Processing system for metal precursor synthesis and deposition

Abstract

A processing chamber for forming a metal-containing precursor and depositing a pure metal film is disclosed. A deposition method is also disclosed that includes forming a metal-containing precursor in a single processing chamber and depositing the metal-containing precursor on a substrate to form a metal film.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The embodiments of this disclosure generally relate to processing systems for use in semiconductor device fabrication processes. More specifically, embodiments of this disclosure relate to processing systems for metal precursor synthesis and metal film deposition. Background Technology

[0002] The semiconductor processing industry is constantly pursuing higher production yields while increasing the uniformity of layers deposited on substrates with larger surface areas. These same factors, combined with new materials, also provide greater circuit integration per unit substrate area. As circuit integration increases, the need for greater uniformity in layer thickness and process control arises. Therefore, various techniques have been developed to deposit layers on substrates cost-effectively while maintaining control over layer characteristics.

[0003] Sputtering is a physical vapor deposition process in which high-energy ions bombard and erode a solid target, depositing the target material onto the surface of a substrate (such as a semiconductor substrate). In semiconductor manufacturing, sputtering processes are typically performed in a semiconductor manufacturing chamber (also known as a PVD processing chamber or sputtering chamber). Sputtering has long been used for the deposition of metals and related materials in the manufacture of semiconductor integrated circuits.

[0004] Typically, a sputtering chamber includes an outer shell wall enclosing the processing area (in which the processing gas is introduced), a gas exciter for exciting the processing gas, and an exhaust port for discharging and controlling the pressure of the processing gas in the chamber. The chamber is used to sputter and deposit material from a sputtering target onto a substrate. In the sputtering process, the sputtering target is bombarded with high-energy ions (such as plasma), causing material to detach from the target and deposit as a film on the substrate.

[0005] Common semiconductor manufacturing chambers have a target assembly comprising a disk-shaped target of solid metal or other material supported by a backplate holding the target. To promote uniform deposition, PVD chambers may have an annular concentric metal ring circumferentially surrounding the disk-shaped target; this ring is often referred to as a shield.

[0006] Plasma sputtering can be performed using either DC sputtering or RF sputtering. Plasma sputtering typically involves a magnetron positioned on the back side of a sputtering target. The magnetron includes two magnets of opposite polarities magnetically coupled at its back side via a yoke to project a magnetic field into the processing space, increasing plasma density and enhancing the sputtering rate from the front of the target. The magnets used in the magnetron are typically closed-loop for DC sputtering and open-loop for RF sputtering.

[0007] In plasma-enhanced substrate processing systems, such as physical vapor deposition (PVD) chambers, high-power-density PVD sputtering with high magnetic fields and high DC power can generate high energy on the sputtering target, resulting in a significant increase in the surface temperature of the target. The sputtering target is cooled by contacting a target backplate with a cooling fluid. In commercially available plasma sputtering, a target containing the material to be sputtered is sealed within a vacuum chamber containing the substrate to be coated. An inert gas, such as argon, is allowed to enter the chamber. The argon is excited into plasma when a negative DC bias of several hundred volts is applied to the target while the chamber walls or shielding remain grounded. Positively charged argon ions are attracted to the negatively biased target at high energy and sputter target atoms (e.g., metal atoms) from the target.

[0008] Chemical vapor deposition (CVD) is one of the most common deposition processes used to deposit layers on substrates. CVD is a throughput-dependent deposition technique that requires precise control of substrate temperature and the introduction of precursors into the processing chamber in order to produce the desired uniform thickness layer. As substrate size increases, these requirements become more critical, necessitating more sophisticated chamber designs and gas flow techniques to maintain sufficient uniformity.

[0009] A variant of CVD exhibiting excellent stepped coverage is cyclic deposition or atomic layer deposition (ALD). Cyclic deposition is based on atomic layer epitaxy (ALE) and employs chemisorption technology to continuously deliver precursor molecules to the substrate surface. The cycle exposes the substrate surface to a first precursor, a purge gas, a second precursor, and another purge gas. The first and second precursors react to form a product compound as a film on the substrate surface. The cycle is repeated to form a layer of the desired thickness.

[0010] The increasing complexity of advanced microelectronic devices places stringent demands on currently used deposition techniques. Unfortunately, the number of viable chemical precursors with the desired properties is limited, including strong thermal stability, high reactivity, and suitable vapor pressures for film growth. Furthermore, precursors that often meet these requirements still suffer from poor long-term stability and result in films containing elevated concentrations of contaminants such as oxygen, nitrogen, and / or halides, which are frequently detrimental to the application of the target film.

[0011] For example, metal precursors used in ALD membranes are often thermally unstable, contain halogens, introduce impurities into the membrane, or include metals in a non-zero oxidation state. For some elements, reduction to a zero oxidation state within the ALD chamber is challenging. Without intending to be bound by theory, these problems suggest that depositing pure metal membranes using conventional techniques requiring the chemical synthesis of expensive organometallic compounds or the use of metal halides (when volatilized) is impractical.

