Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 57
Claim 1
Independent Claim
187 words
A method for in situ faceting of and deposition on a semiconductor substrate, said method comprising: providing a chamber with a high density plasma source therein; providing in said chamber a target of material to be deposited; positioning in said chamber a semiconductor substrate having a recess therein and an opening to said recess; biasing said semiconductor substrate; bombarding said opening to said recess in said semiconductor substrate in said chamber with ions from a plasma having an ionization rate of 50% or more generated by said high density plasma source so as to form facets at said opening to said recess of said semiconductor substrate; biasing said target and reducing the bias on the semiconductor substrate; sputtering said target in said chamber with ions from said plasma having an ionization rate of 50% or more generated by said high density plasma source while controlling said bias on said target and said semiconductor substrate so as to: allow sputtered flux from said target to deposit within said recess; preventing sputtered flux from accumulating on said facets by resputtering the sputtered flux that is deposited on said facets.
Claim 2
Independent Claim
187 words
A method for in situ faceting of and deposition on a semiconductor substrate, said method comprising: providing a chamber with a high density plasma source therein; providing in said chamber a target of material to be deposited; positioning in said chamber a semiconductor substrate having a recess therein and an opening to said recess; biasing said semiconductor substrate; bombarding said opening to said recess in said semiconductor substrate in said chamber with ions from a plasma having an ionization rate of 50% or more generated by said high density plasma source so as to form facets at said opening to said recess of said semiconductor substrate; biasing said target and reducing the bias on the semiconductor substrate; sputtering said target in said chamber with ions from said plasma having an ionization rate of 50% or more generated by said high density plasma source while controlling said bias on said target and said semiconductor substrate so as to: allow sputtered flux from said target to deposit within said recess; preventing sputtered flux from accumulating on said facets by resputtering the sputtered flux that is deposited on said facets.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
21 words
The method as defined in claim 1, wherein said plasma source includes an inductive coil coupled to an RF power supply.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
15 words
The method as defined in claim 1, wherein said material to be deposited comprises titanium.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
14 words
The method as defined in claim 1, wherein said recess comprises a contact hole.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
18 words
The method as defined in claim 1, wherein said recess of said semiconductor substrate comprises a via hole.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
28 words
The method as defined in claim 1, wherein bombarding said opening to said recess in said semiconductor substrate comprises negatively biasing said semiconductor substrate relative to said plasma.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
23 words
The method as defined in claim 6 wherein, during bombarding said opening to said recess in said semiconductor substrate the target is unbiased.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
100 words
The method as defined in claim 6, wherein sputtering said target further comprises: negatively biasing said target so as to sputter said target; and negatively biasing said semiconductor substrate at a bias level so as to: allow a film of said material to be deposited on a horizontal surface on said semiconductor substrate without resputtering the same; and cause the rate of accumulation of said film of said material on said facets at said opening to said recess to be less than the rate of accumulation of said film of said material on said horizontal surface on said semiconductor substrate.
Claim 10
Independent Claim
320 words
A method for in situ faceting of and deposition on a semiconductor substrate, said method comprising: providing a chamber with a high density plasma source therein; providing in said chamber a target of a material to be deposited; positioning in said chamber a semiconductor substrate having a horizontally disposed surface, the surface having an opening therein to a recess in said semiconductor substrate; providing a gas in said chamber; striking a plasma of said gas having an ionization rate of 50% or more in said chamber generated by said high density plasma source; sputtering said target in said chamber with ions from said plasma of said gas having an ionization rate of 50% or more so as to produce a sputtered flux of said material to be deposited; ionizing, using said high density plasma source, said sputtered flux of said material to be deposited so as to have an ionization rate of at least fifty percent in said plasma of both said gas and said material to be deposited; increasing a bias on the semiconductor substrate and bombarding said surface of said semiconductor substrate within said chamber with ions of both said plasma of said gas having an ionization rate of 50% or more and said material to be deposited, whereby said ions form facets at said opening to said recess; and reducing the bias on the semiconductor substrate and bombarding said semiconductor substrate within said chamber with lower energy ions than said ions from both said plasma of said gas having an ionization rate of 50% or more and said material to be deposited, whereby: there is deposited a film of said material within said recess; and there is a lower rate of accumulation of said film on said facets at the opening to said recess due to resputtering of the same than the rate of accumulation of said film on said horizontally disposed surface of said semiconductor substrate.
