阅读说明：本技术 形成含金属材料的方法 (Method of forming metal-containing materials ) 是由 孙立中 杨晓东 马克·科文顿 维韦克·维尼特 维沙尔·阿格拉瓦 于 2019-04-19 设计创作，主要内容包括：一种在基板上溅射沉积含金属层的方法包括：将气体混合物供应到处理腔室(100)中；在基板(101)上形成含金属层的第一部分；从处理腔室传输基板；旋转基板；将基板传输回到处理腔室,并在含金属层的第一部分上形成含金属层的第二部分。还公开一种在基板上溅射沉积含金属层的设备和保存程序的计算机可读储存介质。所述方法形成具有良好均匀性、期望的应力控制和分布和具有期望膜性能的期望的表面形态的含金属层。(A method of sputter depositing a metal-containing layer on a substrate comprising: supplying a gas mixture into a processing chamber (100); forming a first portion comprising a metal layer on a substrate (101); transferring a substrate from a processing chamber; rotating the substrate; the substrate is transferred back to the processing chamber and a second portion of the metal-containing layer is formed on the first portion of the metal-containing layer. An apparatus for sputter depositing a metal-containing layer on a substrate and a computer readable storage medium storing a program are also disclosed. The method forms a metal-containing layer with good uniformity, desired stress control and distribution, and a desired surface morphology with desired film properties.)

1. A method of sputter depositing a metal-containing layer on a substrate, comprising the steps of:

supplying a gas mixture into the processing chamber;

forming a first portion of a metal-containing layer on a substrate;

transferring the substrate from the process chamber;

rotating the substrate outside the processing chamber;

transferring the substrate back to the processing chamber; and

forming a second portion of the metal-containing layer on the first portion of the metal-containing layer.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein rotating the substrate outside of the processing chamber further comprises:

a surface treatment process is performed on the substrate.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the substrate is rotated between about 30 ° and about 270 °.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein the substrate is rotated about 90 ° or about 180 °.

5. The method of claim 2, wherein rotating the substrate further comprises:

rotating the substrate on a support pedestal located outside the processing chamber.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein rotating the substrate further comprises:

transferring the substrate to an orientation chamber; and

rotating the substrate in the orientation chamber.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the orientation chamber and the process chamber are incorporated into a cluster processing system.

8. The method of claim 6, further comprising the steps of:

performing a surface treatment process on the substrate in the orientation chamber.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the surface treatment process alters film properties of the metal-containing layer.

10. The method of claim 2, wherein the substrate is rotated by a robot retrieving the substrate from the processing chamber.

11. The method of claim 6, further comprising the steps of:

transferring the substrate back into the processing chamber to continue forming the second portion of the metal-containing layer; and

transferring the substrate to the orientation chamber for additional substrate rotation.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein said target is made of at least one of Al, Ti, Ta, W, Cr, Ni, Cu, Co, Nb, Zr, Sc, alloys of these metals, or combinations of these metals.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein the target is fabricated from Al.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein the metal-containing layer is AlO, AlN, ScAlN, AlON, lead zirconate titanate, lithium niobate, or potassium sodium niobate.

15. The method of claim 1, wherein the metal-containing layer has a stress deviation of less than 200 MPa.

16. An apparatus;

a cluster system, comprising:

a physical vapor deposition chamber;

a transfer chamber attached to the physical vapor deposition chamber;

a robot disposed in the transfer chamber; and

a directional chamber, wherein the robot in the transfer chamber is configured to transfer substrates between the physical vapor deposition chamber and the directional chamber for substrate rotation.

17. The apparatus of claim 16, wherein the orientation chamber is configured to rotate the substrate placed in the orientation chamber between about 30 ° and about 270 °.

18. The apparatus of claim 16, wherein the orienter chamber further comprises a temperature control mechanism.

19. A computer readable storage medium storing a program that, when executed by a processor, performs operations for operating a processing chamber, the operations comprising:

performing a deposition process in a processing chamber to form a first portion of a metal-containing layer on a substrate;

removing the substrate from the processing chamber;

rotating the substrate; and

transferring the substrate back into the processing chamber to deposit a second portion of the metal-containing layer.

20. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 19, further comprising:

performing a surface treatment process while rotating the substrate.

Description of the background Art

Reliable production of submicron and smaller features is one of the key technologies for Very Large Scale Integration (VLSI) and Ultra Large Scale Integration (ULSI) of next generation semiconductor devices. However, with the push for miniaturization of circuit technology, the shrinking dimensions of interconnects in VLSI and ULSI technologies place additional demands on processing power. At the heart of this technology is a multilevel interconnect, requiring precise processing of high aspect ratio (aspect ratio) features, such as vias and other interconnects. Reliable formation of these interconnects is important to the success of VLSI and ULSI and to the continued effort to improve circuit density and individual substrate quality.

