Methods of forming copper-based nitride liner/passivation layers for conductive copper structures and the resulting device

US8859419B2 · kind B2 · utility

Assignee

• GlobalFoundries Inc. · KY

Inventors

• Xunyuan Zhang · Albany, US
• Larry Zhao · Niskayuna, US
• Ming He · San Jose, US
• Sean Xuan Lin · Hopkins, US
• John A. Iacoponi · San Jose, US
• Errol Todd Ryan · Wappingers Falls, US

Key dates

• Filing date: Feb 1, 2013
• Grant date: Oct 14, 2014
• Expiry date: Feb 1, 2033

Classification

• Technology area (CPC H): Electricity
• CPC primary: H01L2924/0002
• WIPO field: Semiconductors
• WIPO sector: Electrical engineering

Abstract

One illustrative method disclosed herein includes forming a trench/via in a layer of insulating material, forming a barrier layer in the trench/via, forming a copper-based seed layer on the barrier layer, converting at least a portion of the copper-based seed layer into a copper-based nitride layer, depositing a bulk copper-based material on the copper-based nitride layer so as to overfill the trench/via and performing at least one chemical mechanical polishing process to remove excess materials positioned outside of the trench/via to thereby define a copper-based conductive structure. A device disclosed herein includes a layer of insulating material, a copper-based conductive structure positioned in a trench/via within the layer of insulating material and a copper-based silicon or germanium nitride layer positioned between the copper-based conductive structure and the layer of insulating material.