Methods and apparatus for making integrated-circuit wiring from copper, silver, gold, and other metals
First Claim
1. A processing chamber for one or more integrated-circuit assemblies, comprising:
- a vacuum chamber including a substrate holder, at least one sputtering target, a plasma power source;
a gas emission device selectively connected to a plurality of gaseous material sources, a heater;
a gas emission device disposed adjacent the sputtering target; and
a non-reactive gas source disposed operatively to sweep non-reactive gas across the sputtering target to prevent contamination during operation of the gas emission device selectively connected to a plurality of gaseous material sources.
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Accused Products
Abstract
In recent years, copper wiring has emerged as a promising substitute for the aluminum wiring in integrated circuits, because copper offers lower electrical resistance and better reliability at smaller dimensions than aluminum. However, use of copper typically requires forming a diffusion barrier to prevent contamination of other parts of an integrated circuit and forming a seed layer to facilitate copper plating steps. Unfortunately, conventional methods of forming the diffusion barriers and seed layers require use of separate wafer-processing chambers, giving rise to transport delays and the introduction of defect-causing particles. Accordingly, the inventors devised unique wafer-processing chambers and methods of forming barrier and seed layers. One embodiment of the wafer-processing chamber includes equipment for physical vapor deposition and equipment for chemical vapor deposition to facilitate formation of diffusion barriers and seed layers within one chamber, thereby promoting fabrication efficiency and reducing defects.
371 Citations
21 Claims
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1. A processing chamber for one or more integrated-circuit assemblies, comprising:
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a vacuum chamber including a substrate holder, at least one sputtering target, a plasma power source; a gas emission device selectively connected to a plurality of gaseous material sources, a heater; a gas emission device disposed adjacent the sputtering target; and a non-reactive gas source disposed operatively to sweep non-reactive gas across the sputtering target to prevent contamination during operation of the gas emission device selectively connected to a plurality of gaseous material sources. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7)
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8. A processing chamber for one or more integrated-circuit assemblies, comprising:
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a sputter target within the chamber; a plasma generator within the chamber; a chemical vapor deposition system within the chamber; a movable shutter disposed to isolate the plasma generator during operation of the chemical vapor deposition system; and a gas source adapted to sweep the sputter target for preventing contamination of the sputter target during operation of the chemical vapor deposition system. - View Dependent Claims (9)
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10. A processing chamber for one or more integrated-circuit assemblies, comprising:
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a wafer holder for holding a wafer or substrate; means for sputtering a material onto a surface of a wafer held by the wafer holder, including; one or more sputter-target holders within the chamber for holding a sputter target; and a plasma source coupled to the chamber; means for vapor-depositing a material, including; one or more mass-flow controllers coupled to the chamber; and a gas-emission tube coupled to at least one of the mass-flow controllers and having one or more orifices oriented for emitting gas toward a sputter target held by the one or more sputter target holders; and a non-reactive gas source disposed operatively to sweep non-reactive gas across the sputtering target to prevent contamination during operation of the means for vapor-depositing a material. - View Dependent Claims (11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18)
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19. A processing chamber for one or more integrated-circuit assemblies, comprising:
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a vacuum chamber including a substrate holder, at least one sputtering target including at least one material from the list comprising copper, silver, gold, tungsten; a plasma power source selected from a capacitive radio frequency generator, an inductive radio frequency generator, and an ECR device, to excite a plasma; a gas emission device selectively connected to a plurality of gaseous material sources including at least one material from the list comprising oxygen, nitrogen, hydrogen, argon, aluminum, silicon, germanium, copper, silver, gold, tungsten, and enabled to mix gaseous material sources to chemical vapor deposit at least one of a graded composition of WSix, where x varies from 2.0 to 2.5, and nitrided graded WSix; and a gas emission device disposed adjacent the sputtering target, the gas emission device disposed adjacent the sputtering target disposed to sweep a non-reactive gas source across the sputtering target during operation of the gas emission device selectively connected to a plurality of gaseous material sources. - View Dependent Claims (20, 21)
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Specification