Method and apparatus for pre-cleaning and treating a wafer surface

Abstract

A method and apparatus for processing a substrate, including cleaning and forming a self-assembled monolayer (SAM) for subsequent reverse selective atomic layer deposition, includes a processing chamber having a processing volume and a substrate support including a pedestal, a remote plasma source fluidly coupled to the processing chamber and configured to generate radicals or an ionized gas mixture with radicals flowing into the processing volume to remove residues or oxides from the surface of the substrate, a first gas supply system having a first ampoule configured to supply at least one first chemical into the processing volume to form a SAM on the surface of the substrate, a heating system disposed within the pedestal and configured to heat the substrate by flowing gas to the backside of the substrate, and a vacuum system fluidly coupled to the processing chamber and configured to control heating of the substrate.

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION Embodiments of the present principles relate generally to semiconductor chambers used in semiconductor processing. [Background technology]

[0002] A processing chamber configured to perform a pre-cleaning process is configured to remove native oxides and other materials on metal contact pads of a substrate before depositing one or more barrier layers on the substrate. Pre-cleaning chambers typically use ion bombardment (induced by RF plasma) to etch away native oxides on the metal contacts, or radicals (generated by remote plasma) to reduce the metal through chemical reactions from the substrate. The pre-cleaning process reduces the contact resistance of the metal contacts on the substrate, enhancing the performance and power consumption of integrated circuits on the substrate and promoting adhesion. To perform the plasma cleaning process, a substrate containing integrated circuits is placed in a remote plasma chamber, and a pump removes most of the air from the chamber. Electromagnetic energy (e.g., radio frequency) is applied to an inlet gas in the remote plasma source, such as argon or hydrogen, to excite the inlet gas into a plasma state. The plasma releases ions or radicals that remove contaminants and / or materials from the substrate surface. Atoms or molecules of the contaminants and / or substrate material are etched from the substrate, and most of the air is pumped out of the chamber. However, the inventors have realized that when the substrate is subsequently transferred to an atomic layer deposition (ALD) chamber for barrier layer deposition, the substrate is not adequately prepared for selective ALD deposition.

[0003] Accordingly, the present inventors have provided improved methods and apparatus for preparing substrates for selective ALD deposition. Summary of the Invention

[0004] Provided herein are methods and apparatus for wafer pre-cleaning and wafer preparation for selective ALD deposition.

[0005] In some embodiments, an apparatus for processing a substrate may include a processing chamber having a processing volume and a substrate support including a pedestal for supporting the substrate; a remote plasma source (RPS) fluidly coupled to the processing chamber and configured to generate radicals or an ionized gas mixture with the radicals that flow into the processing volume to remove residues or oxides from a surface of the substrate; a first gas supply system configured to supply at least one first chemical into the processing volume to generate a self-assembled monolayer (SAM) on the surface of the substrate; a heating system disposed in the pedestal and configured to heat the substrate by flowing gas to a backside of the substrate; and a vacuum system fluidly coupled to the processing chamber and configured to control heating of the substrate.

[0006] In some embodiments, the apparatus may further include a first gas supply system including a first ampoule, the first gas supply system including a second ampoule configured to supply at least one second chemical into the process volume to assist in removing residues or oxides from the surface of the substrate, the second ampoule including ethanol or methanol, a second gas supply system fluidly coupled to the RPS and configured to supply at least one gas to form ions or radicals from a plasma generated by the RPS, the at least one gas being hydrogen or helium, and a heating system configured to heat the substrate to between about 60° C. and about 450° C. to reduce oxides on the surface of the substrate, and / or the at least one first chemical produces a SAM for use with reverse selective atomic layer deposition (ALD) as a blocking layer.

[0007] In some embodiments, an apparatus for modifying a surface of a substrate may include a processing chamber configured to remove residues or oxides from the surface of the substrate using a remote plasma source (RPS) fluidly coupled to the processing chamber and configured to generate an ionized gas mixture with radicals flowing into a processing volume of the processing chamber; and a first gas delivery system having a first ampoule configured to deliver at least one first chemical into the processing volume of the processing chamber to generate a self-assembled monolayer (SAM) on the surface of the substrate.

