Plasma treatment to enhance adhesion and to minimize oxidation of carbon-containing layers

• US 6,821,571 B2
• Filed: 06/18/1999
• Issued: 11/23/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 06/18/1999
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Applied Materials Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Applied Materials Incorporated
• Inventors: Huang, Judy
• Primary Examiner(s): PADGETT, MARIANNE L
• Application Number:
  US09/336,525
• Publication Number:
  US 20020054962A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,985 Days
• Field of Search: 427/534, 427/535, 427/536, 427/539, 427/569, 427/249.15, 427/488, 427/489, 427/490, 427/491, 427/563, 427/577, 427/579, 427/527, 438/761, 438/763, 438/780, 438/787, 438/788, 438/789, 438/798
• US Class Current: 427/535
• CPC Class Codes: C23C 16/325 Silicon carbide
• CPC Class Codes: C23C 16/56 After-treatment
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/02126 the material containing Si, O, and at least one of H, N, C, F, or other non-metal elements, e.g. SiOC, SiOC:H or SiONC
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/02167 the material being a silicon carbide not containing oxygen, e.g. SiC, SiC:H or silicon carbonitrides H01L21/02126 and H01L21/0214 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/02211 the compound being a silane, e.g. disilane, methylsilane or chlorosilane
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/02274 in the presence of a plasma [PECVD]
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/02323 introduction of oxygen
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/0234 treatment by exposure to a plasma
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/3105 After-treatment
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/314 Inorganic layers H01L21/3105, H01L21/32 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/3146 Carbon layers, e.g. diamond-like layers
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/31633 Deposition of carbon doped silicon oxide, e.g. SiOC

Abstract

The present invention generally provides improved adhesion and oxidation resistance of carbon-containing layers without the need for an additional deposited layer. In one aspect, the invention treats an exposed surface of carbon-containing material, such as silicon carbide, with an inert gas plasma, such as a helium (He), argon (Ar), or other inert gas plasma, or an oxygen-containing plasma such as a nitrous oxide (N₂O) plasma. Other carbon-containing materials can include organic polymeric materials, amorphous carbon, amorphous fluorocarbon, carbon containing oxides, and other carbon-containing materials. The plasma treatment is preferably performed in situ following the deposition of the layer to be treated. Preferably, the processing chamber in which in situ deposition and plasma treatment occurs is configured to deliver the same or similar precursors for the carbon-containing layer(s). However, the layer(s) can be deposited with different precursors. The invention also provides processing regimes that generate the treatment plasma and systems which use the treatment plasma. The carbon-containing material can be used in a variety of layers, such as barrier layers, etch stops, ARCs, passivation layers, and dielectric layers.

Claims

1. A method of processing a semiconductor substrate, comprising:

depositing a silicon carbide layer on a semiconductor substrate;

treating the silicon carbide layer with a plasma consisting essentially of an inert gas; and

depositing a layer comprising a silicon-carbon-oxygen based material over the silicon carbide layer.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the treating the silicon carbide layer increases the oxidation resistance of the silicon carbide layer.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the treating the silicon carbide layer prevents delamination of the layer comprising the silicon-carbon-oxygen based material from the silicon carbide layer.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the inert gas is He.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the treating the silicon carbide layer comprises exposing the silicon carbide layer to the plasma generated by flowing the inert gas into a processing chamber at a rate of about 100 to about 4000 sccm, establishing a chamber pressure between about 1 to about 12 Torr, and applying RF power to an electrode of the chamber to provide a power density of about 0.7 to about 11 W/in².

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the treating the silicon carbide layer and the depositing the silicon carbide layer are performed in a single process chamber.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the treating the silicon carbide layer does not substantially change a composition of the silicon carbide layer as detected by a fourier transform infrared analysis.