Copper atomic layer chemical vapor desposition

• US 6,464,779 B1
• Filed: 01/19/2001
• Issued: 10/15/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 01/19/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Novellus Systems Incorporated (LAM Research Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Novellus Systems Incorporated (LAM Research Corporation)
• Inventors: Fair, James A., Powell, Ronald A.
• Primary Examiner(s): KUNEMUND, ROBERT M
• Application Number:
  US09/766,143
• Time in Patent Office: 634 Days
• Field of Search: 117/104, 117/89, 117/102, 117/937
• US Class Current: 117/89
• CPC Class Codes: C23C 16/18 from metallo-organic compounds
• CPC Class Codes: C23C 16/45525 Atomic layer deposition [ALD]
• CPC Class Codes: C23C 16/56 After-treatment
• CPC Class Codes: C30B 25/02 Epitaxial-layer growth
• CPC Class Codes: C30B 29/02 Elements
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/28562 Selective deposition
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/76873 for electroplating

Abstract

This invention pertains to systems and methods for atomic layer chemical vapor deposition. More specifically, the invention pertains to methods for copper atomic layer chemical vapor deposition, particularly to deposit a seed layer prior to the electrochemical Cu fill operation in integrated circuit fabrication. It also pertains to apparatus modules for performing such deposition.

Claims

1. A method of atomic layer chemical vapor deposition of a metal, the method comprising:

(a) exposing a substrate surface to a metal precursor, wherein the temperature of the substrate surface ensures that only one atomic layer of the precursor will adhere to the substrate surface;

(b) exposing the atomic layer of the precursor to an oxidizing agent to leave behind an oxidized metal; and

(c) exposing the metal oxide to a reducing agent, thus reducing the metal oxide to the metal and leaving an atomic layer of the metal on the substrate surface.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the metal is copper or a copper alloy.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein the atomic layer chemical vapor deposition of the metal is used to form part or all of a seed layer for integrated circuit manufacturing.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein (a) (b) and (c) are repeated at least once to deposit more than one atomic layer of the metal.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein the method is used to fill a semiconductor feature that has an aspect ratio of at least about 5:

1.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein the semiconductor feature has a dimension at most about 0.26 μ

m.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein the method is used in Damascene processing.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein the copper precursor is selected from the group consisting of Cu^I(hfac)(tmvs), Cu^I(hfac)(1,5COD), Cu^I(hfac)(Pme3), Cu^I(hfac) (2-butyne) and Cu^I(thd)₂.

9. The method of claim 1 wherein the copper precursor is Cu^I(hfac)(tmvs).

10. The method of claim 1 wherein the oxidizing agent is oxygen plasma or an oxygen-containing plasma.

11. The method of claim 1 wherein the reducing agent is hydrogen plasma or a hydrogen-containing plasma.

12. A method of atomic layer chemical vapor deposition of a metal, the method comprising:

(a) exposing a substrate surface to a metal precursor, wherein the temperature of the substrate surface ensures that only one atomic layer of the precursor will adhere to the substrate surface; and

(b) exposing the atomic layer of the precursor to an oxidizing agent that liberates the metal from the metal precursor without oxidizing the metal in the metal precursor, thus leaving an atomic layer of the metal on the substrate surface.

13. The method of claim 12 wherein the metal is copper or a copper alloy.

14. The method of claim 12 wherein the atomic layer chemical vapor deposition of the metal is used to form part or all of a seed layer for integrated circuit manufacturing.

15. The method of claim 12 wherein (a) and (b) are repeated at least once to deposit more than one atomic layer of the metal.

16. The method of claim 12 wherein the method is used to fill a semiconductor feature that has an aspect ratio of at least about 5:

1.

17. The method of claim 12 wherein the semiconductor feature has a dimension at most about 0.26 μ

m.

18. The method of claim 12 wherein the method is used in Damascene processing.

19. The method of claim 12 wherein the copper precursor is selected from the group consisting of Cu^I(hfac)(tmvs), Cu^I(hfac)(1,5COD), Cu^I(hfac)(Pme3), Cu1(hfac) (2-butyne) and Cu^I(thd)₂.

20. The method of claim 12 wherein the copper precursor is Cu^I(hfac)(tmvs).