Self-ionized and inductively-coupled plasma for sputtering and resputtering

a plasma and inductive coupling technology, applied in vacuum evaporation coatings, solid-state devices, coatings, etc., can solve problems such as difficult reflow out, disadvantageous wide distribution, and introduction of reliability problems

US20050255691A1Inactive Publication Date: 2005-11-17APPLIED MATERIALS INC
3 Cites 59 Cited by

Patent Information

Authority / Receiving Office
US · United States
Patent Type
Applications(United States)
Current Assignee / Owner
Publication Date
2005-11-17
Estimated Expiration
Not applicable · inactive patent

Smart Images

  • Figure 1
    Figure 1
  • Figure 2
    Figure 2
  • Figure 3
    Figure 3
Patent Text Reader

Abstract

A magnetron sputter reactor for sputtering deposition materials such as tantalum, tantalum nitride and copper, for example, and its method of use, in which self-ionized plasma (SIP) sputtering and inductively coupled plasma (ICP) sputtering are promoted, either together or alternately, in the same or different chambers. Also, bottom coverage may be thinned or eliminated by ICP resputtering in one chamber and SIP in another. SIP is promoted by a small magnetron having poles of unequal magnetic strength and a high power applied to the target during sputtering. ICP is provided by one or more RF coils which inductively couple RF energy into a plasma. The combined SIP-ICP layers can act as a liner or barrier or seed or nucleation layer for hole. In addition, an RF coil may be sputtered to provide protective material during ICP resputtering. In another chamber an array of auxiliary magnets positioned along sidewalls of a magnetron sputter reactor on a side towards the wafer from the target. The magnetron preferably is a small, strong one having a stronger outer pole of a first magnetic polarity surrounding a weaker outer pole of a second magnetic polarity and rotates about the central axis of the chamber. The auxiliary magnets preferably have the first magnetic polarity to draw the unbalanced magnetic field component toward the wafer. The auxiliary magnets may be either permanent magnets or electromagnets.
Need to check novelty before this filing date? Find Prior Art

Description

RELATED APPLICATIONS

[0001] This application is a continuation in part application of pending application Ser. No. 09 / 685,978 filed Oct. 10, 2000, a divisional application of application Ser. No. 09 / 414,614 filed Oct. 8, 1.999 (issued as U.S. Pat. No. 6,398,929); and is a continuation in part of pending application Ser. No. 10 / 202,778, filed Jul. 25, 2002 (which claims priority to provisional application 60 / 316,137 filed Aug. 30, 2001, and 60 / 342,608 filed Dec. 21, 2001); and is a continuation in part application of pending application Ser. No. 09 / 993,543, filed Nov. 14, 2001, which are incorporated by reference in their entireties.FIELD OF THE INVENTION

[0002] The invention relates generally to sputtering and resputtering. In particular, the invention relates to the sputter deposition of material and resputtering of deposited material in the formation of semiconductor integrated circuits. BACKGROUND ART

[0003] Semiconductor integrated circuits typically include multiple levels of m...

Examples

Embodiment Construction

[0028] One embodiment of the present invention is directed to sputter depositing a liner material such as tantalum or tantalum nitride, by combining long-throw sputtering, self-ionized plasma (SIP) sputtering, inductively-coupled plasma (ICP) resputtering, and coil sputtering in one chamber. Long-throw sputtering is characterized by a relatively high ratio of the target-to-substrate distance and the substrate diameter. Long-throw SIP sputtering promotes deep hole coating of both the ionized and neutral deposition material components. ICP resputtering can reduce the thickness of layer bottom coverage of deep holes to reduce contact resistance. During ICP resputtering, ICP coil sputtering can deposit a protective layer, particularly on areas such as adjacent the hole openings where thinning by resputtering may not be desired.

[0029] Another embodiment of the present invention is directed to sputter depositing an interconnect material such as copper, by combining long-throw sputtering,...