Classifications

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  • H10D—INORGANIC ELECTRIC SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICES
  • H10D84/00—Integrated devices formed in or on semiconductor substrates that comprise only semiconducting layers, e.g. on Si wafers or on GaAs-on-Si wafers
  • H10D84/01—Manufacture or treatment
  • H10D84/0123—Integrating together multiple components covered by H10D12/00 or H10D30/00, e.g. integrating multiple IGBTs
  • H10D84/0126—Integrating together multiple components covered by H10D12/00 or H10D30/00, e.g. integrating multiple IGBTs the components including insulated gates, e.g. IGFETs
  • H10D84/0165—Integrating together multiple components covered by H10D12/00 or H10D30/00, e.g. integrating multiple IGBTs the components including insulated gates, e.g. IGFETs the components including complementary IGFETs, e.g. CMOS devices
  • H10D84/0186—Manufacturing their interconnections or electrodes, e.g. source or drain electrodes
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  • H10W—GENERIC PACKAGES, INTERCONNECTIONS, CONNECTORS OR OTHER CONSTRUCTIONAL DETAILS OF DEVICES COVERED BY CLASS H10
  • H10W20/00—Interconnections in chips, wafers or substrates
  • H10W20/01—Manufacture or treatment
  • H10W20/021—Manufacture or treatment of interconnections within wafers or substrates
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  • H10W—GENERIC PACKAGES, INTERCONNECTIONS, CONNECTORS OR OTHER CONSTRUCTIONAL DETAILS OF DEVICES COVERED BY CLASS H10
  • H10W20/00—Interconnections in chips, wafers or substrates
  • H10W20/01—Manufacture or treatment
  • H10W20/031—Manufacture or treatment of conductive parts of the interconnections
  • H10W20/032—Manufacture or treatment of conductive parts of the interconnections of conductive barrier, adhesion or liner layers
  • H10W20/033—Manufacture or treatment of conductive parts of the interconnections of conductive barrier, adhesion or liner layers in openings in dielectrics
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  • H10W—GENERIC PACKAGES, INTERCONNECTIONS, CONNECTORS OR OTHER CONSTRUCTIONAL DETAILS OF DEVICES COVERED BY CLASS H10
  • H10W20/00—Interconnections in chips, wafers or substrates
  • H10W20/01—Manufacture or treatment
  • H10W20/031—Manufacture or treatment of conductive parts of the interconnections
  • H10W20/032—Manufacture or treatment of conductive parts of the interconnections of conductive barrier, adhesion or liner layers
  • H10W20/054—Manufacture or treatment of conductive parts of the interconnections of conductive barrier, adhesion or liner layers by selectively removing parts thereof
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  • H10W20/00—Interconnections in chips, wafers or substrates
  • H10W20/01—Manufacture or treatment
  • H10W20/031—Manufacture or treatment of conductive parts of the interconnections
  • H10W20/056—Manufacture or treatment of conductive parts of the interconnections by filling conductive material into holes, grooves or trenches
• • H—ELECTRICITY
  • H10—SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICES; ELECTRIC SOLID-STATE DEVICES NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
  • H10W—GENERIC PACKAGES, INTERCONNECTIONS, CONNECTORS OR OTHER CONSTRUCTIONAL DETAILS OF DEVICES COVERED BY CLASS H10
  • H10W20/00—Interconnections in chips, wafers or substrates
  • H10W20/01—Manufacture or treatment
  • H10W20/031—Manufacture or treatment of conductive parts of the interconnections
  • H10W20/056—Manufacture or treatment of conductive parts of the interconnections by filling conductive material into holes, grooves or trenches
  • H10W20/0595—Manufacture or treatment of conductive parts of the interconnections by filling conductive material into holes, grooves or trenches by using multiple deposition steps separated by etching steps
• • H—ELECTRICITY
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  • H10W20/00—Interconnections in chips, wafers or substrates
  • H10W20/20—Interconnections within wafers or substrates, e.g. through-silicon vias [TSV]
• • H—ELECTRICITY
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  • H10W—GENERIC PACKAGES, INTERCONNECTIONS, CONNECTORS OR OTHER CONSTRUCTIONAL DETAILS OF DEVICES COVERED BY CLASS H10
  • H10W20/00—Interconnections in chips, wafers or substrates
  • H10W20/40—Interconnections external to wafers or substrates, e.g. back-end-of-line [BEOL] metallisations or vias connecting to gate electrodes
  • H10W20/41—Interconnections external to wafers or substrates, e.g. back-end-of-line [BEOL] metallisations or vias connecting to gate electrodes characterised by their conductive parts
  • H10W20/427—Power or ground buses
• • H—ELECTRICITY
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  • H10D—INORGANIC ELECTRIC SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICES
  • H10D84/00—Integrated devices formed in or on semiconductor substrates that comprise only semiconducting layers, e.g. on Si wafers or on GaAs-on-Si wafers
  • H10D84/01—Manufacture or treatment
  • H10D84/02—Manufacture or treatment characterised by using material-based technologies