[0012] Therefore, an improved processing chamber is needed to form a feasible metal-containing precursor and deposit a pure metal film. Summary of the Invention

[0013] One or more embodiments of this disclosure relate to a processing chamber. The processing chamber includes: a chamber body having a top wall, a bottom wall, and two opposing side walls containing an internal volume; a metal source within the internal volume for providing metal atoms to a precursor forming region within the internal volume; and a ligand source for providing evaporated ligands to the precursor forming region. The metal atoms and the evaporated ligands react in the precursor forming region to form a metal-containing precursor.

[0014] Additional embodiments of this disclosure relate to a processing chamber. The processing chamber includes: a chamber body having a top wall, a bottom wall, and two opposing sidewalls containing an internal volume; a metal source within the internal volume for providing metal atoms to a precursor forming region within the internal volume; and a ligand source for providing evaporated ligands to the precursor forming region. The metal atoms and evaporated ligands react in the precursor forming region to form a metal-containing precursor. A substrate is positioned on a substrate support within the internal volume, and the metal-containing precursor forms a metal film on the substrate.

[0015] Further embodiments of this disclosure relate to a deposition method. The deposition method includes: forming a metal-containing precursor by providing metal atoms from a metal source to a precursor formation region, the metal source and the precursor formation region being within an internal volume of a processing chamber; and providing evaporated ligands from a ligand source to the precursor formation region. The metal atoms and the evaporated ligands react in the precursor formation region to form the metal-containing precursor. The deposition method further includes exposing a substrate surface to the metal-containing precursor to deposit a metal film. Attached Figure Description

[0016] To gain a more detailed understanding of the features and methods described above in this disclosure, a more specific description of the disclosure, which has been briefly summarized above, can be made with reference to the embodiments, some of which are illustrated in the accompanying drawings. However, it should be noted that the drawings illustrate only common embodiments of this disclosure and are not intended to limit its scope, as this disclosure may allow for other equivalent and effective embodiments.

[0017] Figure 1 A schematic cross-sectional view of a processing chamber according to one or more embodiments of the present disclosure is shown;

[0018] Figure 2 A schematic cross-sectional view of a processing chamber according to one or more embodiments of the present disclosure is shown; and

[0019] Figure 3 Clustering tools according to one or more embodiments of this disclosure are shown. Detailed Implementation

[0020] Before describing several exemplary embodiments of this disclosure, it will be understood that this disclosure is not limited to the details of the construction or process steps set forth in the following description. This disclosure can have other embodiments and can be practiced or carried out in various ways.

[0021] As used in this specification and the appended claims, the term "substrate" refers to a surface or a portion thereof on which a process is performed. Those skilled in the art will understand that, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise, reference to substrate may also refer to only a portion of the substrate. Furthermore, reference to deposition on a substrate may mean a bare substrate or a substrate on which one or more films or features are deposited or formed.

[0022] As used herein, “substrate” refers to any substrate or material surface formed on a substrate, on which a film treatment is performed during a manufacturing process. For example, depending on the application, substrate surfaces on which treatments can be performed include materials such as silicon, silicon oxide, strained silicon, silicon-on-insulator (SOI), carbon-doped silicon oxide, amorphous silicon, doped silicon, germanium, gallium arsenide, glass, sapphire, and any other materials such as metals, metal nitrides, metal alloys, and other conductive materials. Substrates include, but are not limited to, semiconductor wafers. Substrates may be exposed to pretreatment processes such as polishing, etching, reduction, oxidation, hydroxylation, annealing, UV curing, electron beam curing, and / or baking of the substrate surface. In addition to film treatments performed directly on the surface of the substrate itself, any film treatment steps disclosed herein, as disclosed in more detail below, may also be performed on an underlayer formed on the substrate, and the term “substrate surface” is intended to include such an underlayer as indicated by the context. Thus, for example, where a film / layer or a portion of a film / layer has already been deposited on the substrate surface, the exposed surface of the newly deposited film / layer becomes the substrate surface.

[0023] In extreme ultraviolet (EUV) lithography (EUVL), which can be used to fabricate semiconductor devices with feature sizes as small as 0.0135 micrometers and smaller, a pellicle is used during the fabrication of integrated circuits. More specifically, in EUVL, a reusable photomask (e.g., a photomask plate) is used to repeatedly print thousands of substrates to form integrated circuits. Typically, the photomask is a glass or quartz substrate comprising a multilayer film stack, including a light-absorbing layer and an opaque layer disposed thereon. By mounting a thin film a few millimeters away from the photomask surface, particles are mechanically separated from the photomask surface, and the pellicle is used to protect the photomask plate from particle contamination. The pellicle is a thin, transparent film that allows light and radiation to pass through it to reach the photomask plate and is stretched across the shielding surface without contacting the photomask surface. In one or more embodiments, the photomask plate is a glass substrate. In one or more embodiments, the photomask plate is a quartz substrate.

