Process for semiconductor device fabrication having copper interconnects

• US 6,297,154 B1
• Filed: 08/28/1998
• Issued: 10/02/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 08/28/1998
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Bell Semiconductor, LLC (Hilco Inc. (d/b/a Hilco Global))
• Original Assignee: Agere Systems Incorporated (Broadcom, Inc.)
• Inventors: Lingk, Christoph, Gross, Michal Edith
• Primary Examiner(s): Whitehead, Jr., Carl
• Assistant Examiner(s): BROPHY, JAMIE LYNN
• Application Number:
  US09/143,037
• Time in Patent Office: 1,131 Days
• Field of Search: 438/576, 438/618, 438/627, 438/637, 438/641, 438/660, 438/663, 438/674, 438/675, 438/687
• US Class Current: 438/663
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/2885 using an external electrical current, i.e. electro-deposition
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/76877 Filling of holes, grooves or trenches, e.g. vias, with conductive material

Abstract

A process for fabricating a semiconductor device with copper interconnects is disclosed. In the process of the present invention, a layer of dielectric material is formed on a substrate. At least one recess is formed in the layer of dielectric material. Barrier layers and seed layers for electroplating are then deposited over the entire surface of the substrate. The recess is then filled with copper by electroplating copper over the surface of the substrate. The electroplated copper has an average grain size of about 0.1 μm to about 0.2 μm immediately after deposition. The substrate is then annealed to increase the grain size of the copper and to provide a grain structure that is stable over time at ambient conditions and during subsequent processing. After annealing, the average grain size of the copper is at least about 1 μm in at least one dimension. The copper that is electroplated on the dielectric layer is then removed using an expedient such as chemical mechanical polishing. The copper that remains is the copper in the recess.

Claims

1. A process for device fabrication comprising:

forming a layer of a dielectric material on a substrate;

forming at least one recess in the layer of dielectric material;

filling the recess in the dielectric material with electroplated copper wherein the electroplated copper has an average grain size of about 0.1 μ

m to about 0.2 μ

m; and

annealing the substrate at conditions that increase the average grain size of the electroplated copper to at least 1 μ

m in at least one dimension.

2. The process of claim 1 wherein the substrate is annealed at a temperature in the range of about 100°

C. to about 400°

C. for a duration of about one minute to about one hour.

3. The process of claim 1 wherein a barrier layer is formed in the recess before the copper is electroplated onto the substrate.

4. The process of claim 3 wherein a seed layer is formed over the barrier layer before the copper is electroplated onto the substrate.

5. The process of claim 4 wherein the seed layer is formed over the recess.

6. The process of claim 1 further comprising selectively removing a portion of the electroplated copper leaving only the electroplated copper in the recess.

7. The process of claim 1 wherein the recess has a length, a width, and a height.

8. The process of claim 7 wherein the average grain size after anneal is at least as wide as the recess and at least one micron in the length direction of the recess.

9. The process of claim 1 wherein the copper is electroplated from an electroplating bath comprising copper and at least one organic compound.