Surface treatment and capping layer process for producing a copper interface in a semiconductor device

US6569768B2 · kind B2 · utility

Assignee

• Advanced Micro Devices, Inc. · US

Inventors

• Hartmut Ruelke · Dresden, DE
• Joerg Hohage · Dresden, DE
• Minh Van Ngo · Fremont, US

Key dates

• Filing date: Mar 12, 2001
• Grant date: May 27, 2003
• Expiry date: Mar 12, 2021

Classification

• Technology area (CPC H): Electricity
• CPC primary: H01L21/32136
• WIPO field: Semiconductors
• WIPO sector: Electrical engineering

Abstract

A method for removing discoloration and corrosion of an exposed copper surface and for forming a nitride capping layer on top of the surface provides an in-situ process in which the reactive plasma ambient is constantly maintained during a transition from the surface treatment step to the deposition step for forming the nitride capping layer. Permanently maintained plasma avoids an renewed formation of discoloration on the cleaned copper surface during the transition to the deposition step and at the beginning of the deposition step when silane gas is introduced into the plasma ambient. Moreover, the overall process time is significantly reduced.