Diffusion barrier trilayer for minimizing reaction between metallization layers of integrated circuits

• US 5,668,411 A
• Filed: 07/23/1996
• Issued: 09/16/1997
• Est. Priority Date: 03/28/1995
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Texas Instruments, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Texas Instruments, Inc.
• Inventors: Jeng, Shin-Puu, Havemann, Robert H., Hong, Qi-Zhong
• Primary Examiner(s): Thomas, Tom
• Assistant Examiner(s): Hardy, David B.
• Application Number:
  US08/685,159
• Time in Patent Office: 420 Days
• Field of Search: 257/751, 257/915, 437/190, 437/195
• US Class Current: 257/751
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/76841 Barrier, adhesion or liner layers
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/76876 for deposition from the gas phase, e.g. CVD
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2221/1078 Multiple stacked thin films not being formed in openings in dielectrics
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 23/5226 Via connections in a multilevel interconnection structure
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 23/53223 Additional layers associated with aluminium layers, e.g. adhesion, barrier, cladding layers
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 257/915 with titanium nitride portion or region

Abstract

A diffusion barrier trilayer 42 is comprised of a bottom layer 44, a seed layer 46 and a top layer 48. The diffusion barrier trilayer 42 prevents reaction of metallization layer 26 with the top layer 48 upon heat treatment, resulting in improved sheet resistance and device speed.

Claims

1. A diffusion barrier trilayer for semiconductor wafers, comprising:

a bottom metal layer;

a seed metal layer adjacent said bottom layer and having a crystalline structure; and

a top metal layer adjacent said seed metal layer and having a crystalline structure;

wherein said crystalline structures of said top metal layer and said seed metal layer are single-crystal-like, and wherein said crystalline structure of said top metal layer is aligned to said crystalline structure of said seed metal layer,

wherein said bottom layer comprises TiN, said seed metal layer comprises Ti, and said top metal layer comprises TiN.

2. A diffusion barrier trilayer for semiconductor wafers, comprising:

a bottom metal layer;

a seed metal layer adjacent said bottom layer and having a crystalline structure; and

a top metal layer adjacent said seed metal layer and having a crystalline structure;

wherein said crystalline structures of said top metal layer and said seed metal layer are single-crystal-like, and wherein said crystalline structure of said top metal layer is aligned to said crystalline structure of said seed metal layer,

wherein said bottom layer comprises TiN, said seed metal layer comprises an aluminum-copper alloy, and said top metal layer comprises TiN.

3. A semiconductor wafer metallization structure, comprising:

a substrate;

a bottom layer adjacent said substrate;

a seed metal layer adjacent said bottom layer and having a crystalline structure;

a top metal layer adjacent said seed metal layer and having a crystalline structure; and

a metallization layer adjacent said top metal layer;

wherein said crystalline structures of said top metal layer and said seed metal layer are single-crystal-like, and wherein said crystalline structure of said top metal layer is aligned to said crystalline structure of said seed metal layer,

wherein said seed metal layer comprises aluminum.

4. The structure of claim 3 wherein said seed metal layer also comprises copper solutes in the composition range of 0.5 to 4 percent by weight.

5. A semiconductor wafer metallization structure, comprising:

a substrate;

a bottom layer adjacent said substrate;

a seed metal layer adjacent said bottom layer and having a crystalline structure;

a top metal layer adjacent said seed metal layer and having a crystalline structure; and

a metallization layer adjacent said top metal layer;

wherein said crystalline structures of said top metal layer and said seed metal layer are single-crystal-like, and wherein said crystalline structure of said top metal layer is aligned to said crystalline structure of said seed metal layer,

wherein said seed metal layer comprises copper.

6. A semiconductor wafer metallization structure, comprising:

a substrate;

a bottom layer adjacent said substrate;

a seed metal layer adjacent said bottom layer and having a crystalline structure;

a top metal layer adjacent said seed metal layer and having a crystalline structure; and

a metallization layer adjacent said top metal layer;

wherein said crystalline structures of said top metal layer and said seed metal layer are single-crystal-like, and wherein said crystalline structure of said top metal layer is aligned to said crystalline structure of said seed metal layer,

wherein said metallization layer comprises aluminum, and wherein said metallization layer also comprises copper solutes in the composition range of 0.5 to 4 percent by weight.

