Adhesion between dielectric materials

• US 20040101667A1
• Filed: 11/06/2003
• Published: 05/27/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 11/27/2002
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Andrew W. Ott, Bruce J. Tufts, Oʼloughlin, Jennifer
• Original Assignee: Andrew W. Ott, Bruce J. Tufts, Oʼloughlin, Jennifer
• Inventors: Tufts, Bruce J., OʼLoughlin, Jennifer, Ott, Andrew W.
• Application Number:
  US10/703,246
• Publication Number:
  US 20040101667A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 428/209
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/02126 the material containing Si, O, and at least one of H, N, C, F, or other non-metal elements, e.g. SiOC, SiOC:H or SiONC
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/02203 the layer being porous
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/02211 the compound being a silane, e.g. disilane, methylsilane or chlorosilane
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/02216 the compound being a molecule comprising at least one silicon-oxygen bond and the compound having hydrogen or an organic group attached to the silicon or oxygen, e.g. a siloxane
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/02274 in the presence of a plasma [PECVD]
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/0228 deposition by cyclic CVD, e.g. ALD, ALE, pulsed CVD
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/02282 liquid deposition, e.g. spin-coating, sol-gel techniques, spray coating
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/02304 formation of intermediate layers, e.g. buffer layers, layers to improve adhesion, lattice match or diffusion barriers
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/3141 Deposition using atomic layer deposition techniques [ALD]
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/76801 characterised by the formation and the after-treatment of the dielectrics, e.g. smoothing
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/76808 involving intermediate temporary filling with material
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/76813 involving a partial via etch
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/76832 Multiple layers
• 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: Y10T 428/24917 including metal layer
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/24926 including ceramic, glass, porcelain or quartz layer

Abstract

The present invention discloses a method including: determining whether a surface of a dielectric layer is reactive; activating the surface if the surface is not reactive; performing a cycle on the surface, the cycle including: reacting the surface with a metal; and activating the metal.

The present invention also discloses a structure including: a substrate; a first interlayer dielectric located over the substrate; a first adhesion promoter layer located over the first interlayer dielectric; an etch stop layer located over the first adhesion promoter layer; a second adhesion promoter layer located over the etch stop layer; and a second interlayer dielectric located over the second adhesion promoter layer.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

determining whether a surface of a dielectric layer is reactive;

activating said surface if said surface is not reactive;

performing a cycle on said surface, said cycle comprising;

reacting said surface with a metal; and

activating said metal.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein activating involves formation of a hydroxyl bond.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein activating is done with Hydrogen (H₂).

4. The method of claim 1 wherein activating is done with water (H₂O).

5. The method of claim 1 wherein said metal is Titanium.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein said metal is Tantalum.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein said metal is Aluminum.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein said cycle is performed with Atomic Layer Deposition (ALD).

9. The method of claim 1 further comprising repeating said cycle until a total of 5-10 cycles has been performed.

10. A method comprising:

providing a first dielectric layer;

forming a first hydroxyl bond at a surface of said first dielectric layer;

reacting said first hydroxyl bond with a metal;

forming a second hydroxyl bond at a surface of said metal; and

forming a second dielectric layer over said second hydroxyl bond.

11. The method of claim 10 wherein said first dielectric layer is Carbon-doped Oxide (CDO) and said second dielectric layer is Silicon Nitride or Silicon Carbide.

12. The method of claim 10 wherein said first dielectric layer is Silicon Nitride or Silicon Carbide and said second dielectric layer is Carbon-doped Oxide (CDO).

13. The method of claim 10 wherein said metal is Titanium, Tantalum, or Aluminum.

14. A structure comprising:

a substrate;

a first interlayer dielectric disposed over said substrate;

a first adhesion promoter layer disposed over said first interlayer dielectric;

an etch stop layer disposed over said first adhesion promoter layer;

a second adhesion promoter layer disposed over said etch stop layer; and

a second interlayer dielectric disposed over said second adhesion promoter layer.

15. The structure of claim 14 wherein said first and second interlayer dielectric layers each comprises Carbon-doped Oxide (CDO).

16. The structure of claim 14 wherein said first and second adhesion promoter layers each comprises an activated layer and a buffer layer.

17. The structure of claim 14 wherein said first and second adhesion promoter layers each comprises about one monolayer.

18. The structure of claim 14 wherein said first and second adhesion layers each comprises a thickness of about 4-20 Angstroms.

19. The structure of claim 14 wherein said first and second adhesion promoter layers each comprises a metal.