Planarization of metal container structures

• US 6,524,912 B1
• Filed: 08/31/2000
• Issued: 02/25/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 08/31/2000
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Micron Technology, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Micron Technology, Inc.
• Inventors: Drynan, John M., Yang, Sam
• Primary Examiner(s): Niebling, John F.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Kennedy, Jennifer M.
• Application Number:
  US09/653,280
• Time in Patent Office: 908 Days
• Field of Search: 438/253-256, 438/258, 438/396-399, 438/618, 438/626, 438/631, 438/645, 438/642
• US Class Current: 438/258
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/3212 by chemical mechanical polishing [CMP]
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/7684 Smoothing; Planarisation
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/76843 formed in openings in a dielectric
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 28/90 having vertical extensions
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 28/91 made by depositing layers, e.g. by depositing alternating conductive and insulating 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: H10B 12/033 the capacitor extending over the transistor
• CPC Class Codes: H10B 12/0335 Making a connection between the transistor and the capacitor, e.g. plug

Abstract

A conductive material is provided in an opening formed in an insulative material. The process involves first forming a conductive material over at least a portion of the opening and over at least a portion of the insulative material which is outside of the opening. Next, a metal-containing fill material is formed over at least a portion of the conductive material which is inside the opening and which is also over the insulative material outside of the opening. The metal-containing material at least partially fills the opening. At least a portion of both the metal-containing fill material and the conductive material outside of the opening is then removed. Thereafter, at least a portion of the metal-containing fill material which is inside the opening is then removed.

Claims

1. A method of providing a conductive material in an opening, comprising:

forming said conductive material in said opening and over at least a portion of an insulative material outside of said opening;

forming a metal-containing fill material over at least a portion of said conductive material such that at least some of said metal-containing fill material is located in said opening;

removing at least a portion of said conductive material which is over said insulative material outside of said opening; and

removing substantially all of said metal-containing fill material from said opening.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein said metal-containing fill material is harder than said conductive material.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein said metal-containing fill material is a tungsten-containing fill material.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein said tungsten-containing fill material is tungsten or tungsten nitride.

5. The method of claim 2, wherein said metal-containing fill material is a titanium-containing fill material.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein said titanium-containing fill material is titanium nitride.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein at least a portion of said conductive material is performed by planarization.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein said removing at least a portion of said conductive material is performed by chemical mechanical planarization.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein said forming of said conductive material is performed over a majority of the surface of said opening.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein said forming of said conductive material is performed over substantially all of the surface of said opening.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein said forming of said metal-containing fill material is performed over substantially all of said conductive material.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein said conductive material has a top edge portion once formed over said insulative material, and said forming of said metal-containing fill material is performed so as to substantially cover said top edge portion.

13. The method of claim 1, whereupon after said removal of said metal-containing fill material and said conductive material which is over said insulative material, said conductive material is substantially co-planar with a top surface portion of said insulative material.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein said metal-containing fill material is substantially co-planar with a top surface portion of said insulative material.

15. The method of claim 1, wherein said metal-containing fill material is removed from said opening by etching.

16. The method of claim 1, wherein said conductive material is formed over said opening using a chemical vapor deposition or low pressure chemical vapor deposition process.

17. The method of claim 1, wherein said conductive material is formed over said opening using a physical vapor deposition process.

18. The method of claim 1, wherein said conductive material is formed over said opening using electroless plating.

19. The method of claim 1, wherein said conductive material is formed over said opening using electroplating.

20. The method of claim 17, wherein said conductive material is formed in a substantially conformal layer over said opening.

34. The method of claim 17, wherein said metal-containing fill material is tungsten or tungsten nitride and is provided to be substantially co-extensive with said second conductive material.

74. The method of claim 1, wherein said insulative material is comprised of at least one member selected from the group consisting of silicon dioxide and Boro-Phospho-Silicate Glass.

21. A method of forming a bottom electrode of a capacitor, comprising:

locating a second conductive material with in opening and in contact with a first conductive material and over at least a portion of an insulative material outside of said opening;

providing a metal-containing fill material over at least a portion of said conductive material which is inside said opening and which is over said insulative material outside of said opening

removing substantially all of said metal-containing fill material from inside said opening.

22. The method of claim 21, wherein said at least a portion of said opening contacts a first conductive material which is under said opening.

23. The method of claim 22, wherein said first conductive material is a conductive plug under said opening.

24. The method of claim 23, wherein said first conductive material contacts said substrate of said device.

25. The method of claim 21, wherein said second conductive material is a bottom electrode of a container capacitor.

26. The method of claim 21, wherein said second conductive material is formed over substantially all of the surface of said opening.

27. The method of claim 26, wherein said second conductive material is formed over substantially all of the surface of said insulative material outside of said opening.

28. The method of claim 27, wherein said second conductive material forms a conformal layer over said first conductive material.

29. The method of claim 21, wherein said second conductive material is provided by chemical vapor deposition or low pressure chemical vapor deposition.

30. The method of claim 21, wherein said second conductive material is provided by physical vapor deposition.

31. The method of claim 21, wherein said second conductive material is provided by electroplating.

32. The method of claim 21, wherein said second conductive material is provided by electroless plating.

33. The method of claim 29, wherein said second conductive material is provided to a depth within the range of a few hundred Angstroms to a several thousand Angstroms.

35. The method of claim 21, wherein substantially all of said conductive material and said metal-containing fill material which is over said insulative material is removed.

36. The method of claim 21, wherein, said second conductive material forms said bottom electrode.

37. The method of claim 21, wherein said metal-containing fill material is titanium nitride.

41. The method of claim 30, wherein said conductive material is at least member selected from the group consisting of transition element metals, Group IIIa metals and Group IVa metals.