[0024] A key feature of the EUV surface film is that it allows EUV light transmission to ensure the productivity of the EUV lithography system, for example, at least 90% transmission of EUV light (e.g., at an exposure wavelength of 13.5 nm). Low transmission reduces effective exposure power and hinders the productivity of the EUVL system. The surface film also needs to be mechanically stable, which is difficult to achieve for films thin enough to meet EUV transmission requirements. The film is mounted on a frame and fixed to a photomask. Surface films containing carbon nanotube (CNT) films have been used in EUVL. In some embodiments, the substrate contains at least one EUV surface film. In some embodiments, the substrate contains at least one EUV surface film, and each EUV surface film independently contains at least one carbon nanotube (CNT) film.

[0025] As used in this specification and the appended claims, the terms “precursor,” “reactant,” “reactive gas,” and the like are used interchangeably to refer to any gaseous substance that can react with the surface of the substrate.

[0026] As used herein, “atomic layer deposition” or “cyclic deposition” refers to the successive exposure of two or more reactive compounds to deposit a material layer on a substrate surface. The substrate, or portions thereof, are individually exposed to two or more reactive compounds introduced into the reaction zone of a processing chamber. In time-domain ALD processes, exposure to each reactive compound is separated by a time delay to allow each compound to adhere to and / or react on the substrate surface and subsequently be decontaminated from the processing chamber. These reactive compounds are considered to be exposed to the substrate sequentially. In spatial ALD processes, different portions of the substrate surface are simultaneously exposed to two or more reactive compounds, such that a given point on the substrate is exposed to more than one reactive compound at different times. As used in this specification and the appended claims, and as will be understood by those skilled in the art, the term “substantially” as used in this context means, without intention, that a small portion of the substrate may be simultaneously exposed to multiple reactive gases due to diffusion.

[0027] In one aspect of the time-domain ALD process, a first reactive gas (i.e., a first precursor or compound A) is pulsed into the reaction zone, followed by a first time delay. Next, a second reactive gas (i.e., a second precursor or compound B) is pulsed into the reaction zone, followed by a second delay. During each time delay, a purge gas (such as argon or helium) is introduced into the processing chamber to purge the reaction zone or otherwise remove any residual reactive compounds or reaction byproducts from the reaction zone. Alternatively, the purge gas may flow continuously throughout the deposition process, such that only the purge gas flows during the time delay between pulses of the reactive compounds. The reactive gases are pulsed alternately until the desired film or film thickness is formed on the substrate surface. In either case, the ALD process of pulsed compound A, purge gas, compound B, and purge gas is referred to as a cycle. A cycle may begin with compound A or compound B and continue in the corresponding cycle sequence until a film with a predetermined thickness is obtained.

[0028] As used herein, “pulse” or “dose” is intended to refer to the amount of source gas introduced into the treatment chamber intermittently or discontinuously. Depending on the duration of the pulse, the amount of a particular compound in each pulse may vary over time. A particular treatment gas may include a single compound or a mixture / combination of two or more compounds.

[0029] The duration of each pulse / dose is variable and can be adjusted to suit, for example, the volumetric capacity of the processing chamber and the capacity of the vacuum system coupled to the processing chamber. Furthermore, the dosing time of the processing gas can be varied based on the flow rate of the processing gas, the temperature of the processing gas, the type of control valve, the type of processing chamber employed, and the ability of the components of the processing gas to adsorb onto the substrate surface. The dosing time can also be varied based on the type of layer formed and the geometry of the formed element. The dosing time should be long enough to provide sufficient volume of compounds adsorbed / chemisorbed onto substantially the entire surface of the substrate and forming a layer of processing gas components thereon.

[0030] In some embodiments, the reactants comprise an inert gas, a diluent, and / or a carrier gas. The inert gas, diluent, and / or carrier gas may be mixed with the reactive substance and may be pulsed or have a constant flow rate. In some embodiments, the carrier gas is flowed into the processing chamber at a constant flow rate in the range of about 1 to about 20,000 sccm. The carrier gas may be any gas that does not interfere with film deposition. For example, the carrier gas may comprise one or more of argon, helium, nitrogen, neon, or the like, or combinations thereof. In one or more embodiments, the carrier gas is mixed with the reactive substance before flowing into the reservoir.

[0031] The processing chamber disclosed herein can be used as part of any known deposition technique. In some embodiments, the processing chamber is used for atomic layer deposition (ALD) processes, chemical vapor deposition (CVD) processes, pulsed CVD processes, plasma-enhanced atomic layer deposition (PEALD) processes, and / or plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposition (PECVD) processes.

[0032] The embodiments of this disclosure advantageously avoid challenges associated with the use of metal halides, non-zero oxidation states, precursor stability in ampoules, and precursor synthesis. A processing system is provided for the direct formation of metal precursors from pure metals and ligands in the gas phase.