[0008] In some embodiments, the apparatus further includes: a first ampoule containing an unsaturated carbon-based compound; a second gas delivery system fluidly coupled to the RPS and configured to supply at least one gas to form ions or radicals from a plasma generated by the RPS, wherein the at least one gas is hydrogen; and a second ampoule configured to supply at least one second chemical into the processing volume of the processing chamber to assist in removing residues or oxides from the surface of the substrate, wherein the second ampoule contains a primary alcohol, and / or wherein the at least one first chemical produces a SAM for use with reverse selective atomic layer deposition (ALD) as a blocking layer.

[0009] In some embodiments, a method for processing a substrate can include removing residues or oxides from a surface of the substrate in a processing chamber using radicals generated from a remote plasma source (RPS); and forming a blocking layer on at least a portion of the surface of the substrate in the processing chamber without an air break using a first chemical from a first ampoule fluidly connected to the processing chamber to protect a bottom of at least one of the structures on the substrate during a subsequent reverse selective atomic layer deposition (ALD) process.

[0010] In some embodiments, the method may further include flowing a second chemical from a second ampoule fluidly connected to the processing chamber to assist in removing residues or oxides from the surface of the substrate along with the radicals from the RPS, wherein the first chemical is an unsaturated carbon compound, and wherein the second chemical is an alcohol and / or the radicals are hydrogen radicals.

[0011] Other further embodiments are disclosed below.

[0012] Embodiments of the present principles, briefly summarized above and described in more detail below, can be understood by reference to exemplary embodiments of the principles as illustrated in the accompanying drawings. However, the accompanying drawings illustrate only typical embodiments of the present principles and therefore should not be considered limiting in scope, as the present principles are susceptible to other equally effective embodiments. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0013] [Figure 1] 1 is a cross-sectional view of a pre-clean chamber according to some embodiments of the present principles; [Figure 2] 1 is a method for processing a substrate in a pre-clean chamber, according to some embodiments of the present principles. [Figure 3] 1 shows a cross-sectional view of a substrate having an oxide on its surface, in accordance with some embodiments of the present principles; [Figure 4] 1A-1C are cross-sectional views of a substrate being cleaned in accordance with some embodiments of the present principles; [Figure 5] 1A-1C are cross-sectional views of a substrate after cleaning in accordance with some embodiments of the present principles. [Figure 6] 1A-1C are cross-sectional views of a substrate during the formation of a self-assembled monolayer according to some embodiments of the present principles. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0014] For ease of understanding, the same reference numerals have been used, where possible, to designate identical elements common to each figure. The figures are not drawn to scale and may be simplified for clarity. Elements and features of one embodiment may be beneficially incorporated in other embodiments without further elaboration.

[0015] The present method and apparatus provide an integrated, single-chamber solution configured for wafer pre-cleaning (PC) for selective ALD deposition and for self-assembled monolayer (SAM) deposition on the wafer. The PCSAM™ chamber improves throughput and reduces costs by providing an integrated solution for metal surface cleaning and surface modification prior to atomic layer deposition. Filling current interconnect vias is challenging due to limited space for copper or other metals. Thinning barriers and lines is beneficial for reducing resistive-capacitive (RC) delay. The bottom thickness of the via should be zero or near-zero. To achieve zero or near-zero bottom thickness, reverse-selective deposition of ALD between the sides and bottom of the via is desired (e.g., deposition is desired on the sidewalls of the via, but no or limited deposition occurs on the bottom of the via). The PCSAM™ chamber provides an integrated pre-cleaning and metal passivation layer formation system, enabling subsequent reverse-selective ALD to improve the RC delay of contacts, such as vias.

[0016] In some embodiments, the PCSAM™ chamber can include a remote plasma source (RPS) that provides an active reducing agent, such as, but not limited to, hydrogen or helium, a heater that controls the wafer temperature during processing, a vacuum system that controls wafer heating and plasma control, at least one ampoule that provides at least one chemical for metal reduction and / or surface modification (e.g., SAM and / or surface repair), a gas delivery system, and a process cavity that enables a controllable process. In some embodiments, processing includes heating the incoming wafer, removing residues and / or reducing metal oxides with minimal or no substrate damage, and / or applying a blocking agent that enables reverse-selective ALD.

[0017] FIG. 1 shows a cross-sectional view of a pre-cleaning chamber 100 with integrated surface modification capabilities. The pre-cleaning chamber 100 is a vacuum chamber adapted to maintain a sub-atmospheric pressure within an interior volume 102 during substrate processing. In some embodiments, the pre-cleaning chamber 100 can maintain a pressure of approximately 1 mTorr to 100 Torr. The pre-cleaning chamber 100 includes a chamber body 104 that encloses a processing volume 108 located in the upper half of the interior volume 102. The chamber body 104 may be made of a metal such as aluminum. The chamber body 104 may be grounded via a bond to ground 110.

