Contact integration article

• US 6,593,657 B1
• Filed: 03/03/1997
• Issued: 07/15/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 03/03/1997
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Micron Technology, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Micron Technology, Inc.
• Inventors: Hudson, Guy F., Elliott, Richard L.
• Primary Examiner(s): Cao, Phat X.
• Application Number:
  US08/811,124
• Time in Patent Office: 2,325 Days
• Field of Search: 257/734, 257/762, 257/765, 257/767, 257/771, 257/764, 257/768, 257/751
• US Class Current: 257/765
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/76838 characterised by the formation and the after-treatment of the conductors etching for patterning the conductors H01L21/3213
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/7684 Smoothing; Planarisation
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/76877 Filling of holes, grooves or trenches, e.g. vias, with conductive material
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/76885 By forming conductive members before deposition of protective insulating material, e.g. pillars, studs
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/76886 Modifying permanently or temporarily the pattern or the conductivity of conductive members, e.g. formation of alloys, reduction of contact resistances
• 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 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 of making a contact plug and a metallization line structure is disclosed in which a substrate is provided with at least one contact hole within an insulation layer situated on a semiconductor substrate of a semiconductor wafer. A first metal layer is deposited upon the semiconductor wafer within the contact hole. A planarizing step isolates the first metal layer within the insulation layer in the form of a contact plug within the contact hole. A second metal layer is then deposited upon the semiconductor wafer over and upon the contact plug. Metallization lines are patterned and etched from the second metal layer. The contact hole may also be lined with a refractory metal nitride layer, with a refractory metal silicide interface being formed at the bottom of the contact hole as an interface between the contact plug and a silicon layer on the semiconductor substrate. Article qualities are achieved by the inventive method, including reduced interfacial resistance and its consequent faster signal speed for the structure, reduced metal creep where additional selected alloys are allowed to diffuse a selected quantity of preferred alloying elements from the first metal layer to the second metal layer, improved depth-of-focus requirements for patterning metallization lines, and resistance of electromigration in aluminum metallization lines.

Claims

1. A contact plug and metallization line structure comprising:

a semiconductor substrate having a contact surface thereon;

an insulation layer having a contact hole therethrough extending to the contact surface on the semiconductor substrate;

a plug substantially composed of a first metal and situated in said contact hole, said plug being electrically insulated by said insulation layer; and

a metallization line substantially composed of a second metal, wherein said plug and said metallization line are electrically connected and have a substantially continuous composition gradient of a selected alloying element between said first metal and said second metal;

wherein the contact surface has a first refractory metal silicide layer thereon in contact with a first end of said plug, and the contact hole has an inside wall upon which a refractory metal nitride layer is situated in contact with said insulation layer and said plug.

2. A contact plug and metallization line structure comprising:

a semiconductor substrate having a contact surface thereon;

an insulation layer having a contact hole therethrough extending to the contact surface on the semiconductor substrate;

a plug substantially composed of a first metal and situated in said contact hole, said plug being electrically insulated by said insulation layer; and

a metallization line substantially composed of a second metal, wherein said plug and said metallization line are electrically connected and have a substantially continuous composition gradient of a selected alloying element between said first metal and said second metal;

wherein the contact surface has a first refractory metal silicide layer thereon in contact with a first end of said plug, the contact hole has an inside wall upon which a refractory metal nitride layer is situated in contact with said insulation layer and said plug, said plug has a second end opposite said first end and in contact with a second refractory metal silicide layer, said second refractory metal silicide layer being in contact with said metallization line.

3. A contact plug and metallization line structure comprising:

a semiconductor substrate having situated thereon a silicon layer with a contact surface thereon;

a BPSG layer on the silicon layer;

a contact hole extending though the BPSG layer to the contact surface on the silicon layer;

a titanium silicide layer on the contact surface of the silicon layer;

a titanium nitride layer on a sidewall of the contact hole;

a plug substantially composed of a first metal selected from the group consisting of Al, AlCu, and AlSiCu, and being situated in said contact hole, said plug being in contact at an end thereof with said titanium silicide layer, said plug having a sidewall in contact with the titanium nitride layer, and said plug being electrically insulated by said BPSG layer;

a metallization line substantially composed of a second metal selected from the group consisting of Al, AlCu, and AlSiCu, wherein one of said first and second metals has a higher concentration of Cu than the other of said first and second metals, wherein said plug and said metallization line are electrically connected and have a substantially continuous composition gradient of a selected alloying element between said first metal and said second metal, said metallization line having a substantially planar top surface.

4. The contact plug and metallization line structure as defined in claims 3, wherein the first and second metals have substantially the same composition and form a continuous homogeneous structure and are without an interfacial surface therebetween.

5. The contact plug and metallization line structure as defined in claim 3, wherein said plug has first and second opposite ends each of which is in contact with a refractory metal silicide material.

6. A contact plug and metallization line structure comprising:

a semiconductor layer with a contact surface thereon;

an insulation layer on the semiconductor layer;

a contact hole extending though the insulation layer to the contact surface on the semiconductor layer;

a refractory metal silicide layer on the contact surface of the semiconductor layer;

a refractory metal nitride layer on a sidewall of the contact hole;

a plug composed of a first metal, said first metal being selected from the group consisting of aluminum and alloys thereof, the plug being situated in said contact hole, said plug being in contact at an end thereof with said refractory metal silicide layer, said plug having a sidewall in contact with the refractory metal nitride layer, and said plug being in contact with said insulation layer;

a metallization line upon said insulation layer and substantially composed of a second metal, said second metal being selected from the group consisting of aluminum and alloys thereof, wherein one of said first and second metals has a higher concentration of Cu than the other of said first and second metals, wherein said plug and said metallization line are electrically connected and have a substantially continuous composition gradient of a selected alloying element between said first metal and said second metal, said metallization line having a substantially planar top surface.

7. The contact plug and metallization line structure as defined in claim 6, wherein the first and second metals are each selected from the group consisting of Al, AlCu, and AlSiCu.

8. The contact plug and metallization line structure as defined in claim 6, wherein the insulation layer is composed of a material selected from the group consisting of TEOS, doped silicon dioxide, BPSG, PSG, BSG, and silicon nitride.

9. The contact plug and metallization line structure as defined in claim 6, wherein the insulation layer is substantially composed of a material selected from the group consisting of oxides, nitrides, carbides, carbon nitrides, oxynitrides, doped monocrystalline silicon, and doped polycrystalline silicon.