Metal liner passivation and adhesion enhancement by zinc doping

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11424158-B2
Application number	US-202016984882-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 4, 2020
Priority date	Jun 5, 2018
Publication date	Aug 23, 2022
Grant date	Aug 23, 2022

Abstract

A method comprises depositing a barrier layer on a dielectric layer to prevent oxidation of a metal layer to be deposited by electroplating due to an oxide present in the dielectric layer and depositing a doped liner layer on the barrier layer to bond with the metal layer to be deposited on the liner layer by the electroplating. The dopant forms a protective passivation layer on a surface of the liner layer and dissolves during the electroplating so that the metal layer deposited on the liner layer by the electroplating bonds with the liner layer. The dopant reacts with the dielectric layer and forms a layer of a compound between the barrier layer and the dielectric layer. The compound layer prevents oxidation of the barrier layer and the liner layer due to the oxide present in the dielectric layer and adheres the barrier layer to the dielectric layer.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method comprising:
depositing a barrier layer on a dielectric layer; and
depositing a liner layer on the barrier layer, wherein the liner layer is doped with a dopant,
wherein the dopant forms a passivation layer on a surface of the liner layer when the surface is exposed to air,
wherein the passivation layer prevents further oxidation of the liner layer when the liner layer is exposed to air,
wherein the dopant diffuses through the liner layer and reacts with the dielectric layer and forms a layer of a compound between the barrier layer and the dielectric layer, and
wherein the layer of the compound adheres the barrier layer to the dielectric layer.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the layer of the compound prevents oxidation of the barrier layer and the liner layer due to an oxide present in the dielectric layer.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein the dopant includes a more electronegative element than an element used to form the liner layer.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein the passivation layer includes an oxide of the dopant.

5. The method of claim 1 further comprising depositing the dopant on the liner layer.

6. The method of claim 1 further comprising co-depositing the liner layer and the dopant on the barrier layer.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein the compound includes a substance formed by a combination of the dopant with a material in the dielectric layer.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein the dielectric layer includes SiO 2 and wherein the compound includes a substance formed by a combination of SiO 2 and the dopant.

9. The method of claim 1 further comprising depositing a metal layer on the liner layer.

10. The method of claim 9 wherein the passivation layer dissolves during the depositing of the metal layer and wherein the metal layer bonds with the liner layer.

11. The method of claim 9 wherein the barrier layer prevents oxidation of the metal layer due to an oxide present in the dielectric layer.

12. The method of claim 9 further comprising depositing the metal layer on the liner layer by electroplating.

13. The method of claim 9 further comprising performing chemical mechanical planarization on the metal layer.

14. The method of claim 9 wherein the dopant includes a more electronegative element than elements used to form the liner layer and the metal layer.

15. The method of claim 9 further comprising performing a heat treatment on the liner layer, the barrier layer, and the dielectric layer prior to depositing the metal layer on the liner layer.

16. The method of claim 9 further comprising:
forming the barrier layer using TaN;
forming the liner layer using Ru, Co, or Mo;
doping the liner layer using Zn, Mn, In, Sn, or Al; and
forming the metal layer using Cu.

17. A method comprising:
providing a dielectric layer; and
depositing a liner layer on the dielectric layer, wherein the liner layer is doped with a dopant,
wherein the dopant forms a passivation layer on a surface of the liner layer,
wherein the passivation layer prevents further oxidation of the liner layer due to exposure to air,
wherein the dopant diffuses through the liner layer and reacts with the dielectric layer and forms a layer of a compound between the liner layer and the dielectric layer, and
wherein the layer of the compound adheres the liner layer to the dielectric layer.

18. The method of claim 17 wherein the layer of the compound prevents oxidation of the liner layer due to an oxide present in the dielectric layer.

19. The method of claim 17 wherein the dopant includes a more electronegative element than an element used to form the liner layer.

20. The method of claim 17 wherein the passivation layer includes an oxide of the dopant.

21. The method of claim 17 further comprising depositing the dopant on the liner layer.

22. The method of claim 17 further comprising co-depositing the liner layer and the dopant on the dielectric layer.

23. The method of claim 17 wherein the compound includes a substance formed by a combination of the dopant with a material in the dielectric layer.

24. The method of claim 17 wherein the dielectric layer includes SiO 2 and wherein the compound includes a substance formed by a combination of SiO 2 and the dopant.

25. The method of claim 17 further comprising depositing a metal layer on the liner layer.

26. The method of claim 25 wherein the passivation layer dissolves during the depositing of the metal layer and wherein the metal layer bonds with the liner layer.

27. The method of claim 25 wherein the layer of the compound prevents oxidation of the metal layer and the liner layer due to an oxide present in the dielectric layer.

28. The method of claim 25 further comprising depositing the metal layer on the liner layer by electroplating.

29. The method of claim 25 further comprising performing chemical mechanical planarization on the metal layer.

30. The method of claim 25 wherein the dopant includes a more electronegative element than elements used to form the liner layer and the metal layer.

31. The method of claim 25 further comprising performing a heat treatment on the liner layer and the dielectric layer prior to depositing the metal layer on the liner layer.

32. The method of claim 25 further comprising:
forming the liner layer using Ru, Co, or Mo;
doping the liner layer using Zn, Mn, In, Sn, or Al; and
forming the metal layer using Cu.

Assignees

• Lam Res Corp

Inventors

• Dordi Yezdi N
• Joi Aniruddha
• Madsen Steven James
• Dictus Dries

Classifications

• H10W20/0552

  by diffusing metallic dopants to react with dielectrics · CPC title

• H10P72/0476 Primary

  comprising at least one plating chamber · CPC title

• H10P52/403

  of conductive or resistive materials · CPC title

• H10P14/43 Primary

  Chemical deposition, e.g. chemical vapour deposition [CVD] · CPC title

• H10W20/043

  for electroplating · CPC title