Method of depositing a TaN seed layer

US6911124B2 · kind B2 · utility

Assignee

• Applied Materials, Inc. · US

Inventors

• Xianmin Tang · San Jose, US
• Praburam Gopalraja · San Jose, US
• Suraj Rengarajan · Sunnyvale, US
• John C. Forster · San Francisco, US
• Jianming Fu · San Jose, US
• Peijun Ding · San Jose, US

Key dates

• Filing date: Sep 17, 2002
• Grant date: Jun 28, 2005
• Expiry date: Jun 27, 2023

Classification

• Technology area (CPC H): Electricity
• CPC primary: H01L21/76876
• WIPO field: Semiconductors
• WIPO sector: Electrical engineering

Abstract

We have discovered a method of providing a thin approximately from about 20 Å to about 100 Å thick TaN seed layer, which can be used to induce the formation of alpha tantalum when tantalum is deposited over the TaN seed layer. Further, the TaN seed layer exhibits low resistivity, in the range of 30 μΩ m and can be used as a low resistivity barrier layer in the absence of an alpha tantalum layer. In one embodiment of the method, a TaN film is altered on its surface form the TaN seed layer. In another embodiment of the method, a Ta film is altered on its surface to form the TaN seed layer.