Enhancement of an interconnect

• US 20030137050A1
• Filed: 11/12/2002
• Published: 07/24/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 01/18/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Andrew W. Ott, Christine S. Hau-Riege, Stephen T. Chambers, Valery M. Dubin
• Original Assignee: Andrew W. Ott, Christine S. Hau-Riege, Stephen T. Chambers, Valery M. Dubin
• Inventors: Dubin, Valery M., Ott, Andrew W., Chambers, Stephen T., Hau-Riege, Christine S.
• Granted Patent: US 7,135,775 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 257/750
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/2885 using an external electrical current, i.e. electro-deposition
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/76834 formation of thin insulating films on the sidewalls or on top of conductors H01L21/76831 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/76877 Filling of holes, grooves or trenches, e.g. vias, with conductive material
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/76886 Modifying permanently or temporarily the pattern or the conductivity of conductive members, e.g. formation of alloys, reduction of contact resistances
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 23/53233 Copper alloys
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/00 Indexing scheme for arrangements or methods for connecting or disconnecting semiconductor or solid-state bodies as covered by H01L24/00
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/0002 Not covered by any one of groups H01L24/00, H01L24/00 and H01L2224/00

Abstract

A method, apparatus, system, and machine-readable medium for an interconnect structure in a semiconductor device and its method of formation is disclosed. Embodiments comprise a carbon-doped and silicon-doped interconnect having a concentration of silicon to avoid to forming a copper silicide layer between an interconnect and a passivation layer. Some embodiments provide unexpected results in electromigration reliability in regards to activation energy and/or mean time to failure.

Claims

1. A apparatus, comprising:

a substrate having an interconnect feature;

a carbon-doped and silicon-doped copper interconnect coupled with the interconnect feature of said substrate; and

a passivation layer coupled with and adjacent to said carbon-doped and silicon-doped copper interconnect.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising packaging coupled with said substrate and said passivation layer to protect said apparatus from damage.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said carbon-doped and silicon-doped copper interconnect comprises a substantially uniform distribution of carbon.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said carbon-doped and silicon-doped copper interconnect comprises a carbon doping in a range from approximately 4 parts per million to 100 parts per million.

5. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said carbon-doped and silicon-doped copper interconnect comprises a substantially uniform distribution of silicon.

6. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said carbon-doped and silicon-doped copper interconnect comprises a silicon doping in a range from approximately 300 parts per million to 900 parts per million.

7. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said substrate comprises:

a circuit layer with contacts;

a dielectric layer coupled with the circuit layer to isolate the contacts and to form the interconnect feature to couple with the contacts; and

a barrier layer of substantially uniform thickness overlying said dielectric layer to attenuate diffusion from said carbon-doped and silicon-doped copper interconnect into said substrate.

8. An apparatus, comprising:

a substrate having an interconnect feature;

a carbon-doped and silicon-doped copper interconnect coupled with the interconnect feature of said substrate, having a concentration of silicon distributed to avoid formation of a copper silicide layer; and

a passivation layer coupled with the carbon-doped and silicon-doped copper interconnect.

9. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein said carbon-doped and silicon-doped copper interconnect comprises a signaling medium formed by:

forming a seed layer of copper overlying a barrier layer;

forming a carbon-doped copper interconnect overlying the seed layer and in the interconnect feature; and

annealing the seed layer and the carbon-doped copper interconnect to diffuse carbon into the seed layer.

10. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein said carbon-doped and silicon-doped copper interconnect comprises a signaling medium formed by electroplating with copper using a plating solution comprising electrolyte and an organic additive, wherein carbon is doped from the plating solution.