As the circuit density of next generation devices increases, the width of interconnects (e.g., vias, trenches, contacts, gate structures and other features and dielectric material between these structures) decreases to 45nm and 32nm dimensions, while the thickness of the dielectric layer remains substantially constant, resulting in an increase in the aspect ratio of the features.

As Critical Dimensions (CD) shrink, thickness variations across the substrate surface are required to be minimized in order to reliably produce devices with minimum feature sizes, such as the width of control gates in the devices. Three-dimensional (3D) stacking of semiconductor memory chips, such as Magnetoresistive Random Access Memories (MRAMs) or other memory devices, is often used to improve the performance of transistors. By arranging transistors in three dimensions instead of the traditional two dimensions, a plurality of transistors can be placed very close to each other in an Integrated Circuit (IC).

In addition, many types of micro-electromechanical devices, such as micro-electromechanical systems (MEMS) and filter devices (filter devices), are also widely used in the electrical device manufacturing industry. In the manufacture of MEMS and filter devices, different types of metal-containing materials are often used.

In the production of microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) and other suitable devices, metal-containing layers (e.g., doped or undoped aluminum nitride, lead zirconate titanate (PZT), or lead-free ceramics (e.g., (K, Na) NbO)₃(KNN)) is often used as an active layer (active layer) disposed under the multilayer structure.

Physical Vapor Deposition (PVD) processes, also known as sputtering processes, are important methods of forming metal-containing materials or metal features in integrated circuits. A layer of material (often a metal-containing material) is sputter deposited on a substrate. A source material such as a target is bombarded by ions that are strongly accelerated by an electric field. The bombardment causes material to be ejected from the target material, which is then deposited on the substrate.

As the push to shrink the Critical Dimension (CD) of semiconductor devices and uniformity of characteristics of piezoelectric materials formed on substrates, film stress/strain variations in critical layers of device construction must be minimized or eliminated in order to reliably produce nano-scale devices. Furthermore, the requirement for uniform bonding (bonding) and/or lattice structure of the film material across the substrate becomes increasingly challenging to meet high density device performance standards.

Accordingly, there is a need for an improved method of forming a metal-containing layer having good uniformity, desirable stress control and distribution, and desirable surface morphology with desirable film properties.

Disclosure of Invention

The present disclosure provides methods for forming metal-containing materials on a substrate with good film uniformity and stress distribution across the substrate. In one embodiment, a method of sputter depositing a metal-containing layer on a substrate comprises: supplying a gas mixture into the processing chamber; forming a first portion of a metal-containing layer on a substrate; transferring a substrate from a processing chamber; rotating the substrate; the substrate is transferred back to the processing chamber and a second portion of the metal-containing layer is formed on the first portion of the metal-containing layer.

In another embodiment, a cluster system includes: a physical vapor deposition chamber; a transfer chamber attached to the physical vapor deposition chamber; a robot disposed in the transfer chamber; and a directional chamber, wherein a robot in the transfer chamber is configured to transfer the substrate between the physical vapor deposition chamber and the directional chamber for substrate rotation.

In yet another embodiment, a computer readable storage medium storing a program which, when executed by a processor, performs operations for operating a process chamber, the operations comprising: performing a deposition process in a processing chamber to form a first portion of a metal-containing layer on a substrate; removing the substrate from the processing chamber; rotating the substrate; and transferring the substrate back into the processing chamber to deposit a second portion of the metal-containing layer.

Drawings

So that the manner in which the above recited features of the present disclosure are attained and can be understood in detail, a more particular description of the disclosure, briefly summarized above, may be had by reference to the embodiments thereof which are illustrated in the appended drawings.

Fig. 1 depicts a schematic cross-sectional view of one embodiment of a processing chamber according to one embodiment of the present disclosure;

FIG. 2 depicts a cluster tool including at least the process chamber of FIG. 1 according to one embodiment of the present disclosure;

FIG. 3 depicts a process flow diagram for depositing a metal-containing layer according to one embodiment of the present disclosure; and

4A-4B depict exemplary cross-sectional views of metal-containing materials formed on a substrate at different stages of production according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

To facilitate understanding, identical reference numerals have been used, where possible, to designate identical elements that are common to the figures. It is contemplated that elements and features of one embodiment may be beneficially incorporated in other embodiments without further recitation.

It is to be noted, however, that the appended drawings illustrate only exemplary embodiments of this disclosure and are therefore not to be considered limiting of its scope, for the disclosure may admit to other equally effective embodiments.

