Patent · US Active

Method for depositing a conductive capping layer on metal lines

US8592312B2 · kind B2 · utility

2Cited by
2References
20Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventors

Key dates

Filing dateJun 7, 2007
Grant dateNov 26, 2013
Priority date
Expiry dateAug 7, 2029

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC H)Electricity
  • CPC primaryH01L21/76849
  • WIPO fieldSemiconductors
  • WIPO sectorElectrical engineering

Abstract

In one disclosed embodiment, the present method for depositing a conductive capping layer on metal lines comprises forming metal lines on a dielectric layer, applying a voltage to the metal lines, and depositing the conductive capping layer on the metal lines. The applied voltage increases the selectivity of the deposition process used, thereby preventing the conductive capping layer from causing a short between the metal lines. The conductive capping layer may be deposited through electroplating, electrolessly, by atomic layer deposition (ALD), or by chemical vapor deposition (CVD), for example. In one embodiment, the present method is utilized to fabricate a semiconductor wafer. In one embodiment, the metal lines comprise copper lines, while the conductive capping layer may comprise tantalum or cobalt. The present method enables deposition of a capping layer having high electromigration resistance.

Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.