Conductive powder formation method, device for forming conductive powder, and method of forming semiconductor device

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10763165-B2
Application number	US-201715489894-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 18, 2017
Priority date	Apr 18, 2017
Publication date	Sep 1, 2020
Grant date	Sep 1, 2020

Abstract

A method of forming a conductive powder includes reducing, by a reduction reaction, a conductive powder precursor gas using a plasma. Reducing the conductive powder precursor gas forms the conductive powder. The method further includes filtering the conductive powder based on particle size. The method further includes dispersing a portion of the conductive powder having a particle size below a threshold value in a fluid.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method of forming a semiconductor device, the method comprising:
forming at least one opening in a dielectric material;
depositing a graphene layer in the at least one opening;
filling the at least one opening with a conductive powder dispersed in a fluid, wherein the fluid comprises at least one of methane, isopropyl alcohol, acetone, or ethyl acetate; and
melting the conductive powder.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the melting of the conductive powder comprises melting the conductive powder using a laser anneal process.

3. The method of claim 2 , wherein the laser anneal process comprises scanning a laser over a surface of the semiconductor device.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the fluid further comprises an emulsifying agent.

5. The method of claim 1 , further comprising evaporating the fluid.

6. The method of claim 5 , wherein the evaporating of the fluid comprises evaporating the fluid prior to melting the conductive powder.

7. The method of claim 1 , further comprising lining the at least one opening with a catalyst layer, wherein the graphene layer is deposited on the catalyst layer.

8. A method of forming a semiconductor device, the method comprising:
forming at least one opening in a dielectric material;
depositing a graphene layer in the at least one opening;
reducing, by a reduction reaction, a conductive powder precursor gas using a plasma to form a conductive powder;
preheating the conductive powder precursor gas prior to the reducing the conductive powder precursor gas;
filtering the conductive powder based on particle size; and
dispersing a portion of the conductive powder having a particle size below a threshold value in a fluid;
filling the at least one opening with the conductive powder dispersed in the fluid; and
melting the conductive powder.

9. The method of claim 8 , further comprising recycling a portion of the conductive powder having a particle size equal to or above the threshold value.

10. The method of claim 8 , further comprising evaporating the fluid following the filling of the at least one opening.

11. The method of claim 10 , wherein the evaporating of the fluid comprises evaporating the fluid prior to melting the conductive powder.

12. A method of forming a semiconductor device, the method comprising:
reducing, by a reduction reaction, a conductive powder precursor gas using a plasma to form the conductive powder;
filtering the conductive powder based on particle size using at least one of an electro-static collector (ESC) process or a centrifugal process;
dispersing a portion of the conductive powder having a particle size below a threshold value in a fluid;
filling at least one opening in a dielectric material with the conductive powder dispersed in the fluid;
removing the fluid from the at least one opening by evaporation; and
melting the conductive powder following removal of the fluid.

13. The method of claim 12 , further comprising preheating the conductive powder precursor gas prior to the reducing of the conductive powder precursor gas.

14. The method of claim 12 , further comprising performing an ultrasonic vibration on a reaction chamber simultaneously with the reducing of the conductive powder precursor gas in the reaction chamber.

15. The method of claim 12 , wherein the filtering of the conductive powder comprises performing the centrifugal process.

16. The method of claim 12 , wherein the dispersing of the conductive powder in the fluid comprises dispersing the conductive powder in a fluid free of oxygen.

17. The method of claim 12 , wherein the dispersing of the conductive powder in the fluid comprises dispersing the conductive powder in a solvent including methane, acetone or isopropyl alcohol.

18. The method of claim 12 , wherein the reducing of the conductive powder precursor gas comprises reducing the conductive powder precursor gas comprising a conductive-material organic compound.

19. The method of claim 12 , wherein the reducing of the conductive powder precursor gas comprises reducing the conductive powder precursor gas comprising a conductive-material halide compound.

20. The method of claim 12 , wherein the reducing of the conductive powder precursor gas comprises reducing the conductive powder precursor gas in a reaction chamber at a pressure ranging from about 10 milliTorr (mTorr) to about 20 Torr, at a radio frequency (RF) power ranging from about 10 watts (W) to about 300 kilowatts (kW), and at a temperature ranging from about 100° C. to about 600° C.

Assignees

• Taiwan Semiconductor Mfg Co Ltd

Inventors

• Chou You-Hua
• Chuang Kuo-Sheng

Classifications

• H10P14/46

  using a liquid · CPC title

• H10W20/059

  by reflowing or applying pressure · CPC title

• H10W20/056

  by filling conductive material into holes, grooves or trenches · CPC title

• H10W20/042

  the barrier, adhesion or liner layers being seed or nucleation layers · CPC title

• H10W20/033

  in openings in dielectrics · CPC title