[0033] In some embodiments, evaporated metal atoms are captured by ligands that retain them in the gas phase and carry them to a separate deposition chamber or substrate. Weaker ligands form metastable complexes suitable for CVD processes; stronger ligands are more suitable for ALD processes.

[0034] Compared to current processing systems, some embodiments of this disclosure advantageously provide delivery of higher precursor concentrations in a shorter time period.

[0035] Some embodiments of this disclosure advantageously provide apparatus and methods capable of bursting high doses of chemicals onto a substrate or into a separate processing chamber. The high-burst delivery process can be used for deposition on high-surface-area structured wafers.

[0036] Some embodiments advantageously provide greater control over the amount of precursor delivered to the substrate or a separate processing chamber during the deposition process. Some embodiments of this disclosure advantageously provide a more consistent precursor concentration delivered over time during semiconductor substrate processing methods.

[0037] Some embodiments of this disclosure advantageously provide apparatus for in-situ precursor formation. Some embodiments provide apparatus for reducing precursor costs by forming metal precursors in situ. In some embodiments, the metal precursor is formed immediately prior to deposition in the same chamber as the substrate or in an adjacent chamber and flows into a processing chamber having the substrate. In some embodiments, the metal precursor is formed in the gas phase and maintained in the gas phase by appropriately heating the chamber walls and / or gas lines connecting the synthesis chamber and the deposition chamber.

[0038] In some embodiments, the processing system (such as...) Figure 1 The processing chamber 100 shown includes a chamber body 110 having a top wall 112 containing an internal volume 109, a bottom wall 114, and two opposing side walls 113. The processing chamber 100 may also be referred to as a composite chamber. The arrangement of components shown in the figures illustrates one possible configuration and should not be construed as limiting the scope of this disclosure.

[0039] The processing chamber 100 includes a metal source 120 (e.g., a PVD source of the desired metal) within an internal volume 109 to provide metal atoms (M) to a precursor formation region 130 within the internal volume 109. In some embodiments, the metal source 120 is a PVD source. The PVD source 120 may include, but is not limited to, a magnetron sputtering device, a thermal evaporator, or an electron beam.

[0040] In some embodiments, the PVD source 120 faces the sacrificial substrate / sacrificial target 125. In some embodiments, the sacrificial target 125 is spaced apart from the metal source 120 on the side opposite to the precursor formation region 130. In some embodiments, the sacrificial target 125 includes a front surface 125A extending between the peripheral edges 125B and 125C of the target 125. During processing, the metal source 120 provides metal atoms M to the precursor formation region 130 and provides some metal atoms M to the front surface 125A of the sacrificial target 125.

[0041] During processing, a gas stream containing evaporated ligands (L) flows from ligand source 150 through inlet 152 perpendicular to the direction of metal atoms (M) to precursor formation region 130 in front of sacrificial target 125. In other words, in some embodiments, the flow direction of metal atoms M from PVD source 120 to sacrificial target 125 (indicated by vertically aligned arrows) is perpendicular to the flow direction of evaporated ligands L from ligand source 150 to the desired target (e.g., outlet 154 indicated by horizontally aligned arrows). Metal atoms M captured by evaporated ligands L in precursor formation region 130 will form a metal-containing precursor, which will follow the gas stream through outlet 154 out of processing chamber 100 toward deposition chamber (e.g., ALD chamber), while some metal atoms M will be deposited on the front 125A of sacrificial target 125. In some embodiments, the outlet 154 and the gas line connecting the outlet 154 to the downstream deposition chamber are heated or thermally isolated to prevent the metal precursor (ML) formed in the precursor formation region 130 from condensing.

[0042] Metal atoms M can be sputtered from PVD source 120 to precursor formation region 130 and sacrificial target 125 at any suitable pressure. In some embodiments, metal atoms M are sputtered at pressures ranging from about 0.1 mtorr to 1 Torr, such as, for example, at pressures ranging from about 10 mtorr to 1 Torr. In some embodiments, PVD source 120 may be protected by an inert gas curtain to prevent target contamination.

[0043] In some embodiments, metal atoms M are carried in an inert gas G from gas inlet 111. In some embodiments, gas inlet 111 is located below PVD source 120 along bottom wall 114. In some embodiments, gas inlet 111 is located outside the internal volume 109, along bottom wall 114, below PVD source 120. In some embodiments, inert gas G is selected from the group consisting of helium (He), neon (Ne), argon (Ar), and krypton (Kr). In some embodiments, inert gas G is argon (Ar).

[0044] The inlet 152 carrying the evaporated ligand L gas can be located away from the PVD source 120. In some embodiments, the inlet 152 carrying the evaporated ligand L gas is located along one of two opposing sidewalls 113 of the chamber body 110. After a predetermined time, the sacrificial target 125 can be removed and sent for metallurgical recovery of metal atoms M. The metallurgical recovery process is any suitable process known to those skilled in the art to which this application pertains.

