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Patent US6008124A successfully refreshed from Google Patents.
US6008124A
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Semiconductor device having improved lamination-structure reliability for buried layers, silicide films and metal films, and a method for forming the same
Assignee: Panasonic Holdings Corp
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Filing: 1997-02-21
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Granted: 1999-12-28
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Expires: 2017-02-21
Abstract
Abstract After formation of a connection hole or before deposition of an insulator film, a semiconductor device is placed onto a cathode of a plasma generator. A surface of a metal silicide film such as a silicide of titanium is exposed to a plasma of a nitrogen-containing gas at 550 degrees centigrade or less. As a result of such processing, a barrier compound layer, composed of a compound of nitrogen, oxygen, metal and silicon, is formed at a near-surface region of the metal silicide film of the titanium silicide film. Thereafter, while forming a buried layer from material superior in step coverage such as an Al--Ti compound and an aluminum alloy, reaction between the metal silicide film and the buried layer in a later annealing treatment can be avoided without depositing a barrier metal such as a titanium nitride/nitride film in the connection hole. Accordingly, contact resistance, sheet resistance and junction leakage can be reduced and reliability can be improved.
Inventors
- 👤 Mitsuru Sekiguchi
- 👤 Michinari Yamanaka
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-01 15:31
CPC Classifications
H; H10; H10W; H10W20/00; H10W20/01; H10W20/031; H10W20/032; H10W20/042; H10W20/045; H10D; H10D64/00; H10D64/20; H10D64/23; H10D64/251; H10D64/258; H10D64/259; H10D30/00; H10D30/01; H10D30/021; H10D30/0212; H10D30/0223; H10D62/00; H10D62/80; H10D62/83; H10D64/01; H10D64/011; H10D64/0111; H10D64/0112; H10D64/013; H10D64/01302; H10D64/01304; H10D64/01306; H10D64/01308; H10D64/0131; H10D64/60; H10D64/62; H10D64/66; H10D64/661; H10D64/662; H10D64/663; H10W20/033; H10W20/047; H10W20/048; H10W20/049; H10W20/40; Y; Y10; Y10S; Y10S438/00; Y10S438/914; Y10S438/918
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 13
Claim 1
Independent Claim
144 words
A method of fabricating a semiconductor device comprising: (a) a first step of forming on a semiconductor substrate a metal silicide film composed of a compound of a first metal and silicon; (b) a second step of forming, at a near-surface region of said metal silicide film, a barrier compound layer which is composed of a nitrogen-oxygen-first metal-silicon compound by illuminating a surface of said metal silicide film with nitrogen-containing ions either in an oxidation ambient or in a neutral ambient; and (c) a third step of forming a metal film on top of said barrier compound layer of said metal silicide film using a CVD technique, said metal film being in direct contact with said barrier compound layer and comprising, a second metal which comprises one metal selected from a group consisting of an aluminum-containing metal, a copper-containing metal and a tungsten-containing metal.
Claim 2
Independent Claim
144 words
A method of fabricating a semiconductor device comprising: (a) a first step of forming on a semiconductor substrate a metal silicide film composed of a compound of a first metal and silicon; (b) a second step of forming, at a near-surface region of said metal silicide film, a barrier compound layer which is composed of a nitrogen-oxygen-first metal-silicon compound by illuminating a surface of said metal silicide film with nitrogen-containing ions either in an oxidation ambient or in a neutral ambient; and (c) a third step of forming a metal film on top of said barrier compound layer of said metal silicide film using a CVD technique, said metal film being in direct contact with said barrier compound layer and comprising, a second metal which comprises one metal selected from a group consisting of an aluminum-containing metal, a copper-containing metal and a tungsten-containing metal.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
103 words
A semiconductor device fabrication method of claim 1, wherein: (a) said semiconductor device fabrication method further includes: after said first step and before said second step, forming an insulator film on said metal silicide film; forming, by selective removal of a portion of said insulator film, a connection hole which extends to said metal silicide film; (b) in said second step, said barrier compound layer is formed in an area of said near-surface region of said metal silicide film exposed to a bottom portion of said connection hole; and (c) in said third step, said connection hole is filled with said second metal.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
71 words
A semiconductor device fabrication method of claim 1, wherein: (a) said semiconductor device fabrication method further includes: after said second step, forming an insulator film on said barrier compound layer of said metal silicide film; forming, by selective removal of a portion of said insulator film, a connection hole which extends to said barrier compound layer; and (b) in said third step, said second metal is deposited in said connection hole.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
72 words
A semiconductor device fabrication method of claim 1, said semiconductor device fabrication method further including after said third step; (a) forming an insulator film on said barrier compound layer of said metal silicide film; (b) forming, by selective removal of a portion of said insulator film, a connection hole which extends to said barrier compound layer; and (c) forming, by deposition of a third metal in said connection hole, a buried layer.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
72 words
A semiconductor device fabrication method of claim 1 wherein in said second step of a plasma generator, in which a lower electrode as a cathode and an upper electrode as an anode are arranged in a chamber of said generator, is used and wherein, with said semiconductor substrate placed on said lower electrode, said metal silicide film is exposed to a plasma of a nitrogen-containing gas to form said barrier compound layer.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
41 words
A semiconductor device fabrication method of claim 1 wherein in said second step a surface of said metal silicide film is illuminated either with ultraviolet light or with ionizing radiation while at the same time being exposed to a nitrogen-containing gas.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
32 words
A semiconductor device fabrication method of claim 1 wherein in said second step a surface of said metal silicide film is exposed to nitrogen-containing ion beams to form said barrier compound layer.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
20 words
A semiconductor device fabrication method of claim 1 wherein said second step is performed at 550 degrees centigrade or less.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
20 words
A semiconductor device fabrication method of claim 1 wherein in said second step said nitrogen-containing gas is N 2 gas.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
46 words
A semiconductor device fabrication method of claim 1 wherein said semiconductor device fabrication method further includes, before said second step, removing a natural oxide layer on said metal silicide film by introducing a hydrogen-containing gas and wherein in said second step an oxygen-containing gas is added.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
31 words
A semiconductor device fabrication method of claim 1 wherein in said second step nitrogen-containing ions are doped into said metal silicide film at an ion energy of 3 keV or less.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
37 words
A semiconductor device fabrication method of claim 1 wherein in said first step a silicide of any one of titanium, cobalt, nickel, tantalum, tungsten, niobium, palladium, platinum or molybdenum is used to form said metal silicide film.
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USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 2002-12-27 | 2003-06-28 | 2003-12-28 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 2006-12-27 | 2007-06-28 | 2007-12-28 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 2010-12-27 | 2011-06-28 | 2011-12-28 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |