Methods for forming conductive vias in a substrate and electronic devices and systems including an at least partially reversed oxidation injury at an interface between a conductive via and a conductive interconnect structure
Methods for forming conductive vias in a substrate include oxidizing at least a portion of a metallic structure that is exposed through an opening in a substrate to form an oxidation injury in the metallic structure. The oxidation injury is at least partially reversed, and conductive material is provided within the opening in the substrate. Electronic devices and systems include at least one conductive via extending through a substrate and contacting at least one conductive interconnect structure along an interface. The conductive interconnect structure includes an at least partially reversed oxidation injury at the interface between the conductive via and the interconnect structure.
This application is a continuation of Application Ser. No. 10/767,764, filed Jan. 29, 2004, pending.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTIONThe present invention relates generally to the field of semiconductor device fabrication and, more particularly, to methods for improving metal-to-metal contact in vias by decreasing and/or repairing damage to metal layers during formation of damascene structures in semiconductor devices.
The integration of a large number of components on a single integrated circuit (IC) chip requires complex interconnects. Ideally, the interconnect structures should be fabricated with minimal signal delay and optimal packing density. The reliability and performance of integrated circuits may be affected by the quality of their interconnect structures. Advanced multiple metallization layers have been used to accommodate higher packing densities as devices shrink below sub-0.25 micron design rules. One such metallization scheme is a dual damascene structure formed by a dual damascene process. The dual damascene process is a sequential mask/etch process to form a two-level structure, such as a via connected to a metal line situated above the via.
In contrast to a single damascene process, the via and the trench are simultaneously filled with metal. Thus, compared to the single damascene process, the dual damascene process offers the advantage of process simplification and low manufacturing cost.
To improve the performance, reliability and density of the interconnects, the microelectronics industry has recently begun migrating away from the use of aluminum (Al) and/or its alloys for the interconnects. As such, advanced dual damascene processes have begun using copper (Cu) as the material of choice because copper has high conductivity, extremely low resistivity (about 1.7 μΩcm) and good resistance to electromigration. One difficulty encountered with copper is that copper-to-copper connections between the first level interconnect metal layer and a copper via-filling plug are subject to reliability problems due to chemical and physical damage to the first level interconnect metal layer during formation of the dual damascene structure.
As illustrated in
FIG. IF is a detail view of region 190 shown in
In the past, hydrogen plasmas have been used after the wet clean process described above. However, such an approach is disadvantageous because the wet clean process selectively removes copper oxides 121 from first level interconnect metal layer 120, thus giving rise to greater potential for incidence of voids 127 and other anomalies in subsequently formed metal-to-metal contacts, e.g., between via-filling plug 125 and first level interconnect metal layer 120. The present invention advantageously overcomes this problem by at least partly reducing copper oxide to copper before the wet clean process, thus reducing the amount of copper material removed by the wet clean process and concomitantly improving the reliability of subsequently formed metallic connections.
As mentioned above, copper interconnect is the most promising metallization scheme for the future generation high-speed ULSI, primarily because of lower electrical resistivity (1.7 vs. 2.3 μΩcm) and electro/stress-migration resistance than the conventional aluminum-based materials. However, copper metallization suffers from disadvantages, including those described above. As a result, in order to adopt copper interconnects for ULSI, suitable methods for improving the reliability of copper-to-copper contact in vias are needed.
As mentioned above, of the several schemes proposed for fabricating copper interconnects, the most promising method appears to be the dual damascene process shown in
The ordinarily skilled artisan will readily appreciate that a number of processes are known for forming dual damascene structures. For instance, trenches may be etched through the upper insulating layer, after which a further mask may be employed to etch the contact vias, or the etch continues through a previously defined, buried hard mask (the so-called “trench first” approach). Alternatively, vias may first be etched through the upper and lower insulating layers, after which the via in the upper insulating layer may be widened to form a trench (the so-called “via first” approach). The “via first” dual damascene approach has been widely adopted for small geometry devices.
Due to the disadvantageous results (as depicted in
It can thus be seen that a need exists for improved dual damascene processing techniques that provide improved electrical connections in vias.
BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTIONThe present invention, in an exemplary embodiment, makes advantageous use of the reducing properties of hydrogen plasma to avoid the above-described disadvantages in the prior art. According to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, a hydrogen plasma is applied after the barrier layer is opened in dual damascene process integration. Currently known methods for opening barrier layers suffer from the disadvantage that they cause at least some of the underlying copper to oxidize to copper oxide. Because copper oxide is selectively removed by subsequent wet cleaning, voids can form where damaged copper (e.g., copper oxide) is removed, thus compromising the reliability of metal-to-metal contact in the via. The present invention advantageously overcomes this and other disadvantages of the prior art through the use of hydrogen plasma following the barrier layer opening step, which heals damaged copper (e.g. reduces copper oxide to copper), thus preventing and/or diminishing defects in subsequently formed metal-to-metal contacts in vias. In currently preferred embodiments, the application of the hydrogen plasma is carried out in the same substantially vacuum environment, most preferably in the same chamber, as the barrier layer opening step to minimize exposure of the copper to oxidation from ambient air and to simplify fabrication processes.
Following the hydrogen plasma etch step, wet cleaning selectively removes any remaining copper oxide and other contaminants in preparation for formation of the via-filling plug. Since the hydrogen plasma step heals (e.g., reduces copper oxide to copper) the damage to the copper caused by prior processing, less copper is removed by subsequent wet cleaning, and voids are less likely to form in the copper. As a result, improved electrical connection between the first level interconnect metal layer and the conductive plug filling the via is provided by the present invention.
Further advantages of the present invention will be more apparent to the ordinarily skilled artisan from the ensuing detailed description and accompanying drawings, which illustrate what are currently considered to be preferred embodiments of the invention.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWINGSIn the drawings, which illustrate what is currently considered to be the best mode for carrying out the invention:
In the following detailed description, reference is made to various specific embodiments in which the invention may be practiced. These embodiments are described with sufficient detail to enable those skilled in the art to practice the invention, but it is to be understood that other embodiments may be employed and structural and electrical changes may be made without departing from the spirit or scope of the present invention. Currently known methods for forming dual damascene structures are described herein in conjunction with the description of the currently preferred embodiments, but the present invention is intended to subsume all methods currently known or discovered in the future for forming dual damascene structures and other like structures and structures requiring like processing.
The term “substrate” used in the following description may include any semiconductor-based structure that has a semiconductor surface. The term should be understood to include silicon, silicon-on-insulator (SOI), silicon-on-sapphire (SOS), doped and undoped semiconductors, epitaxial layers of silicon supported by a base semiconductor foundation, and other semiconductor structures. The semiconductor need not be silicon-based. The semiconductor could be silicon-germanium, germanium, or gallium arsenide. When reference is made to a “substrate” in the following description, previous process steps may have been utilized to form regions or junctions in or on the base semiconductor or foundation.
The term “copper,” as used herein, is intended to include not only elemental copper, but also copper with other trace metals or in various alloyed combinations with other metals as known in the art, as long as such alloy retains the physical and chemical properties of copper. The term “copper” is also intended to include conductive oxides of copper.
In copper dual damascene etch processes, great care is taken to minimize physical and chemical damage to the lower copper surface. Nonetheless, chemical damage (e.g., oxidation) is unavoidable with known etching techniques. The present invention provides a way to heal surface chemical damage at the end of the dual damascene structure formation loop by applying a hydrogen plasma after the barrier layer removal step exposes the underlying copper layer.
The barrier layer removal step conventionally uses mixtures of fluorocarbons and oxygen to open the barrier layer and expose the underlying copper layer for the second metallization step (e.g., formation of a via-filling plug). If the copper surface is oxidized, it can be removed by subsequent wet clean chemistries applied prior to metallization, thus giving rise to greater potential for compromised reliability in metal-to-metal connection in the via.
According to the present invention, a hydrogen plasma is applied after the barrier layer opening step of the etch process to reduce damaged copper (e.g., copper oxide) to copper and thereby heal damage to the copper layer. In currently preferred embodiments, the application of the hydrogen plasma is carried out in the same substantially vacuum environment, more preferably in the same chamber, as the barrier layer removal step to minimize exposure to oxidation from ambient air and to simplify fabrication processes. In this way, the amount of damaged copper removed during wet cleaning is minimized, and the potential for undercutting of copper from beneath the barrier layer (e.g., resulting in the formation of voids) is diminished. As a result, the present invention helps improve metal-to-metal contact in vias in damascene structures formed according to the methods of the invention.
Rather than removing damaged copper (e.g., copper oxide) formed during the barrier layer opening step, the damaged copper is healed (e.g., reduced) by the methods according to the invention. Consequently, subsequent wet cleaning removes less copper material, thus improving the reliability of metal-to-metal connection formed in the via.
Conventional etchants used to open the barrier layer damage the underlying copper layer through, for example, oxidation. Oxidizing ions in conventional etchants strike the copper layer during barrier layer removal, thereby oxidizing the copper to copper oxide. The present invention overcomes the disadvantages of the prior art by healing this damage to the copper layer. In currently preferred embodiments, a hydrogen plasma is applied before a wafer is removed from the vacuum environment in which the barrier layer removal step is performed. The hydrogen plasma can be applied in the same chamber as the barrier layer removal step is performed or in a different chamber. It is currently preferred to apply the hydrogen plasma in the same chamber as the barrier layer removal step is performed in order to minimize the exposure of the wafer to ambient air, which can oxidize the copper to copper oxide. In this way, damaged copper (e.g., copper oxide) is healed (e.g., reduced), and further damage is prevented.
The hydrogen plasma can additionally include inert gases, such as argon and nitrogen, to facilitate contact between hydrogen ions and the damaged copper (e.g., copper oxide). The exposure to the hydrogen plasma is preferably in the range of 10 to 60 seconds, more preferably in the range of 10 to 30 seconds. The ordinarily skilled artisan will be able to determine the appropriate duration of the hydrogen plasma exposure in view of the composition of the plasma and the materials of the wafer being treated.
The pressure of the hydrogen plasma must be sufficient to create good plasma density, for example, about 100 milliTorr. The energy for the reaction comes from the reduction process, so temperature does not have a significant impact on reaction rate.
According to current belief, the present invention may be used with metal layers of copper, as well as quasi-noble metals that have less stable oxides, such as, for example, palladium, platinum, nickel, copper, gold, silver, and cobalt, since oxides of these metals are easily reducible.
In one embodiment, the first intermetal insulating layer 255 is formed of a conventional insulating oxide, such as silicon oxide (SiO2). In alternative embodiments, the first intermetal insulating layer 255 is formed of a low dielectric constant material such as, for example, polyimide, spin-on-polymers (SOP), parylene, flare, polyarylethers, polytetrafluoroethylene, benzocyclobutene (BCB), SILK, fluorinated silicon oxide (FSG), NANOGLASS® or hydrogen silsesquioxane, among others. The present invention is not limited, however, to the above-listed materials, as other insulating and/or dielectric materials known in the industry may also be used.
The optional etch stop layer 256 and the barrier layer 254 can be formed of any appropriate etch stop material, such as, but not limited to, silicon nitride (Si3N4).
Thus, as shown in
After the formation of the via 265 through the second and first intermetal insulating layers 257, 255 and optional etch stop layer 256, a trench 267, as shown in
The etching of the trench 267 may be accomplished using the same etchant employed to form the via 265, as shown in
Subsequent to the formation of trench 267, the second photoresist layer 262 is removed so that further steps to create the copper dual damascene structure 200, shown in
Whether a “trench first” or a “via first” approach to damascene process integration is used, a reducing plasma is applied after barrier layer 254 is opened.
In one embodiment according to the teachings of the present invention, the diffusion barrier layer 272 is formed of tungsten-nitride (WN2) by atomic layer deposition (“ALD”). One example of a method for depositing tungsten-nitride (WN2) by atomic layer deposition is described in an article by Krause, J. W. et al., entitled “Atomic Layer Deposition of Tungsten Nitride Films Using Sequential Surface Reaction,” Journal of Electrochemical Soc., 147:3, 1175-81 (2000). According to the teachings of the invention, a thin layer of WN2 prepared by ALD is used as the diffusion barrier layer 272 in building copper interconnects for semiconductor devices. According to one embodiment of the invention, the deposition of the tungsten nitride film as the diffusion barrier layer 272 is performed at a temperature of about 600 to 800 degrees Kelvin. In one embodiment according to the teachings of the present invention, a tungsten-nitride (WN2) layer is formed as the diffusion barrier layer 272 such that the diffusion barrier layer 272 is less than five atomic layers thick. According to the teachings of the present invention, these atomic layers are so uniform that a vertical wall as well as a short sidewall obtain an equal thickness. In these embodiments, x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy depth profiling experiments evidence that the film diffusion barrier layer 272 has a WN2 stoichiometry with low C and O impurity concentrations. Further, x-ray diffraction investigation reveals that the tungsten nitride films serving as the diffision barrier layer 272 are microcrystalline. Atomic force microscopy measurements of the deposited film serving as the diffusion barrier layer 272 evidence a remarkably flat surface indicating smooth film growth for the diffusion barrier layer 272.
In one embodiment of the invention, the tungsten-nitride (WN2) diffusion barrier layer 272 is simultaneously deposited in both the via 265 and the trench 267. However, the invention is not limited to this embodiment. Thus, in an alternative embodiment, the tungsten-nitride (WN2) diffusion barrier layer 272 is deposited first in the via 265 before the formation of the trench 267, and then in the trench 267 after its respective formation. According to the teachings of the present invention, in the case of either embodiment, after the formation of the diffusion barrier layer 272, horizontal portions of the tungsten-nitride (WN2) material, serving as the diffusion barrier layer 272, which formed above a top surface of the second intermetal insulating layer 257 are removed by either an etching or a polishing technique to form the structure illustrated in
In one embodiment according to the teachings of the present invention, copper films are deposited by selective CVD at a temperature of about 300-400° Celsius in an atmosphere of pure H2 from the β-diketonate precursor bis (6,6,7,8,8,8-heptafluoro-2,2-dimethyl 1-3,5-octanedione) copper (II), Cu(fod)2. In an alternative embodiment according to the teachings of the present invention, copper films are deposited by selective CVD at a temperature of about 300-400°Celsius in an atmosphere of pure H2 or Ar from the β-diketonate precursor bis (6,6,7,8,8,8-heptafluoro-2,2-dimethyl 1-3,5-octanedione) copper (II), Cu(fod)2. According to the teachings of the present invention, the reactor is first pumped down to a base pressure of less than 5×10−7 Torr. Then, the source compound is introduced into the sublimator, which is heated to between 40 and 75° Celsius. A mass flow controller is employed to control the flow of the mixed gas precursor into the reactor. Deposition is carried out using argon and hydrogen as carrier gases. According to the teachings of the present invention, the substrates are heated from 300 to 400° Celsius. The pressure during deposition ranges between 1 and 10 Torr, and gas flow ranges from 30 to 55 sccm.
Since the temperatures involved in the embodiments of the present invention are relatively low, any low-k dielectric material, including polymers, which can withstand the above temperature range (300-400° C.), can be readily used with this technology as interlayer dielectrics, e.g., the first and second intermetal insulating layers 255, 257.
As one of ordinary skill in the art will appreciate upon reading this disclosure, the above-described embodiments for selectively depositing conductive material 280 by chemical vapor deposition (CVD) at a low temperature, according to the teachings of the present invention, helps to reduce the amount of wasted copper in the process.
According to the teachings of the present invention, the selective deposition of copper by CVD described above is not the only method that can be employed for depositing the conductive material 280. According to another embodiment of the invention, copper can be selectively deposited by an electroless plating technique. In some instance, an electroless plating technique is more attractive than conventional electroplating methods. For example, in some embodiments, electroless plating is more advantageous than electroplating because of the low cost of tools and materials. An example of a study for electroless plating is provided in an article by Shacham-Diamand et al., entitled “Copper Electroless Deposition Technology for Ultra-Large-Scale Integration (ULSI) Metallization,” Microelectronic Engineering, Vol. 33, pp. 47-48 (1997), the disclosure of which is incorporated by reference herein. As will be understood by one of ordinary skill in the art upon reading this disclosure, electroless plating has a very high selectivity, excellent step coverage and good via/trench filling because of the very thin seed layers formed by the electroless plating method.
In the article by Shacham-Diamand et al., three practical seeding methods for the electroless deposition of copper, which can be used with the present invention, are presented. The three practical seeding methods for the electroless deposition of copper are: (1) noble metal seeding, typically on gold, palladium or platinum; (2) copper seeding using an aluminum sacrificial layer; and (3) wet activation of surfaces using a contact displacement method. The article by Shacham-Diamand et al. demonstrates the successful use of the third method to deposit copper on Ti/TiN or TiN/AlCu at room temperature.
Although only one copper dual damascene structure, e.g., structure 200, is shown in
As one of ordinary skill in the art will understand from reading this disclosure, further steps to create a functional memory cell or other integrated circuit component having the interconnects of the present invention can be carried out. Hence, additional multilevel interconnect layers and associated dielectric layers can be formed to create operative electrical paths from any of the copper damascene structures 200, 400 to appropriate regions of a circuit integrated on a substrate.
