Organometallic precursors for the chemical phase deposition of metal films in interconnect applications

• US 20060223300A1
• Filed: 03/31/2005
• Published: 10/05/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 03/31/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Intel Corporation
• Original Assignee: Intel Corporation
• Inventors: Johnston, Steven, Dominguez, Juan, Lavoie, Adrien, Simka, Harsono, O'Brien, Kevin
• Granted Patent: US 7,220,671 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 438/618
• CPC Class Codes: C23C 16/18 from metallo-organic compounds
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/28556 by chemical means, e.g. CVD, LPCVD, PECVD, laser CVD H01L21/28518 - H01L21/28537 and H01L21/28568 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/28562 Selective deposition
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/76843 formed in openings in a dielectric
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/76846 Layer combinations
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/76855 After-treatment introducing at least one additional element into the layer
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/76856 by treatment in plasmas or gaseous environments, e.g. nitriding a refractory metal liner
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/76858 by diffusing alloying elements
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/76862 Bombardment with particles, e.g. treatment in noble gas plasmas; UV irradiation
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/76864 Thermal treatment
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/76871 Layers specifically deposited to enhance or enable the nucleation of further layers, i.e. seed layers
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/76873 for electroplating

Abstract

Chemical phase deposition processes utilizing organometallic precursors to form thin films are herein described. The organometallic precursors may include a single metal center or multiple metal centers. The chemical phase deposition may be chemical vapor deposition (CVD), atomic layer deposition (ALD), or hybrid CVD and ALD. The use of these chemical phase deposition processes with the organometallic precursors allows for the conformal deposition of films within openings having widths of less than 100 nm and more particularly less than 50 nm to form thin films such as barrier layers, seed layers, and adhesion layers.

Claims

1. A method of forming a film for an interconnect, comprising:

providing a chemical phase deposition organometallic precursor within a chemical phase deposition chamber; and

depositing a metal film onto a substrate with the organometallic precursor by a chemical phase deposition process.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the chemical phase deposition process is selected from the group consisting of chemical vapor deposition, atomic layer deposition, and hybrid CVD/ALD.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the atomic layer deposition comprises pulsing a first organometallic precursor in a first pulse, pulsing a co-reactant in a second pulse after the first pulse, and pulsing a second organometallic precursor in a third pulse after the second pulse.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein the atomic layer deposition comprises pulsing a first organometallic precursor and a second organometallic precursor concurrently during a first pulse and pulsing a co-reactant in a second pulse after the first pulse.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein providing the chemical phase organometallic precursor comprises providing an organometallic compound comprising a single metal center.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein providing the chemical phase organometallic precursor comprises providing an organometallic compound comprising multiple metal centers.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein depositing the metal film onto the substrate with the organometallic precursor by the chemical phase deposition process comprises depositing the organometallic precursor at a temperature of less than approximately 400°

C.

8. A method of forming an interconnect, comprising:

forming an opening within a dielectric layer; and

depositing a thin metal film within the opening by a chemical phase deposition process utilizing an organometallic precursor.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein depositing the thin metal film within the trench comprises forming a barrier layer, a seed layer, or an adhesion layer.

10. The method of claim 8, wherein depositing the thin metal film within the trench comprises depositing a film having a thickness of less than 50 Å

.

11. The method of claim 8, wherein the organometallic precursor comprises a metal and a ligand.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the metal has seed layer properties and is selected from the group consisting of Cu, Ru, Pd, Pt, Ir, and Ni.

13. The method of claim 11, wherein the metal has barrier layer properties and is selected from the group consisting of Ta, Ti, Re, Mo, W, Zr, Hf, and Co.

14. The method of claim 11, wherein the ligand is selected from the group consisting of hydrogen, an alkyl, an allyl, an aryl, a silyl, a carbonyl, a polycyclic aryl, an amine, an alkoxide, a siloxyl, a phosphine, a polycyclic, or a heteronuclear polycyclic.

15. The method of claim 8, wherein the thin metal film is a concentration gradient of at least two different metals.

16. The method of claim 8, further comprising incorporating carbon into the thin metal film.

17. The method of claim 8, further comprising a post-deposition process, wherein the post-deposition process segregates metals within the film or diffuses a light element atom within the film.

18. A method of forming a barrier layer, comprising:

forming an opening within a dielectric layer formed over a substrate, the opening having an aspect ratio in the approximate range of 2;

1 and 5;

1 height to width; and

depositing a tantalum carbide film by atomic layer deposition utilizing an organometallic precursor comprising TaCp₂H₃ and a co-reactant comprising hydrogen.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein the substrate has a temperature in the approximate range of 300°

C. and 400°

C. while deposition the tantalum carbide film.

20. The method of claim 18, further comprising applying a plasma while depositing the tantalum carbide film.