Detailed Description

The present disclosure provides methods for depositing metal-containing layers on a substrate with desirable film uniformity, stress distribution, and film characteristics. The deposition process may be a sputter deposition process, such as a physical vapor deposition process. The substrate may be rotated in-situ (in-situ) or ex-situ (ex-situ) in a physical vapor deposition processing chamber during deposition of the metal-containing layer. While rotating the substrate, one or more additional surface treatment processes, such as heating, cooling, and/or surface treatment processes, may be performed to alter film properties, such as film uniformity, film stress, lattice structure, and the like, to achieve desired film properties that can meet device performance requirements. In one example, the rotation of the substrate may be performed in a processing chamber in which the deposition process is performed. In another example, the rotation of the substrate may be performed in a different chamber, such as a directional chamber or other suitable chamber, incorporated into a cluster tool that also includes a deposition process chamber in which the metal-containing layer is deposited.

Fig. 1 illustrates an exemplary Physical Vapor Deposition (PVD) chamber 100 (e.g., a sputtering process chamber) suitable for sputter depositing materials according to one embodiment of the present disclosure. Examples of suitable PVD chambers includePlus and SIPPVD processing chambers, both of which may be obtained from Santa Clara, CalifCommercially available from Materials corporation (Applied Materials, Inc.). It is contemplated that process chambers available from other manufacturers may also be adapted to perform the various embodiments described herein.

FIG. 1 is a schematic cross-sectional view of a deposition chamber 100 according to one embodiment. The deposition chamber 100 has an upper sidewall 102, a lower sidewall 103, and a lid 104 defining a body 105, the body 105 enclosing an interior space 106 of the body 105. An adapter plate 107 may be disposed between the upper sidewall 102 and the lower sidewall 103.

A substrate support, such as a susceptor 108, is disposed in the interior volume 106 of the deposition chamber 100. The substrate pedestal 108 may be rotated along an axis 147, as indicated by arrow 145, with the shaft 143 of the substrate pedestal 108 located at the axis 147. Alternatively, the substrate support pedestal 108 may be raised to rotate as needed during the deposition process.

A substrate transfer port 109 is formed in the lower sidewall 103, the substrate transfer port 109 for transferring a substrate into and out of the internal space 106.

In one embodiment, deposition chamber 100 comprises a sputtering chamber, also referred to as a Physical Vapor Deposition (PVD) chamber, capable of depositing, for example, titanium, aluminum oxide, aluminum nitride, scandium-doped aluminum nitride, aluminum oxynitride, lead zirconate titanate (PZT), potassium sodium niobate (KNN), lithium niobate, copper, tantalum nitride, tantalum oxynitride, titanium oxynitride, tungsten, or tungsten nitride on a substrate such as substrate 101.

A gas source 110 is coupled to the deposition chamber 100 to supply a process gas into the interior volume 106. In one embodiment, the process gas may include an inert gas, a non-reactive gas, and a reactive gas, if necessary. Examples of process gases that may be provided by the gas source 110 include, but are not limited to, argon (Ar), helium (He), neon (Ne), nitrogen (N)₂) And oxygen (O)₂) And so on.

A pumping device 112 is coupled to the deposition chamber 100 and is in communication with the interior volume 106 to control the pressure of the interior volume 106. In one embodiment, the pressure level of the deposition chamber 100 may be maintained at about 1 torr or less. In another embodiment, the pressure level of the deposition chamber 100 may be maintained at about 500 mtorr or less. In yet another embodiment, the pressure level of the deposition chamber 100 may be maintained at about 1 mtorr and about 300 mtorr.

The lid 104 may support a sputtering source 114, such as a target. In one embodiment, the sputter source 114 may be fabricated from a material comprising titanium (Ti) metal, tantalum metal (Ta), tungsten (W) metal, cobalt (Co), nickel (Ni), copper (Cu), aluminum (Al), zirconium (Zr), niobium (Nb), scandium (Sc), alloys of these metals, combinations of these metals, or the like. In the exemplary embodiments described herein, the sputter source 114 may be made of titanium (Ti) metal, tantalum metal (Ta), or aluminum (Al).

The sputter source 114 can be coupled to a source assembly 116 that includes a power source 117 for the sputter source 114. A set of magnets 119 can be coupled adjacent to the sputtering source 114, the set of magnets 119 enhancing the effective sputtering of material from the sputtering source 114 during processing. Examples of magnetron assemblies include electromagnetic linear magnetrons, serpentine magnetrons, helical magnetrons, dual finger magnetrons, rectangular helical magnetrons, and the like.

