IP Library › Granted Patent US 12,272,659
Granted Patent B2
US 12,272,659 · App. 17/944,596 · Granted Apr 8, 2025

Methods for forming metal gapfill with low resistivity

Inventors: Yi Xu (San Jose, CA); Yu Lei (Belmont, CA); Zhimin Qi (Fremont, CA); Aixi Zhang (Sunnyvale, CA); Xianyuan Zhao (Santa Clara, CA); Wei Lei (Campbell, CA); Xingyao Gao (Sunnyvale, CA); Shirish A. Pethe (Cupertino, CA); Tao Huang (San Jose, CA); Xiang Chang (San Jose, CA); Patrick Po-Chun Li (Sunnyvale, CA); Geraldine Vasquez (San Jose, CA); Dien-yeh Wu (San Jose, CA); Rongjun Wang (Dublin, CA)
Assignee: APPLIED MATERIALS, INC.
H01L24/03H01L24/05H01L2224/03452H01L2224/03845H01L2224/05026H01L2224/05082H01L2224/05157H01L2224/05184H01L2924/01027H01L2924/01074H01L2924/04941H01L2924/0496H01L2924/059H01L2924/35121
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12,272,659
App. No.
17/944,596
Granted
Apr 8, 2025
Kind
B2
Abstract

Methods for reducing resistivity of metal gapfill include depositing a conformal layer in an opening of a feature and on a field of a substrate with a first thickness of the conformal layer of approximately 10 microns or less, depositing a non-conformal metal layer directly on the conformal layer at a bottom of the opening and directly on the field using an anisotropic deposition process. A second thickness of the non-conformal metal layer on the field and on the bottom of the feature is approximately 30 microns or greater. And depositing a metal gapfill material in the opening of the feature and on the field where the metal gapfill material completely fills the opening without any voids.

Claims (35)

1. A method for reducing resistivity of metal gapfill, comprising:

depositing a conformal layer in an opening of a feature and on a field of a substrate, wherein a first thickness of the conformal layer is approximately 10 microns or less;

depositing a non-conformal metal layer directly on the conformal layer at a bottom of the opening and directly on the field using an anisotropic deposition process, wherein a second thickness of the non-conformal metal layer on the field and on the bottom of the feature is approximately 30 microns or greater; and

depositing a metal gapfill material in the opening of the feature and on the field, wherein the metal gapfill material completely fills the opening without any voids.

2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

depositing the conformal layer using an atomic layer deposition (ALD) process;

depositing the non-conformal metal layer using a plasma vapor deposition (PVD) process; and

depositing the metal gapfill material using a chemical vapor deposition (CVD) process.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the first thickness is approximately 3 microns to approximately 8 microns.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the second thickness is approximately 40 microns.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the first thickness and the second thickness combined is at least approximately 40 microns.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the conformal layer is titanium nitride, tungsten nitride, or tungsten carbon nitride.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the non-conformal metal layer is tungsten or cobalt.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein the metal gapfill material is tungsten or cobalt.

9. The method of claim 1 , wherein the feature is a contact for a logic device.

10. The method of claim 1 , wherein the conformal layer is at least one monolayer in thickness.

11. The method of claim 1 performed in an integrated tool.

12. A method for reducing resistivity of metal gapfill, comprising:

depositing a titanium nitride conformal layer in an opening of a feature and on a field of a substrate using an atomic layer deposition (ALD) process, wherein a first thickness of the titanium nitride conformal layer is approximately 10 microns or less;

depositing a tungsten non-conformal layer directly on the titanium nitride conformal layer at a bottom of the opening and directly on the field using a plasma vapor deposition (PVD) process, wherein a second thickness of the tungsten non-conformal layer on the field and on the bottom of the feature is approximately 30 microns to approximately 50 microns; and

depositing a tungsten gapfill material in the opening of the feature and on the field using a chemical vapor deposition (CVD) process, wherein the tungsten gapfill material completely fills the opening without any voids.

13. The method of claim 12 , wherein the first thickness is approximately 3 microns to approximately 8 microns.

14. The method of claim 12 , wherein the second thickness is approximately 40 microns.

15. The method of claim 12 , wherein the first thickness and the second thickness combined is at least approximately 40 microns.

16. The method of claim 12 , wherein the feature is a contact for a logic device.

17. The method of claim 12 , wherein the titanium nitride conformal layer is at least one monolayer in thickness.

18. The method of claim 12 performed in an integrated tool.

19. A non-transitory, computer readable medium having instructions stored thereon that, when executed, cause a method for reducing resistivity of metal gapfill to be performed, the method comprising:

depositing a conformal layer in an opening of a feature and on a field of a substrate, wherein a first thickness of the conformal layer is approximately 10 microns or less;

depositing a non-conformal metal layer directly on the conformal layer at a bottom of the opening and directly on the field using an anisotropic deposition process, wherein a second thickness of the non-conformal metal layer on the field and on the bottom of the feature is approximately 30 microns to approximately 50 microns; and

depositing a metal gapfill material in the opening of the feature and on the field, wherein the metal gapfill material completely fills the opening without any voids.

20. The non-transitory, computer readable medium of claim 19 , the method further comprising:

depositing the conformal layer using an atomic layer deposition (ALD) process;

depositing the non-conformal metal layer using a plasma vapor deposition (PVD) process; and

depositing the metal gapfill material using a chemical vapor deposition (CVD) process.

Assignments (1)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Oct 10, 2022
From: XU, YI; LEI, YU; QI, ZHIMIN; ZHANG, AIXI; ZHAO, XIANYUAN; LEI, WEI; GAO, XINGYAO; PETHE, SHIRISH A.; HUANG, TAO; CHANG, XIANG; LI, PATRICK PO-CHUN; VASQUEZ, GERALDINE; WU, DIEN-YEH; WANG, RONGJUN
To: APPLIED MATERIALS, INC.
Reel/Frame 061363/0328 →
Continuity (1)
Related Publication 20240088071A1 · Mar 14, 2024
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