  • H10D84/03—Manufacture or treatment characterised by using material-based technologies using Group IV technology, e.g. silicon technology or silicon-carbide [SiC] technology
  • H10D84/038—Manufacture or treatment characterised by using material-based technologies using Group IV technology, e.g. silicon technology or silicon-carbide [SiC] technology using silicon technology, e.g. SiGe
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  • H10W20/00—Interconnections in chips, wafers or substrates
  • H10W20/01—Manufacture or treatment
  • H10W20/071—Manufacture or treatment of dielectric parts thereof
  • H10W20/074—Manufacture or treatment of dielectric parts thereof of dielectric parts comprising thin functional dielectric layers, e.g. dielectric etch-stop, barrier, capping or liner layers
  • H10W20/076—Manufacture or treatment of dielectric parts thereof of dielectric parts comprising thin functional dielectric layers, e.g. dielectric etch-stop, barrier, capping or liner layers in via holes or trenches
  • H10W20/0765—Manufacture or treatment of dielectric parts thereof of dielectric parts comprising thin functional dielectric layers, e.g. dielectric etch-stop, barrier, capping or liner layers in via holes or trenches the thin functional dielectric layers being temporary, e.g. sacrificial layers
• • H—ELECTRICITY
  • H10—SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICES; ELECTRIC SOLID-STATE DEVICES NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
  • H10W—GENERIC PACKAGES, INTERCONNECTIONS, CONNECTORS OR OTHER CONSTRUCTIONAL DETAILS OF DEVICES COVERED BY CLASS H10
  • H10W20/00—Interconnections in chips, wafers or substrates
  • H10W20/40—Interconnections external to wafers or substrates, e.g. back-end-of-line [BEOL] metallisations or vias connecting to gate electrodes
  • H10W20/41—Interconnections external to wafers or substrates, e.g. back-end-of-line [BEOL] metallisations or vias connecting to gate electrodes characterised by their conductive parts
  • H10W20/44—Conductive materials thereof
  • H10W20/4403—Conductive materials thereof based on metals, e.g. alloys, metal silicides
  • H10W20/4432—Conductive materials thereof based on metals, e.g. alloys, metal silicides the principal metal being a noble metal, e.g. gold

Definitions

• This disclosure relates to the design and micro-fabrication of semiconductor devices.
• transistors have been created in one plane, with wiring/metallization formed above the active device plane, and have thus been characterized as two-dimensional (2D) circuits or 2D fabrication.
• Scaling efforts have greatly increased the number of transistors per unit area in 2D circuits, yet scaling efforts are running into greater challenges as scaling enters single digit nanometer semiconductor device fabrication nodes.
• the present disclosure relates to bottom-up metallization in a recessed structure.
• a first aspect is a method of metallization which includes receiving a substrate having a recess formed therein, the recess having a bottom and sidewalls, and depositing a conformal liner on the bottom and sidewalls of the recess.
• the conformal liner is removed from an upper portion of the recess to expose upper sidewalls of die recess while leaving the conformal liner in a lower portion of the recess covering the bottom and lower sidewalls of the recess.
• Metal is selectively deposited in the lower portion of the recess to form a metallization feature including the conformal liner in the lower portion of the recess and the metal.
• the conformal liner can be removed by depositing a material to cover the conformal liner in the lower portion of the recess, and selectively etching the conformal liner from the upper portion of the recess relative to the material covering the conformal liner in the lower portion of the recess. Then depositing a material can be either a metal that will form a portion of the metallization feature in the lower portion of the recess, or depositing a blocking material that will not form a portion of the metallization feature in the lower portion of the recess.
• the first aspect can further include surface treating the exposed upper sidewalls of the recess with a self-aligning monolayer to facilitate selective deposition of the metal relative to the exposed sidewalls.
• a method of processing a substrate where a substrate can be received with a patterned first layer defining a recessed feature that defines a bottom and sidewalls.
• the substrate can also include a second layer below the first layer, and the first layer can have the recessed feature extending into the second layer.
• the second layer can be any semiconductor material, such as silicon, and the first layer can be a dielectric material, such as silicon oxide.
• the method can further include depositing a liner film on the substrate to conformally line uncovered surfaces, performing an initial metal deposition process that deposits relatively more metal on lower portions of sidewalls of the recessed feature as compared to upper portions of sidewalls of the recessed feature, recessing the initial metal deposition to a predetermined depth within the recessed feature resulting in a recessed metal deposition, and removing uncovered portions of the liner film from the substrate.
