Gap fill methods using catalyzed deposition

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12351909-B2
Application number	US-202117198576-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 11, 2021
Priority date	Mar 11, 2020
Publication date	Jul 8, 2025
Grant date	Jul 8, 2025

Abstract

Methods of depositing a metal film are discussed. A metal film is formed on the bottom of feature having a metal bottom and dielectric sidewalls. Formation of the metal film comprises exposure to a metal precursor and an alkyl halide catalyst while the substrate is maintained at a deposition temperature. The metal precursor has a decomposition temperature above the deposition temperature. The alkyl halide comprises carbon and halogen, and the halogen comprises bromine or iodine.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method of forming a seam-free gap fill, the method comprising:
depositing a second metal film in a feature on a substrate to partially fill the feature with the second metal film, the feature comprising a bottom and at least one dielectric sidewall, the bottom comprising a first metal, the first metal comprising a first metal material, the first metal having a first metal surface that is exposed within the feature, the at least one dielectric sidewall having a top surface outside of the feature and one or more dielectric sidewall surfaces within the feature, the second metal film comprising a second metal material, the second metal film forming directly and selectively on the first metal surface relative to the one or more dielectric sidewall surfaces within the feature and the second metal film having a top surface below the top surface of the at least one dielectric sidewall;
depositing a liner on the one or more dielectric sidewall surfaces within the feature above the second metal film;
filling the feature with the second metal material to cover the liner and the top surface of the at least one dielectric sidewall; and
removing the second metal film and at least some of the liner from the top surface of the at least one dielectric sidewall and at least some of the dielectric to form a seam-free gap fill.

2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising form a blocking layer on the top surface of the second metal film prior to depositing the liner, the blocking layer preventing formation of the liner on the top surface of the second metal film.

3. The method of claim 2 , further comprising removing the blocking layer from the top surface of the second metal film after forming the liner and before filling the feature with the second metal material.

4. The method of claim 1 , further comprising annealing the second metal film after filling the feature with the second metal material and before removing the second metal material from the top surface of the at least one dielectric sidewall.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the first metal material comprises one or more of cobalt, tungsten, ruthenium or molybdenum and the second metal material comprises one or more of tungsten, ruthenium or molybdenum.

6. A method of forming a seam-free gap fill, the method comprising:
(a) cleaning a bottom of a feature in a substrate, the feature comprising a bottom and at least one dielectric sidewall, the bottom comprising a first metal, the first metal having a first metal surface that is exposed within the feature, the at least one dielectric sidewall having a top surface outside of the feature and one or more dielectric sidewall surfaces within the feature;
(b) selectively depositing a ruthenium film in the feature directly on the first metal surface relative to the one or more dielectric sidewall surfaces within the feature, the ruthenium film partially filling the feature so that a top surface of the ruthenium film is below the top surface of the at least one dielectric sidewall;
(c) optionally, selectively forming a blocking layer on the top surface of the ruthenium film;
(d) forming a conformal liner on the one or more dielectric sidewall surfaces and the top surface of the at least one dielectric sidewall, the conformal liner substantially not forming on the top surface of the ruthenium film;
(e) optionally removing the blocking layer from the top surface of the ruthenium film;
(f) filling the feature with ruthenium to cover the conformal liner on the one or more dielectric sidewall surfaces and the top surface of the at least one dielectric sidewall;
(g) annealing the ruthenium film; and
(h) removing a portion of the ruthenium film and the dielectric, and at least some of the liner to form a ruthenium seam-free gap fill.

Assignees

• Applied Materials Inc

Inventors

• Yoon Byunghoon
• Wu Liqi
• Lee Joung Joo
• Wu Kai
• Cen Xi
• Lei Wei
• Yu Sang Ho
• Ganguli Seshadri

Classifications

• H10P14/6339

  deposition by cyclic CVD, e.g. ALD, ALE or pulsed CVD · CPC title

• H10W20/425

  Barrier, adhesion or liner layers · CPC title

• H10W20/056

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

• H10W20/045

  for deposition from the gaseous phase, e.g. for chemical vapour deposition [CVD] · CPC title

• H10W20/0523

  by irradiating with ultraviolet or particle radiation · CPC title