An additional RF power source 180 may also be coupled to the deposition chamber 100 through the pedestal 108 (or referred to as a substrate support) to provide bias power between the sputtering source 114 and the pedestal 108 as desired. In one embodiment, the RF power source 180 may have a frequency between about 1MHz and about 100MHz, such as about 13.56 MHz.

The collimator 118 may be located in the interior space 106 between the sputtering source 114 and the pedestal 108. The shield tube 120 may be proximate to the collimator 118 and the interior of the cap 104. The collimator 118 includes a plurality of apertures to direct the flow of gas and/or material (flux) within the interior space 106. The collimator 118 may be mechanically and electrically coupled to the shielding tube 120. In one embodiment, the collimator 118 is mechanically coupled to the shielding tube 120, such as by a welding process, thereby integrating the collimator 118 with the shielding tube 120. In another embodiment, the collimator 118 may be electrically floating within the process chamber 100. In another embodiment, the collimator 118 may be coupled to a power source and/or electrically coupled to the lid 104 of the body 105 of the deposition chamber 100.

The shield tube 120 may include a tubular body 121, the tubular body 121 having a groove 122, the groove 122 being formed in an upper surface of the tubular body 121. The grooves 122 provide a mating interface with the lower surface of the collimator 118. The tubular body 121 of the shield tube 120 may include a shoulder region 123 having an inner diameter that is less than the inner diameter of the remainder of the tubular body 121. In one embodiment, the inner surface of tubular body 121 transitions radially inward along tapered surface 124 to the inner surface of shoulder region 123. A shield ring 126 may be disposed in the chamber 100 adjacent to the shield tube 120 and intermediate the shield tube 120 and the adapter plate 107. The shield ring 126 may be at least partially disposed in a groove 128 formed by opposing sides of the shoulder region 123 of the shield tube 120 and the inner sidewall of the adapter plate 107.

In one aspect, shield ring 126 includes an axially projecting annular sidewall 127 that includes an inner diameter that is greater than an outer diameter of shoulder region 123 of shield tube 120. A radial flange 130 extends from the annular sidewall 127. The radial flange 130 may be formed at an angle greater than about ninety degrees (90) relative to an inner diameter surface of the annular sidewall 127 of the shield ring 126. The radial flange 130 includes a protrusion 132, and the protrusion 132 is formed on a lower surface of the radial flange 130. The protrusion 132 may be a circular ridge extending from the surface of the flange 130 in an orientation substantially parallel to the inner diameter surface of the annular sidewall 127 of the shield ring 126. The protrusion 132 is generally adapted to mate with a recessed ledge 134 formed in an edge ring 136 disposed on the base 108. The recessed flange 134 may be a circular groove formed in an edge ring 136. The engagement (engagement) of the protrusion 132 and the recessed ledge 134 centers the shield ring 126 relative to the longitudinal axis of the base 108. The base plate 101 (shown supported on the lift pins 140) is centered with respect to the longitudinal axis of the base 108 by a coordinated positioning calibration between the base 108 and a robot blade (not shown). In this manner, the substrate 101 may be centered within the processing chamber 100 and the shield ring 126 may be radially centered around the substrate 101 during processing.

In operation, a robot blade (not shown) having a substrate 101 thereon extends through the substrate transfer port 109. The pedestal 108 may be lowered to allow the substrate 400 to be transferred to the lift pins 140 extending from the pedestal 108. The elevation of the base 108 and/or the lift pins 140 may be controlled by a drive 142 coupled to the base 108. The substrate 101 may be lowered onto the substrate receiving surface 144 of the susceptor 108. With the substrate 101 on the substrate receiving surface 144 of the pedestal 108, sputter deposition may be performed on the substrate 101. The edge ring 136 may be electrically isolated from the substrate 101 during processing. Accordingly, the substrate receiving surface 144 may include a height that is greater than the height of those portions of the edge ring 136 adjacent the substrate 101 to prevent the substrate 101 from contacting the edge ring 136. During sputter deposition, the temperature of the substrate 101 may be controlled by utilizing thermal control channels 246 disposed in the pedestal 108.

After sputter deposition, the substrate 101 may be raised to a position spaced apart from the pedestal 108 using the lift pins 140. The raised position may be proximate to one or both of the shield ring 126 and the reflector ring 148 adjacent the adapter plate 107. The adapter plate 107 includes one or more lamps 150 coupled to the adapter plate 107, the lamps 150 being intermediate the lower surface of the reflector ring 148 and the concave surface 152 of the adapter plate 107. The lamp 150 provides light and/or radiant energy at visible or near visible wavelengths, such as in the Infrared (IR) and/or Ultraviolet (UV) spectra. The energy from the lamps 150 is focused radially inward toward the back (i.e., lower) surface of the substrate 101 to heat the substrate 101 and the material deposited on the substrate 101. Reflective surfaces on chamber components surrounding the substrate 101 serve to focus energy toward the backside of the substrate 101 and away from other chamber components where it is lost and/or not utilized. The adapter plate 107 may be coupled to a coolant source 154 to control the temperature of the adapter plate 107 during heating.

