Substrate processing method, plasma processing apparatus, and substrate processing system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2025273621-A1
Application number	US-202519206350-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	May 13, 2025
Priority date	Nov 17, 2022
Publication date	Aug 28, 2025
Grant date	—

Abstract

A substrate processing method includes activating a surface of a substrate having a conductive layer containing Cu and an insulating layer by exposing the substrate to plasma of a first process gas, forming an oxidation suppression layer that suppresses oxidation of Cu on a surface of the conductive layer by exposing the substrate after activating the surface of the substrate to plasma of a second process gas, forming a hydroxyl group on the surface of the substrate by supplying water to the surface of the substrate after forming the oxidation suppression layer, bonding the substrate after forming the hydroxyl group to another substrate after forming the hydroxyl group, and heat-treating the bonded substrates.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A substrate processing method comprising:
activating a surface of a substrate having a conductive layer containing Cu and an insulating layer by exposing the substrate to plasma of a first process gas; forming an oxidation suppression layer that suppresses oxidation of Cu on a surface of the conductive layer by exposing the substrate, after activating the surface of the substrate, to plasma of a second process gas; forming a hydroxyl group on the surface of the substrate by supplying water to the surface of the substrate after forming the oxidation suppression layer; bonding the substrate after forming the hydroxyl group to another substrate after forming the hydroxyl group; and heat-treating the bonded substrates.

2 . The substrate processing method of claim 1 , wherein the first process gas is a gas containing H and/or N.

3 . The substrate processing method of claim 2 , wherein the first process gas is any one of H 2 gas, N 2 gas, NH 3 gas, a mixed gas of H 2 and N 2 , and a mixed gas of H 2 and NH 3 .

4 . The substrate processing method of claim 1 , wherein the forming the oxidation suppression layer includes selectively forming the oxidation suppression layer on the conductive layer relative to the insulating layer.

5 . The substrate processing method of claim 4 , wherein the second process gas is a gas containing Si and/or Al.

6 . The substrate processing method of claim 5 , wherein the second process gas is any one of SiH 4 , Si 2 H 6 , SiCl 4 , Si 2 Cl 2 H 2 , Si 2 Cl 6 , AlCl 3 , Al(CH 3 ) 3 , and AlH(CH 3 ) 2 .

7 . The substrate processing method of claim 1 , further comprising polishing the surface of the substrate before activating the surface of the substrate.

8 . The substrate processing method of claim 7 , further comprising forming the surface of the conductive layer to be lower than a surface of the insulating layer after polishing the surface of the substrate and before activating the surface of the substrate.

9 . A plasma processing apparatus configured to perform in a vacuum atmosphere:
activating a surface of a substrate having a conductive layer containing Cu and an insulating layer by exposing the substrate to plasma of a first process gas; and forming an oxidation suppression layer that suppresses oxidation of the Cu on a surface of the conductive layer by exposing the substrate after activating the surface of the substrate to plasma of a second process gas.

10 . A substrate processing system, comprising:
the plasma processing apparatus of claim 9 ; a module configured to polish the substrate in an air atmosphere; a module configured to supply water to the surface of the substrate in an air atmosphere; a module configured to bond the substrate in an air atmosphere; and a module configured to heat-treat the substrate.

11 . The substrate processing method of claim 2 , wherein the forming the oxidation suppression layer includes selectively forming the oxidation suppression layer on the conductive layer relative to the insulating layer.

12 . The substrate processing method of claim 3 , wherein the forming the oxidation suppression layer includes selectively forming the oxidation suppression layer on the conductive layer relative to the insulating layer.

Assignees

• Tokyo Electron Ltd

Inventors

• Ouchi Kenji
• Matsubara Yoshihisa
• Inatomi Yuichiro
• Kikuchi Yuki

Classifications

• H10W80/327

  characterised by the direct bonding of insulating parts, e.g. of silicon oxide layers · CPC title

• H10W80/312

  characterised by the direct bonding of electrically conductive pads · CPC title

• H10W80/023

  Applying a coating on the bonding area · CPC title

• H10W72/952

  comprising metals or metalloids, e.g. PbSn, Ag or Cu · CPC title

• H10W72/90

  Bond pads, in general · CPC title