[0045] The metal atoms may include any metal known to a person skilled in the art to which this application pertains. In some embodiments, the metal atoms comprise transition metals. In some embodiments, the transition metal is one or more of molybdenum (Mo), tungsten (W), ruthenium (Ru), cobalt (Co), copper (Cu), chromium (Cr), or nickel (Ni). In some embodiments, the transition metal is molybdenum (Mo). For example, molybdenum (Mo) has attractive material and electrical properties for front-to-back-end components of semiconductors and microelectronic devices.

[0046] In some embodiments, the metal atom M and the sacrificial target 125 comprise the same material. In some embodiments, the metal atom M and the sacrificial target 125 comprise a transition metal. In some embodiments, the metal atom M and the sacrificial target 125 comprise molybdenum (Mo). Without being bound by theory, it is understood that when the metal atom M and the sacrificial target 125 comprise the same material (such as a transition metal), the sacrificial target 125 can be removed and sent for metallurgical recycling of the metal atom M, and the metal atom M can be reused. The metallurgical recycling process performed on the removed sacrificial target 125 is any suitable process known to those skilled in the art to which this application pertains.

[0047] The evaporated ligand L may include any ligand known to a person skilled in the art to which this application pertains. In some embodiments, the evaporated ligand L includes, but is not limited to, substituted or unsubstituted alkenes and alkynes, imines, heterocyclic compounds, chelate ligands, unsubstituted or substituted aromatics, tertiary amines, tertiary phosphines, ethers, dienes, or combinations thereof.

[0048] In some embodiments, the metal atom M and the evaporated ligand L react in the precursor forming region 130 to form a metal-containing precursor. The metal-containing precursors of one or more embodiments advantageously avoid additional metal reduction processes, are halogen-free, free of metal-oxygen bonds, are thermally stable for delivery, have high vapor pressures, can be delivered by vapor methods, are reactive to ALD processes at low temperatures (<400°C), and achieve successful one-step synthesis with high yield and purity.

[0049] In some embodiments, the synthesis of the metal precursor and the deposition of the metal film advantageously occur in a single chamber, such as processing chamber 200. Processing chamber 200 may have [a specific configuration / feature]. Figure 1 The processing chambers 100 shown have one or more identical features, and similar or identical features can be indicated by similar component symbols. For example, Figure 1 The sacrificial target 125 shown may have the same characteristics as... Figure 2 The sacrificial target 225 shown has the same properties.

[0050] In some embodiments, Figure 2 The processing chamber 200 shown includes a chamber body 210, which has a top wall 212 containing an internal volume 209, a bottom wall 214, and two opposing side walls 213.

[0051] Processing chamber 200 includes a metal source 220 (e.g., a PVD source of the desired metal) within an internal volume 209 to provide metal atoms (M) to a precursor formation region 230 within the internal volume 209. In some embodiments, the metal source 220 is a PVD source. The PVD source 220 may include, but is not limited to, a magnetron sputtering device, a thermal evaporator, or an electron beam.

[0052] In some embodiments, the PVD source 220 faces the sacrificial substrate / sacrificial target 225. In some embodiments, the sacrificial target 225 is spaced apart from the metal source 220 on the side opposite to the precursor formation region 230. In some embodiments, the sacrificial target 225 includes a front surface 225A extending between the peripheral edges 225B and 225C of the target 225. During processing, the metal source 220 provides metal atoms M to the precursor formation region 230 and provides some metal atoms M to the front surface 225A of the sacrificial target 225.

[0053] During processing, a gas stream containing evaporated ligands (L) flows from ligand source 250 through inlet 252 perpendicular to the direction of metal atoms (M) to precursor formation region 230 in front of sacrificial target 225. In other words, in some embodiments, the flow direction of metal atoms M from PVD source 220 to sacrificial target 225 (indicated by vertically aligned arrows) is perpendicular to the flow of evaporated ligands L from ligand source 250 to the desired target direction (e.g., substrate 235 and / or outlet 254, indicated by horizontally aligned arrows). Metal atoms M captured by evaporated ligands L in precursor formation region 230 will form a metal-containing precursor. Processing chamber 200 includes a substrate 235 supported by a substrate support 240 within chamber body 210. The substrate support 240 may be electrically floating or biased by a base power supply (not shown).

[0054] In some embodiments, metal atoms M captured by the evaporated ligand L continue to flow in the precursor formation region 230 forming the metal precursor and form a metal film on the substrate 235.

