IP Library Granted Patent US 10,121,697
Granted Patent B2
US 10,121,697 · App. 14/930,524 · Granted Nov 6, 2018

Semiconductor constructions; and methods for providing electrically conductive material within openings

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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 10,121,697
App. No.
14/930,524
Granted
Nov 6, 2018
Kind
B2
Abstract

Some embodiments include methods for depositing copper-containing material utilizing physical vapor deposition of the copper-containing material while keeping a temperature of the deposited copper-containing material at greater than 100° C. Some embodiments include methods in which openings are lined with a metal-containing composition, copper-containing material is physical vapor deposited over the metal-containing composition while a temperature of the copper-containing material is no greater than about 0° C., and the copper-containing material is then annealed while the copper-containing material is at a temperature in a range of from about 180° C. to about 250° C. Some embodiments include methods in which openings are lined with a composition containing metal and nitrogen, and the lined openings are at least partially filled with copper-containing material. Some embodiments include semiconductor constructions having a metal nitride liner along sidewall peripheries of an opening, and having copper-containing material within the opening and directly against the metal nitride liner.

Claims (21)

1. A method for depositing copper-containing material within a plurality of openings comprising:

providing a plurality of openings extending partially through a silicon oxide material;

forming a composition containing metal and nitrogen directly against the silicon oxide material along a base and opposing sidewalls within the openings to line the openings, wherein the metal comprises one or both of ruthenium and cobalt; and

physical vapor deposition of a copper-containing material consisting essentially of copper directly against the composition containing metal and nitrogen under conditions in which the deposited copper-containing material is deposited at a rate of from about 20 Å/sec to about 50 Å/sec and is maintained at a temperature of from about 180° C. to about 600° C. during deposition and surface diffusion of the copper-containing material, the deposition of the copper-containing material comprising at least two iterations of the following sequence:

sputter depositing the copper-containing material utilizing a plasma, with a temperature of the sputter-deposited material being at a specific temperature within a range of from about 180° C. to about 600° C.; and

maintaining the specific temperature of the sputter-deposited material, and while maintaining the specific temperature extinguishing the plasma and providing a duration of time to allow for the sputter-deposited material to surface diffuse into cavities to expel voids and recesses within the cavities without inducing agglomeration of the copper-containing material.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the specific temperature is in a range of from about 300° C. to about 600° C.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein the specific temperature is in a range of from about 500° C. to about 600° C.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein noble gas is utilized to sputter copper-containing material from a target during the physical vapor deposition.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein the forming the composition containing metal and nitrogen comprises:

lining the openings with the metal comprising one or both of ruthenium and cobalt; and

subsequently nitriding the first metal by exposing the first metal to a source of nitrogen to form a metal nitride liner.

6. The method of claim 5 wherein the metal consists of one or both of ruthenium and cobalt.

7. A method for providing electrically conductive material within a plurality of openings, comprising:

lining openings within a construction with a metal-containing composition; and

a single iteration of the following:

physical vapor depositing copper-containing material within the opening directly against the metal-containing composition, the physical vapor depositing being conducted under conditions that deposit and maintain a first temperature of the deposited copper to be less than or equal to about 40° C. to form a copper-containing material coating having a first conformation; and

annealing the copper-containing material coating under conditions in which the copper-containing material is at a second temperature within a range of from about 180° C. to about 250° C. to reflow the copper-containing material of said coating and thereby form a second conformation of the copper-containing material, the single iteration entirely filling the openings.

8. The method of claim 7 wherein the metal-containing composition consists of one or both of ruthenium and cobalt.

9. The method of claim 7 wherein the metal-containing composition consists of nitrogen in combination with one or both of ruthenium and cobalt.

10. The method of claim 7 wherein the first conformation of the copper-containing material leaves some voids within the openings, and the second conformation of the copper-containing material displaces the voids from the openings.

Assignments (7)
RELEASE OF SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Nov 12, 2019
From: JPMORGAN CHASE BANK, N.A., AS COLLATERAL AGENT
To: MICRON TECHNOLOGY, INC.; MICRON SEMICONDUCTOR PRODUCTS, INC.
Reel/Frame 051028/0001 →
RELEASE OF SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Oct 9, 2019
From: MORGAN STANLEY SENIOR FUNDING, INC., AS COLLATERAL AGENT
To: MICRON TECHNOLOGY, INC.
Reel/Frame 050937/0001 →
RELEASE OF SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Aug 23, 2018
From: U.S. BANK NATIONAL ASSOCIATION, AS COLLATERAL AGENT
To: MICRON TECHNOLOGY, INC.
Reel/Frame 047243/0001 →
SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Jul 13, 2018
From: MICRON TECHNOLOGY, INC.; MICRON SEMICONDUCTOR PRODUCTS, INC.
To: JPMORGAN CHASE BANK, N.A., AS COLLATERAL AGENT
Reel/Frame 047540/0001 →
CORRECTIVE ASSIGNMENT TO CORRECT THE REPLACE ERRONEOUSLY FILED PATENT #7358718 WITH THE CORRECT PATENT #7358178 PREVIOUSLY RECORDED ON REEL 038669 FRAME 0001. ASSIGNOR(S) HEREBY CONFIRMS THE SECURITY INTEREST. Recorded Jun 8, 2017
From: MICRON TECHNOLOGY, INC.
To: U.S. BANK NATIONAL ASSOCIATION, AS COLLATERAL AGENT
Reel/Frame 043079/0001 →
PATENT SECURITY AGREEMENT Recorded Jun 2, 2016
From: MICRON TECHNOLOGY, INC.
To: MORGAN STANLEY SENIOR FUNDING, INC., AS COLLATERAL AGENT
Reel/Frame 038954/0001 →
SECURITY INTEREST Recorded May 12, 2016
From: MICRON TECHNOLOGY, INC.
To: U.S. BANK NATIONAL ASSOCIATION, AS COLLATERAL AGENT
Reel/Frame 038669/0001 →