Manufacturing an integrated circuit with low solubility metal-conductor interconnect cap

1. A method of manufacturing an integrated circuit comprising the steps of:

providing a semiconductor substrate having a semiconductor device provided thereon;

forming a dielectric layer on the semiconductor substrate;

forming an opening in the dielectric layer;

depositing a conductor core to fill the opening and connect to the semiconductor device;

planarization of the conductor core and the dielectric layer;

providing a low solubility metal oxide on the conductor core and the dielectric layer,

thermally treating of the low solubility metal oxide to cause alloying of the low solubility metal with the conductor in the conductor core to form a low solubility metal-conductor interconnect cap over the conductor core; and

forming a capping layer over the low solubility metal-conductor interconnect cap and the dielectric layer.

2. The method of manufacturing an integrated circuit as claimed in claim 1 wherein thermally treating is performed from about 150° C. to about 450° C.

3. The method of manufacturing an integrated circuit as claimed in claim 1 including reduction treating the low solubility metal oxide after providing the low solubility metal oxide.

4. The method of manufacturing an integrated circuit as claimed in claim 1 wherein providing the low solubility metal oxide provides a stable oxide of a low solubility metal having a low solid solubility in the conductor core material to form an intermetallic compound therewith.

5. The method of manufacturing an integrated circuit as claimed in claim 1 wherein providing the low solubility metal oxide provides a low solubility metal selected from a group consisting of cerium, lanthanum, zirconium, a compound thereof, and a combination thereof.

6. The method of manufacturing an integrated circuit as claimed in claim 1 wherein depositing the conductor core deposits a material selected from a group consisting of copper, aluminum, gold, silver, an alloy thereof, and a compound thereof.

7. A method of manufacturing an integrated circuit comprising the steps of:

providing a semiconductor substrate having a semiconductor device provided thereon;

forming a device dielectric layer over the semiconductor substrate;

forming a channel dielectric layer over the device dielectric layer;

forming a channel opening in the channel dielectric layer layer;

depositing a barrier layer to line the channel opening;

depositing a seed layer to line the barrier layer;

depositing a conductor core to fill the channel opening and connect to the semiconductor device;

chemical-mechanical polishing of the conductor core, the seed layer, the barrier layer, and the dielectric layer;

providing a low solubility metal oxide on the conductor core, the seed layer, the barrier layer, and the dielectric layer;

thermally treating of the low solubility metal oxide to cause alloying of the low solubility metal with the conductor in the conductor core to form a low solubility metal-conductor interconnect cap over the conductor core; and

forming a capping layer over the dielectric layer and the low solubility metal-conductor interconnect cap.

8. The method of manufacturing an integrated circuit as claimed in claim 7 wherein thermally treating the low solubility metal oxide is performed from about 150° C. to about 450° C. for up to three hours followed by a cooling treatment.

9. The method of manufacturing an integrated circuit as claimed in claim 7 including reduction treating the low solubility metal oxide after providing the low solubility metal oxide using a reducing plasma.

10. The method of manufacturing an integrated circuit as claimed in claim 7 wherein providing the low solubility metal oxide provides a stable oxide of a low solubility metal having a low solid solubility in the conductor core material to form an intermetallic compound therewith.

11. The method of manufacturing an integrated circuit as claimed in claimed 7 wherein the low solubility metal oxide provides a low solubility metal selected from a group consisting of cerium, lanthanum, zirconium, a compound thereof, and a combination thereof.

12. The method of manufacturing an integrated circuit as claimed in claimed 7 wherein depositing the conductor core deposits a material selected from a group consisting of copper, aluminum, gold, silver, an alloy thereof, and a compound thereof.