Claim 11
Independent Claim
320 words
A method for in situ faceting of and deposition on a semiconductor substrate, said method comprising: providing a chamber with a high density plasma source therein; providing in said chamber a target of a material to be deposited; positioning in said chamber a semiconductor substrate having a horizontally disposed surface, the surface having an opening therein to a recess in said semiconductor substrate; providing a gas in said chamber; striking a plasma of said gas having an ionization rate of 50% or more in said chamber generated by said high density plasma source; sputtering said target in said chamber with ions from said plasma of said gas having an ionization rate of 50% or more so as to produce a sputtered flux of said material to be deposited; ionizing, using said high density plasma source, said sputtered flux of said material to be deposited so as to have an ionization rate of at least fifty percent in said plasma of both said gas and said material to be deposited; increasing a bias on the semiconductor substrate and bombarding said surface of said semiconductor substrate within said chamber with ions of both said plasma of said gas having an ionization rate of 50% or more and said material to be deposited, whereby said ions form facets at said opening to said recess; and reducing the bias on the semiconductor substrate and bombarding said semiconductor substrate within said chamber with lower energy ions than said ions from both said plasma of said gas having an ionization rate of 50% or more and said material to be deposited, whereby: there is deposited a film of said material within said recess; and there is a lower rate of accumulation of said film on said facets at the opening to said recess due to resputtering of the same than the rate of accumulation of said film on said horizontally disposed surface of said semiconductor substrate.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
21 words
The method as defined in claim 9, wherein said plasma source includes an inductive coil coupled to an RF power supply.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
15 words
The method as defined in claim 9, wherein said material to be deposited comprises titanium.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
18 words
The method as defined in claim 9, wherein said recess within said semiconductor substrate comprises a contact hole.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
18 words
The method as defined in claim 9, wherein said recess within said semiconductor substrate comprises a via hole.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
14 words
The method as defined in claim 9, wherein said gas comprises an inert gas.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
13 words
The method as defined in claim 14, wherein said inert gas comprises argon.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
75 words
The method as defined in claim 9, wherein bombarding said semiconductor substrate with lower energy ions further comprises: bombarding said semiconductor substrate with ions having an energy sufficient to: substantially prevent accumulation of said film of said material on said facets at said opening to said recess by resputtering the material that is deposited on said facets at said opening to said recess; and allow accumulation of said film of said material within said recess.
Claim 19
Independent Claim
270 words
A method for in situ faceting of and deposition on a semiconductor substrate, said method comprising: providing a chamber with a high density plasma source therein; providing in said chamber a target of material to be deposited; positioning in said chamber a semiconductor substrate having a surface to be faceted and to be deposited upon, said surface having horizontally oriented surface portions and vertically oriented surface portions, said horizontally oriented surface portions and said vertically oriented surface portions joining at upper and lower corners on said surface; increasing a bias on said semiconductor substrate and bombarding said semiconductor substrate in said chamber with ions from a plasma having an ionization rate of 50% or more generated by said high density plasma source, whereby there is removed one or more orthogonal edges at said upper corners on said surface and leaving an angled surface portion joining horizontally oriented surface portions and vertically oriented surface portions at said upper corners, said angled surface portion being a faceted area of said surface of said semiconductor substrate at said upper corners; and decreasing the bias on said semiconductor substrate and sputtering said target in said chamber in said plasma having an ionization rate of 50% or more generated by said high density plasma source so as to: allow sputtered flux from said target to deposit without resputtering on said horizontally oriented surface portions of said surface; and resputtering the sputtered flux deposited on the faceted area of said surface of said semiconductor so as to disallow said sputtered flux from said target to accumulate on said faceted area of said surface of said semiconductor.
Claim 20
Independent Claim
270 words
A method for in situ faceting of and deposition on a semiconductor substrate, said method comprising: providing a chamber with a high density plasma source therein; providing in said chamber a target of material to be deposited; positioning in said chamber a semiconductor substrate having a surface to be faceted and to be deposited upon, said surface having horizontally oriented surface portions and vertically oriented surface portions, said horizontally oriented surface portions and said vertically oriented surface portions joining at upper and lower corners on said surface; increasing a bias on said semiconductor substrate and bombarding said semiconductor substrate in said chamber with ions from a plasma having an ionization rate of 50% or more generated by said high density plasma source, whereby there is removed one or more orthogonal edges at said upper corners on said surface and leaving an angled surface portion joining horizontally oriented surface portions and vertically oriented surface portions at said upper corners, said angled surface portion being a faceted area of said surface of said semiconductor substrate at said upper corners; and decreasing the bias on said semiconductor substrate and sputtering said target in said chamber in said plasma having an ionization rate of 50% or more generated by said high density plasma source so as to: allow sputtered flux from said target to deposit without resputtering on said horizontally oriented surface portions of said surface; and resputtering the sputtered flux deposited on the faceted area of said surface of said semiconductor so as to disallow said sputtered flux from said target to accumulate on said faceted area of said surface of said semiconductor.
Claim 21
Dependent Claim
21 words
The method as defined in claim 17, wherein said plasma source includes an inductive coil coupled to an RF power supply.
Claim 22
Dependent Claim
15 words
The method as defined in claim 17, wherein said material to be deposited comprises titanium.
Claim 23
Dependent Claim
17 words
The method as defined in claim 17, wherein said surface of said semiconductor substrate comprises contact holes.
Claim 24
Dependent Claim
17 words
The method as defined in claim 17, wherein said surface of said semiconductor substrate comprises via holes.
Claim 25
Dependent Claim
22 words
The method as defined in claim 17, wherein bombarding said semiconductor substrate comprises negatively biasing said semiconductor substrate relative to said plasma.
Claim 26
Dependent Claim
17 words
The method as defined in claim 22, wherein during bombarding said semiconductor substrate the target is unbiased.
Claim 27
Dependent Claim
101 words
The method as defined in claim 22, wherein sputtering said target comprises: negatively biasing said target so as to sputter said target; and negatively biasing said semiconductor substrate at a bias level so as to: allow a film of said material to be deposited on said horizontally oriented surface portions of said surface; and resputter the material that is deposited upon the faceted area of said surface to reduce the rate of deposition of said film on said faceted areas of said surface relative to the rate of deposition of said film on said horizontally oriented surface portions of said surface.
Claim 28
Independent Claim
229 words
A method for depositing material on a semiconductor substrate comprising: providing a chamber with a high density plasma source therein; providing in said chamber a target of a material to be deposited; positioning in said chamber a semiconductor substrate having a surface with a surface topology thereon; bombarding said semiconductor substrate in said chamber with ions from a plasma having an ionization rate of 50% or more generated by said high density plasma source while negatively biasing said semiconductor substrate relative to said plasma generated by said high density plasma source so as to create a modified portion of said surface topography of said surface of said semiconductor substrate; and sputtering said target in said chamber with ions from said plasma having an ionization rate of 50% or more generated by said high density plasma source while negatively biasing said target relative to said plasma having an ionization rate of 50% or more generated by said high density plasma source and while changing the bias on the semiconductor substrate so as to allow sputtered flux from said target: to be resputtered off of the modified portion of said surface topography of said surface of said semiconductor substrate; and to not be resputtered off of portions of said surface topography that are perpendicularly oriented to the direction of the flux that is sputtered from the target deposit on said surface.
Claim 29
Independent Claim
229 words
A method for depositing material on a semiconductor substrate comprising: providing a chamber with a high density plasma source therein; providing in said chamber a target of a material to be deposited; positioning in said chamber a semiconductor substrate having a surface with a surface topology thereon; bombarding said semiconductor substrate in said chamber with ions from a plasma having an ionization rate of 50% or more generated by said high density plasma source while negatively biasing said semiconductor substrate relative to said plasma generated by said high density plasma source so as to create a modified portion of said surface topography of said surface of said semiconductor substrate; and sputtering said target in said chamber with ions from said plasma having an ionization rate of 50% or more generated by said high density plasma source while negatively biasing said target relative to said plasma having an ionization rate of 50% or more generated by said high density plasma source and while changing the bias on the semiconductor substrate so as to allow sputtered flux from said target: to be resputtered off of the modified portion of said surface topography of said surface of said semiconductor substrate; and to not be resputtered off of portions of said surface topography that are perpendicularly oriented to the direction of the flux that is sputtered from the target deposit on said surface.
Claim 30
Dependent Claim
21 words
The method as defined in claim 25, wherein said plasma source includes an inductive coil coupled to an RF power supply.
Claim 31
Dependent Claim
15 words
The method as defined in claim 26, wherein said material to be deposited comprises titanium.
Claim 32
Dependent Claim
17 words
The method as defined in claim 25, wherein said surface of said semiconductor substrate comprises contact holes.
Claim 33
Dependent Claim
17 words
The method as defined in claim 25, wherein said surface of said semiconductor substrate comprises via holes.
Claim 34
Dependent Claim
17 words
The method as defined in claim 25, wherein during bombarding said semiconductor substrate the target is unbiased.
Claim 35
Dependent Claim
96 words
The method as defined in claim 25, wherein sputtering said target further comprises negatively biasing said semiconductor substrate at a bias level so as to allow a film of said material to be deposited on said surface, and so as to reduce the rate of deposition of said film of said material on said modified portion of said surface topography of said surface of said semiconductor substrate relative to the rate of deposition of said film of said material other than on said modified portions of said surface topography of said surface of said semiconductor substrate.
Claim 36
Independent Claim
329 words
A method for filling a recess by depositing a material therein, said method comprising: providing a chamber with a high density plasma source therein; providing in said chamber a target of a material to be deposited; positioning in said chamber a semiconductor wafer having a recess therein, the recess having an opening thereto; providing a gas in said chamber; striking a plasma of said gas having an ionization rate of 50% or more generated by said high density plasma source; sputtering said target with ions from said plasma of said gas having an ionization rate of 50% or more while negatively biasing said target so as to produce a sputtered flux of said material to be deposited; ionizing, using said high density plasma source, said sputtered flux of said material to be deposited so as to maintain ions having an ionization rate of at least fifty percent in said plasma of both said gas and said material to be deposited; bombarding said surface of said semiconductor wafer in said chamber with ions of both said plasma of said gas and said material to be deposited while negatively biasing the semiconductor wafer relative to said plasma of said gas, whereby said ions create a facet at the opening to the recess; and reducing any bias applied to the semiconductor wafer and bombarding said surface of said semiconductor wafer in said chamber with lower energy ions than said ions from both said plasma of said gas and said material to be deposited, whereby: there is deposited a film of said material that fills said recess, and wherein the recess is filled without voids therein, and there is a lower rate of accumulation of said film on said facet at the opening to the recess due to resputtering of the same relative to the rate of accumulation of said film on areas of said semiconductor wafer that are perpendicular to the direction of the sputtered flux that is sputtered from said target.
Claim 37
Independent Claim
329 words
A method for filling a recess by depositing a material therein, said method comprising: providing a chamber with a high density plasma source therein; providing in said chamber a target of a material to be deposited; positioning in said chamber a semiconductor wafer having a recess therein, the recess having an opening thereto; providing a gas in said chamber; striking a plasma of said gas having an ionization rate of 50% or more generated by said high density plasma source; sputtering said target with ions from said plasma of said gas having an ionization rate of 50% or more while negatively biasing said target so as to produce a sputtered flux of said material to be deposited; ionizing, using said high density plasma source, said sputtered flux of said material to be deposited so as to maintain ions having an ionization rate of at least fifty percent in said plasma of both said gas and said material to be deposited; bombarding said surface of said semiconductor wafer in said chamber with ions of both said plasma of said gas and said material to be deposited while negatively biasing the semiconductor wafer relative to said plasma of said gas, whereby said ions create a facet at the opening to the recess; and reducing any bias applied to the semiconductor wafer and bombarding said surface of said semiconductor wafer in said chamber with lower energy ions than said ions from both said plasma of said gas and said material to be deposited, whereby: there is deposited a film of said material that fills said recess, and wherein the recess is filled without voids therein, and there is a lower rate of accumulation of said film on said facet at the opening to the recess due to resputtering of the same relative to the rate of accumulation of said film on areas of said semiconductor wafer that are perpendicular to the direction of the sputtered flux that is sputtered from said target.
Claim 38
Dependent Claim
21 words
The method as defined in claim 32, wherein said plasma source includes an inductive coil coupled to an RF power supply.
Claim 39
Dependent Claim
15 words
The method as defined in claim 32, wherein said material to be deposited comprises titanium.
Claim 40
Dependent Claim
17 words
The method as defined in claim 32, wherein said surface of said semiconductor wafer comprises contact holes.
Claim 41
Dependent Claim
17 words
The method as defined in claim 32, wherein said surface of said semiconductor wafer comprises via holes.
Claim 42
Dependent Claim
14 words
The method as defined in claim 32, wherein said gas comprises an inert gas.
Claim 43
Dependent Claim
13 words
The method as defined in claim 37, wherein said inert gas comprises argon.
Claim 44
Dependent Claim
42 words
The method as defined in claim 32, wherein bombarding said surface of said semiconductor wafer with lower energy ions further comprises: resputtering all of said sputtered flux off of the facet at the opening of the recess that is deposited directly thereon.