• the same metal material can be selectively deposited on the recessed metal deposition.
• the selective metal deposition can fill gaps in the recessed metal deposition.
• the selective metal deposition process can also change a cross-sectional profile of the recessed metal deposition by reducing concavity of the cross-sectional profile hi some embodiments, a self-assembled monolayer that reduces metal nucleation on the first layer can be deposited on uncovered portions of the first layer, followed by a metal deposition process where the metal material can be selectively deposited on the recessed metal deposition.
• a self-assembled monolayer that serves as a precursor for metal nucleation can be deposited over the recessed metal deposition, followed by a metal deposition process where the metal material can be selectively deposited on the recessed metal deposition.
• the method can include cleaning the substrate to remove metal that is non- selectively deposited on uncovered portions of the first layer.
• a method of processing a substrate where a substrate can be received with a patterned first layer defining a recessed feature that defines a bottom and sidewalls.
• the substrate can also include a second layer below the first layer, and the first layer can have the recessed feature extending into the second layer.
• the second layer can be any semiconductor material, such as silicon, and the first layer can be a dielectric material, such as silicon oxide.
• the method can further include depositing a liner film on the substrate to conformally line uncovered surfaces, filling the recessed feature with a fill material, recessing the fill material to a predetermined depth with remaining fill material covering a portion of the liner film, and removing uncovered portions of the liner film from the substrate so that the remaining liner film lines the bottom and portions of sidewalls of the recessed feature. The remaining fill material can then be removed to leave the remaining liner film uncovered.
• a metal material can be selectively deposited over the remaining liner film.
• a self-assembled monolayer that reduces metal nucleation on the first layer can be deposited on uncovered portions of the first layer, followed by a metal deposition process where the metal material can be selectively deposited on the remaining liner film.
• a self-assembled monolayer that serves as a precursor for metal nucleation can be deposited over the remaining liner film, followed by a metal deposition process where the metal material can be selectively deposited on the remaining liner film.
• the method can include cleaning the substrate to remove metal that is non- selectively deposited on uncovered portions of the first layer.
• Figure 1 is a flowchart of a bottom-up metallization process in accordance with embodiments of the present disclosure.
• Figures 2A and 2B are images of a rail profile with a meniscus and without a meniscus, respectively, in accordance with exemplary embodiments of the disclosure.
• Figure 3 is a flowchart of a bottom-up metallization process, in accordance with an example embodiment of the disclosure.
• Figures 4A-4F are schematic cross-sections of a semiconductor device at various intermediate steps of manufacturing, in accordance with the example process of FIG 3.
• Figures 5A, 5B, and 5C are schematic representations of a rail profile as a function of selective deposition time, in accordance with exemplary embodiments of the disclosure.
• Figures 6A, 6B, and 6C are cross-sectional images of intermediate structures of a semiconductor device formed in accordance with the example process of FIG. 3.
• Figure 7 is a flowchart of a bottom-up metallization process, according to another example embodiment of the disclosure.
• Figures 8A-8G are schematic cross-sections of a semiconductor device at various intermediate steps of manufacturing, in accordance with the example process of FIG 7.
• Figure 9 is a cross-sectional view of an example buried power rail in a semiconductor device, as an exemplary application of the present disclosure.
• Figures 10A, 10B, and IOC are cross-sectional views of a semiconductor device at various intermediate steps of a traditional rail metallization process.
• first and second features are formed in direct contact
• additional features may be formed between the first and second features, such that the first and second features may not be in direct contact
• present disclosure may repeat reference numerals and/or letters in the various examples. This repetition is for the purpose of simplicity and clarity and does not in itself dictate a relationship between the various embodiments and/or configurations discussed.
• spatially relative terms are intended to encompass different orientations of the device in use or operation in addition to the orientation depicted in the figures.
• the apparatus may be otherwise oriented (rotated 90 degrees or at other orientations) and the spatially relative descriptors used herein may likewise be interpreted accordingly.
• 3D integration i.e. the vertical stacking of multiple devices, aims to overcome scaling limitations experienced in planar devices by increasing transistor density in volume rather than area.
• device stacking has been successfully demonstrated and implemented by the flash memory industry with the adoption of 3D NAND, application to random logic designs is substantially more difficult.
• central processing unit central processing unit
• GPU graphics processing unit
• FPGA field programmable gate array
• SoC System on a chip
• buried power rails are a scaling booster that supports the enablement of complimentary field-effect transistor (CFET) devices.
• CFET devices are three-dimensionally stacked logic standard cells in which either NMOS or PMOS is positioned overtop its compliment.
• a buried power rail is a power rail for a transistor cell that is positioned below a transistor plane, while conventional power rails are formed above FETs to connect to standard cells.
• Figure 9 is a cross-sectional view of an example buried power rail in a semiconductor device 900, as an exemplary application of the present disclosure. The view shows a cross-section through a source/drain region of upper transistors, as well as a cross- section (in a different vertical plane) through a gate region of lower transistors.
• the device shows a cross-section through a source/drain region of upper transistors, as well as a cross- section (in a different vertical plane) through a gate region of lower transistors.
• the 900 can be used as a new kind of AOI CFET standard cell.
• the device 900 can have a plurality of source/drain regions 901, gate regions 902, metal filled regions 903, and buried power rails 905.
• the metal filled region 903 can electrically connect source/drain regions
• the present disclosure relates to bottom-up methods of metallization of semiconductor device features, which may be used for fabricating buried power rails.
• FIGS 10A, 10B, and IOC are cross-sectional views of a semiconductor device 1000 at various intermediate steps of a traditional rail metallization process.
• the device 1000 includes a patterned first layer 1001 and a second layer 1002 below the patterned first layer 1001.
• the patterned first layer 1001 has a recessed feature that extends into the second layer 1002 and defines a bottom 1007 and two sidewalls 1009.
• the device 1000 can also have a liner film lining all surfaces, including bottoms 1007 and sidewalls 1009 of the recessed feature and top surfaces 1001’ of the first layer 1001 (not visible due to scale).
• the device 1000 further includes a metal film 1005 over the liner film.
• the metal film 1005 can have a thickness so that the metal film 1005 completely fills the gaps of the recessed feature, and so that a top surface 1005 * of the metal film 1005 is above the top surface 1001 * of the first layer 1001.
• the second layer 1002 is silicon (and may be silicon bulk material), and the first layer 1001 is a silicon oxide.
• the recessed feature can be formed by directional etching using an etch mask to define regions to etch.
• the metal film 1005 is ruthenium, and deposited by chemical vapor deposition or atomic layer deposition.
• Figure 10B shows the device 1000 of Figure 10A after a chemical mechanical planarization (CMP) process.
• CMP chemical mechanical planarization
• the metal film 1005 is planarized so that the top surface 1005’ of the metal film 1005 is on a same level as the top surface 1001’ of the first layer 1001.
• Figure IOC shows the device 1000 in Figure 10B after a reactive ion etching (RIE) process.
• RIE reactive ion etching
• 1005 can cover the bottom 1007 and portions of sidewalls 1009 of the recessed feature.
• CMP processing can be expensive and RIE etching ruthenium can be slow.
• RIE etching ruthenium can be slow.
• the inventors further recognized that one way to eliminate a need for CMP and lengthy etches is to metallize the rail in a bottom-up progression.
• advantages of bottom-up deposition can address some of the challenges encountered with buried power rail formation according to traditional
• forming buried power rails can result in height variability from rail to rail.
• profile control of the top of a metal rail is challenging. Inability to effectively address these two challenges can have a detrimental impact on the electrical performance of a corresponding device.
• height variability contributes to varying capacitance between the power rail and an over-hanging contact, which can disrupt or delay device performance.
• BSD electrostatic discharge
• a meniscus profile can compound the variability in distance between the top of the rail and the metallization above.
• Techniques herein provide a method for bottom-up fill metallization using selective deposition.
• Techniques herein include removing a liner deposited during metallization. By removing the liner, the metal can then be deposited in a bottom-up progression.
• Some example techniques disclosed herein provide methods to patter and form buried power rails, which can include depositing metals without chemical-mechanical polishing, such as ruthenium or cobalt that can be etched relative to dielectric material.
• a bottom-heavy metal deposition can be recessed, and then completed via selective deposition.
• a self-assembled monolayer that coats dielectric material and replaces liner material focuses metal deposition within a bottom and portions of sidewalls of a trench.
• a liner film conformally lining the substrate can be selectively removed to cover only a bottom and portions of sidewalls of a trench. Subsequently, a metal deposition can be performed to selectively deposit metal on the liner material.
• FIG. 1 is a flowchart of a bottom-up metallization process in accordance with embodiments of the present disclosure. As seen, the method includes step 101 of receiving a substrate having a recess formed therein, the recess having a bottom and sidewalls. In step 101 of receiving a substrate having a recess formed therein, the recess having a bottom and sidewalls. In step
• a conformal liner is deposited on the bottom and sidewalls of the recess.
• the conformal liner is removed from an upper portion of the recess to expose upper sidewalls of the recess while leaving the conformal liner in a lower portion of the recess covering the bottom and lower sidewalls of the recess.
