Semiconductor constructions, and methods of forming semiconductor constructions

• US 20070117308A1
• Filed: 01/17/2007
• Published: 05/24/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 06/24/2005
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Yongjun Hu
• Original Assignee: Yongjun Hu
• Inventors: Hu, Yongjun
• Application Number:
  US11/655,638
• Publication Number:
  US 20070117308A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 438/238
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/28568 the conductive layers comprising transition metals H01L21/28518 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/76843 formed in openings in a dielectric
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/76844 Bottomless liners
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/7687 Thin films associated with contacts of capacitors
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/76873 for electroplating
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/76879 by selective deposition of conductive material in the vias, e.g. selective C.V.D. on semiconductor material, plating plating on semiconductors in general H01L21/288
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 23/485 consisting of layered constructions comprising conductive layers and insulating layers, e.g. planar contacts H01L23/4821, H01L23/4822, H01L23/4824, H01L23/4825 take precedence; materials H01L23/532, bond pads H01L24/02, bump connectors H01L24/10
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 23/53238 Additional layers associated with copper layers, e.g. adhesion, barrier, cladding layers
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 28/65 comprising a noble metal or a noble metal oxide, e.g. platinum (Pt), ruthenium (Ru), ruthenium dioxide (RuO2), iridium (Ir), iridium dioxide (IrO2)
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 28/75 comprising two or more layers, e.g. comprising a barrier layer and a metal layer
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/00 Indexing scheme for arrangements or methods for connecting or disconnecting semiconductor or solid-state bodies as covered by H01L24/00
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/0002 Not covered by any one of groups H01L24/00, H01L24/00 and H01L2224/00
• CPC Class Codes: H10B 12/0335 Making a connection between the transistor and the capacitor, e.g. plug

Abstract

The invention includes methods of utilizing compositions containing iridium and tantalum in semiconductor constructions, and includes semiconductor constructions comprising compositions containing iridium and tantalum. The compositions containing iridium and tantalum can be utilized as barrier materials, and in some aspects can be utilized as barriers to copper diffusion.

Claims

1. A semiconductor construction comprising a composition containing Ir and Ta.

2. The construction of claim 1 wherein the composition consists essentially of Ir and Ta.

3. The construction of claim 2 wherein the composition contains the tantalum to a concentration of from about 40 atomic percent to about 70 atomic percent.

4. The construction of claim 2 wherein the composition contains the tantalum to a concentration of from about 50 atomic percent to about 65 atomic percent.

5. The construction of claim 1 wherein the composition is between a copper-containing material and an electrically insulative material.

6. The construction of claim 5 wherein the composition physically contacts the copper-containing material and the electrically insulative material.

7. The construction of claim 6 wherein the composition has a thickness of from about 15 Å

to about 50 Å

between the copper-containing material and the electrically insulative material.

8. The construction of claim 1 wherein the composition is between a platinum-containing material and conductively-doped silicon.

9. The construction of claim 8 wherein the composition physically contacts the platinum-containing material and the conductively-doped silicon.

10. The construction of claim 1 wherein the composition physically contacts a material containing one or more elements selected from the group consisting of noble metals and near noble metals.

11. The construction of claim 10 wherein the one or elements include one or more of gold, silver, platinum and palladium.

12. A semiconductor construction, comprising:

a semiconductor substrate;

an electrically insulative material over the substrate;

a composition containing Ir and Ta over the electrically insulative material; and

a copper-containing material over the composition.

13. The construction of claim 12 wherein the composition has a thickness of from about 15 Å

to about 50 Å

between the copper-containing material and the electrically insulative material.

14. The construction of claim 12 wherein the composition consists essentially of Ir and Ta.

15. The construction of claim 14 wherein the composition contains the tantalum to a concentration of from about 40 atomic percent to about 70 atomic percent.

16. The construction of claim 14 wherein the composition contains the tantalum to a concentration of from about 50 atomic percent to about 65 atomic percent.

17. The construction of claim 12 wherein the composition consists essentially of Ir and Ta;

and wherein the composition directly contacts both the copper-containing material and the electrically insulative material.

18. The construction of claim 17 wherein the electrically insulative material comprises one or more of silicon dioxide, BPSG and PSG.

19. The construction of claim 18 wherein the copper-containing material consists essentially of copper.

20. The construction of claim 12 wherein the copper-containing material is in a shape of one or more lines extending across a region of the semiconductor substrate.

21. The construction of claim 12 wherein the electrically insulative material has one or more trenches therein, wherein the composition forms one or more liners within the one or more trenches, and wherein the copper-containing material is within the trenches and spaced from the electrically insulative material by only the one or more liners.

22. The construction of claim 12 comprising an electrically conductive line extending within the electrically insulative material, and further comprising:

a trench within the electrically insulative material and over the line;

a via extending from the trench to the line;

the composition being within the trench and the via; and

the copper-containing material being over the composition within the trench and the via.

23. The construction of claim 12 comprising an electrically conductive line extending within the electrically insulative material, and further comprising:

a trench within the electrically insulative material and over the line;

a via extending from the trench to the line, the via having a bottom along the line;

the composition being within the trench but not along the bottom of the via; and

the copper-containing material being over the composition within the trench and being in direct contact with the line at the bottom of the via.

24. The construction of claim 23 wherein the line comprises copper.

25. A semiconductor construction, comprising:

a semiconductor material;

a first composition containing Ir and Ta over the semiconductor material; and

a second composition over the first composition and comprising one or more of gold, silver, palladium and platinum.

