Plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposition of a metal nitride layer

• US 6,656,831 B1
• Filed: 01/26/2000
• Issued: 12/02/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 01/26/2000
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Applied Materials Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Applied Materials Incorporated
• Inventors: Lee, Wei Ti, Guo, Ted
• Primary Examiner(s): Fourson, George
• Assistant Examiner(s): MANDALA, MICHELLE
• Application Number:
  US09/491,563
• Time in Patent Office: 1,406 Days
• Field of Search: 438/627, 438/629, 438/643, 438/653, 438/658, 438/681, 427/99, 427/126.1
• US Class Current: 438/627
• CPC Class Codes: C23C 16/34 Nitrides C23C16/303 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/28556 by chemical means, e.g. CVD, LPCVD, PECVD, laser CVD H01L21/28518 - H01L21/28537 and H01L21/28568 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/76843 formed in openings in a dielectric

Abstract

A refractory metal layer is deposited onto a substrate having high aspect ratio contracts or vias formed thereon. Next, a plasma-enhanced CVD refractory metal nitride layer is deposited on the refractory metal layer. Then, a metal layer is deposited over the metal nitride layer. The resulting metal layer is substantially void free and has reduced resistivity, and has greater effective line width. Plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposition of the metal nitride layer comprises forming a plasma of a metal-containing compound, a nitrogen-containing gas, and a hydrogen-gas to deposit a metal nitride layer on a substrate. The metal nitride layer is preferably treated with nitrogen plasma to densify the metal nitride film. The process is preferably carried out in an integrated processing system that generally includes various chambers so that once the substrate is introduced into a vacuum environment, the metallization of the vias and contacts occurs without exposure to possible contaminants.

Claims

1. A method of depositing a titanium nitride film on a substrate, comprising:

(a) injecting a mixture of a titanium metallo-organic precursor compound, nitrogen gas, and hydrogen gas in a chamber;

(b) generating a plasma from the mixture; and

(c) depositing a titanium nitride film on the substrate.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

(d) treating the titanium nitride film with a nitrogen plasma.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising pretreating the substrate with an argon plasma before step (a).

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the titanium metallo-organic compound comprises tetrakis-dimethylamino-titanium (TDMAT).

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the hydrogen gas and the nitrogen gas are injected into the chamber at a flow rate ratio of about 4:

1 of the hydrogen gas to the nitrogen gas.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the substrate is heated to a substrate temperature from about 300°

C. to about 450°

C.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the chamber is maintained at a pressure from about 1 torr to about 10 torr.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the chamber has a heater spacing from about 250 mils to about 500 mils.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the plasma is generated from a RF source supplied with a power level at a range from about 350 watts to about 1000 watts.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the titanium nitride film is deposited to a thickness from about 10 angstroms to about 200 angstroms.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the titanium nitride film is deposited over a refractory metal layer selected from the group of titanium, tantalum, tungsten, molybdenum, niobium, and cobalt.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein a metal layer is deposited over the titanium nitride film selected from the group of aluminum, copper, and tungsten.

13. A method of depositing a refractory metal nitride layer on a substrate, comprising:

(a) injecting a mixture of a refractory metal metallo-organic (MO) precursor compound, a nitrogen gas, and a hydrogen gas in a chamber;

(b) generating a plasma from the mixture at a pressure in a range from about 1 torr to about 10 torr; and

(c) depositing the refractory metal nitride layer having good step coverage on the surface of the substrate.

14. The method of claim 13, further comprising:

(d) treating the refractory metal nitride layer with a nitrogen plasma.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein in treating the refractory metal nitride layer, the substrate is contacted with the nitrogen plasma generated from a RF source supplied with a power level from about 350 watts to about 1000 watts for a time period from about 20 seconds to 70 seconds.

16. The method of claim 13, further comprising pretreating the substrate with a plasma comprising argon before step (a).

17. The method of claim 13, wherein the refractory metal nitride layer is a titanium nitride layer.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein the refractory metal metallo-organic (MO) precursor compound is tetrakis-dimethylamino-titanium (TDMAT).

19. The method of claim 13, wherein the mixture comprises a molar ratio from about 5:

1 to about 1;

1 of hydrogen gas to nitrogen gas.

20. The method of claim 13, wherein the substrate is heated to a temperature from about 300°

C. to about 450°

C.

21. The method of claim 13, wherein the plasma is generated from a RF source supplied with a power level at a range from about 350 watts to about 1000 watts.

22. The method of claim 13, wherein the refractory metal nitride layer is deposited to a thickness from about 10 angstroms to about 200 angstroms.

23. The method of claim 13, wherein the refractory metal nitride layer is deposited over a refractory metal layer.

24. The method of claim 23, wherein the refractory metal layer is selected from the group of titanium, tantalum, tungsten, molybdenum, niobium, and cobalt.

25. The method of claim 13, wherein a metal layer is deposited over the refractory metal nitride layer.

26. The method of claim 25, wherein the metal layer is selected from the group of aluminum, copper, and tungsten.

27. The method of claim 13, wherein a hydrogen plasma generated from the hydrogen gas removes carbon impurities during deposition of the refractory metal nitride layer.

28. The method of claim 27, wherein the hydrogen plasma cleans the chamber during deposition of the refractory metal nitride layer.