Plasma treatment at film layer to reduce sheet resistance and to improve via contact resistance

• US 7,378,744 B2
• Filed: 05/22/2006
• Issued: 05/27/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 05/10/2004
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company Limited
• Original Assignee: Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company Limited
• Inventors: Zhang, Wei, Chou, Yu-Hua, Tseng, Chi-Chan, Luo, Tzo-Hung, Yang, Jong-Chen, Tsai, Jian-Shin
• Primary Examiner(s): Nhu; David
• Application Number:
  US11/419,542
• Publication Number:
  US 20070010080A1
• Time in Patent Office: 736 Days
• Field of Search: 257/774, 257/69, 257/127, 257/288, 257/204, 257/396, 257/622, 257/761, 257/763
• US Class Current: 257/774
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/3003 Hydrogenation or deuterisation, e.g. using atomic hydrogen from a plasma
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/76843 formed in openings in a dielectric
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/7685 the layer covering a conductive structure H01L21/76849 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/76856 by treatment in plasmas or gaseous environments, e.g. nitriding a refractory metal liner
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/76862 Bombardment with particles, e.g. treatment in noble gas plasmas; UV irradiation

Abstract

A method of manufacturing a semiconductor device contact including forming an insulating layer over a substrate and forming an agglutinating layer over the insulating layer. The agglutinating layer is then exposed to a plasma treatment. A barrier layer is formed over the plasma-treated agglutinating layer, and a conductive layer is formed over the barrier layer.

Claims

1. A system for manufacturing a semiconductor device, comprising:

means for forming an insulating layer over a substrate;

means for forming an agglutinating layer over the insulating layer;

means for plasma treating the agglutinating layer to enlarge its grain size;

means for forming a barrier layer over the plasma-treated agglutinating layer; and

means for forming a conductive layer over the barrier layer.

2. The system of claim 1 wherein the insulating layer forming means, the agglutinating layer forming means, the plasma treating means, the barrier layer forming means, and the conductive layer forming means are integral to a deposition cluster system.

3. The system of claim 2 wherein the deposition cluster system includes:

a plurality of processing chambers; and

a plurality of carrier chambers each including means for transporting the substrate between ones of the plurality of processing chambers.

4. The system of claim 3 wherein one of the plurality of processing chambers comprises the agglutinating layer forming means and is configured to perform ionized metal plasma (IMP) deposition to form the agglutinating layer.

5. The system of claim 4 wherein the processing chamber configured to perform IMP deposition is configured to perform IMP deposition of at least one of Ti, Ta, and TaN to form the agglutinating layer.

6. The system of claim 3 wherein one of the plurality of processing chambers comprises the barrier layer forming means and is configured to perform metal-organic-chemical-vapor-deposition (MOCVD) to form the barrier layer.

7. The system of claim 6 wherein the processing chamber configured to perform MOCVD is configured to perform MOCVD of at least one of Ti, Ta, and TaN to form the barrier layer.

8. The system of claim 6 wherein the processing chamber configured to perform MOCVD is configured to utilize an organo-metallic precursor selected from the group consisting of:

TiCl₄, TDMAT, and TDEAT.

9. The system of claim 3 wherein the deposition cluster system further comprises a plurality of load lock chambers for loading the substrate into the system and also configured as holding chambers.

10. The system of claim 3 wherein one of the plurality of processing chambers comprises the plasma treating means and is configured to perform N₂+H₂ plasma treatment of the agglutinating layer.

11. The system of claim 10 wherein the processing chamber configured to perform N₂+H₂ plasma treatment of the agglutinating layer is configured to increase the grain size of the agglutinating layer by about 20%.

12. A deposition cluster system for manufacturing a semiconductor device, comprising:

a first processing chamber configured to form an insulating layer over a substrate;

a second processing chamber configured to form an agglutinating layer over the insulating layer;

a third processing chamber configured to plasma treat the agglutinating layer to enlarge its grain size; and

a fourth processing chamber configured to form a barrier layer over the plasma-treated agglutinating layer.

13. The deposition cluster system of claim 12 further comprising a plurality of carrier chambers each including means for transporting the substrate between ones of the first, second, third, and fourth processing chambers.

14. The deposition cluster system of claim 12 wherein the second processing chamber is configured to perform ionized metal plasma (IMP) deposition to form the agglutinating layer.

15. The deposition cluster system of claim 14 wherein the second processing chamber is configured to perform IMP deposition of at least one of Ti, Ta, and TaN to form the agglutinating layer.

16. The deposition cluster system of claim 12 wherein the fourth processing chamber is configured to perform metal-organic-chemical-vapor-deposition (MOCVD) to form the barrier layer.

17. The deposition cluster system of claim 16 wherein the fourth processing chamber is configured to perform MOCVD of at least one of Ti, Ta, and TaN to form the barrier layer utilizing an organo-metallic precursor selected from the group consisting of:

TiCl₄, TDMAT, and TDEAT.

18. The deposition cluster system of claim 12 further comprising a plurality of load lock chambers for loading the substrate into the system and also configured as holding chambers.

19. The deposition cluster system of claim 12 wherein the third processing chamber is configured to perform N₂+H₂ plasma treatment of the agglutinating layer.

20. The deposition cluster system of claim 19 wherein the third processing chamber is configured to increase the grain size of the agglutinating layer by about 20%.