42. The method of claim 41, wherein said conductive material is at least one member selected from the group consisting of Group VIII metals, copper, silver, gold and aluminum.

43. The method of claim 42, wherein said conductive material is selected from the group consisting of the Group VIII metals platinum, osmium, iridium and rhodium.

44. The method of claim 43, wherein said conductive material is platinum or a platinum alloy.

38. A method of providing a conductive material in an opening provided in an insulative material over a substrate, wherein said opening is in contact with a surface portion of said substrate, comprising:

depositing a conductive material over at least a part of the inside of said opening and over at least a portion of the surface of said insulative material outside of said opening;

depositing a tungsten-containing fill material over at least a portion of said conductive material which is over said surface portion of said substrate and which is over said insulative material outside of said opening, wherein said tungsten-containing fill material at least partially fills said opening and supports said conductive material;

removing at least a portion of said tungsten containing fill material and said conductive material which is over said insulative material outside of said opening, said removal being effected by planarization; and

removing substantially all of said tungsten-containing fill material from said opening.

39. The method of claim 38, wherein said conductive material is formed to contact an active region formed within said substrate.

40. The method of claim 39, wherein said conductive material is further formed over the sides of said opening.

45. The method of claim 38, wherein said tungsten-containing fill material is formed to be substantially co-extensive with said conductive material.

46. The method of claim 38, wherein said tungsten-containing fill material is formed so as to substantially fill said opening.

47. The method of claim 46, wherein during said planarization of said tungsten-containing fill material, said conductive material is substantially undeformed.

48. The method of claim 47, wherein said planarization is performed so that the top of said conductive material is substantially co-planar with the top surface of said insulative layer.

49. The method of claim 48, wherein said planarization is performed so that said conductive material is substantially co-planar with said tungsten-containing fill material.

50. The method of claim 38, wherein said planarization is chemical mechanical planarization.

51. A method of forming a bottom electrode of a capacitor and a bit line conductive plug in a semiconductive device, comprising:

providing a first opening through the surface of an insulative material provided over a substrate in said device, wherein at least a portion of said opening contacts a first conductive material;

providing a second conductive material over at least a portion of the surface of said opening in contact with said first conductive material and over at least a portion of the surface of said insulative material outside of said opening;

providing a protective layer over said second conductive material;

providing a second opening through said protective layer, and through said second conductive material which is over said insulative material as well as through said insulative material, wherein at least a portion of said second opening contacts a third conductive material;

removing said protective layer;

providing a metal-containing fill material over said second conductive material which is inside said first opening and which is over said insulative material outside of said opening, wherein said metal-containing fill material is further provided over said second opening such that said metal-containing fill material at least partially fills said openings so as to form a bit line conductive plug in said second opening;

removing at least a portion of said metal-containing fill material and said conductive material which is over said insulative material outside of said openings; and

removing at least a portion of said metal-containing fill material from said first opening so as to form said bottom electrode of said capacitor.

52. The method of claim 51, wherein said second conductive material is provided over substantially all of the surface of said first opening in contact with a first conductive material.

53. The method of claim 52, wherein said second conductive material is at least one member selected from the group consisting of the Group VIII metals platinum, rhodium, osmium, and iridium, the transition element metals gold, silver and copper, and aluminum, and is provided using a chemical vapor deposition process.

54. The method of claim 53, wherein said protective layer is a photoresist layer.

55. The method of claim 54, wherein said photoresist layer is provided over substantially all of said second conductive material so as to be substantially co-extensive therewith.

56. The method of claim 55, wherein said second opening is provided by etching.

57. The method of claim 56, wherein said etching is dry etching.

58. The method of claim 57, wherein said dry etching is performed so as to produce an etch stop on the surface of said third conductive material.

59. The method of claim 58, wherein said third conductive material is a polysilicon plug.

60. The method of claim 59, wherein said metal-containing fill material is provided to be co-extensive with said second conductive material outside of said first opening.

61. The method of claim 60, wherein said metal-containing fill material is provided in said second opening to substantially fill said opening.

62. The method of claim 61, wherein said removing of said metal-containing fill material and said conductive material from over said insulative material is performed by planarization.

63. The method of claim 62, wherein said planarization is chemical mechanical planarization.

64. The method of claim 63, wherein substantially all of said metal-containing fill material is removed from said first opening so as to form said bottom electrode of said capacitor.

65. The method of claim 64, wherein prior to said removal of substantially all of said metal-containing fill material from said first opening, an oxide layer is deposited over said second opening containing said bit line conductive plug.

66. The method of claim 65, further comprising providing a dielectric material over said bottom electrode.

67. The method of claim 66, further comprising providing a fourth conductive material over said dielectric.

68. A method of planarizing a conductive material formed over an opening without substantially deforming said material, comprising:

contacting said conductive material with a metal-containing fill material such that said fill material is over said conductive material and at least partially fills said opening; and

planarizing said conductive material and said metal-containing fill material wherein a top portion of said conductive material and said fill material are substantially co-planar and a top portion of said opening removing substantially all of said fill material from said opening after said planarization.

69. The method of claim 68, wherein said planarizing is performed using chemical mechanical planarization.

70. The method of claim 68, wherein said contacting is performed so as to support said conductive material during said planarization.

71. The method of claim 68, wherein said conductive material is further formed outside of said opening prior to performing said contacting.

72. The method of claim 71, wherein said fill material is further formed outside of said opening prior to performing said planarization.

73. The method of claim 72, wherein said contacting is performed so as to substantially fill said opening with said fill material.