7. A semiconductor wafer metallization structure, comprising:

a substrate;

a bottom layer adjacent said substrate;

a seed metal layer adjacent said bottom layer and having a crystalline structure;

a top metal layer adjacent said seed metal layer and having a crystalline structure; and

a metallization layer adjacent said top metal layer;

wherein said crystalline structures of said top metal layer and said seed metal layer are single-crystal-like, and wherein said crystalline structure of said top metal layer is aligned to said crystalline structure of said seed metal layer,

wherein said top metal layer is a crystalline metal chosen from the group consisting of TiN, TiW, TiWN, TiAlN, TiSiN, Ta and TaN.

8. A diffusion barrier trilayer for semiconductor wafers, comprising:

a bottom metal layer;

a seed metal layer adjacent said bottom layer and having a crystalline structure; and

a top metal layer adjacent said seed metal layer and having a crystalline structure;

wherein said crystalline structures of said top metal layer and said seed metal layer are single-crystal-like, and wherein said crystalline structure of said top metal layer is aligned to said crystalline structure of said seed metal layer,

wherein said bottom layer has a greater thickness than said top metal layer.

9. A diffusion barrier trilayer for semiconductor wafers, comprising:

a bottom metal layer;

a seed metal layer adjacent said bottom layer and having a crystalline structure; and

a top metal layer adjacent said seed metal layer and having a crystalline structure;

wherein said crystalline structures of said top metal layer and said seed metal layer are single-crystal-like, and wherein said crystalline structure of said top metal layer is aligned to said crystalline structure of said seed metal layer,

wherein said seed metal layer comprises aluminum.

10. The structure of claim 9 wherein said seed metal layer also comprises copper solutes in the composition range of 0.5 to 4 percent by weight.

11. A diffusion barrier trilayer for semiconductor wafers, comprising:

a bottom metal layer;

a seed metal layer adjacent said bottom layer and having a crystalline structure; and

a top metal layer adjacent said seed metal layer and having a crystalline structure;

wherein said crystalline structures of said top metal layer and said seed metal layer are single-crystal-like, and wherein said crystalline structure of said top metal layer is aligned to said crystalline structure of said seed metal layer,

wherein said seed metal layer comprises copper.

12. A diffusion barrier trilayer for semiconductor wafers, comprising:

a bottom metal layer;

a seed metal layer adjacent said bottom layer and having a crystalline structure; and

a top metal layer adjacent said seed metal layer and having a crystalline structure;

wherein said crystalline structures of said top metal layer and said seed metal layer are single-crystal-like, and wherein said crystalline structure of said top metal layer is aligned to said crystalline structure of said seed metal layer,

wherein said top metal layer is a crystalline metal chosen from the group consisting of TiN, TiW, TiWN, TiAlN, TiSiN, Ta and TaN.

13. A semiconductor wafer metallization structure, comprising:

a substrate;

a bottom layer adjacent said substrate;

a seed metal layer adjacent said bottom layer and having a crystalline structure;

a top metal layer adjacent said seed metal layer and having a crystalline structure; and

a metallization layer adjacent said top metal layer;

wherein said crystalline structures of said top metal layer and said seed metal layer are single-crystal-like, and wherein said crystalline structure of said top metal layer is aligned to said crystalline structure of said seed metal layer,

wherein said bottom layer has a greater thickness than said top metal layer.

14. A semiconductor wafer metallization structure, comprising:

a substrate;

a bottom layer adjacent said substrate;

a seed metal layer adjacent said bottom layer and having a crystalline structure;

a top metal layer adjacent said seed metal layer and having a crystalline structure; and

a metallization layer adjacent said top metal layer;

wherein said crystalline structures of said too metal layer and said seed metal layer are single-crystal-like, and wherein said crystalline structure of said top metal layer is aligned to said crystalline structure of said seed metal layer,

wherein said bottom layer comprises TiN, said seed metal layer comprises Ti, and said top metal layer comprises TiN.

15. A semiconductor wafer metallization structure, comprising:

a substrate;

a bottom layer adjacent said substrate;

a seed metal layer adjacent said bottom layer and having a crystalline structure;

a top metal layer adjacent said seed metal layer and having a crystalline structure; and

a metallization layer adjacent said top metal layer;

wherein said crystalline structures of said top metal layer and said seed metal layer are single-crystal-like, and wherein said crystalline structure of said top metal layer is aligned to said crystalline structure of said seed metal layer,

wherein said bottom layer comprises TiN, said seed metal layer comprises an aluminum-copper alloy, and said top metal layer comprises TiN.