In the case of a computer system 500, the processor-based system may include peripheral devices such as a floppy disk drive 554 and a compact disc CD-ROM drive 556, which also communicates with CPU 544 over the bus 552. According to the teachings of the present invention, memory circuit 548 can be constructed as an integrated circuit, including one or more copper damascene structures as described above in connection with
Although the present invention has been described with respect to the illustrated embodiments, various additions, deletions and modifications are contemplated as being within its scope. The scope of the invention is, therefore, indicated by the ensuing claims, rather than the foregoing description. All changes that come within the meaning and range of equivalency of the claims are to be embraced within their scope.
Claims
1. A method for forming a conductive via in a substrate, comprising: oxidizing at least a portion of a metallic structure exposed through an opening in a substrate to form
- an oxidation injury in at least a portion of the metallic structure; at least partially reversing the oxidation injury in the at least a portion of the metallic structure; and providing conductive material within the opening in the substrate, the conductive material
- communicating electrically with the conductive structure.
2. The method according to claim 1, wherein oxidizing at least a portion of a metallic structure comprises oxidizing at least a portion of a metallic structure comprising copper.
3. The method according to claim 1, further comprising forming the metallic structure on or in the substrate from at least one metal selected from the group consisting of palladium, platinum, nickel, copper, gold, silver, and cobalt prior to oxidizing the at least a portion of the metallic structure.
4. The method according to claim 1, wherein at least partially reversing the oxidation injury in the at least a portion of the metallic structure comprises exposing the oxidation injury to a reducing plasma.
5. The method according to claim 4, wherein exposing the oxidation injury to a reducing plasma comprises exposing the oxidation injury to hydrogen ions.
6. The method according to claim 5, wherein exposing the oxidation injury to a reducing plasma further comprises exposing the oxidation injury to a reducing plasma including atoms or ions of an inert gas.
7. The method according to claim 1, wherein oxidizing at least a portion of a metallic structure exposed through an opening in a substrate to form an oxidation injury in at least a portion of the metallic structure comprises forming copper oxide.
8. The method according to claim 7, wherein at least partially reversing the oxidation injury in the at least a portion of the metallic structure comprises reducing the copper oxide to copper.
9. The method according to claim 1, wherein providing conductive material within the opening in the substrate comprises forming a metallic plug that passes through a plurality of intermetal insulating layers.
10. The method according to claim 1, wherein oxidizing at least a portion of a metallic structure comprises oxidizing at least a portion of a metallic structure in a chamber, and wherein at least partially reversing the oxidation injury comprises at least partially reversing the oxidation injury in the chamber without removing the substrate from the chamber after oxidizing at least a portion of a metallic structure in a chamber.
11. The method according to claim 1, further comprising forming a diffusion barrier layer comprising tungsten-nitride over the substrate within the opening before providing conductive material within the opening in the substrate.
12. The method according to claim 1, further comprising providing a cleaning agent within the opening in the substrate before providing conductive material within the opening in the substrate.
13. The method according to claim 12, wherein providing a cleaning agent within the opening in the substrate comprises providing aqueous dilute hydrofluoric acid within the opening in the substrate.
14. An electronic device comprising at least one conductive via extending through a substrate and contacting at least one conductive interconnect structure along an interface, the conductive interconnect structure including an at least partially reversed oxidation injury at the interface between the at least one conductive via and the at least one conductive interconnect structure.
15. The electronic device of claim 14, wherein the at least one conductive interconnect structure comprises a conductive trace or a conductive pad.
16. The electronic device of claim 14, wherein the at least one conductive via and the at least one conductive interconnect each comprise copper.
17. The electronic device of claim 14, wherein the at least partially reversed oxidation injury comprises a partially reversed oxidation injury, the partially reversed oxidation injury comprising:
- a first region comprising substantially pure metal; and
- at least a second region comprising a metal oxide.
18. The electronic device of claim 17, wherein the substantially pure metal comprises copper, and wherein the metal oxide comprises copper oxide.
19. An electronic system, comprising:
- a microprocessor; and
- an integrated circuit coupled to the microprocessor;
- wherein at least one of the microprocessor and the integrated circuit comprises at least one conductive via extending through a substrate and contacting at least one conductive interconnect structure along an interface, the conductive interconnect structure including an at least partially reversed oxidation injury at the interface between the at least one conductive via and the at least one conductive interconnect structure.
20. The electronic system of claim 19, wherein the microprocessor and the integrated circuit are integrated on the same chip.
Type: Application
Filed: Sep 5, 2006
Publication Date: Jan 11, 2007
Inventors: Max Hineman (Boise, ID), Stephen Russell (Boise, ID)
Application Number: 11/516,096
International Classification: H01L 23/52 (20060101); H01L 21/4763 (20060101);