US6482733B2
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Protective layers prior to alternating layer deposition
Assignee: ASM International NV
•
Filing: 2001-04-26
•
Granted: 2002-11-19
•
Expires: 2021-04-26
Abstract
Abstract Method and structures are provided for conformal lining of dual damascene structures in integrated circuits, and particularly of openings formed in porous materials. Trenches and contact vias are formed in insulating layers. The pores on the sidewalls of the trenches and vias are blocked, and then the structure is exposed to alternating chemistries to form monolayers of a desired lining material. In exemplary process flows chemical or physical vapor deposition (CVD or PVD) of a sealing layer blocks the pores due to imperfect conformality, and is followed by an atomic layer deposition (ALD), particularly alternately pulsed metal halide and ammonia gases injected into a constant carrier flow. An alternating process can also be arranged to function in CVD-mode within pores of the insulator, since the reactants do not easily purge from the pores between pulses. Self-terminated metal layers are thus reacted with nitrogen. Near perfect step coverage allows minimal thickness for a diffusion barrier function, thereby maximizing the volume of a subsequent filling metal for any given trench and via dimensions.
Inventors
- 👤 Ivo Raaijmakers
- 👤 Pekka T. Soininen
- 👤 Ernst H. A. Granneman
- 👤 Suvi P. Haukka
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-09 00:56
CPC Classifications
C; C23; C23C; C23C16/00; C23C16/04; C23C16/045; C23C16/44; C23C16/455; C23C16/45523; C23C16/45525; H; H10; H10P; H10P14/00; H10P14/40; H10P14/412; H10P14/42; H10P14/43; H10P14/432; H10W; H10W20/00; H10W20/01; H10W20/031; H10W20/032; H10W20/033; H10W20/034; H10W20/042; H10W20/043; H10W20/047; H10W20/048; H10W20/052; H10W20/0526; H10W20/071; H10W20/074; H10W20/076; H10W20/081; H10W20/084; H10W20/086; H10W20/093; H10W20/095; H10W20/097; H10W20/40; H10W20/41; H10W20/42; H10W20/425
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 29
Claim 1
Independent Claim
91 words
A damascene metallization process, comprising: forming a trench in a desired wiring pattern in a porous insulating layer above a semiconductor substrate; forming a contact via extending downwardly from a floor of the trench to expose at least part of an underlying conductive element; blocking pores in an insulating layer sidewall partially defining the trench; after blocking the pores, lining surfaces of the trench and contact via with no more than about one monolayer by exposure to a first reactant species; and reacting a second reactant species with the lining monolayer.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
91 words
A damascene metallization process, comprising: forming a trench in a desired wiring pattern in a porous insulating layer above a semiconductor substrate; forming a contact via extending downwardly from a floor of the trench to expose at least part of an underlying conductive element; blocking pores in an insulating layer sidewall partially defining the trench; after blocking the pores, lining surfaces of the trench and contact via with no more than about one monolayer by exposure to a first reactant species; and reacting a second reactant species with the lining monolayer.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
30 words
The method of claim 1 , wherein lining comprises supplying a first chemistry excluding the second reactant species and reacting comprises supplying a second chemistry excluding the first reactant species.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
33 words
The method of claim 2 , further comprising repeatedly alternating supplying the first chemistry and supplying the second chemistry until a layer forms having a thickness between about 20 Å and 200 Å.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
24 words
The method of claim 2 , further comprising supplying a carrier gas while repeatedly alternating supplying the first chemistry and supplying the second chemistry.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
22 words
The method of claim 4 , wherein the carrier gas purges reactants between supplying the first chemistry and supplying the second chemistry.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
34 words
The method of claim 5 , wherein supplying the first chemistry is stopped and the reaction chamber is purged with more than about two chamber volumes of purge gas before supplying the second chemistry.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
16 words
The method of claim 1 , wherein lining comprises forming a film in a self-limiting reaction.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
16 words
The method of claim 7 , wherein the film formed in the self-limiting reaction is halogen-terminated.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
22 words
The method of claim 8 , further comprising removing the halogen termination after lining and prior to reacting the second reactant species.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
17 words
The method of claim 9 , wherein removing comprises exposing the halogen termination to a reducing species.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
13 words
The method of claim 10 , wherein the reducing species comprises triethyl boron.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
15 words
The method of claim 1 , wherein the first reactant species comprises a metal alklyamine.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
30 words
The method of claim 1 , wherein the first reactant species is a volatile metal organic compound, and the lining comprises forming a metal-containing film including an organic surface termination.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
16 words
The method of claim 1 , wherein the first reactant species comprises a volatile metal halide.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
13 words
The method of claim 1 , wherein blocking comprises a non-ALD deposition process.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
12 words
The method of claim 15 , wherein blocking comprises a CVD process.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
12 words
The method of claim 15 , wherein blocking comprises a PVD process.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim
14 words
The method of claim 15 , wherein blocking comprises forming a conductive sealing layer.
Claim 20
Dependent Claim
26 words
The method of claim 18 , wherein blocking comprises penetrating the porous insulating layer with continuous blocking material to no more than about three pore depths.
Claim 21
Dependent Claim
15 words
The method of claim 1 , wherein the porous insulating layer comprises a spin-on xerogel.
Claim 22
Dependent Claim
17 words
The method of claim 1 , wherein the porosity of the insulating layer is greater than 50%.
Claim 23
Dependent Claim
36 words
The method of claim 1 , wherein blocking comprises depositing material at a via bottom by a non-ALD process to a thickness between about 50% and 150% of the average pore size of the insulating layer.
Claim 24
Dependent Claim
19 words
The method of claim 1 , wherein the insulating layer has a dielectric constant of less than about 2.5.
Claim 25
Dependent Claim
12 words
The method of claim 1 , wherein blocking comprises alternatingly supplying reactants.
Claim 26
Dependent Claim
37 words
The method of claim 24 , comprising introducing a first gaseous reactant species into the pores of the insulating layer sidewall, stopping flow of the first reactant and subsequently introducing a second gaseous reactant into the pores.
Claim 27
Dependent Claim
29 words
The method of claim 25 , wherein the second reactant species that reacts with residual amounts of the first gaseous reactant species within the pores of the insulating layer.
Claim 28
Dependent Claim
21 words
The method of claim 26 , wherein blocking comprises depositing a conductive material to seal the pores of the insulating layer.
Claim 29
Dependent Claim
14 words
The method of claim 24 , wherein blocking comprises forming a conductive sealing layer.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
US4058430A
Cited
US4413022A
Cited
US5769950A
Cited
US4747367A
Cited
US4761269A
Cited
US5071670A
Cited
US5306666A
Cited
US5711811A
Cited
WO1996017107A1
Cited
DE19627017A1
Cited
US5916365A
Cited
US5904565A
Cited
US5879459A
Cited
DE19820147A1
Cited
WO1999041423A2
Cited
US6077775A
Cited
US6083818A
Cited
US6380065B1
Cited
USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 2005-11-18 | 2006-05-20 | 2006-11-19 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 2009-11-18 | 2010-05-20 | 2010-11-19 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 2013-11-18 | 2014-05-20 | 2014-11-19 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |