US5665659A
Expired / Lapsed
US
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Method for forming metal layer of a semiconductor device
Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co Ltd
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Filing: 1994-06-09
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Granted: 1997-09-09
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Expires: 2014-06-09
Abstract
Abstract A method for forming a metal layer including the steps of heat treating a semiconductor substrate for a predetermined time at an intermediate temperature between 200 DEG C. and 400 DEG C., then depositing the metal layer on the semiconductor substrate at a temperature below 200 DEG C., in a vacuum, then thermally treating the metal layer at a temperature between 0.6 Tm-1.0 Tm (where Tm is the melting point of the metal layer), without breaking the vacuum, thereby reflowing the grains of the metal layer, and then gradually cooling the metal layer. Alternatively, the intermediate heat-treatment step can be performed after the metal layer is thermally treated, in which case, the metal layer should thereafter be rapidly cooled.
Inventors
- 👤 Sang-in Lee
- 👤 Gil-heyun Choi
- 👤 Young-soo Jeon
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-05 02:34
CPC Classifications
C; C23; C23C; C23C14/00; C23C14/58; C23C14/5806; C23C14/04; C23C14/046; H; H10; H10D; H10D64/00; H10D64/01; H10D64/011; H10D64/0111; H10P; H10P14/00; H10P14/40; H10P14/412; H10P95/00; H10W; H10W20/00; H10W20/01; H10W20/031; H10W20/032; H10W20/033; H10W20/047; H10W20/048; H10W20/052; H10W20/0526; H10W20/056; H10W20/059
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 49
Claim 1
Independent Claim
143 words
A method for forming a metal layer on an underlying layer formed on a semiconductor substrate, comprising the steps of: forming an underlying layer on a semiconductor substrate and annealing said underlying layer; subsequent to said step of annealing, maintaining said semiconductor substrate at a first temperature which is between 200° C. and 400° C. for an amount of time; following said step of maintaining, in a vacuum, depositing a metal at a second temperature on said underlying layer to form a metal layer; heating said metal layer to a third temperature without breaking said vacuum, thereby causing reflow of grains of said metal layer; and following said step of heating said metal layer to said third temperature, cooling said metal layer; wherein said second temperature is lower than said third temperature, and said first temperature is intermediate said second and third temperatures.
Claim 2
Independent Claim
143 words
A method for forming a metal layer on an underlying layer formed on a semiconductor substrate, comprising the steps of: forming an underlying layer on a semiconductor substrate and annealing said underlying layer; subsequent to said step of annealing, maintaining said semiconductor substrate at a first temperature which is between 200° C. and 400° C. for an amount of time; following said step of maintaining, in a vacuum, depositing a metal at a second temperature on said underlying layer to form a metal layer; heating said metal layer to a third temperature without breaking said vacuum, thereby causing reflow of grains of said metal layer; and following said step of heating said metal layer to said third temperature, cooling said metal layer; wherein said second temperature is lower than said third temperature, and said first temperature is intermediate said second and third temperatures.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
16 words
The method as set forth in claim 1, wherein said second temperature is below 200° C.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
19 words
The method as set forth in claim 2, wherein said third temperature is between 500° C. and 550° C.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
30 words
The method as set forth in claim 2, wherein said metal comprises a metal having a melting point Tm and said third temperature is between 0.6 Tm and 1.0 Tm.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
19 words
The method as set forth in claim 4, wherein said first temperature is between 250° C. and 350° C.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
22 words
The method as set forth in claim 1, wherein said step of heating said semiconductor substrate is carried out for 20-120 seconds.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
24 words
The method as set forth in claim 6, wherein said step of heating said metal layer is carried out for at least 40 seconds.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
36 words
The method as set forth in claim 1, wherein, during said step of heating said metal layer to said third temperature, the surface temperature of said metal layer is maintained between 400° C. and 500° C.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
30 words
The method as set forth in claim 1, wherein said step of depositing a metal includes sputtering the metal in an inert gas atmosphere of no greater than 2 mTorr.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
42 words
The method as set forth in claim 1, wherein said step of cooling said metal layer is carried out by placing said semiconductor substrate into a wafer carrier, placing said wafer carrier in a vacuum, and allowing said metal layer to cooled.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
26 words
The method as set forth in claim 10, wherein said step of cooling the metal layer takes place over a period of two to five minutes.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
29 words
The method as set forth in claim 1, wherein said underlying layer comprises a diffusion barrier layer formed on an insulating substrate which is formed on said semiconductor substrate.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
16 words
The method as set forth in claim 1, wherein said underlying layer comprises an insulating layer.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
37 words
The method as set forth in claim 12, wherein said underlying layer has a contact hole formed therein, and wherein further, said depositing step is carried out in such a manner as to fill said contact hole.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
27 words
The method as set forth in claim 1, wherein said underlying layer comprises a diffusion barrier layer formed on an insulating layer formed on said semiconductor substrate.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
16 words
The method as set forth in claim 4, wherein said underlying layer comprises an insulating layer.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
37 words
The method as set forth in claim 15, wherein said underlying layer has a contact hole formed therein, and wherein further, said depositing step is carried out in such a manner as to fill said contact hole.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim
29 words
The method as set forth in claim 17, wherein said diffusion barrier layer comprises a composite layer including a first diffusion blocking layer and a second diffusion blocking layer.
Claim 20
Independent Claim
164 words
A method for forming a metal layer on an underlying layer formed on a semiconductor substrate, comprising the steps of: forming an underlying layer on a semiconductor substrate and annealing said underlying layer; subsequent to said step of annealing, in a vacuum, depositing a metal at a first temperature on said underlying layer to form a metal layer; heating said metal layer to a second temperature without breaking said vacuum, thereby causing reflow of grains of said metal layer; following said step of heating said metal layer to said second temperature, heat-treating said reflowed metal layer by maintaining said semiconductor substrate at a third temperature for an amount of time; and following said step of heat-treating said metal layer, cooling said metal layer by applying a fluid having a fourth temperature to said metal layer, said fourth temperature being below said third temperature; wherein said first temperature is lower than said second temperature, and said third temperature is intermediate said first and second temperatures.
Claim 21
Independent Claim
164 words
A method for forming a metal layer on an underlying layer formed on a semiconductor substrate, comprising the steps of: forming an underlying layer on a semiconductor substrate and annealing said underlying layer; subsequent to said step of annealing, in a vacuum, depositing a metal at a first temperature on said underlying layer to form a metal layer; heating said metal layer to a second temperature without breaking said vacuum, thereby causing reflow of grains of said metal layer; following said step of heating said metal layer to said second temperature, heat-treating said reflowed metal layer by maintaining said semiconductor substrate at a third temperature for an amount of time; and following said step of heat-treating said metal layer, cooling said metal layer by applying a fluid having a fourth temperature to said metal layer, said fourth temperature being below said third temperature; wherein said first temperature is lower than said second temperature, and said third temperature is intermediate said first and second temperatures.
Claim 22
Dependent Claim
16 words
The method as set forth in claim 19, wherein said first temperature is below 200° C.
Claim 23
Dependent Claim
22 words
The method as set forth in claim 20, wherein said second temperature is in a range between 500° C. and 550° C.
Claim 24
Dependent Claim
27 words
The method as set forth in claim 20, wherein said metal has a melting point Tm and said third temperature is between 0.6 Tm and 1.0 Tm.
Claim 25
Dependent Claim
19 words
The method as set forth in claim 22, wherein said third temperature is between 200° C. and 400° C.
Claim 26
Dependent Claim
22 words
The method as set forth in claim 22, wherein said third temperature is in a range between 250° C. and 350° C.
Claim 27
Dependent Claim
26 words
The method as set forth in claim 23, wherein said step of heat-treating said metal layer to said third temperature is carried out for 20-120 seconds.
Claim 28
Dependent Claim
28 words
The method as set forth in claim 25, wherein said step of heating said metal layer to said second temperature is carried out for at least 40 seconds.
Claim 29
Dependent Claim
36 words
The method as set forth in claim 23, wherein, during said step of heating said metal layer to said second temperature, the surface temperature of said metal layer is maintained between 400° C. and 500° C.
Claim 30
Dependent Claim
30 words
The method as set in claim 23, wherein said step of depositing a metal is carried out by sputtering in an inert gas atmosphere of no greater than 2 mTorr.
Claim 31
Dependent Claim
33 words
The method as set forth in claim 19, wherein said step of cooling said metal layer is carried out by using a coolant to rapidly cool said semiconductor substrate to below 100° C.
Claim 32
Dependent Claim
29 words
The method as set forth in claim 29, further comprising the step of, after said step of cooling said metal layer, placing said semiconductor substrate into a wafer carrier.
Claim 33
Dependent Claim
27 words
The method as set forth in claim 19, wherein said underlying layer comprises a diffusion barrier layer formed on an insulating substrate formed on said semiconductor substrate.
Claim 34
Dependent Claim
16 words
The method as set forth in claim 19, wherein said underlying layer comprises an insulating layer.
Claim 35
Dependent Claim
29 words
The method as set forth in claim 31, wherein said underlying has a contact hole formed therein and said step of depositing a metal substantially fills said contact hole.
Claim 36
Dependent Claim
27 words
The method as set forth in claim 23, wherein said underlying layer comprises a diffusion barrier layer formed on an insulating layer formed on said semiconductor substrate.
Claim 37
Dependent Claim
16 words
The method as set forth in claim 23, wherein said underlying layer comprises an insulating layer.
Claim 38
Dependent Claim
30 words
The method as set forth in claim 34, wherein said underlying layer has a contact hole formed therein and said step of depositing a metal substantially fills said contact hole.
Claim 39
Dependent Claim
29 words
The method as set forth in claim 36, wherein said diffusion barrier layer comprises a composite layer including a first diffusion blocking layer and a second diffusion blocking layer.
Claim 40
Dependent Claim
62 words
The method as set forth in claim 1, wherein said underlying layer comprises a first diffusion blocking layer formed by depositing titanium on said semiconductor substrate, and wherein said underlying layer further comprises a second diffusion blocking layer formed on said first diffusion blocking layer, said second diffusion blocking layer being formed by depositing titanium nitride on said first diffusion blocking layer.
Claim 41
Dependent Claim
62 words
The method as set forth in claim 19, wherein said underlying layer comprises a first diffusion blocking layer formed by depositing titanium on said semiconductor substrate, and wherein said underlying layer further comprises a second diffusion blocking layer formed on said first diffusion blocking layer, said second diffusion blocking layer being formed by depositing titanium nitride on said first diffusion blocking layer.
Claim 42
Dependent Claim
40 words
The method according to claim 1, wherein said step of depositing the metal layer on said underlying layer comprises a step of sputtering, with a bias voltage of between -20 V to -200 V being applied to said semiconductor substrate.
Claim 43
Dependent Claim
40 words
The method according to claim 19, wherein said step of depositing the metal layer on said underlying layer comprises a step of sputtering, with a bias voltage of between -20 V to -200 V being applied to said semiconductor substrate.
Claim 44
Dependent Claim
21 words
The method according to claim 1, wherein said step of cooling said metal layer comprises cooling with a back-side cooling technique.
Claim 45
Dependent Claim
34 words
The method according to claim 1, wherein said underlying layer comprises a diffusion blocking layer, and wherein said step of annealing comprises annealing said diffusion blocking layer under a nitride (N 2 ) atmosphere.
Claim 46
Dependent Claim
32 words
The method according to claim 43, wherein said step of annealing comprises annealing said diffusion blocking layer under said nitride (N 2 ) atmosphere for a duration between 30 and 60 minutes.
Claim 47
Dependent Claim
27 words
The method according to claim 44, wherein said step of annealing comprises annealing said diffusion blocking layer at a temperature of between 450° C. and 500° C.
Claim 48
Dependent Claim
39 words
The method according to claim 1, wherein said step of forming said underlying layer comprises forming said underlying layer within a contact hole exposing a surface of said semiconductor substrate, said contact hole being confined by an insulating layer.
Claim 49
Dependent Claim
39 words
The method according to claim 19, wherein said step of forming said underlying layer comprises forming said underlying layer within a contact hole exposing a surface of said semiconductor substrate, said contact hole being confined by an insulating layer.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
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| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
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| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 2004-09-08 | 2005-03-10 | 2005-09-09 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
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