PVD deposition process for enhanced properties of metal films
US7037830B1 · kind B1 · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Sep 29, 2000 |
| Grant date | May 2, 2006 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Aug 8, 2022 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC H)Electricity
- CPC primaryH01L2221/1078
- WIPO fieldSemiconductors
- WIPO sectorElectrical engineering
Abstract
A physical vapor deposition sputtering process for enhancing the <0002> preferred orientation of a titanium layer uses hydrogen before or during the deposition process. Using the oriented titanium layer as a base layer for a titanium, titanium nitride, aluminum interconnect stack results in formation of an aluminum layer with predominant <111> crystallographic orientation which provides enhanced resistance to electromigration. In one process, a mixture of an inert gas, usually argon, and hydrogen is used as the sputtering gas for PVD deposition of titanium in place of pure argon. Alternatively, titanium is deposited in a two-step process in which an initial burst of hydrogen is introduced into the reaction chamber in a separate, first step. Pure argon is used as the sputtering gas for the titanium deposition in a second step. The method is broadly applicable to the deposition of metallization layers.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.