Hydrogenation and nitridization processes for reducing oxygen content in a film

US10504779B2 · kind B2 · utility

Assignee

• Applied Materials, Inc. · US

Inventors

• Johanes S. Swenberg · Los Gatos, US
• Wei Liu · San Jose, US
• Houda Graoui · Gilroy, US
• Shashank Sharma · San Jose, US
• Shankar Muthukrishnan · San Jose, US
• Rene George · San Jose, US

Key dates

• Filing date: Jan 28, 2019
• Grant date: Dec 10, 2019
• Expiry date: Jan 28, 2039

Classification

• Technology area (CPC H): Electricity
• CPC primary: H01L21/76889
• WIPO field: Semiconductors
• WIPO sector: Electrical engineering

Abstract

Embodiments described herein generally relate to a sequential hydrogenation and nitridization process for reducing interfacial and bulk O atoms in a conductive structure in a semiconductor device. A hydrogenation and plasma nitridization process is performed on a metal nitride layer in a conductive structure prior to deposition of a second metal layer, thereby reducing interfacial oxygen atoms formed on a surface of the metal nitride and oxygen atoms present in the bulk metal layers of the conductive structure. As a result, adhesion of the second metal layer to the metal nitride layer is improved and the electrical resistance of the contact structure is reduced.