PROCESS FOR FORMING COBALT-CONTAINING MATERIALS

• US 20120264291A1
• Filed: 04/20/2012
• Published: 10/18/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 07/25/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Applied Materials Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Applied Materials Incorporated
• Inventors: Ganguli, Seshadri, Chu, Schubert S., Chang, Mei, Yu, Sang-Ho, Moraes, Kevin, Phan, See-Eng
• Granted Patent: US 8,815,724 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 438/653
• CPC Class Codes: C23C 16/18 from metallo-organic compounds
• CPC Class Codes: C23C 16/42 Silicides
• CPC Class Codes: C23C 16/56 After-treatment
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/0206 during, before or after processing of insulating layers
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/02063 the processing being the formation of vias or contact holes
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/28518 the conductive layers comprising silicides H01L21/28537 takes precedence
• 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 21/67207 comprising a chamber adapted to a particular process
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/68785 characterised by the mechanical construction of the susceptor, stage or support
• 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 29/665 using self aligned silicidation, i.e. salicide formation of conductive layers comprising silicides H01L21/28518
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 29/78 with field effect produced by an insulated gate H01L29/7725, H01L29/775, H01L29/778 take precedence

Abstract

Embodiments of the invention described herein generally provide methods and apparatuses for forming cobalt silicide layers, metallic cobalt layers, and other cobalt-containing materials. In one embodiment, a method for forming a cobalt silicide containing material on a substrate is provided which includes exposing a substrate to at least one preclean process to expose a silicon-containing surface, depositing a cobalt silicide material on the silicon-containing surface, depositing a metallic cobalt material on the cobalt silicide material, and depositing a metallic contact material on the substrate. In another embodiment, a method includes exposing a substrate to at least one preclean process to expose a silicon-containing surface, depositing a cobalt silicide material on the silicon-containing surface, expose the substrate to an annealing process, depositing a barrier material on the cobalt silicide material, and depositing a metallic contact material on the barrier material.

Claims

1. A method of forming a copper material on a substrate, sequentially comprising:

exposing the substrate to a first argon plasma during a plasma cleaning process;

depositing a tantalum nitride layer over the substrate by physical vapor deposition;

exposing the tantalum nitride layer to a plasma comprising argon and hydrogen during a plasma treatment process;

depositing a cobalt layer having a thickness within a range from about 10 angstroms to about 100 angstroms over the substrate during a chemical vapor deposition process, wherein the substrate is exposed to dicobalt hexacarbonyl butylacetylene or cyclopentadienyl cobalt bis(carbonyl) during the chemical vapor deposition process;

exposing the cobalt layer to a second argon plasma; and

depositing a copper layer over the substrate during an electrochemical plating process.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising performing an etching process after the depositing a copper layer.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the first argon plasma is generated at a power setting between about 500 watts and about 2000 watts.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the cobalt layer has a thickness within a range from about 40 angstroms to about 50 angstroms.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising depositing a tantalum layer prior to depositing the tantalum nitride layer.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the depositing a copper layer comprises:

depositing a copper seed layer by physical vapor deposition; and

depositing a copper bulk layer on the copper seed layer by electrochemical plating.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the exposing the substrate to the first argon plasma comprises cyclically generating a plasma from argon and purging the argon from a process chamber.

5. (canceled)

9. A method of forming a copper material on a substrate, sequentially comprising:

exposing the substrate to a first argon plasma;

depositing a tantalum nitride layer over the substrate by atomic layer deposition, wherein the tantalum nitride layer is formed by reacting pentakis(dimethylamino)tantalum and a nitrogen-containing precursor;

exposing the tantalum nitride layer to a plasma comprising argon and hydrogen during a plasma treatment process;

depositing a cobalt layer having a thickness within a range from about 20 angstroms to about 70 angstroms over the substrate during a chemical vapor deposition process, wherein the substrate is exposed to dicobalt hexacarbonyl butylacetylene during the chemical vapor deposition process, and wherein the depositing a cobalt layer comprises cyclically depositing cobalt and exposing the deposited cobalt to argon plasma; and

depositing a copper layer over the substrate during an electrochemical plating process.

11. The method of claim 9, wherein depositing the copper layer comprises:

depositing a copper seed layer by physical vapor deposition; and

depositing a copper bulk layer on the copper seed layer by electrochemical plating.

12. The method of claim 9, further comprising performing an etching process after the depositing a copper layer.

13. The method of claim 9, wherein the nitrogen-containing precursor is ammonia.

14. The method of claim 9, wherein the substrate is exposed to the first argon plasma for about 30 seconds to about 4 minutes, and wherein the plasma is generated at a power setting between about 900 watts and about 1800 watts.

10. (canceled)

15. A method of forming a copper material on a substrate, sequentially comprising:

exposing the substrate to a first argon plasma;

depositing a tantalum nitride layer over the substrate by atomic layer deposition, wherein the tantalum nitride layer is formed by reacting pentakis(dimethylamino)tantalum and a nitrogen-containing precursor;

exposing the tantalum nitride layer to a plasma comprising argon and hydrogen during a plasma treatment process;

depositing a cobalt layer having a thickness within a range from about 20 angstroms to about 70 angstroms over the substrate during a plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposition process, wherein the substrate is exposed to dicobalt hexacarbonyl butylacetylene during the plasma enhanced chemical vapor deposition process; and

depositing a copper layer over the substrate during an electrochemical plating process.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein depositing the copper layer comprises:

depositing a copper seed layer by physical vapor deposition; and

depositing a copper bulk layer on the copper seed layer by electrochemical plating.

17. The method of claim 15, further comprising depositing a tantalum layer prior to depositing the tantalum nitride layer.

18. The method of claim 15, further comprising performing an etching process after the depositing a copper layer.