After the substrate 101 is controlled to a desired temperature, the substrate 101 is lowered to a position on the substrate receiving surface 144 of the susceptor 108. The substrate 101 may be rapidly cooled by conduction using the thermal control passages 146 in the pedestal 108. The temperature of the substrate 101 may be lowered from the first temperature to the second temperature in a time period ranging from a few seconds to about one minute. The substrate 101 may be removed from the deposition chamber 100 through the substrate transfer port 109 for further processing. The substrate 101 may be maintained within a desired temperature range, e.g., less than 250 degrees celsius, as desired.

A controller 198 is coupled to the process chamber 100. The controller 198 includes a Central Processing Unit (CPU)160, memory 158, and support circuits 162. The controller 198 is used to control the process sequence, regulate the flow of gases from the gas source 110 into the deposition chamber 100, and control the ion bombardment of the sputter source 114. The CPU160 may be any form of a general purpose computer processor that can be used in an industrial environment. The software routines may be stored in memory 158 such as random access memory, read only memory, floppy or hard disk drive, or other form of digital storage. The support circuits 162 are conventionally coupled to the CPU160 and may include cache, clock circuits, input/output subsystems, power supplies, and the like. When executed by the CPU160, the software program transforms the CPU into a special purpose computer (controller) 198 that controls the deposition chamber 100 to perform these processes in accordance with the present disclosure. The software routines may also be stored and/or executed by a second controller (not shown) located remotely from the process chamber 100.

During processing, material is sputtered from the sputtering source 114 and deposited on the surface of the substrate 101. The sputtering source 114 and the substrate support pedestal 108 are biased relative to each other by a power supply 117 or 180 to maintain a plasma formed from the process gases provided by the gas source 110. Ions from the plasma are accelerated toward the sputtering source 114 and strike the sputtering source 114, causing target material to be ejected from the sputtering source 114. The discharged target material and process gas form a metal-containing layer having a desired composition on the substrate 101.

Fig. 2 is a schematic top view of an exemplary cluster processing system 200, the cluster processing system 200 including one or more process chambers 211, 100, 232, 228, 220, the one or more process chambers 211, 100, 232, 228, 220 being incorporated and integrated in the cluster processing system 200. In one embodiment, cluster processing system 200 may be commercially available from applied materials, Inc. of Santa Clara, CalifOrAn integrated processing system. It is contemplated that other processing systems (including processing systems from other manufacturers) may be adapted to benefit from the present disclosure.

The cluster processing system 200 includes a vacuum-tight processing platform 204, a factory interface 202, and a system controller 244. The platen 204 includes a plurality of process chambers 211, 100, 232, 228, 220 and at least one load lock chamber 222, the load lock chamber 222 being coupled to a vacuum substrate transfer chamber 236. Two load lock chambers 222 are shown in fig. 2. The factory interface 202 is coupled to the transfer chamber 236 through the load lock chamber 222.

In one embodiment, the factory interface 202 includes at least one docking station 208 and at least one factory interface robot 214 to facilitate transport of substrates. Docking station 208 is configured to accept one or more Front Opening Unified Pods (FOUPs). Two FOUPs 206A-B are shown in the embodiment of FIG. 2. The factory interface robot 214 having a blade 216 disposed on one end of the factory interface robot 214 is configured to transfer substrates from the factory interface 202 to the processing platform 204 for processing through the load lock chamber 222. Optionally, one or more metrology stations 218 may be connected to the terminals 226 of the factory interface 202 to facilitate measurement of substrates from the FOUPs 206A-B.

Each load lock chamber 222 has a first port coupled to the factory interface 202 and a second port coupled to the transfer chamber 236. The load lock chamber 222 is coupled to a pressure control system (not shown) that evacuates the load lock chamber 222 and evacuates the load lock chamber 222 to facilitate passage of substrates between the vacuum environment of the transfer chamber 236 and the substantially ambient (e.g., atmospheric) environment of the factory interface 202.

The transfer chamber 236 has a vacuum robot 230, and the vacuum robot 230 is disposed in the transfer chamber 236. The vacuum robot 230 has a blade 234 capable of transferring the substrate 224 between the load lock chamber 222, the metrology system 210, and the process chambers 211, 100, 232, 228, 220.

