Hybrid in-situ dry cleaning of oxidized surface layers

1. A hybrid in-situ dry cleaning method, comprising:

providing a substrate containing a metal-containing barrier layer, wherein the metal-containing barrier layer contains an oxidized surface layer;

exposing the oxidized surface layer to a flow of a first process gas containing plasma-excited argon gas to activate the oxidized surface layer;

applying substrate bias power during the exposing of the oxidized surface layer to the flow of the first process gas; and

exposing the activated oxidized surface layer to a second process gas containing non-plasma-excited hydrogen gas and not the first process gas containing the plasma-excited argon gas, wherein the exposure to the first process gas, in addition to activating the oxidized surface layer, facilitates chemical reduction of the activated oxidized surface layer by the second process gas containing the hydrogen gas, wherein a thickness of the metal-containing barrier layer is not substantially changed by the exposing and applying steps.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the applying the substrate bias power comprises applying a substrate bias power greater than 0 W.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the applying a substrate bias power comprises applying a substrate bias power between about 50 W and about 150 W.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the substrate bias power is below a threshold bias level that results in sputtering of metal species from the metal-containing barrier layer by the plasma-excited argon gas.

5. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

exposing the oxidized surface layer to the flow of the first process gas at a first gas pressure; and

exposing the activated oxidized surface layer to the flow of the second process gas at a second gas pressure that is greater than the first gas pressure.

6. The method of claim 5 , wherein the second gas pressure is greater than 1 Torr.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the metal-containing barrier layer comprises a Ta-containing barrier layer, a Ti-containing barrier layer, a W-containing barrier layer, or a combination of two or more thereof.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein the plasma-excited argon gas is generated in an inductively coupled plasma processing system.

9. A method of processing a substrate, comprising:

providing the substrate in a vacuum processing tool;

depositing a metal-containing barrier layer on the substrate in the vacuum processing tool;

performing a hybrid in-situ dry cleaning of an oxidized surface layer on the metal-containing barrier layer by:

exposing the oxidized surface layer to a flow of a first process gas containing plasma-excited argon gas to activate the oxidized surface layer;

applying substrate bias power during the exposing of the oxidized surface layer to the flow of the first process gas; and

exposing the activated oxidized surface layer to a second process gas containing non-plasma-excited hydrogen gas and not the first process gas containing the plasma-excited argon gas, wherein the exposure to the first process gas, in addition to activating the oxidized surface layer, facilitates chemical reduction of the activated oxidized surface layer by the second process gas containing the hydrogen gas, wherein a thickness of the metal-containing barrier layer is not substantially changed by the exposing and applying steps; and

following the performing, depositing a metal-containing film on the metal-containing barrier layer, wherein the hybrid in-situ dry cleaning and the depositing the metal-containing film on the metal-containing barrier layer are carried out without exposing the metal-containing barrier layer to air.

10. The method of claim 9 , wherein the applying the substrate bias power comprises applying a substrate bias power greater than 0 W.

11. The method of claim 9 , wherein the applying a substrate bias power comprises applying a substrate bias power between about 50 W and about 150 W.

12. The method of claim 9 , wherein the substrate bias power is below a threshold bias level that results in sputtering of metal species from the metal-containing barrier layer by the plasma-excited argon gas.

13. The method of claim 9 , further comprising:

exposing the oxidized surface layer to the flow of the first process gas at a first gas pressure; and

exposing the activated oxidized surface layer to the flow of the second process gas at a second gas pressure that is greater than the first gas pressure.

14. The method of claim 13 , wherein the second gas pressure is greater than 1 Torr.

15. A method of processing a substrate, comprising:

providing the substrate in a first vacuum processing tool;

depositing a metal-containing barrier layer on the substrate in the first vacuum processing tool;

transferring in air the substrate containing the metal-containing barrier layer from the first vacuum processing tool to a second vacuum processing tool;

performing a hybrid in-situ dry cleaning of an oxidized surface layer of the metal-containing barrier layer in the second vacuum processing tool by:

exposing the oxidized surface layer to a flow of a first process gas containing plasma-excited argon gas to activate the oxidized surface layer;

applying substrate bias power during the exposing of the oxidized surface layer to the flow of the first process gas; and

exposing the activated oxidized surface layer to a second process gas containing non-plasma-excited hydrogen gas and not the first process gas containing the plasma-excited argon gas, wherein the exposure to the first process gas, in addition to activating the oxidized surface layer, facilitates chemical reduction of the activated oxidized surface layer by the second process gas containing the hydrogen gas, wherein a thickness of the metal-containing barrier layer is not substantially changed by the exposing and applying steps; and

following the performing, depositing a metal-containing film on the metal-containing barrier layer in the second vacuum processing tool, wherein the hybrid in-situ dry cleaning and the depositing the metal-containing film on the metal-containing barrier layer are carried out without exposing the metal-containing barrier layer to air.

16. The method of claim 15 , wherein the applying the substrate bias power comprises applying a substrate bias power greater than 0 W.

17. The method of claim 15 , wherein the applying a substrate bias power comprises applying a substrate bias power between about 50 W and about 150 W.

18. The method of claim 15 , wherein the substrate bias power is below a threshold bias level that results in sputtering of metal species from the metal-containing barrier layer by the plasma-excited argon gas.

19. The method of claim 15 , wherein the second gas pressure is greater than 1 Torr.

20. The method of claim 15 , further comprising:

exposing the oxidized surface layer to the flow of the first process gas at a first gas pressure; and

exposing the activated oxidized surface layer to the flow of the second process gas at a second gas pressure that is greater than the first gas pressure.