layer over said barrier metal layer at a temperature of less than about 150° C. and a deposition rate of more than about 180 Angstroms/sec.; and hot sputtering an aluminum layer over said cold-sputtered layer at a temperature of more than about 500° C. and at a deposition rate of less than about 50 Angstroms/sec. wherein said cold and hot sputtering are continuous operations to complete said metallization of said integrated circuit.
Claim 22
Independent Claim
157 words
The method of metallization of an integrated circuit comprising: providing an insulating layer over a conducting layer on a semiconductor substrate; providing at least one contact opening through said insulating layer to said conducting layer; depositing a barrier metal layer composed of titanium over the surface of said substrate and within said contact opening wherein most of said barrier metal is deposited on the bottom of said contact opening rather than on the sides of said opening by a collimator process: cold sputtering an aluminum layer over said barrier metal layer at a temperature of less than about 150° C. and a deposition rate of more than about 180 Angstroms/sec.; and hot sputtering an aluminum layer over said cold-sputtered layer at a temperature of more than about 500° C. and at a deposition rate of less than about 50 Angstroms/sec. wherein said cold and hot sputtering are continuous operations to complete said metallization of said integrated circuit.
Claim 23
Dependent Claim
13 words
The method of claim 19 wherein said conducting layer is said semiconductor substrate.
Claim 24
Dependent Claim
21 words
The method of claim 20 wherein said barrier metal layer is composed of a multilayer of titanium, titanium nitride, and titanium.
Claim 25
Dependent Claim
34 words
The method of claim 21 wherein the thicknesses of said multilayer are between about 50 to 300 Angstroms of titanium, 750 to 2000 Angstroms of titanium nitride, and 300 to 800 Angstroms of titanium.
Claim 26
Dependent Claim
25 words
The method of claim 19 wherein said conducting layer is at least a first metallization layer over a first insulating layer over said semiconductor substrate.
Claim 27
Dependent Claim
19 words
The method of claim 23 wherein the thicknesses of said barrier layer is between about 500 to 2000 Angstroms.
Claim 28
Dependent Claim
25 words
The method of claim 19 wherein said cold sputtering of said aluminum layer is performed at a temperature of between about 20° to 150° C.
Claim 29
Dependent Claim
25 words
The method of claim 19 wherein said hot sputtering of said aluminum layer is performed at a temperature of between about 500° to 550° C.
Claim 30
Dependent Claim
26 words
The method of claim 19 wherein said hot sputtering of said aluminum layer is performed at a low deposition rate of less than about 20 Angstroms/sec.
Claim 31
Dependent Claim
28 words
The method of claim 27 wherein said hot sputtering of said aluminum layer at a low deposition rate causes no void to be formed within said contact opening.
Claim 32
Dependent Claim
48 words
The method of claim 27 wherein said hot sputtering of said aluminum layer at a very low deposition rate causes the formation of an alloy between said cold sputtered aluminum layer and said barrier metal layer wherein said alloy prevents formation of a void within said contact opening.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
EP0168828A2
Cited
US4960732A
Cited
US5007372A
Cited
JPH01160036A
Cited
US4837183A
Cited
US5106781A
Cited
US4994162A
Cited
US5108951A
Cited
US5240880A
Cited
USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1997-10-17 | 1998-04-18 | 1998-10-18 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 2001-10-17 | 2002-04-18 | 2002-10-18 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 2005-10-17 | 2006-04-18 | 2006-10-18 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |