Metal gate scheme for device and methods of forming

• US 9,941,376 B2
• Filed: 06/04/2015
• Issued: 04/10/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 04/30/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company Limited
• Original Assignee: Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company Limited
• Inventors: JangJian, Shiu-Ko, Liu, Chi-Wen, Wu, Chih-Nan, Lin, Chun Che
• Primary Examiner(s): Smoot, Stephen W
• Assistant Examiner(s): Booker, Vicki B
• Application Number:
  US14/730,444
• Publication Number:
  US 20160322471A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,041 Days
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/28088 the final conductor layer next to the insulator being a composite, e.g. TiN
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/823842 gate conductors with different gate conductor materials or different gate conductor implants, e.g. dual gate structures
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 29/165 in different semiconductor regions , e.g. heterojunctions
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 29/4966 the conductor material next to the insulator being a composite material, e.g. organic material, TiN, MoSi2 H01L29/4908, H01L29/4983 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 29/66545 using a dummy, i.e. replacement gate in a process wherein at least a part of the final gate is self aligned to the dummy gate
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 29/66636 with source or drain recessed by etching or first recessed by etching and then refilled
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 29/7834 with a non-planar structure, e.g. the gate or the source or the drain being non-planar
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 29/7848 the means being located in the source/drain region, e.g. SiGe source and drain

Abstract

Gate structures and methods of forming the gate structures are described. In some embodiments, a method includes forming source/drain regions in a substrate, and forming a gate structure between the source/drain regions. The gate structure includes a gate dielectric layer over the substrate, a work function tuning layer over the gate dielectric layer, a first metal over the work function tuning layer, an adhesion layer over the first metal, and a second metal over the adhesion layer. In some embodiments, the adhesion layer can include an alloy of the first and second metals, and may be formed by annealing the first and second metals. In other embodiments, the adhesion layer can include an oxide of at least one of the first and/or second metal, and may be formed at least in part by exposing the first metal to an oxygen-containing plasma or to a natural environment.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

forming a first source/drain region and a second source/drain region in a substrate; and

forming a gate structure between the first source/drain region and the second source/drain region and over the substrate, wherein forming the gate structure comprising;

depositing a gate dielectric layer over the substrate,

depositing a work function tuning layer over the gate dielectric layer,

depositing a first metal over the work function tuning layer,

forming an adhesion layer over the first metal, wherein forming the adhesion layer comprises oxidizing the first metal, and

depositing a second metal over the adhesion layer, the second metal being different from the first metal.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the adhesion layer comprises a first sub-layer of an oxide of the first metal and a second sub-layer of an oxide of the second metal.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the adhesion layer is an oxide of a mixture of the first metal and the second metal.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein forming the gate structure comprises depositing, in a chamber, the first metal over the work function tuning layer, wherein oxidizing the first metal comprises:

after depositing the first metal, allowing a natural environment in the chamber, and wherein the method further comprises;

after allowing the natural environment in the chamber, depositing, in the chamber, the second metal over the first metal, wherein the adhesion layer comprises an oxide formed at least in part by allowing the natural environment in the chamber.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein oxidizing the first metal comprises after depositing the first metal, exposing the first metal to an oxygen-containing plasma, and wherein the method further comprises:

after exposing the first metal to the oxygen-containing plasma, depositing the second metal over the first metal, wherein the adhesion layer comprises an oxide formed at least in part by exposing the first metal to the oxygen-containing plasma.

6. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

forming a buffer layer over the gate structure, the buffer layer comprising an oxide of the second metal; and

forming a dielectric cap over the buffer layer.

7. The method of claim 6 further comprising recessing the gate structure below a top surface of a dielectric layer to define an opening above the gate structure, wherein forming the buffer layer and the dielectric cap comprises forming the buffer layer and the dielectric cap in the opening.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the first metal comprises cobalt and the second metal comprises aluminum.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein after depositing the second metal, a portion of the second metal diffuses into the adhesion layer.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein oxidizing the first metal comprises performing a thermal oxidation on the first metal.

11. A method comprising:

forming a first source/drain region and a second source/drain region in a substrate;

forming an inter-layer dielectric over the substrate, an opening being through the inter-layer dielectric to the substrate, the opening being between the first source/drain region and the second source/drain region;

forming a gate dielectric layer in the opening and over the substrate;

forming a work function tuning layer in the opening and over the gate dielectric layer;

forming a first metal in the opening and over the work function tuning layer;

forming a second metal in the opening and over the first metal, the second metal being different from the first metal; and

forming an adhesion layer between the first metal and the second metal, wherein forming the adhesion layer comprises annealing the first metal and the second metal to react to form an alloy of the first metal and the second metal.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein annealing the first metal and the second metal to react comprises annealing the first metal and the second metal at a temperature in a range from 200°

C. to 500°

C.

13. The method of claim 11 further comprising recessing the gate dielectric layer, the work function tuning layer, the first metal, the second metal, and the adhesion layer below a top surface of the inter-layer dielectric.

14. The method of claim 11 further comprising:

forming a buffer layer over the gate dielectric layer, the work function tuning layer, the first metal, the second metal, and the adhesion layer in the opening; and

forming a capping layer in the opening over the buffer layer.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein forming the buffer layer comprises oxidizing the second metal.

16. The method of claim 11, wherein a thickness of the alloy of the first metal and the second metal is in a range from 10 Å

to 50 Å

.

17. A method comprising:

forming a first source/drain region and a second source/drain region in a substrate;

forming an inter-layer dielectric over the substrate, a first opening being through the inter-layer dielectric to the substrate, the first opening being between the first source/drain region and the second source/drain region;

forming a gate dielectric layer in the first opening and over the substrate;

forming a first work function tuning layer in the first opening and over the gate dielectric layer;

forming a first metal in the first opening and over the first work function tuning layer;

forming a second metal in the first opening and over the first metal, the second metal being different from the first metal; and

forming an adhesion layer between the first metal and the second metal, wherein the adhesion layer comprises at least the first metal, and wherein the adhesion layer comprises;

an oxide of the first metal and the second metal;

an oxide of the second metal over an oxide of the first metal;

or

an alloy of the first metal and the second metal.

18. The method of claim 17 further comprising:

forming a third source/drain region and a fourth source/drain region in the substrate;

forming a second opening being through the inter-layer dielectric to the substrate between the third source/drain region and the fourth source/drain region;

after forming the first work function tuning layer, masking the first opening by forming a mask over the first work function tuning layer over the first opening, wherein the mask is patterned to expose the second opening;

while masking the first opening, forming a second work function tuning layer in the second opening over a portion of the first work function tuning layer in the second opening; and

after forming the second work function tuning layer, removing the mask.

19. The method of claim 17 further comprising:

recessing portions of the gate dielectric layer, the first work function tuning layer, the first metal, the second metal, and the adhesion layer so that top surfaces of the gate dielectric layer, the first work function tuning layer, the first metal, the second metal are below a top surface of the inter-layer dielectric;

forming a buffer oxide layer in the first opening by oxidizing top portions of the gate dielectric layer, the first work function tuning layer, the first metal, the second metal in the first opening; and

forming a dielectric cap in the first opening and over the buffer oxide layer.

20. The method of claim 17, wherein the first metal comprises cobalt and the second metal comprises aluminum.