• the portion of the conformal layer may be removed either before or after deposition of metal as discussed further below.
• a metal is selectively deposited in the lower portion of the recess to form a metallization feature that includes the conformal liner in the lower portion of the recess and the metal.
• the metal can be selectively deposited with or without the use of a self-assembled monolayer, as also discussed further below.
• bottom-up metallization herein can be performed without CMP, and can provide profile control of the top of a metal rail and reduce height variation from rail to rail, hi particular, bottom-up metallization herein can flattening a top of the metal rail to mitigate problems associated with meniscus profiles.
• FIG. 2A shows a rail profile with a meniscus in a device 200A, while
• FIG. 2B shows a rail profile without a meniscus in a device 200B.
• a rail without a meniscus is desired.
• the device 200A can have a patterned first layer 201 and a second layer 202 below the first layer 201.
• the first layer 201 can have a recessed feature that extends into the second layer 202 and defines a bottom 207 and two sidewalls 209.
• the device 200A can further include a metal film 205a in the recessed feature, with a top surface
• the device 200A can also have a third layer 203 within the first layer 301.
• metal films 205a and 205b can serve as buried power rails as illustrated in Figure 9.
• metal films 205a and 205b can serve as buried power rails as illustrated in Figure 9.
• the top of a rail it is desirable for the top of a rail to have a flat topography.
• the rail had a meniscus, then the result would be high electric fields at the peaks, which can cause device failure through electrostatic discharge.
• a meniscus can compound the variability in distance between the top of the rail and the metallization above.
• the metal film 205b’ can be desirable for a buried power rail application.
• the height of the top surface 205b * of the metal film can be adjusted to meet specific design requirements.
• FIG. 3 is a flowchart of an exemplary process 300 for manufacturing an exemplary semiconductor device, in accordance with embodiment of the disclosure.
• the process 300 begins with step S301 where a substrate can be received with a pattered first layer and a second layer below the first layer.
• the first layer can have a recessed feature that extends into the second layer and defines a bottom and two sidewalls.
• the substrate can have a first layer and a recessed feature within the first layer, defining a bottom and two sidewalls, without a second layer below the first layer.
• the process 300 then proceeds to step S302 where a liner film can be deposited conformally on uncovered surfaces of the substrate, including bottoms and sidewalls of the recessed feature and top surfaces of the first layer.
• an initial metal deposition can be performed to deposit relatively more metal on lower portions of sidewalls of the recessed feature as compared to upper portions of sidewalls of the recessed feature. As a result, the bottom of the recessed feature can be filled with metal. Then at step S304, the initial metal deposition can be recessed to a predetermined depth within the recessed feature, resulting in a recessed metal deposition.
• the initial metal deposition at upper portions of sidewalls of the recess and the top surfaces of the first layer can be removed.
• the remaining metal film can cover bottoms and lower portions of sidewalls of the recess.
• uncovered portions of the liner film can be removed from the substrate.
• the same metal material can be selectively deposited on the recessed metal deposition. Selective deposition of the metal material can be accomplished with or without a SAM, and can further include a cleaning step to remove non-selectively deposited metal.
• the concavity of the top surface of the metal film can be controlled by timing selective deposition time.
• Figures 4A-4F are cross-sectional schematics of intermediate structures of a semiconductor device formed in accordance with the example process of FIG. 3.
• Figure 4 A shows a cross-sectional view of an exemplary semiconductor device 400.
• the device 400 can have a patterned first layer 401 and a second layer 402 below the first layer 401.
• the first layer 401 can have a recessed feature that extends into the second layer 402 and defines a bottom 407 and two sidewalls 409.
• the second layer 402 can be made of any semiconductor material, such as silicon, and may be bulk silicon material.
• the first layer 401 can be a dielectric material, such as silicon oxide.
• the recessed feature can be formed by directional etching using an etch mask to define regions to etch.
• a liner film 404 can then be deposited conformally on uncovered surfaces in the device 400 so that the liner film 404 covers top surfaces 401 ’ of the first layer
• the liner film 404 can be used for nucleation promotion/adhesion and may also serve as a barrier for material migration.
• the liner film 404 can be made of a different dielectric material from the first layer 401, such as tantalum nitride, titanium nitride, silicon oxide, silicon nitride, and silicon oxynitride, and can be deposited by any technique, such as atomic layer deposition or chemical vapor deposition.
• a metal film 405 can be initially deposited somewhat conformally on the liner film 404 and fill bottoms 407 of the recessed feature, resulting in a relatively thicker deposition at the bottoms 407 and lower portions of sidewalls 409 of the recess and a relatively thinner deposition at the upper portions of sidewalls 409 of the recess and the top surfaces 401 * of the first layer 401.
