Apparatus for reducing tungsten resistivity

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11655534-B2
Application number	US-202217857370-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 5, 2022
Priority date	Sep 15, 2020
Publication date	May 23, 2023
Grant date	May 23, 2023

Abstract

Apparatus that forms low resistivity tungsten film on substrates. In some embodiments, the apparatus may provide reduced resistivity of tungsten by being configured to generate a plasma in a processing volume of a physical vapor deposition (PVD) chamber with a process gas of krypton and using an RF power with a frequency of approximately 60 MHz, apply bias power at frequency of approximately 13.56 MHz to a substrate, and sputter a tungsten target to deposit a tungsten thin film on the substrate. At least approximately 90% of the deposited tungsten thin film has a <110> crystalline orientation plane approximately parallel to a top surface of the substrate.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. An apparatus for depositing tungsten film with low resistivity, comprising:
a physical vapor deposition (PVD) chamber with a processing volume disposed between a target and a substrate support, wherein the PVD chamber has a target-to-substrate spacing of approximately 75 mm to approximately 150 mm and wherein the target is made of tungsten and configured for sputtering by plasma generated in the processing volume;
a magnetron configured to generate magnetic fields during sputtering of the target;
a process gas supply source configured to provide krypton gas into the processing volume;
an RF power source configured to generate a plasma from the krypton gas within the processing volume at a frequency of approximately 40 MHz to approximately 75 MHz;
a bias power source configured to supply a bias to a substrate placed on the substrate support;
a magnetic field source surrounding the processing volume at a level proximate to a top surface of the substrate support, wherein the magnetic field source is configured to influence plasma density and distribution in the PVD chamber and uniformity of deposition on the substrate; and
a controller in communication with the apparatus and configured to generate a plasma in a pressure of approximately 1 mTorr to approximately 15 mTorr in a processing volume of the PVD chamber with a process gas of krypton and using RF power of approximately 6 kilowatts to 10 kilowatts with a frequency of approximately 60 MHz, to apply a bias power at a frequency of approximately 13.56 MHz to a substrate, and to sputter the target to deposit a tungsten thin film on the substrate, wherein at least approximately 90% of the tungsten thin film has a 110 crystal orientation plane approximately parallel to a top surface of the substrate, wherein the tungsten thin film has a resistivity value of approximately 9.5 μohm-cm or less at an approximately 200 angstrom thickness.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the controller is configured to apply a bias power of greater than zero to less than approximately 500 watts during deposition of the tungsten thin film.

3. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the magnetic field source is an electromagnet with a dual coil and an adjustable magnetic field and configured to operate at greater than zero to approximately 25 amps.

4. The apparatus of claim 3 , wherein the controller is configured to operate the magnetic field source at approximately 6 amps during deposition of the tungsten thin film.

5. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the magnetic field source is a plurality of permanent magnets placed and spaced externally to the PVD chamber.

6. The apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising:
a heating system in electrical communication with a heating element in the substrate support and configured to heat a substrate, wherein the controller is in communication with the heating system and is configured to maintain the substrate at a temperature of 150 degrees to approximately 450 degrees during deposition of the tungsten thin film.

7. The apparatus of claim 6 , wherein the controller is configured to deposit the tungsten thin film on the substrate at a first temperature when the substrate is composed of silicon or at a second temperature when the substrate is composed of silicon nitride, wherein the first temperature is different from the second temperature.

8. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the controller is configured to influence plasma density and distribution in the PVD chamber and uniformity of deposition on the substrate during deposition of the tungsten thin film.

9. The apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising:
a bias match configured to match impedances between the PVD chamber and the bias power source; and
an RF power match configured to match impedances between the PVD chamber and the RF power source.

10. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the controller is in communication with the process gas supply source and configured to control a flow of krypton gas during deposition of the tungsten thin film.

Assignees

• Applied Materials Inc

Inventors

• Hou Wenting
• Lei Jianxin
• Ramalingam Jothilingam
• Kothnur Prashanth
• Johanson William R

Classifications

• H01J37/32027

  DC powered · CPC title

• C23C14/18 Primary

  on other inorganic substrates · CPC title

• C23C14/35 Primary

  by application of a magnetic field, e.g. magnetron sputtering {(C23C14/3457 takes precedence)} · CPC title

• C23C14/354

  Introduction of auxiliary energy into the plasma · CPC title

• C23C14/345

  using substrate bias · CPC title