Oxide treatment and pressure control for electrodeposition

• US 20040069651A1
• Filed: 10/15/2002
• Published: 04/15/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 10/15/2002
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Applied Materials Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Applied Materials Incorporated
• Inventors: Herchen, Harald, Padhi, Deenesh, Pham, Quyen, Webb, Timothy R., Trinh, Son N., Hao, Henan
• Application Number:
  US10/273,044
• Publication Number:
  US 20040069651A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 205/205
• CPC Class Codes: C25D 5/34 Pretreatment of metallic surfaces to be electroplated
• CPC Class Codes: C25D 7/123 Semiconductors first coated with a seed layer or a conductive layer

Abstract

Method and apparatus for electrodepositing a metal onto a substrate. An oxide treatment process is performed on a substrate prior to making electrical contact between a seed layer of the substrate and a conductive contact element which provides a current. In one embodiment, the pressure at the interface between the seed layer and the conductive contact element is controlled to avoid detrimentally affecting a material(s) of the substrate.

Claims

1. A method of performing electrodeposition, comprising:

providing a substrate having an oxide layer on a conductive surface thereof;

performing an oxide reduction process on the oxide layer to define an electrical contact area;

contacting the electrical contact area with an electrically conductive contact element, wherein the electrically conductive contact element is connected to a power source;

applying a relative pressure between the electrically conductive contact element and the substrate less than a critical pressure capable of detrimentally deforming at least one material of the substrate; and

electrodepositing a material on the substrate.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the at least one material is a low-k dielectric.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the relative pressure is less than about 60 psi.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the relative pressure is between about 10 psi and about 60 psi.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the relative pressure is between about 10 psi and about 30 psi.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the electrical contact area is an exposed portion of a seed layer.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein performing the oxide reduction process comprises removing at least a portion of the oxide and leaving the conductive layer thereunder generally unaltered.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein performing the oxide reduction process comprises applying an acid to the substrate, wherein the acid is configured to react with the oxide layer to remove oxygen and leave the conductive layer unaltered.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein performing the oxide treatment process comprises chemically reducing at least a portion of the oxide into a metal.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein performing the oxide treatment process comprises dissolving the oxide.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein performing the oxide treatment process comprises exposing the portion of the oxide to a plasma.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein applying the relative pressure comprises inflating a bladder in contact with the substrate.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein the electrically conductive contact element is an inflatable bladder and wherein applying the relative pressure comprises inflating the bladder.

14. The method of claim 1, further comprising performing an oxide treatment process on the electrically conductive contact element prior to contacting the electrical contact area with the electrically conductive contact element.

15. A method of performing an electroplating process, comprising:

providing a substrate comprising a low-k dielectric layer, a seed layer, and an oxide formed on the seed layer;

performing an oxide treatment process on at least a portion of the oxide to expose an electrical contact area of the seed layer;

contacting the electrical contact area with an electrically conductive contact element, wherein the electrically conductive contact element is connected to a power source;

applying a relative pressure between the electrically conductive contact element and the substrate less than a critical pressure capable of detrimentally deforming at least one material of the substrate; and

electroplating a metal on the substrate.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the oxide treatment process is performed in one of a spin-rinse-dry chamber and an integrated bevel clean chamber.

17. The method of claim 15, wherein the relative pressure is less than about 60 psi.

18. The method of claim 15, wherein the relative pressure is between about 10 psi and about 60 psi.

19. The method of claim 15, wherein the relative pressure is between about 10 psi and about 30 psi.

20. The method of claim 15, wherein performing the oxide treatment process comprises applying an acid to the substrate.

21. The method of claim 15, wherein performing the oxide treatment process comprises chemically reducing the oxide into a metal.

22. The method of claim 15, wherein performing the oxide treatment process comprises dissolving the oxide.

23. The method of claim 15, wherein performing the oxide treatment process comprises exposing the portion of the oxide to a plasma.

24. The method of claim 15, wherein applying the relative pressure comprises inflating a bladder in contact with the substrate.

25. The method of claim 15, wherein the electrically conductive contact element is an inflatable bladder and wherein applying the relative pressure comprises inflating the bladder.

26. The method of claim 25, wherein the relative pressure is less than about 60 psi.

27. The method of claim 25, wherein the relative pressure is between about 10 psi and about 60 psi.

28. The method of claim 25, wherein the relative pressure is between about 10 psi and about 30 psi.

29. An electroplating apparatus, comprising:

an oxide removal station;

an electroplating cell defining electrolyte-containing cavity and comprising a compliant electrical contact element configured to apply a relative pressure onto a substrate less than a critical pressure capable of detrimentally deforming at least one material of the substrate;

a power source connected to the electrical contact element; and

at least one robot operable to transport substrates from the oxide removal station to the electroplating cell.

30. The apparatus of claim 29, wherein the oxide treatment station comprises an acid applicator configured to apply an acid to at least a portion of the substrate.

31. The apparatus of claim 29, wherein the oxide treatment station comprises a plasma source.

32. The apparatus of claim 29, wherein the oxide treatment station comprises an integrated bevel clean chamber.

33. The apparatus of claim 32, wherein the integrated bevel clean chamber comprises an acid applicator configured to apply an acid to at least a portion of the substrate.

34. The apparatus of claim 29, wherein the oxide treatment station comprises a spin-rinse-dry chamber.

35. The apparatus of claim 34, wherein the spin-rinse-dry chamber comprises an acid applicator configured to apply an acid to at least a portion of the substrate.