• the metal film 405 can be ruthenium or cobalt and can be deposited by chemical vapor deposition or atomic layer deposition.
• the metal film 405 can then be recessed so that the initial metal deposition at the upper portions of sidewalls 409 of the recess and the top surfaces 401 * of the first layer 401 is removed. Consequently, the remaining metal film 405 can cover bottoms
• the top surface 405 * of the metal film 405 can be lower than a top surface 402 * of the second layer 402.
• the top surface 405 * of the metal film 405 can, of course, be adjusted to meet specific design requirements.
• the metal removal can be accomplished by a dry or wet etching process.
• an etchant can be selected so that the etchant only etches the metal layer 405 and does not etch the liner film 404.
• the etchant can be a hot solution containing hydrochloride acid and nitric acid that etches ruthenium, but does not etch silicon nitride.
• reactive ion etch based on oxygen/chlorine/argon can be used for ruthenium removal.
• the liner film 404 is made of titanium nitride, reactive ion etch based on oxygen/nitrogen may result in better selectivity.
• uncovered portions of the liner film 404 can be removed by any technique such as dry etching or wet etching.
• An etchant can be selected so that the etchant only etches the liner film 404 and does not etch the metal layer 405 or the first layer 401.
• the etchant can be a hot concentrated orthophosphoric acid solution that etches silicon nitride but does not etch ruthenium or silicon oxide.
• SCI wet etch can be used which is a mixture of ammonium hydroxide, hydrogen peroxide, and water.
• the liner film 404 is tantalum nitride
• the same metal material can be selectively deposited on the remaining metal film 405 in Figure 4E so that the top surface 405 * of the metal film 405 can be flattened hi some embodiments, selective deposition of the metal material can be achieved by using a self-assembled monolayer (SAM) to block metal deposition.
• SAM self-assembled monolayer
• a SAM can be selectively deposited on the uncovered portions of the first layer 401 so that the SAM can reduce or eliminate metal nucleation (not shown).
• a metal deposition process can be performed to selectively deposit the same metal on the remaining metal film 405.
• ODTS octadecyltrichlorosilane
• alkanethiols such as DDT: dodecanethiol
• alkylsilanes such as ODTS: octadecyltrichlorosilane
• alkylphosphonic acids such as ODPA: octadecylphosphonic acid
• fluorocarbons such as PFOTS: perfluorooctyltrichlorosilane
• silazanes such as HMDS: hexamethyldisilizane and TMSDMA: trimethylsilane dimethylamine.
• Figures 5A, 5B, and 5C show the rail profile as a function of selective deposition time, in accordance with exemplary embodiments of the disclosure.
• Figure 5A shows a cross-sectional view of an exemplary device 500 corresponding to an intermediate state between Figure 4E and Figure 4F.
• the device 500 can have a first layer 501 and a recess in the first layer 501 that defines a bottom 507 and two sidewalls 509.
• the device 500 can also have a liner film 504 coating the bottom 507 and portions of sidewalls 509 of the recess.
• the device 500 can further include a metal film 505 covering the liner film 504.
• the metal film 505 covering the liner film 504.
• the first layer 505 can have a concave top surface 505 * below a top surface 50G of the first layer 501.
• the first layer 501 can be silicon oxide, and the metal film 505 can be ruthenium or cobalt. While the first layer 501 is shown as a single layer in this example, in some embodiments, the first layer 501 can be a two-layer structure made of silicon oxide over silicon, similar to Figures
• Figure 5B shows the device 500 in Figure 5A after increasing selective deposition time.
• the device 500 can have a flat top surface 505’, similar to Figure 4F.
• Figure 5C shows the device 500 in Figure 5B after further increasing selective deposition time. Consequently, the top surface 505’ of the metal film 505 can be rendered convex. Hence, the concavity of the top surface 505’ of the metal film 505 can be controlled by tuning selective deposition time. With increasing deposition time, a concave surface can progress to a flat surface and then to a convex surface.
• Figures 6A, 6B, and 6C are cross-sectional images of a semiconductor device formed in accordance with the example process of FIG. 3.
• Figure 6A shows a cross-sectional view of an exemplary device 600.
• the device 600 has a first layer 601 and a recess in the first layer 601 that defines a bottom 607 and two sidewalls 609.
• the device 600 also has a liner film conformally coating the first layer 601 (not visible due to scale).
• the device 600 further includes a metal film 605 that is deposited somewhat conformally on the liner film and fills the bottom 607 of the recess.
• the metal film 605 is relatively thicker at the bottom
• the first layer 601 is silicon oxide, and the metal film 605 is ruthenium. While the first layer 601 is shown as a single layer in this example, in some embodiments, the first layer
• 601 can be a two-layer structure made of silicon oxide over silicon, similar to Figure 4C.