[0018] The substrate support 112 is disposed within the interior volume 102 to support and retain a substrate 114, such as a semiconductor wafer or other such substrate. The substrate support 112 may generally include a pedestal 116 and a hollow support shaft 118 for supporting the pedestal 116. The pedestal 116 may be constructed of an aluminum-based material or a ceramic-based material, for example. Pedestals formed from ceramic-based materials are sometimes used for high-temperature processes. The hollow support shaft 118 provides a conduit for supplying, for example, backside gas, process gas, fluid, coolant, power, etc., to the pedestal 116. In some embodiments, the substrate support 112 includes a focus ring 120 disposed around the pedestal 116 to enhance processing uniformity at the edge of the substrate 114. In some embodiments, the focus ring 120 is constructed of a quartz-based material. In some embodiments, the focus ring 120 is constructed of a ceramic-based material. The ceramic-based material facilitates high-pressure processing capabilities. A slit valve 122 may be coupled to the chamber body 104 to facilitate transferring the substrate 114 in and out of the interior volume 102 .

[0019] In some embodiments, the hollow support shaft 118 is coupled to a lift actuator 124, such as a motor, that provides vertical movement of the pedestal 116 between an upper processing position and a lower transfer position. The substrate lift 126 may include lift pins 128 attached to a platform 130 connected to a shaft 132 that is coupled to a second lift actuator 134 for raising and lowering the substrate lift 126 so that the substrate 114 can be placed on or removed from the pedestal 116. The pedestal 116 may include through-holes for receiving the lift pins 128. The hollow support shaft 118 provides a path for a gas conduit 194 for coupling a backside gas supply 136 and / or an RF power source 138 to the pedestal 116. In some embodiments, the RF power source 138 supplies bias power to a power conduit 142 to the pedestal 116 via a matching network 140. In some embodiments, the RF energy supplied by the RF power source 138 may have a frequency of about 2 MHz or greater. In some embodiments, the RF power source 138 may have a frequency of approximately 13.56 MHz.

[0020] In some embodiments, the backside gas supply 136 is disposed outside the chamber body 104 and supplies gas to the pedestal 116. In some embodiments, the pedestal 116 includes gas channels 144 that allow gas to interact with the backside of the substrate 114 to maintain a given temperature. The gas channels 144 are configured to provide a backside gas, such as nitrogen (N), argon (Ar), or helium (He), to an upper surface 146 of the pedestal 116, which acts as a heat transfer medium. The gas channels 144 are in fluid communication with the backside gas supply 136 via a gas conduit 194 to control the temperature and / or temperature profile of the substrate 114 during use. For example, the backside gas supply 136 can supply gas for cooling and / or heating the substrate 114 during use. In some embodiments, the substrate 114 may be heated to between about 60 degrees Celsius and about 450 degrees Celsius. Heating the substrate 114 enhances the cleaning process, especially with metals such as, but not limited to, tungsten and cobalt.

[0021] The preclean chamber 100 includes a process kit to surround various chamber components and prevent undesired reactions between such components and the etched material and other contaminants. The process kit includes a top shield 148. In some embodiments, the top shield 148 may be made of a metal such as aluminum. In some embodiments, the process kit may be constructed of quartz. In some embodiments, the preclean chamber 100 is also coupled and fluidly connected to a gas delivery system 150, which can supply one or more precursor gases to the preclean chamber 100 for processing a substrate disposed therein. In some embodiments, the gas delivery system 150 can include one or more ampoules, such as a first ampoule 152 and an optional second ampoule 154, to provide chemicals for metal reduction (e.g., oxide removal) and / or surface modification (e.g., blocking layer or SAM). The flow of chemicals from the first ampoule 152 is controlled by a first flow valve 188, and the flow of chemicals from the optional second ampoule 154 is controlled by a second flow valve 190. In some embodiments, the first ampoule 152 contains chemicals used to create a blocking layer for the reverse-selective ALD process. In some embodiments, the first ampoule 152 can be heated to deliver the SAM precursor directly into the process volume 108. In some embodiments, the first ampoule 152 can be at room temperature (unheated) and a carrier gas can be used to deliver the SAM precursor into the process volume 108. The SAM is based on surface chemistry and, in some embodiments, is selected to interact with the metal surface on the substrate 114. In some embodiments, the first ampoule 152 contains a SAM compound, such as, but not limited to, an alkyne or other unsaturated carbon-based compound. In some embodiments, the optional second ampoule 154 can contain chemicals, such as, but not limited to, an alcohol, such as ethanol or methanol, used to facilitate removal of residues and / or oxides from the substrate 114. In some embodiments, the substrate 114 can be heated during the residue and / or oxide removal process.

