Hybrid in-situ dry cleaning of oxidized surface layers
US8227344B2 · kind B2 · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Feb 26, 2010 |
| Grant date | Jul 24, 2012 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Aug 31, 2030 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC H)Electricity
- CPC primaryH01L21/76843
- WIPO fieldSemiconductors
- WIPO sectorElectrical engineering
Abstract
According to one embodiment, the method includes providing a substrate containing a metal-containing barrier layer having an oxidized surface layer, exposing the oxidized surface layer to a flow of a first process gas containing plasma-excited argon gas to activate the oxidized surface layer and applying substrate bias power during the exposing of the oxidized surface layer to the flow of the first process gas. The method further includes exposing the activated oxidized surface layer to a second process gas containing non-plasma-excited hydrogen gas, wherein the exposure to the first process gas, in addition to activating the oxidized surface layer, facilitates chemical reduction of the activated oxidized surface layer by the second process gas containing the hydrogen gas. A thickness of the metal-containing barrier layer is not substantially changed by the hybrid in-situ dry cleaning process.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.