[0055] Semiconductor substrate 235 can be any suitable substrate material. In one or more embodiments, semiconductor substrate 235 comprises a semiconductor material, such as silicon (Si), carbon (C), germanium (Ge), silicon germanium (SiGe), gallium arsenide (GaAs), indium phosphide (InP), indium gallium arsenide (InGaAs), indium aluminum arsenide (InAlAs), germanium (Ge), silicon germanium (SiGe), copper indium gallium arsenide (CIGS), other semiconductor materials, or any combination thereof. In one or more embodiments, semiconductor substrate 235 comprises one or more of silicon (Si), germanium (Ge), gallium (Ga), arsenic (As), indium (In), phosphorus (P), copper (Cu), or selenium (Se). Although several examples of forming materials for semiconductor substrate 235 have been described herein, any material that can be used as a substrate falls within the spirit and scope of this disclosure on which passive and active electronic components (e.g., transistors, memories, capacitors, inductors, resistors, switches, integrated circuits, amplifiers, optoelectronic components, or any other electronic components) can be constructed.

[0056] Metal films formed from metal precursors may contain transition metals. In some embodiments, the metal film contains one or more of molybdenum (Mo), tungsten (W), ruthenium (Ru), cobalt (Co), copper (Cu), chromium (Cr), or nickel (Ni). For example, for many applications, molybdenum (Mo) can be grown by atomic layer deposition (ALD) or chemical vapor deposition (CVD). One or more embodiments of this disclosure advantageously provide processes for atomic layer deposition (ALD) or chemical vapor deposition (CVD) to form molybdenum-containing films.

[0057] In one or more embodiments, the metal film comprises 90% or more, 95% or more, 99% or more, or 99.9% or more of a metal by molar percentage. In other words, for example, a molybdenum-containing film comprising 90% or more, 95% or more, 99% or more, or 99.9% or more of a metal means that 90% or more, 95% or more, 99% or more, or 99.9% of the atoms in the metal film include the aforementioned metal species.

[0058] The deposition can be repeated in the processing chamber 200 to form a metal film with a predetermined thickness. In some embodiments, the deposition is repeated to provide a metal film, such as a molybdenum film, having a thickness in the range of about 0.3 nm to about 100 nm, or in the range of about 30 Å to about 10 μm.

[0059] The metal film formed on substrate 235 can be patterned and etched or subsequently deposited in bulk metal to form an interconnect layer in a semiconductor wafer.

[0060] In some embodiments, some metal atoms M and some evaporated ligands L do not react in the precursor formation region 230 and flow out of the processing chamber 200 through outlet 254, while some metal atoms M will deposit on the front 225A of the sacrificial target 225. In one or more embodiments, outlet 254 is a purge outlet into which purge gas flows to facilitate the removal of unreacted metal atoms M and / or unreacted evaporated ligands L.

[0061] Additional embodiments of this disclosure relate to forming semiconductor devices using processing chambers 100, 200, and as... Figure 3 The clustering tool 900 described in the figure.

[0062] The swarm tool 900 includes at least one central transfer station 921, 931 having multiple sides. Robots 925, 935 are positioned within the central transfer stations 921, 931 and configured to move robot blades and wafers to each of the multiple sides.

[0063] The cluster tool 900 includes multiple processing chambers 902, 904, 906, 908, 910, 912, 914, 916, and 918, also referred to as processing stations, connected to a central transfer station. Each processing chamber provides a separate processing area isolated from adjacent processing stations. The processing chambers can be any suitable chamber, including but not limited to pre-cleaning chambers, buffer chambers, transfer spaces, wafer orientation / degassing chambers, cryogenic cooling chambers, deposition chambers, annealing chambers, etching chambers, selective oxidation chambers, oxide thinning chambers, or word line deposition chambers. The specific arrangement of the processing chambers and components may vary depending on the cluster tool and should not be considered as limiting the scope of this disclosure.

[0064] exist Figure 3 In the illustrated embodiment, the factory interface 950 is connected to the front of the cluster tool 900. On the front 951 of the factory interface 950, the factory interface 950 includes a loading chamber 954 and a unloading chamber 956. Although the loading chamber 954 is illustrated on the left and the unloading chamber 956 on the right, those skilled in the art will understand that this represents only one possible configuration.

[0065] The size and shape of the loading chamber 954 and the unloading chamber 956 can vary depending on, for example, the substrate being processed in the clustering tool 900. In the illustrated embodiment, the size of the loading chamber 954 and the unloading chamber 956 is adjusted to hold a wafer cassette, in which a plurality of wafers are positioned.

[0066] Robot 952 is located within factory interface 950 and can move between loading chamber 954 and unloading chamber 956. Robot 952 is capable of transferring wafers from a cassette in loading chamber 954 through factory interface 950 to a loading gate chamber 960. Robot 952 is also capable of transferring wafers from loading gate chamber 962 through factory interface 950 to a cassette in unloading chamber 956. As will be understood by those skilled in the art to which this application pertains, factory interface 950 may have more than one robot 952. For example, factory interface 950 may have a first robot that transfers wafers between loading chamber 954 and loading gate chamber 960, and a second robot that transfers wafers between loading gate 962 and unloading chamber 956.