[0022] The showerhead 158 is disposed above the processing volume 108 and below a ceiling 162 of the chamber body 104, forming a plenum 156 above the showerhead 158. The showerhead 158 includes through-holes 160 for allowing gas to flow from the plenum 156 into the processing volume 108. The RPS 164 is fluidly connected to the plenum 156, allowing ionized gas to flow from the RPS 164 into the plenum 156, through the showerhead 158, and into the processing volume 108. Plasma is generated in the RPS by a plasma RF power supply 166, which supplies RF energy to the RPS 164 through a matching network 168. The process gas used to form the plasma is supplied by a process gas source 170 and controlled by a third flow valve 186. The plasma gas supplied by the process gas source 170 may include, but is not limited to, hydrogen, helium, and / or argon. The RPS 164 generates process gas radicals to facilitate cleaning of residues and / or oxides from the substrate 114, remove etching residues, and / or reduce metal oxides from the surface of the substrate 114. In some embodiments, rather than having a gas delivery system 150, the process gas source 170 can also provide cleaning chemicals into the processing volume 108 to facilitate removal of residues and / or oxides on the substrate 114, and can also provide carrier gases for SAM precursors to form blocking layers on the substrate 114.

[0023] The pump port 172 is configured to facilitate particle removal from the interior volume 102. The pre-clean chamber 100 is coupled and fluidly connected to a vacuum system 174 that includes a throttle valve (not shown) and a pump (not shown) used to evacuate the pre-clean chamber 100. In some embodiments, the vacuum system 174 is coupled to the pump port 172 located on a bottom surface 176 of the chamber body 104. The pressure within the pre-clean chamber 100 can be adjusted by adjusting the throttle valve and / or the vacuum pump. In some embodiments, the pump has a flow rate of between about 1900 liters per second and about 3000 liters per second. In some embodiments, the vacuum system 174 can be used to facilitate adjustment of the substrate temperature.

[0024] In some embodiments, a controller 178 is used in the operation of the preclean chamber 100. The controller 178 may employ direct control of the preclean chamber or, alternatively, indirect control of the preclean chamber by controlling a computer (or controller) associated with the preclean chamber 100. In operation, the controller 178 enables data collection and feedback from the preclean chamber 100 to optimize its performance. The controller 178 generally includes a central processing unit (CPU) 180, memory 182, and support circuits 184. The CPU 180 may be any form of general-purpose computer processor that can be used in an industrial environment. The support circuits 184 are conventionally coupled to the CPU 180 and may include cache, clock circuits, input / output subsystems, power supplies, etc. Software routines, such as the methods described below, can be stored in the memory 182 and, when executed by the CPU 180, transform the CPU 180 into a specific-purpose computer (controller 178). The software routines may also be stored and / or executed by a second controller (not shown) located remotely from the preclean chamber 100.

[0025] Memory 182 is a form of computer-readable storage medium containing instructions that, when executed by CPU 180, facilitate the operation of semiconductor processes and equipment. The instructions in memory 182 are in the form of a program product, such as a program, that implements the methods of the present principles. The program code can conform to any one of several different programming languages. In one example, the present disclosure may be implemented as a program product stored on a computer-readable storage medium for use with a computer system. The program in the program product defines the functions of aspects (including the methods described herein). Exemplary computer-readable storage media include, but are not limited to, non-writable storage media on which information is permanently stored (e.g., a read-only memory device in a computer, such as a CD-ROM disk readable by a CD-ROM drive, flash memory, a ROM chip, or any type of solid-state nonvolatile semiconductor memory), and writable storage media on which changeable information is stored (e.g., a floppy disk in a diskette drive, or a hard disk drive, or any type of solid-state random-access semiconductor memory). Such computer-readable storage media, when carrying computer-readable instructions that direct the functions of the methods described herein, are aspects of the present principles.