Claim 45
Independent Claim
317 words
A method for deposition on a surface of a semiconductor substrate comprising: providing a chamber with a high density plasma source therein; providing in said chamber a target of a material to be deposited; positioning in said chamber a semiconductor substrate having a surface with a surface topography, said surface topography having horizontally oriented surface portions and vertically oriented surface portions, said horizontally oriented surface portions and said vertically oriented surface portions joining at upper and lower corners on said surface topography; bombarding said semiconductor substrate in said chamber with ions from a plasma having an ionization rate of 50% or more generated by said high density plasma source while negatively basing said semiconductor substrate relative to said plasma, whereby there is removed one or more orthogonal edges at said upper corners on said surface and leaving an angled surface portion joining horizontally oriented surface portions and vertically oriented surface portions at said upper corners, said angled surface portion being a modified non-horizontal portion of said surface topography at said upper corners; and sputtering said target in said chamber in said plasma having an ionization rate of 50% or more generated by said high density plasma source . wherein a sputtered flux of said material to be deposited travels perpendicular to the horizontally oriented surface portions of said surface topography, wherein said target is sputtered while negatively biasing said target and while negatively biasing said semiconductor substrate at a bias level so as to: allow a film of said material to be deposited on the horizontally oriented surface portions of said surface topography without being resputtered therefrom, and reduce the rate of accumulation of said film on said modified non-horizontal portion of said surface topography at said upper corners by resputtering any sputtered flux that is deposited thereon relative to the rate of accumulation of said film on the horizontally oriented surface portions of said surface topography.
Claim 46
Independent Claim
317 words
A method for deposition on a surface of a semiconductor substrate comprising: providing a chamber with a high density plasma source therein; providing in said chamber a target of a material to be deposited; positioning in said chamber a semiconductor substrate having a surface with a surface topography, said surface topography having horizontally oriented surface portions and vertically oriented surface portions, said horizontally oriented surface portions and said vertically oriented surface portions joining at upper and lower corners on said surface topography; bombarding said semiconductor substrate in said chamber with ions from a plasma having an ionization rate of 50% or more generated by said high density plasma source while negatively basing said semiconductor substrate relative to said plasma, whereby there is removed one or more orthogonal edges at said upper corners on said surface and leaving an angled surface portion joining horizontally oriented surface portions and vertically oriented surface portions at said upper corners, said angled surface portion being a modified non-horizontal portion of said surface topography at said upper corners; and sputtering said target in said chamber in said plasma having an ionization rate of 50% or more generated by said high density plasma source . wherein a sputtered flux of said material to be deposited travels perpendicular to the horizontally oriented surface portions of said surface topography, wherein said target is sputtered while negatively biasing said target and while negatively biasing said semiconductor substrate at a bias level so as to: allow a film of said material to be deposited on the horizontally oriented surface portions of said surface topography without being resputtered therefrom, and reduce the rate of accumulation of said film on said modified non-horizontal portion of said surface topography at said upper corners by resputtering any sputtered flux that is deposited thereon relative to the rate of accumulation of said film on the horizontally oriented surface portions of said surface topography.
Claim 47
Dependent Claim
21 words
The method as defined in claim 40, wherein said plasma source includes an inductive coil coupled to an RF power supply.
Claim 48
Dependent Claim
15 words
The method as defined in claim 40, wherein said material to be deposited comprises titanium.
Claim 49
Dependent Claim
17 words
The method as defined in claim 40, wherein said surface of said semiconductor substrate comprises contact holes.
Claim 50
Dependent Claim
17 words
The method as defined in claim 40, wherein said surface of said semiconductor substrate comprises via holes.
Claim 51
Dependent Claim
20 words
The method as defined in claim 40, wherein during the step of bombarding said semiconductor substrate the target is unbiased.
Claim 52
Dependent Claim
82 words
A fill method for a substrate having openings therein, the method comprising: initially forming facets of openings on a biased substrate with a plasma having an ionization rate-of 50% or more produced by a high density plasma source; subsequently utilizing the plasma to form deposits in the openings by sputtering a target material and resputtering the facets of the openings by controlling the bias to the substrate so as to prevent voids when the openings are filled with the deposited target material.
Claim 53
Dependent Claim
82 words
A fill method for a substrate having openings therein, the method comprising: initially forming facets of openings on a biased substrate with a plasma having an ionization rate-of 50% or more produced by a high density plasma source; subsequently utilizing the plasma to form deposits in the openings by sputtering a target material and resputtering the facets of the openings by controlling the bias to the substrate so as to prevent voids when the openings are filled with the deposited target material.
Claim 54
Dependent Claim
23 words
The method as defined in claim 46, further comprises controlling bias applied to a target during said sputtering of said target material therefrom.
Claim 55
Dependent Claim
24 words
The method as defined in claim 46, wherein said substrate is negatively biased relative to said plasma while forming said facets of the openings.
Claim 56
Dependent Claim
28 words
The method as defined in claim 46, wherein said target material is sputtered from a target that is unbiased while forming facets of openings on said biased substrate.
Claim 57
Dependent Claim
25 words
The method as defined in claim 49, wherein the openings on said biased substrate are to at least one of contact holes and via holes.