[0067] The clustering tool 900 shown has a first section 920 and a second section 930. The first section 920 is connected to the factory interface 950 via loading gate chambers 960, 962. The first section 920 includes a first transfer chamber 921 in which at least one robot 925 is positioned. The robot 925 is also referred to as a robotic wafer transport mechanism. The first transfer chamber 921 is centrally located relative to the loading gate chambers 960, 962, processing chambers 902, 904, 916, 918, and buffer chambers 922, 924. In some embodiments, the robot 925 is a multi-armed robot capable of independently moving more than one wafer at a time. In some embodiments, the first transfer chamber 921 includes more than one robotic wafer transport mechanism. The robot 925 in the first transfer chamber 921 is configured to move wafers between chambers surrounding the first transfer chamber 921. Individual wafers are carried on wafer transport blades located at the distal end of the first robotic mechanism.

[0068] After the wafer is processed in the first section 920, it can be transferred to the second section 930 via a through-cavity. For example, cavities 922 and 924 can be unidirectional or bidirectional through-cavities. Through-cavities 922 and 924 can be used, for example, to cryogenically cool the wafer before processing in the second section 930 or to allow the wafer to cool or be post-processed before being moved back to the first section 920.

[0069] The system controller 990 communicates with the first robot 925, the second robot 935, the first plurality of processing chambers 902, 904, 916, 918, and the second plurality of processing chambers 906, 908, 910, 912, 914. The system controller 990 can be any suitable component capable of controlling the processing chambers and robots. For example, the system controller 990 can be a computer, which includes a central processing unit, memory, suitable circuitry, and storage devices.

[0070] The process can be stored as software routines in the memory of the system controller 990, which, when executed by a processor, cause the processing chamber to perform the process of this disclosure. The software routines can also be stored and / or executed by a second processor (not shown) located at a hardware remotely controlled by the processor. Some or all of the methods of this disclosure can also be implemented in hardware. Therefore, the process can be implemented in software and executed in hardware using a computer system, as, for example, an application-specific integrated circuit or other type of hardware implementation, or as a combination of software and hardware. When executed by a processor, the software routines convert a general-purpose computer into a special-purpose computer (controller) that controls the chamber operation, enabling the process to be executed.

[0071] In one or more embodiments, the processing tool (such as cluster tool 900) includes: a central transfer station including a robot configured to move a wafer; a plurality of processing stations, each connected to the central transfer station and providing a processing area separate from the processing areas of adjacent processing stations, the plurality of processing stations including a processing chamber 100 and a deposition chamber, such as a chemical vapor deposition (CVD) chamber and / or an atomic layer deposition (ALD) chamber; and a controller connected to the central transfer station and the plurality of processing stations, the controller being configured to initiate the robot to move the wafer between the processing stations and to control the processes occurring in each processing station.

[0072] In one or more embodiments, the processing tool includes: a central transfer station including a robot configured to move a wafer; a plurality of processing stations, each connected to the central transfer station and providing a processing area separate from the processing areas of adjacent processing stations, the plurality of processing stations including processing chambers 200 including deposition chambers, such as chemical vapor deposition (CVD) chambers and / or atomic layer deposition (ALD) chambers, wherein the synthesis of metal precursors and the deposition of metal films occur in a single chamber; and a controller connected to the central transfer station and the plurality of processing stations, the controller being configured to initiate the robot to move the wafer between the processing stations and to control the processes occurring in each processing station.

[0073] Further embodiments of this disclosure relate to a deposition method. The deposition method includes: forming a metal-containing precursor by providing metal atoms from a metal source to a precursor formation region, the metal source and the precursor formation region being within an internal volume of a processing chamber; and providing evaporated ligands from a ligand source to the precursor formation region. The metal atoms and the evaporated ligands react in the precursor formation region to form the metal-containing precursor. The deposition method further includes exposing a substrate surface to the metal-containing precursor to deposit a metal film.

[0074] One or more embodiments provide a non-transitory computer-readable medium including instructions that, when executed by a controller of a processing chamber, cause the processing chamber to perform operations of the methods described herein. A further embodiment provides a non-transitory computer-readable medium including instructions that, when executed by a controller of a processing chamber, cause the processing chamber to perform operations of a deposition method described herein, the operations comprising forming a metal-containing precursor by providing metal atoms from a metal source to a precursor-forming region, the metal source and the precursor-forming region being within an internal volume of the processing chamber, and providing evaporated ligands from a ligand source to the precursor-forming region. The metal atoms and the evaporated ligands react in the precursor-forming region to form the metal-containing precursor. The deposition method further comprises exposing a substrate surface to the metal-containing precursor to deposit a metal film.

[0075] Unless otherwise indicated herein or explicitly denied by the context, the use of the terms “a”, “an”, “the”, and similar references in the context of describing the materials and methods discussed herein (particularly in the context of the following claims) shall be understood to cover both the singular and the plural. Unless otherwise indicated herein, the description of value ranges herein is intended merely as a simplified method independently referring to each individual value falling within the range, and each individual value is incorporated into the specification as if it were independently described herein. Unless otherwise indicated herein or explicitly denied by the context, all methods described herein may be performed in any suitable order. The use of any and all instances or exemplary language provided herein (e.g., “such”) is intended merely to better elucidate the materials and methods and, unless otherwise asserted, does not impose any limitation on the scope. The language in the specification should not be construed as indicating that any unclaimed element is essential to the practice of the disclosed materials and methods.