[0026] FIG. 2 illustrates a method 200 for processing a substrate in a precleaning chamber, according to some embodiments. In block 202, residues and / or oxides are removed from the surface of the substrate in the processing chamber using radicals and / or a first chemistry generated from a remote plasma source. In some embodiments, the first chemistry is provided, for example, by optional second ampoule 154 of FIG. 1 . In some embodiments, the first chemistry is supplied via process gas source 170 of a remote plasma system, such as RPS 164 of FIG. 1 . The first chemistry may include one or more additional cleaning chemistries, such as ethanol or methanol, to facilitate cleaning of difficult surfaces, such as tungsten or cobalt. As an example, a substrate having copper contacts is used to illustrate method 200, although this example is not meant to be limiting in any way. FIG. 3 illustrates a cross-sectional view 300 of a substrate 302 being cleaned by precleaning chamber 100. A first low-k dielectric layer 308 of a substrate 302 has a buried copper contact 306 surrounded by a copper barrier layer 304 to prevent copper migration into the first low-k dielectric layer 308. An intermediate layer 310 separates the first low-k dielectric layer 308 from a second low-k dielectric layer 312. The second low-k dielectric layer 308 has an oxide layer 314A formed on its top surface 322. The substrate 302 has been pre-etched to open a via 318 in the substrate 302. The buried copper contact 306 is then oxidized to form a copper oxide layer 316A at the bottom of the via 318.

[0027] In the cross-sectional view 400 of FIG. 4 , the substrate 302 is treated with radicals 402, such as, but not limited to, hydrogen radicals from an ionized gas generated by a plasma in the RPS 164. The radicals are directed downward onto the substrate 302 in the processing volume 108. Contaminants or residue 316B are reduced by the etching effect of the radicals 402. The oxide layer 314B is also reduced by the radicals 402. In some embodiments, the contacts may be formed of a metallic material (e.g., tungsten, cobalt, etc.) that may not be completely cleaned by radical processing alone. To facilitate cleaning of the substrate, additional cleaning chemicals may be injected into the processing volume 108. The additional cleaning chemicals may be, but are not limited to, ethanol or methanol. In some embodiments, the additional cleaning chemicals may be provided by the process gas source 170 via the RPS 164 or directly into the processing volume 108 by the optional second ampoule 154. The cleaning process continues until the residue or oxide is removed from the buried copper contact 306. In the cross-sectional view 500 of FIG. 5, the surface 502 of the buried copper contact 306 has been cleaned of residue or oxides and is ready for further processing.

[0028] In block 204, a blocking layer is formed in the same processing chamber as the removal of residues and / or oxides by using a second chemical. The blocking layer is formed in the same pre-cleaning chamber 100 without an air break between the pre-cleaning process and the formation of the blocking layer. In some embodiments, the chemical is a SAM precursor delivered directly into the processing volume 108, for example, by the first ampoule 152 of FIG. 1 . In some embodiments, the SAM precursor is heated before being delivered into the processing volume 108. In some embodiments, the chemical is a carrier gas for the SAM precursor delivered by the process gas source 170 of FIG. 1 via the RPS 164. In some embodiments, the SAM precursor is unheated (at room temperature). In the cross-sectional view 600 of FIG. 6 , the substrate 302 is exposed to a SAM precursor 604 in the processing volume 108. The SAM precursor 604 may be provided by the process gas source 170 at room temperature (unheated) or by the first ampoule 152, which may include pre-heating of the SAM precursor 604. The SAM precursor 604 is selected so that the SAM precursor aligns (builds a monolayer) on a given metal used for a contact, such as buried copper contact 306, forming a blocking layer 602 or gas-phase surfactant on the metal surface. The blocking layer 602 is used in a subsequent selective reverse ALD process to form a barrier layer (not shown) on the sidewalls and non-contact surfaces of via 318. The blocking layer 602 prevents a barrier layer from forming at the bottom of the via, keeping the contact free of material.

[0029] Embodiments according to the present principles may be implemented in hardware, firmware, software, or any combination thereof. Embodiments may also be implemented as instructions stored using one or more computer-readable media, which may be read and executed by one or more processors. A computer-readable medium may include any mechanism for storing or transmitting information in a form readable by a machine (e.g., a computing platform or a "virtual machine" running on one or more computing platforms). For example, a computer-readable medium may include any suitable form of volatile or non-volatile memory. In some embodiments, a computer-readable medium may include a non-transitory computer-readable medium.

[0030] While the forgoing is directed to embodiments of the present principles, other and further embodiments of the present principles may be devised without departing from the basic scope thereof.