In one embodiment of the cluster processing system 200, the cluster processing system 200 can include one or more process chambers 211, 100, 232, 228, 220, and the one or more process chambers 211, 100, 232, 228, 220 can be a deposition chamber (e.g., a physical vapor deposition chamber, a chemical vapor deposition or other deposition chamber), an annealing chamber (e.g., a high pressure annealing chamber, an RTP chamber, a laser annealing chamber), a process chamber capable of heating or cooling a substrate, an etching chamber, a directional chamber capable of rotating a substrate, a cleaning chamber, a curing chamber, a lithography exposure chamber, or other similar type of semiconductor processing chamber. In some embodiments of the cluster processing system 200, one or more of the process chambers 211, 100, 232, 228, 220, the transfer chamber 236, the factory interface 202, and/or the at least one load lock chamber 222. In one example, the process chambers 211, 100, 232, 228, 220 in the cluster processing system 200 include at least one physical vapor deposition chamber and one substrate orientation chamber.

A system controller 244 is coupled to the cluster processing system 200. The system controller 244 may include the computing device 201 or may be included within the computing device 201, the system controller 244 controlling operation of the cluster processing system 200 using direct control of the process chambers 211, 100, 232, 228, 220 of the cluster processing system 200. Alternatively, the system controller 244 may control computers (or controllers) associated with the process chambers 211, 100, 232, 228, 220 and the cluster processing system 200. In operation, the system controller 244 also enables data collection and feedback from the various chambers to optimize the performance of the cluster processing system 200.

Much like the computing device 201 described above, the system controller 244 generally includes a Central Processing Unit (CPU)238, a memory 240, and support circuits 242. The CPU238 may be one of any form of general purpose computer processor that can be used in an industrial environment. The support circuits 242 are conventionally coupled to the CPU238 and may include cache, clock circuits, input/output subsystems, power supplies, and the like. The software routines transform the CPU238 into a specific purpose computer (controller) 244. The software routines may also be stored and/or executed by a second controller (not shown) that is remotely located from cluster processing system 200.

Fig. 3 is a flow diagram of a process 300 for forming a metal-containing layer on a substrate surface. FIGS. 4A-4B depict schematic cross-sectional views of an exemplary application sequence of a metal-containing layer 402 formed on a substrate 101 using the process 300. Note that the metal-containing layer may be used in any suitable structure, such as a contact structure, a back end structure, a front end structure, and the like, as desired.

The process 300 begins at operation 302 by transferring a substrate 101 formed thereon into a processing chamber, such as the processing chamber 100 depicted in figure 1. As used herein, "substrate" or "substrate surface" refers to any substrate or material surface formed on a substrate on which a film process is performed. For example, the substrate surface on which processing can be performed includes materials such as silicon, silicon oxide, strained silicon (strained silicon), Silicon On Insulator (SOI), carbon doped silicon oxide, silicon nitride, doped silicon, germanium, gallium arsenide, glass, sapphire, quartz, and any other material (e.g., metals, metal nitrides, metal alloys, and other conductive materials), depending on the application. The barrier layer, metal or metal nitride on the surface of the substrate may comprise titanium, titanium nitride, titanium silicide nitride, tungsten nitride, tungsten silicide nitride, tantalum nitride or tantalum silicide nitride. The substrate may have various sizes, such as wafers with diameters of 200mm, 300mm, or 450mm, and rectangular or square tiles (panes). Substrates include semiconductor substrates, display substrates (e.g., LCDs), solar panel substrates, and other types of substrates. Unless otherwise specified, the various embodiments and examples described herein are performed on a substrate having a diameter of 200mm, a diameter of 300mm, or a diameter of 450 mm. The processes of the various embodiments described herein may be used to form or deposit titanium nitride materials on a number of substrates and surfaces. Substrates that may be useful with embodiments of the present disclosure include, but are not limited to, semiconductor wafers, such as crystalline silicon (e.g., Si <100> or Si <111>), silicon oxide, glass, quartz, strained silicon, silicon germanium, doped or undoped polysilicon, doped or undoped silicon wafers, and patterned or unpatterned wafers. The substrate may be exposed to a pretreatment process to polish, etch, reduce, oxidize, hydroxylate, anneal, and/or bake the substrate surface.

In operation 304, a gas mixture is supplied to the deposition chamber 100 for forming a metal-containing layer 402 on the substrate 101 as shown in fig. 4B. Suitable examples of metal-containing layers 402 include AlON, AlN or AlO, ScAlN, lead zirconate titanate, lithium niobate and potassium sodium niobate. In one embodiment, the gas mixture may include reactive gases, non-reactive gases, inert gases, and the like. Examples of reactive and non-reactive gases include, but are not limited to, O₂、N₂、N₂O、NO₂、NH₃And H₂O, and the like. Examples of inert gases include, but are not limited to, Ar, Ne, He, Xe, Kr, and the like. In one particular embodiment depicted herein, the gas mixture supplied to the processing chamber includes at least one nitrogen-containing gas, an oxygen-containing gas, and optionally an inert gas.