• Figure 6B shows the device 600 in Figure 6A after recessing the metal film 605.
• the metal film 605 at the upper portions of sidewalls 609 of the recess and top surfaces 60V of the first layer 601 is removed. Consequently, the remaining metal film 605 covers the bottom 607 and lower portions of sidewalls 609 of the recess. Moreover, the remaining metal film 605 has a concave top surface 605’.
• Recessing the metal film 605 can be accomplished by RIE or a wet etching process.
• the etchant can be a hot solution containing hydrochloride acid (HC1) and nitric acid (HNOg) that etches ruthenium, but does not etch silicon nitride or silicon oxide.
• RIE based on oxygen/chlorine/argon can remove ruthenium with no or minimal damage to the dielectric material 601.
• Figure 6C shows the device 600 of Figure 6B after removing uncovered portions of the liner film and selectively depositing the same metal over the remaining metal film 605.
• the uncovered portions of the liner film can be removed by any technique such as dry etching or wet etching (not shown).
• hot concentrated orthophosphoric acid can etch silicon nitride and does not etch ruthenium.
• Ihe liner film 404 is made of titanium nitride
• SCI wet etch can be used which is a mixture of ammonium hydroxide, hydrogen peroxide, and water.
• this partially occurs during the dry etch of ruthenium (OyC ⁇ /Ar) which can be followed by a wet etch step to remove any residues.
• Selective deposition can be accomplished with or without a SAM, similar to Figure 4F. As a result, the concavity of the top surface 605’ of the metal film 605 can be reduced. Further, the concavity of the top surface 605’ of the metal film 605 can be controlled by tuning selective deposition time.
• selective deposition of the metal material can be achieved by using a SAM to promote or induce metal deposition.
• a SAM can be selectively deposited on die top surface 405’ of the metal layer 405 so that the SAM can serve as a precursor for metal deposition (not shown).
• a metal deposition process can be performed to selectively deposit the same metal on the remaining metal film 405.
• selective deposition of the metal material can be achieved without using a SAM.
• a metal deposition process can be performed that has inherent selectivity to the remaining metal film 405.
• Note that some metal material can be non-selectively deposited on unintended surfaces to some extent during selective deposition (not shown). Hence, a cleaning process can be performed after metal deposition to remove metal that is non-selectively deposited on uncovered portions of the first layer 401. Additionally, the top surface 405’ of the metal film
• top surface 405 can be on a same level as the top surface 402 * of the second layer 402 in the Figure 4F example. It is understood that the top surface 405’ of the metal film 405 can be adjusted to meet specific design requirements.
• Figure 7 is a flowchart of an alternative process 700 for manufacturing an exemplary semiconductor device, corresponding to the process illustrated in Figures 7A-7G.
• the process 700 begins with step S701 where a substrate can be received with a patterned first layer and a second layer below the first layer.
• the first layer can have a recessed feature that extends into the second layer and defines a bottom and two sidewalls.
• the substrate can have a first layer and a recessed feature within the first layer, defining a bottom and two sidewalls, without a second layer below the first layer.
• the process 800 then proceeds to step S702 where a liner film can be deposited conformally on uncovered surfaces of the substrate, including bottoms and sidewalls of the recessed feature and top surfaces of the first layer.
• the recessed feature can be filled with a fill material, and the fill material can then be recessed to a predetermined depth so that the remaining fill material covers a portion of the liner film.
• uncovered portions of the liner film can be removed from die substrate so that the remaining liner film lines the bottom and portions of the sidewalls of the recessed feature.
• the remaining fill material can be removed to leave the remaining liner film uncovered.
• the same metal material can be selectively deposited on the remaining liner film. Selective deposition of the metal material can be accomplished with or without a SAM, and can further include a cleaning step to remove non-selectively deposited metal.
• die concavity of the top surface of the metal film can be controlled by tuning selective deposition time
• Figures 8A-8G are cross-sectional schematics of intermediate structures of a semiconductor device formed in accordance with the example process of FIG. 7.
• FIGS. 4F show a process flow when a liner film is removed after metal recess but before selective metal deposition.
• the alternative embodiment in Figures 8A-8G shows a process flow where the liner film can be removed before any metal deposition.
• Figure 8A shows a cross-sectional view of a semiconductor device 800 similar to die device 400 in Figure 4A.
• the device 800 can have a patterned first layer 801 and a second layer 802 below the first layer 801.
• the first layer 801 can have a recessed feature that extends into the second layer 802 and defines a bottom 807 and two sidewalls 809.
• the second layer 802 can be made of any semiconductor material, such as silicon.
• the recessed feature 801 can be a dielectric material, such as silicon oxide.