Claims

1. 1. An apparatus for processing a substrate, comprising: a processing chamber having a processing volume and a substrate support including a pedestal for supporting said substrate; a remote plasma source (RPS) fluidly coupled to the processing chamber and configured to generate radicals or an ionized gas mixture with radicals flowing into the processing volume to remove residue or oxides from the surface of the substrate via a plenum and showerhead disposed in the processing chamber; a first gas delivery system configured to deliver at least one first chemical into the processing volume to generate a self-assembled monolayer (SAM) on the surface of the substrate; a heating system disposed within the pedestal and configured to heat the substrate by flowing a gas behind the substrate; a vacuum system fluidly coupled to the processing chamber and configured to control pressure within the processing chamber to control heating of the substrate; a controller configured to generate the radicals or an ionized gas mixture with radicals using the RPS to remove the residues or oxides from the surface of the substrate, and then supply the at least one first chemical from the first gas supply system into the process volume to form a blocking layer on a metal contact using the self-assembled monolayer on the surface of the substrate; An apparatus comprising:

2. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the first gas supply system includes a first ampoule.

3. 3. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the first gas supply system includes a second ampoule configured to supply at least one second chemical into the processing volume to assist in removing residue or oxides from the surface of the substrate.

4. 4. The device of claim 3, wherein the second ampoule contains ethanol or methanol.

5. a second gas supply system fluidly coupled to the RPS and configured to supply at least one gas to form ions or radicals from the plasma generated by the RPS; The apparatus of claim 1 further comprising:

6. The apparatus of claim 5 , wherein the at least one gas is hydrogen or helium.

7. 10. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the heating system is configured to heat the substrate to between about 60° C. and about 450° C. to reduce oxides on the surface of the substrate.

8. 10. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the at least one first chemistry produces the SAM for use in reverse selective atomic layer deposition (ALD) as a blocking layer.

9. 1. An apparatus for modifying a surface of a substrate, comprising: a processing chamber configured to remove residue or oxides from the surface of the substrate using a remote plasma source (RPS) fluidly coupled to the processing chamber and configured to generate an ionized gas mixture with radicals flowing into a processing volume of the processing chamber through a plenum and a showerhead disposed in the processing chamber; a first gas delivery system having a first ampoule configured to deliver at least one first chemical into the process volume of the process chamber to produce a self-assembled monolayer (SAM) on the surface of the substrate; a controller configured to use the RPS to generate an ionized gas mixture with the radicals to remove the residue or oxide from the surface of the substrate, and then supply the at least one first chemical from the first gas supply system into the process volume to form a blocking layer on a metal contact using the self-assembled monolayer on the surface of the substrate; An apparatus comprising:

10. 10. The device of claim 9, wherein the first ampoule comprises an unsaturated carbon-based compound.

11. a second gas supply system fluidly coupled to the RPS and configured to supply at least one gas to form ions or radicals from the plasma generated by the RPS; The apparatus of claim 9 further comprising:

12. The apparatus of claim 11 , wherein the at least one gas is hydrogen.

13. a second ampoule configured to deliver at least one second chemical into the processing volume of the processing chamber to assist in removing residue or oxides from the surface of the substrate; The apparatus of claim 9 further comprising:

14. 14. The device of claim 13, wherein the second ampoule contains a primary alcohol.

15. 10. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the at least one first chemistry produces the SAM for use in reverse selective atomic layer deposition (ALD) as a blocking layer.

16. 1. A method for processing a substrate, comprising: removing residue or oxides from the surface of the substrate in the processing chamber using radicals generated from a remote plasma source (RPS) through a plenum and showerhead disposed in the processing chamber; forming a blocking layer of a self-assembled monolayer (SAM) on at least a portion of a metal contact on the surface of the substrate using a first chemical for generating the SAM from a first ampoule fluidly connected to the processing chamber without air breaking, to protect at least one bottom of a structure on the metal contact of the substrate during a subsequent reverse selective atomic layer deposition (ALD) process; Including, method.

17. 17. The method of claim 16, wherein the first chemical is an unsaturated carbon compound.

18. flowing a second chemistry from a second ampoule fluidly connected to the processing chamber to assist in removing residue or oxides from the surface of the substrate along with the radicals from the RPS; 17. The method of claim 16, further comprising:

19. 20. The method of claim 18, wherein the second chemical is an alcohol.

20. 17. The method of claim 16, wherein the radicals are hydrogen radicals.

Images