In one embodiment, the gas mixture supplied to the processing chamber 100 for deposition of the metal-containing layer 402 includes at least an oxygen-containing gas (e.g., O)₂、H₂O、NO₂Or N₂O) and/or nitrogen-containing gases (e.g. N)₂、NO₂、N₂O、NH₃And the like). In one example, the gas mixture supplied to the deposition chamber 100 for deposition of the metal-containing layer 402 includes O₂Gas and/or N₂A gas. During processing, a metal alloy target is used as the sputtering source 114. For example, a metal alloy target made of an alloy containing aluminum (Al) may be used as a source material of the sputtering source 114 for the sputtering process. It is noted that the aluminum (Al) containing targets described herein are for illustration only and should not be construed as limiting the scope of the invention. Furthermore, metal alloy targets that may be used as the sputtering source 114 may be made of materials from the group consisting of: al, Cu, Ti, Ta, W, Co, Cr, Ni, Sc, Nb, Zr, alloys of these metals, combinations of these metals, and the like.

In one embodimentWherein the gas mixture supplied into the processing chamber 100 comprises N₂Gas and/or O₂And (4) qi. N may be supplied at a flow rate between about 1sccm and about 1000sccm₂And O₂And (4) qi. In embodiments utilizing an inert gas such as He or Ar, the inert gas can be supplied into the gas mixture at a flow rate between about 1sccm and about 1000 sccm.

In one embodiment, when the sputter source 114 used herein is an aluminum target, N supplied in the gas mixture may be adjusted in a predetermined ratio₂Gas and/or O₂Gas to form a metal containing layer 402, such as an AlON layer, AlN or AlO layer. N in gas mixture₂Qi (or N)₂Gas, or both), a predetermined stoichiometric ratio of nitrogen or oxygen may be formed in the resulting AlN or AlO layer.

At operation 306, after supplying the gas mixture into the deposition chamber 100 for processing, a voltage power is supplied to the sputtering source 114 (e.g., a target) to sputter material forming the first portion of the metal-containing layer 402. For example, the voltage power supplied to the Al target sputters a metallic Al source material, such as Al forming the first portion of the metal layer 402, from the sputter source 114 in the form of aluminum ions³⁺. The bias power applied between the sputtering source 114 and the substrate support pedestal 108 maintains a plasma formed from the gas mixture in the processing chamber 100. The ions come primarily from the gas mixture struck by the plasma and sputter material off the sputtering source 114. The gas mixture and/or other process parameters may be varied during the sputter deposition process to create a gradient with desired film characteristics for different film quality requirements.

During processing, several process parameters may be adjusted. In one embodiment, the DC or RF source power may be provided between about 100 watts and about 20000 watts. The RF bias power may be applied to the substrate support between about 50 watts and about 5000 watts.

At operation 308 and after depositing the first portion of the metal-containing layer 402, the substrate 101 may be rotated to facilitate forming a second portion of the metal-containing layer 402 on the first portion of the metal-containing layer 402. In one example, the substrate 101 may be rotated in-situ on the support pedestal 108 in a processing chamber while the substrate is exposed to the plasma or during the plasma has been depleted. At operation 306, the support pedestal 108 may be continuously or periodically rotated during deposition of the metal-containing layer 402 on the substrate 101 while forming a plasma from the deposition gas mixture. In one embodiment, the support base 108 is rotatable about the axis 147 between about 1 ° and about 360 °, such as between about 30 ° and about 270 °, such as between about 90 ° and about 180 °. The support pedestal 108 may be rotated at between about 0rpm and about 100rpm until a desired thickness of the metal-containing layer 402 is formed on the substrate 101, as shown in fig. 4B.

In one example, the substrate 101 may be rotated approximately 90 ° or 180 ° counterclockwise or clockwise on the support base 108 for each rotation. The gas mixture and power at operations 304 and 306, respectively, may be continuously supplied or intermittently stopped between each rotation until the substrate rotation is complete and the substrate orientation is at the desired orientation, thereby enabling the deposition process to be restarted. During the deposition process (while performing operations 304, 306), the substrate 101 may be rotated one or more times as needed until a desired thickness of the metal-containing layer 402 is formed on the substrate 101. In one example, the substrate 101 may be rotated about 180 ° when about 50% of the total predetermined process time is performed. The rotation frequency may be stored as part of a recipe (recipe) in the controller 198 of the processing chamber 100. In one particular example, the substrate 101 is rotated about 90 degrees when a thickness of about 25% of the total thickness of the metal-containing layer 402 is reached. Alternatively, the substrate pedestal 108 may be continuously rotated as needed during the deposition process to deposit the metal-containing layer 402 on the substrate 101 as the substrate 101 is rotated.