[0076] Throughout this specification, references to "an embodiment," "some embodiments," "one or more embodiments," or "an embodiment" mean that a particular feature, structure, material, or characteristic described in connection with an embodiment is included in at least one embodiment of this disclosure. Therefore, the appearance of phrases such as "in one or more embodiments," "in some embodiments," "in one embodiment," or "in one embodiment" in various places throughout this specification does not necessarily refer to the same embodiment of this disclosure. Furthermore, a particular feature, structure, material, or characteristic may be combined in any suitable manner in one or more embodiments.

[0077] Although this disclosure has been described with reference to specific embodiments, those skilled in the art will understand that the described embodiments are merely illustrative of the principles and applications of this disclosure. It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that various modifications and variations can be made to the methods and apparatus of this disclosure without departing from the spirit and scope of this disclosure. Therefore, this disclosure may include modifications and variations within the scope of the appended claims and their equivalents.

Claims

1. A processing chamber, comprising: The main body of the chamber has a top wall, a bottom wall, and two opposite side walls containing the internal volume; A metal source, within the internal volume, for providing metal atoms to a precursor forming region within the internal volume; and A ligand source for providing evaporated ligands to the precursor forming region, wherein the metal atoms and the evaporated ligands react to form a metal-containing precursor.

2. The processing chamber according to claim 1, wherein the evaporated ligands flow perpendicular to the metal atoms.

3. The processing chamber according to claim 1, wherein the metal source is a physical vapor deposition (PVD) source.

4. The processing chamber according to claim 3, wherein the PVD source comprises one or more of a magnetron sputtering device, a thermal evaporator, or an electron beam.

5. The processing chamber of claim 3, wherein the PVD source provides the metal atoms to the target at a pressure ranging from about 0.1 mtorr to 1 Torr.

6. The processing chamber according to claim 1, wherein the metal atoms are carried in an inert gas selected from the group consisting of helium (He), neon (Ne), argon (Ar) and krypton (Kr).

7. The processing chamber according to claim 1, wherein the metal atoms comprise a transition metal.

8. The processing chamber according to claim 7, wherein the transition metal is one or more of molybdenum (Mo), tungsten (W), ruthenium (Ru), cobalt (Co), copper (Cu), chromium (Cr), or nickel (Ni).

9. The processing chamber of claim 1, further comprising a sacrificial target spaced apart from the metal source on a side opposite to the precursor forming region.

10. The processing chamber of claim 9, wherein the sacrificial target is contained in a front extending between the peripheral edges of the target.

11. The processing chamber of claim 10, wherein some of the metal atoms are deposited on the front of the sacrificial target.

12. The processing chamber of claim 9, wherein the metal atoms and the sacrificial target comprise the same material.

13. The processing chamber according to claim 1, wherein the evaporating ligand comprises substituted or unsubstituted alkenes and alkynes, imines, heterocyclic compounds, chelate ligands, unsubstituted or substituted aromatics, tertiary amines, tertiary phosphines, ethers, dienes, or combinations thereof.

14. A processing chamber, comprising: The main body of the chamber has a top wall, a bottom wall, and two opposite side walls containing the internal volume; A metal source, within the internal volume, for providing metal atoms to the precursor forming region within the internal volume; A ligand source for providing evaporated ligands to the precursor forming region, wherein the metal atoms and the evaporated ligands react to form a metal-containing precursor; as well as A substrate is positioned on a substrate support within the internal volume, wherein the metal-containing precursor forms a metal film on the substrate.

15. A deposition method comprising the following steps: A metal-containing precursor is formed by providing metal atoms from a metal source to a precursor-forming region, the metal source and the precursor-forming region being located within an internal volume of a processing chamber; and by providing evaporated ligands from a ligand source to the precursor-forming region, wherein the metal atoms and the evaporated ligands react to form the metal-containing precursor; and The substrate surface is exposed to the metal-containing precursor to deposit a metal film.

16. The deposition method of claim 15, wherein the substrate surface comprises at least one EUV film.

17. The deposition method of claim 15, further comprising a sacrificial target spaced apart from the metal source on the side opposite to the precursor formation region.

18. The deposition method of claim 17, wherein the sacrificial target comprises a front extending between the peripheral edges of the target and some of the metal atoms are deposited on the front of the sacrificial target.

19. The deposition method of claim 17, further comprising the step of: removing the sacrificial target from the internal volume.

20. The deposition method of claim 17, further comprising the step of performing a metallurgical recovery process on the removed sacrificial target to recover some of the metal atoms.

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