Drive-in Mn before copper plating

1. A method of forming a copper (Cu) interconnect structure, the method comprising the steps of:

forming at least one trench in a dielectric;

depositing a metal liner into the trench;

depositing a manganese (Mn)-containing seed layer on the metal liner within the trench;

annealing the Mn-containing seed layer under conditions sufficient to diffuse Mn from the Mn-containing seed layer, through the metal liner, to an interface between the dielectric and the metal liner forming a barrier layer between the dielectric and the metal liner along a bottom and sidewalls of the trench, and forming a conductive seed layer which is completely free of Mn lining the metal liner within the trench; and

depositing Cu into the trench, onto the conductive seed layer, to form the Cu interconnect, wherein the Cu is deposited into the trench after the annealing is performed forming the Cu interconnect that is completely free of Mn.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the dielectric is selected from the group consisting of: silsesquioxanes, carbon doped oxides that include atoms of silicon (Si), carbon (C), oxygen (O) and hydrogen (H), thermosetting polyarylene ethers, and combinations thereof.

3. The method of claim 2 , wherein the barrier layer comprises manganese silicate.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the Cu interconnect is Mn-free.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the metal liner comprises at least one metal selected from the group consisting of: cobalt (Co), ruthenium (Ru), iridium (Ir), platinum (Pt), rhodium (Rh), tungsten (W), titanium (Ti), gold (Au), silver (Ag), palladium (Pd), osmium (Os), and combinations thereof.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the conditions sufficient to diffuse the Mn from the Mn-containing seed layer to the interface between the dielectric and the metal liner comprise a temperature of from about 250° C. to about 400° C., and ranges therebetween.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the conditions sufficient to diffuse the Mn from the Mn-containing seed layer to the interface between the dielectric and the metal liner comprise a temperature of from about 300° C. to about 350° C., and ranges therebetween.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein the conditions sufficient to diffuse the Mn from the Mn-containing seed layer to the interface between the dielectric and the metal liner comprise a pressure of from about from about 1×10 −3 torr to about 1×10 −5 torr, and ranges therebetween.

9. The method of claim 1 , wherein the conditions sufficient to diffuse the Mn from the Mn-containing seed layer to the interface between the dielectric and the metal liner comprise a duration of from about 1 minute to about 5 minutes, and ranges therebetween.

10. The method of claim 1 , wherein the Cu is deposited into the trench using an electrochemical plating process.

11. The method of claim 1 , further comprising the steps of:

depositing the metal liner as a conformal layer lining the trench; and

annealing the metal liner under conditions sufficient to reflow the metal liner such that the metal liner is thicker at a bottom of the trench than along sidewalls of the trench, wherein the metal liner is annealed to reflow the metal liner prior to depositing the Mn-containing seed layer on the metal liner, such that the Mn-containing seed layer is deposited onto the metal liner that is thicker at the bottom of the trench than along the sidewalls of the trench.

12. The method of claim 11 , wherein a thickness of the metal liner at the bottom of the trench is at least 3 times greater than a thickness of the metal liner along the sidewalls of the trench.

13. The method of claim 11 , wherein the conditions sufficient to reflow the metal liner comprise a temperature of from about 250° C. to about 400° C., and ranges therebetween.

14. The method of claim 11 , wherein the conditions sufficient to reflow the metal liner comprise a temperature of from about 300° C. to about 350° C., and ranges therebetween.

15. The method of claim 11 , wherein the conditions sufficient to reflow the metal liner comprise a duration of from about 1 minute to about 5 minutes, and ranges therebetween.

16. The method of claim 1 , wherein the Mn-containing seed layer comprises a Mn—Cu alloy.

17. A method of forming a Cu interconnect structure, the method comprising the steps of:

forming at least one trench in a dielectric;

depositing a metal liner into the trench, wherein the metal liner is deposited as a conformal layer lining the trench;

annealing the metal liner under conditions sufficient to reflow the metal liner such that the metal liner is thicker at a bottom of the trench than along sidewalls of the trench, wherein the metal liner is annealed to reflow the metal liner prior to depositing an Mn-containing seed layer on the metal liner, such that the Mn-containing seed layer is deposited onto the metal liner that is thicker at the bottom of the trench than along the sidewalls of the trench;

depositing the Mn-containing seed layer on the metal liner within the trench;

annealing the Mn-containing seed layer under conditions sufficient to diffuse Mn from the Mn-containing seed layer, through the metal liner, to an interface between the dielectric and the metal liner forming a barrier layer between the dielectric and the metal liner along the bottom and the sidewalls of the trench, and forming a conductive seed layer which is completely free of Mn lining the metal liner within the trench; and

depositing Cu into the trench, onto the conductive seed layer, to form the Cu interconnect, wherein the Cu is deposited into the trench after the annealing is performed forming the Cu interconnect that is completely free of Mn.

18. The method of claim 17 , wherein the Cu interconnect is Mn-free.

19. A method of forming a Cu interconnect structure, the method comprising the steps of:

forming at least one trench in a dielectric;

depositing a first barrier layer into the trench, wherein the first barrier layer comprises a tantalum (Ta) and tantalum nitride (TaN) film stack;

depositing a metal liner onto the first barrier layer;

depositing a Mn-containing seed layer on the metal liner within the trench;

annealing the Mn-containing seed layer under conditions sufficient to diffuse Mn from the Mn-containing seed layer, through the metal liner and the first barrier layer, to an interface between the dielectric and the first barrier layer forming a second barrier layer between the dielectric and the first barrier layer along a bottom and sidewalls of the trench, and forming a conductive seed layer which is completely free of Mn lining the metal liner within the trench; and

depositing Cu into the trench, onto the conductive seed layer, to form the Cu interconnect, wherein the Cu is deposited into the trench after the annealing is performed forming the Cu interconnect that is completely free of Mn.

20. The method of claim 19 , further comprising the steps of:

depositing the metal liner as a conformal layer lining the trench; and

annealing the metal liner under conditions sufficient to reflow the metal liner while leaving the first barrier layer unaffected such that the metal liner is thicker at the bottom of the trench than along the sidewalls of the trench while the first barrier layer remains conformal along the bottom and the sidewalls of the trench, wherein the metal liner is annealed to reflow the metal liner prior to depositing the Mn-containing seed layer on the metal liner, such that the Mn-containing seed layer is deposited onto the metal liner that is thicker at the bottom of the trench than along the sidewalls of the trench.