In another example, the substrate 101 may be rotated ex situ outside of a processing chamber where deposition of the metal-containing layer 402 is deposited. For example, the rotation of the substrate 101 may be performed ex-situ in a directional chamber, such as the chamber 211 or the chambers 232, 228, 220, outside of the deposition chamber 100 (e.g., in a different chamber than the deposition chamber 100), the deposition chamber 100 also being incorporated in the cluster processing system 200. Alternatively, the substrate 101 may be rotated by the robot 230 disposed in the transfer chamber 236 as needed. During the deposition process, the substrate 101 may be transferred to an orientation chamber to change the rotational orientation of the substrate. Additional processing may be performed on the substrate surface as needed to help change the film properties of the metal-containing layer 402 formed on the substrate 101 while the substrate 101 is placed on the orientation chamber for substrate rotation. For example, before, during, or after the substrate rotation, additional heating processes, cooling processes, surface modification processes (e.g., surface treatment processes, plasma modification processes, plasma immersion processes, dopant incorporation processes, or the like) may be performed while the substrate 101 is placed in the orientation chamber. Accordingly, when the substrate 101 is placed in the orientation chamber, a surface treatment process may be performed on the substrate 101. By doing so, the metal-containing layer 402 formed on the substrate 101 may be processed before, during, or after the substrate rotation. After the substrate is rotated and/or the orientation is changed, the substrate 101 may then be transported back to the deposition chamber 100 to restart the deposition process until the desired thickness of the metal-containing layer 402 is achieved.

It is believed that additional processes performed on the orientation chamber before, during, or after substrate rotation enable film property changes (e.g., homogenization (homogenization) of grains and/or bonded structures) after the substrate 101 is removed from the deposition chamber 100. Accordingly, the film properties of the metal-containing layer 402 may be further altered, adjusted, or enhanced while positioned in the orientation chamber, thereby improving process efficiency and manufacturing cycle time.

In one example, when placed in a directional chamber for substrate rotation, a temperature control mechanism such as a heater, plasma generator, cooling water system, or other suitable system may be utilized to assist in performing surface processing on the substrate.

By performing substrate rotation in an orientation chamber rather than on the substrate pedestal 108 in the processing chamber 100, the selection and/or configuration of the processing chamber 100 for performing a deposition process may be relatively simple, such that complicated selection and/or mounting of a rotatable substrate pedestal in a deposition chamber may be avoided. In addition, when the substrate 101 is removed from the deposition chamber 100, additional processes may be performed in the orientation chamber or other chambers so that the metal-containing layer 402 may be further activated, energized, or activated by different processes to achieve certain film property requirements as desired.

As discussed above, after the substrate is rotated, the substrate 101 is then transferred back to the processing chamber 100 to restart the deposition process until the desired thickness of the metal-containing layer 402 is formed on the substrate 101. The transfer of the substrate 101 between the deposition chamber 100 and the orientation chamber may occur as many times as desired based on the desired resulting film properties and thickness requirements.

At operation 310, a metal-containing layer 402 having a desired film thickness and uniformity is formed on the substrate 101 after one or more substrate rotation processes. In one example, the metal-containing layer 402 has a thickness between about 200nm and about 2000 nm. The film uniformity can be controlled to be less than 0.8%, such as between about 0.2% and about 0.7%. In addition, the film uniformity of the metal-containing layer 402 is believed to be reduced (i.e., improved) by about 0.3% and about 0.4% as compared to a metal-containing layer formed without substrate rotation. In addition, as substrate uniformity improves, the stress distribution across the substrate is also advantageously more uniformly and symmetrically distributed. In one example, the stress deviation across the metal-containing layer 402 is controlled to be less than 200 MPa. The metal-containing layer 402 is believed to have a stress reduction of between about 20% and about 30% compared to a metal-containing layer without substrate rotation during deposition.

Accordingly, a method for forming a metal-containing layer on a substrate is provided. Such deposition processes may include: during the deposition process, the metal-containing layer is deposited while changing the orientation of the substrate. The substrate may be rotated in a processing chamber where the deposition process is performed or in a directional chamber separate from the deposition chamber. By utilizing substrate rotation during deposition, the metal-containing layer formed on the substrate may have a relatively more uniform film uniformity and stress distribution across the substrate.

While the foregoing is directed to embodiments of the present disclosure, other and further embodiments of the disclosure may be devised without departing from the basic scope thereof, and the scope thereof is determined by the claims that follow.