• the recessed feature can be formed by directional etching using an etch mask to define regions to etch.
• Figure 8B shows the device 800 in Figure 8A after liner deposition, similar to the device 400 in Figure 4B.
• a liner film 804 can be deposited conformally on uncovered surfaces in the device 800 so that the liner film 804 covers top surfaces 801 ’ of the first layer
• the liner film 804 can provide electrical isolation and serve as a barrier for material migration.
• the liner film 804 can be made of a dielectric material, such as silicon nitride, and can be deposited by any technique, such as atomic layer deposition or chemical vapor deposition.
• Figure 8C shows the device 800 in Figure 8B after depositing a fill material 806, unlike what is shown in Figure 4C.
• the fill material 806 can fully fill the recessed feature and have a top surface 806 * above the top surface 801 * of the first layer 801.
• the fill material 806 can fully fill the recessed feature and have the top surface 806’ on a same level as the top surface 80G of the first layer 801. In some embodiments, the fill material 806 can partially fill the recessed feature and have the top surface 806’ below the top surface 801’ of the first layer 801.
• the fill material 806 can be any material that is different from the liner film 804 and the first layer 801, and be deposited by any technique.
• the fill material 806 can be polysilicon deposited by chemical vapor deposition. Additionally, a chemical mechanical planarization process can be used to render the top surface 806’ of the fill material 806 flat.
• Figure 8D shows the device 800 in Figure 8C after recessing the fill material 806 to a predetermined depth. Consequently, the remaining fill material 806 can cover the bottom
• the top surface 806’ of the remaining fill material 806 can be on a same level as or below the top surface 802’ of the second layer 802. Note that the top surface 806’ of the remaining fill material 806 can be adjusted to meet specific design requirements. For example, the top surface 806’ of the remaining fill material 806 can be a desired top surface of a power rail or at an interface between silicon oxide and silicon.
• recessing the fill material 806 can be accomplished by any technique such as dry or wet etching.
• An etchant can be selected so that the etchant etches the fill material 806, but does not etch the liner film 804.
• the etchant can be a solution containing tetramethylammonium hydroxide that etches polysilicon, but does not etch silicon nitride.
• 0 2 /C0 2 /He based dry etch can be used for selective etch back of this material.
• Figure 8E shows the device 800 in Figure 8D after removing uncovered portions of the liner film 804.
• the remaining liner film 804 can cover the bottom 807 and portions of sidewalls 809 of the recessed feature.
• the removal of uncovered portions of the liner film 804 can be accomplished by any technique such as wet etching.
• An etchant can be selected so that the etchant etches the liner film 804, but does not etch the first layer 801 or the fill material 806.
• the etchant can be a hot concentrated orthophosphoric acid solution that etches silicon nitride, but does not etch silicon oxide or polysilicon.
• Figure 8F shows the device 800 in Figure 8E after removing the remaining fill material 806 so as to leave the remaining liner film 804 uncovered.
• the removal of the fill material 806 can be accomplished by any technique such as wet etching.
• An etchant can be selected so that the etchant etches the fill material 806, but does not etch the liner film 804 or the first layer 801.
• the etchant can be a solution containing tetramethylammonium hydroxide that etches polysilicon, but does not etch silicon nitride or silicon oxide.
• Figure 8G shows the device 800 in Figure 8F after selective deposition of the metal on the remaining line film 804. Similar to Figure 4F, selective deposition can be achieved with or without a SAM, and a subsequent cleaning process can be performed after selective deposition to remove non-selective metal deposition. The explanation will therefore be given with emphasis placed upon differences.
• the top surface 805’ of the metal film 805 can be above the top surface 802 * of the second layer 802. In some embodiments, the top surface 805’ of the metal film 805 can be on a same level as or below the top surface 802’ of the second layer 802. The top surface 805’ of the metal film 805 can be adjusted to meet specific design requirements. Further, the concavity of the top surface 805’ of the metal film
• bottom-up metallization can greatly shorten a required metal recess time and eliminate a need for a chemical mechanical planarization step.
• the disclosed processes can also provide profile control of the top of a metal rail and reduce height variation from rail to rail.
• substrate or “target substrate” as used herein genetically refers to an object being processed in accordance with the invention.
• the substrate may include any material portion or structure of a device, particularly a semiconductor or other electronics device, and may, for example, be a base substrate structure, such as a semiconductor wafer, reticle, or a layer on or overlying a base substrate structure such as a thin film.
• substrate is not limited to any particular base structure, underlying layer or overlying layer, patterned or un-pattemed, but rather, is contemplated to include any such layer or base structure, and any combination of layers and/or base structures.
• the description may reference particular types of substrates, but this is for illustrative purposes only.

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