26. The construction of claim 25 wherein the first composition consists essentially of Ir and Ta.

27. The construction of claim 25 wherein the first composition contains the tantalum to a concentration of from about 40 atomic percent to about 70 atomic percent.

28. The construction of claim 25 wherein the first composition contains the tantalum to a concentration of from about 50 atomic percent to about 65 atomic percent.

29. The construction of claim 25 wherein the first composition consists essentially of Ir and Ta;

and wherein the first composition directly contacts both the semiconductor material and the second composition.

30. The construction of claim 29 wherein the second composition is part of a capacitor electrode, and wherein the semiconductor material consists essentially of conductively-doped silicon.

31. The construction of claim 29 wherein the semiconductor material is monocrystalline silicon, and further comprising an electrically insulative material over the monocrystalline silicon and having an opening extending therethrough to the monocrystalline silicon;

wherein the first composition is along a bottom of the opening; and

wherein the second composition is within the opening and over the first composition.

32. The construction of claim 31 wherein the second composition fills the opening over the first composition.

33-44. -44. (canceled)

45. A method of forming a semiconductor construction, comprising:

providing a semiconductor substrate having an electrically insulative material thereover;

forming a composition containing Ir and Ta over the electrically insulative material; and

forming a copper-containing material over the composition.

46. The method of claim 45 wherein the composition consists essentially of Ir and Ta.

47. The method of claim 46 wherein the composition contains the tantalum to a concentration of from about 40 atomic percent to about 70 atomic percent.

48. The method of claim 46 wherein the composition contains the tantalum to a concentration of from about 50 atomic percent to about 65 atomic percent.

49. The method of claim 45 wherein:

the composition is formed directly on the electrically insulative material; and

wherein the copper-containing material is formed directly on the composition.

50. The method of claim 49 wherein the forming the copper-containing material comprises electroplating the copper-containing material onto the composition.

51. The method of claim 49 wherein the forming the copper-containing material comprises forming a copper-containing seed layer on the composition and then electroplating copper-containing plating onto the copper seed layer.

52. The method of claim 45 wherein the copper-containing material is formed to be one or more lines extending across a region of the semiconductor substrate.

53. The method of claim 45 wherein an electrically conductive line extends within the electrically insulative material, and further comprising:

forming a trench within the electrically insulative material and over the line;

forming a via extending from the trench to the line;

forming the composition within the trench and the via; and

forming the copper-containing material over the composition within the trench and the via.

54. The method of claim 45 wherein an electrically conductive line extends within the electrically insulative material, and further comprising:

forming a trench within the electrically insulative material and over the line;

forming a via extending from the trench to the line;

forming the composition within the trench and the via;

removing the composition from a bottom of the via to expose the line, but leaving the composition within the trench; and

forming the copper-containing material over the composition within the trench and in direct contact with the line at the bottom of the via.

55. The method of claim 45 further comprising forming one or more trenches within the electrically insulative material, and wherein:

the composition is formed within at least one of the trenches as a liner; and

the copper-containing material is formed within said at least one of the trenches and over the liner.

56. The method of claim 55 wherein the composition is initially formed within the at least one trench and over one or more segments of the electrically insulative material proximate the at least one trench;

and wherein the composition is subsequently removed from over the one or more segments by chemical-mechanical polishing.

57. The method of claim 56 wherein the composition is removed from over the one or more segments after the formation of the copper-containing material.

58. The method of claim 56 wherein the composition is removed from over the one or more segments prior to the formation of the copper-containing material.

59. A method of forming a semiconductor construction, comprising:

providing a semiconductor material;

forming a first composition over the semiconductor material, the first composition comprising Ta and Ir; and

forming a second composition over the first composition, the second composition comprising one or more of gold, silver, palladium and platinum.

60. The method of claim 59 wherein the first composition consists essentially of Ir and Ta.

61. The method of claim 60 wherein the first composition contains the tantalum to a concentration of from about 40 atomic percent to about 70 atomic percent.

62. The method of claim 60 wherein the first composition contains the tantalum to a concentration of from about 50 atomic percent to about 65 atomic percent.

63. The method of claim 60 wherein:

the first composition consists essentially of Ir and Ta;

the first composition is formed directly on the semiconductor material; and

the second composition is formed directly on the first composition.

64. The method of claim 63 wherein the semiconductor material consists essentially of conductively-doped silicon;

wherein the second composition is electrically conductive; and

further comprising;

forming a dielectric material over the second composition; and

forming a third composition over the dielectric material, the third composition being electrically conductive and being capacitively coupled with the second composition.

65. The method of claim 63 wherein the semiconductor material is monocrystalline silicon, and further comprising:

forming an electrically insulative material over the monocrystalline silicon;

forming an opening through the electrically insulative material to the monocrystalline silicon;

wherein the forming said first composition includes forming the first composition along a bottom of the opening; and

wherein the forming said second composition includes forming the second composition within the opening and over the first composition.

66. The method of claim 65 wherein the first composition is initially formed within the opening and over a segment of the electrically insulative material proximate the at opening;

and wherein the first composition is subsequently removed from over the segment by chemical-mechanical polishing.

67. The method of claim 66 wherein the first composition is removed from over the segment after the formation of the second composition.

68. The method of claim 66 wherein the first composition is removed from over the segment prior to the formation of the second composition.