Methods and apparatus for controlling contact resistance in cobalt-titanium structures

1. A method for forming a cobalt-titanium structure with a reduced contact resistance, comprising:

etching an opening into a substrate to form a feature with sidewalls and a bottom in the substrate, wherein the substrate is a silicon material with a layer of dielectric material on an uppermost surface of the substrate and wherein the sidewalls are formed from the dielectric material and the bottom extends into the substrate and is formed into the silicon material;

depositing a titanium layer onto the feature using a plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposition (PE-CVD) process in a PE-CVD titanium deposition chamber using titanium-chloride-based gas to form a titanium silicide layer directly on the bottom of the feature and to form a titanium silicon oxide first layer when the dielectric material is a silicon dioxide dielectric material or a titanium silicon nitride first layer when the dielectric material is a silicon nitride dielectric material directly on the sidewalls of the feature;

treating the feature with a nitridation process with a duration of approximately four minutes or less in the PE-CVD titanium deposition chamber to form a titanium silicon nitride second layer on the feature, wherein the titanium silicon nitride second layer prevents formation of silicon nitride on the titanium silicon oxide first layer or the titanium silicon nitride first layer which increases contact resistance and provides a barrier to eliminate formation of TiSi x on the titanium silicon oxide first layer or on the titanium silicon nitride first layer and subsequent intermixing with a first subsequent cobalt deposition layer;

treating the feature with a chlorine reduction process that reduces chlorine impurities caused by use of the titanium-chloride-based gas in depositing the titanium layer and promotes cobalt adhesion of the first subsequent cobalt deposition layer;

depositing a titanium nitride layer on the sidewalls and the bottom of the feature using an atomic layer deposition (ALD) process that prevents the first subsequent cobalt deposition layer from reacting with titanium and forming a titanium-cobalt alloy which increases contact resistance between cobalt and titanium;

treating the titanium nitride layer with a cobalt dewetting reduction process that increases cobalt adhesion of the first subsequent cobalt deposition layer to the titanium nitride layer on the sidewalls of the feature;

depositing the first subsequent cobalt layer directly on the titanium nitride layer on the bottom of the feature using a directional physical vapor deposition (PVD) process that prevents voids from forming in the bottom of the feature; and

depositing a second subsequent cobalt layer directly on the first subsequent cobalt layer using a CVD process to fill the feature to at least an uppermost surface of the substrate, wherein the feature forms a contact of cobalt and titanium-based material with a reduced contact resistance.

2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

reflowing the second subsequent cobalt layer using a high temperature process.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the nitridation process is a nitrogen and hydrogen plasma, or an ammonia plasma, or an ammonia gas soak.

4. The method of claim 3 , further comprising:

treating the feature with the nitrogen and hydrogen plasma or the ammonia plasma for a duration of greater than zero to approximately 60 sec or with the ammonia gas soak for a duration of greater than zero to approximately 240 seconds.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the chlorine reduction process includes treating the titanium layer with a hydrogen soak process.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the cobalt dewetting reduction process includes treating the titanium nitride layer with a silane gas soak.

7. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

performing a pre-clean process before depositing the titanium layer.

8. A non-transitory, computer readable medium having instructions stored thereon that, when executed, cause a method for forming a cobalt-titanium structure with a reduced contact resistance to be performed, the method comprising:

etching an opening into a substrate to form a feature with sidewalls and a bottom in the substrate, wherein the substrate is a silicon material with a layer of dielectric material on an uppermost surface of the substrate and wherein the sidewalls are formed from the dielectric material and the bottom extends into the substrate and is formed into the silicon material;

depositing a titanium layer onto the feature using a plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposition (PE-CVD) process in a PE-CVD titanium deposition chamber using titanium-chloride-based gas to form a titanium silicide layer directly on the bottom of the feature and to form a titanium silicon oxide first layer when the dielectric material is a silicon dioxide dielectric material or a titanium silicon nitride first layer when the dielectric material is a silicon nitride dielectric material directly on the sidewalls of the feature;

treating the feature with a nitridation process with a duration of approximately four minutes or less in the PE-CVD titanium deposition chamber to form a titanium silicon nitride second layer on the feature, wherein the titanium silicon nitride second layer prevents formation of silicon nitride on the titanium silicon oxide first layer or the titanium silicon nitride first layer which increases contact resistance and provides a barrier to eliminate formation of TiSi x on the titanium silicon oxide first layer or on the titanium silicon nitride first layer and subsequent intermixing with a first subsequent cobalt deposition layer;

treating the feature with a chlorine reduction process that reduces chlorine impurities caused by use of the titanium-chloride-based gas in depositing the titanium layer and promotes cobalt adhesion of the first subsequent cobalt deposition layer;

depositing a titanium nitride layer on the sidewalls and the bottom of the feature using an atomic layer deposition (ALD) process that prevents the first subsequent cobalt deposition layer from reacting with titanium and forming a titanium-cobalt alloy which increases contact resistance between cobalt and titanium;

treating the titanium nitride layer with a cobalt dewetting reduction process that increases cobalt adhesion of the first subsequent cobalt deposition layer to the titanium nitride layer on the sidewalls of the feature;

depositing a first subsequent cobalt layer directly on the titanium nitride layer on the bottom of the feature using a directional physical vapor deposition (PVD) process that prevents voids from forming in the bottom of the feature; and

depositing a second subsequent cobalt layer directly on the first subsequent cobalt layer using a CVD process to fill the feature to at least an uppermost surface of the substrate, wherein the feature forms a contact of cobalt and titanium-based material with a reduced contact resistance.

9. The non-transitory, computer readable medium of claim 8 , further comprising:

reflowing the second subsequent cobalt layer using a high temperature process.

10. The non-transitory, computer readable medium of claim 8 , further comprising:

treating the titanium nitride layer with a silane gas soak as at least part of the cobalt dewetting reduction process; or

performing a pre-clean process before depositing the titanium layer.

11. The non-transitory, computer readable medium of claim 8 , wherein the nitridation process is a nitrogen and hydrogen plasma, or an ammonia plasma, or an ammonia gas soak.

12. The non-transitory, computer readable medium of claim 11 , further comprising:

treating the titanium silicon oxide first layer or the titanium silicon nitride first layer with the nitrogen and hydrogen plasma or the ammonia plasma for a duration of greater than zero to approximately 60 sec or with the ammonia gas soak for a duration of greater than zero to approximately 240 seconds as at least part of the nitridation process.

13. The non-transitory, computer readable medium of claim 8 , wherein the chlorine reduction process includes treating the titanium silicon nitride second layer with a hydrogen soak process.