METHOD FOR PRODUCING SALICIDE AND A CARBON NANOTUBE METAL CONTACT

• US 20150235958A1
• Filed: 02/14/2014
• Published: 08/20/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 02/14/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company Limited
• Original Assignee: Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company Limited
• Inventors: LIN, YU-HUNG, YEH, CHING-FU, CHANG, CHIH-WEI
• Granted Patent: US 9,391,023 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/28518 the conductive layers comprising silicides H01L21/28537 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/28562 Selective deposition
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/32053 of metal-silicide layers
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/7684 Smoothing; Planarisation
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/76843 formed in openings in a dielectric
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/76855 After-treatment introducing at least one additional element into the layer
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/76876 for deposition from the gas phase, e.g. CVD
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/76879 by selective deposition of conductive material in the vias, e.g. selective C.V.D. on semiconductor material, plating plating on semiconductors in general H01L21/288
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/76883 Post-treatment or after-treatment of the conductive material
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/76897 Formation of self-aligned vias or contact plugs, i.e. involving a lithographically uncritical step self-aligned silicidation on field effect transistors H01L29/665
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2221/1094 Conducting structures comprising nanotubes or nanowires
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 23/485 consisting of layered constructions comprising conductive layers and insulating layers, e.g. planar contacts H01L23/4821, H01L23/4822, H01L23/4824, H01L23/4825 take precedence; materials H01L23/532, bond pads H01L24/02, bump connectors H01L24/10
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 23/53276 containing carbon, e.g. fullerenes superconducting fullerenes H10N60/853
• 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 for producing a metal contact in a semiconductor device is disclosed. The method comprises depositing a catalyst layer in a via hole, forming a catalyst from the deposited catalyst layer, and growing a carbon nanotube structure above the catalyst in the via hole. The method further comprises forming salicide from the catalyst, applying a chemical mechanical polishing (CMP) process to the carbon nanotube structure to remove top layers of catalyst and nanotube material, and depositing metal material above the carbon nanotube structure. Growing a carbon nanotube structure comprises absorbing a precursor on a surface of the catalyst formed in the via hole, forming a metal-carbon alloy from the catalyst and the precursor, and growing a carbon nanotube structure vertically from the via bottom. The carbon nanotube structure comprises a plurality of carbon nanotubes wherein the diameters of the carbon nanotubes are limited by the catalyst size.

Claims

1. A method of producing a metal contact in a semiconductor device comprising:

depositing a catalyst layer in a via hole;

forming a catalyst from the deposited catalyst layer;

growing a carbon nanotube structure above the catalyst in the via hole;

forming salicide from the catalyst;

applying a chemical mechanical polishing (CMP) process to the carbon nanotube structure to remove top layers of catalyst and nanotube material; and

depositing metal material above the carbon nanotube structure.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the depositing the catalyst layer comprises depositing a metal material selected from Nickel, Copper, Iron or Titanium.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the depositing the catalyst layer comprises depositing a layer of metal material with a thickness of 2-30 nm.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the forming the catalyst comprises utilizing a thermal process to form the catalyst by chemical vapor deposition (CVD) or annealing.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the growing the carbon nanotube structure comprises growing carbon nanotubes vertically under a temperature of 300-800 C.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the growing the carbon nanotube structure comprises growing carbon nanotubes (CNTs) vertically with precursors of CH₄, C₂H₂, C₂H₆ or C₂H₅OH.

7. The method of claim 6, further comprising absorbing the precursors over a surface of the catalyst.

8. The method of claim 7, further comprising forming a metal-carbon alloy.

9. The method of claim 6, wherein the CNTs have a diameter that is limited by a size of the catalyst.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the forming salicide from the catalyst comprises utilizing a thermal process to form salicide by annealing.

11. A semiconductor device comprising:

a via hole between a terminal in the semiconductor device and a metal contact;

a layer of salicide formed in the via hole immediately above the terminal, the salicide formed from a layer of metal material deposited in the via hole and subjected to a thermal process to form a catalyst and subjected to a further annealing process to convert the catalyst into the salicide; and

a carbon nanotube structure comprising a plurality of vertical carbon nanotubes grown within the via hole and connecting the salicide with the metal contact, the carbon nanotubes grown vertically under a temperature range with precursors.

12. The semiconductor device of claim 11, wherein the carbon nanotube structure was grown using a catalyst formed from a deposited layer of metal material.

13. The semiconductor device of claim 12, wherein the deposited layer of metal material comprises Nickel, Copper, Iron or Titanium.

14. The semiconductor device of claim 12, wherein the deposited layer of metal material has a thickness of 2-30 nm.

15. A method for growing a carbon nanotube structure to connect a semiconductor terminal with a metal layer in a semiconductor device, the method comprising:

forming a catalyst in a via hole in a semiconductor device;

absorbing a precursor on a surface of the catalyst;

forming a metal-carbon alloy from the catalyst and the precursor; and

growing a carbon nanotube structure vertically from the via bottom, the carbon nanotube structure comprising a plurality of carbon nanotubes wherein the diameters of the carbon nanotubes are limited by the catalyst size.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the growing the carbon nanotube structure comprises growing the plurality of carbon nanotubes vertically under a temperature of 300-800 C.

17. The method of claim 15, wherein the precursor comprises CH₄, C₂H₂, C₂H₆ or C₂H₅OH.

18. The method of claim 15, further comprising forming salicide from the catalyst by utilizing an annealing process.

19. The method of claim 15, wherein the forming the catalyst comprises depositing a layer of metal material comprising Nickel, Copper, Iron or Titanium.

20. The method of claim 15, wherein the forming the catalyst comprises utilizing a thermal process to form the catalyst by chemical vapor deposition (CVD) or annealing.