Method for improving nucleation and adhesion of CVD and ALD films deposited onto low-dielectric-constant dielectrics

Abstract

A method to improve nucleation and/or adhesion of a CVD or ALD-deposited film/layer onto a low-dielectric constant (low-k) dielectric layer, such as a polymeric dielectric or a carbon-doped oxide. In an embodiment, the method includes providing a substrate into a deposition chamber. A dielectric layer having a reactive component is formed over the substrate. The formed dielectric layer having the reactive component is then processed to produce polar groups or polar sites at least on a surface of the formed dielectric layer. The present invention forms a low-k organic polymer dielectric layer or an organic-doped oxide dielectric layer having improved nucleation and/or adhesion properties for a subsequently deposited layer such as a barrier material layer.

We claim:  
     
         1 . A method comprising: 
 providing a substrate into a deposition chamber;    forming a dielectric layer over the substrate, the dielectric layer comprising a reactive component; and    processing the formed dielectric layer having the reactive component to produce polar groups or polar sites at least on a surface of the formed dielectric layer.    
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1  wherein forming the dielectric layer comprises depositing a dielectric material having the reactive component therewith over the substrate using a chemical vapor deposition process or an atomic vapor deposition process.  
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1  wherein forming the dielectric layer comprises: 
 adding the reactive component to a precursor solution used in forming a dielectric layer; and  
 depositing the precursor solution with the reactive component over the substrate using a chemical vapor deposition process or an atomic vapor deposition process.  
 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1  wherein processing the formed dielectric layer comprises treating the formed dielectric layer with a process selected from the group consisting of wet chemical treatment, dry chemical treatment, plasma treatment and electron beam treatment to produce polar groups or polar sites at least on a surface of the formed dielectric layer.  
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the reactive component is selected from the group consisting of organosilanols, silanols, organo-silicon halides, siloxanes, organosilanes and phenols.  
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 5  wherein the reactive component is trimethyl silanol, triphenyl silanol, hexamethyl disiloxane, hexamethyl disilane or trimethyl silane.  
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the dielectric layer comprises a dielectric material selected from the dielectric material group consisting of organic polymer dielectric material having a low dielectric constant, organic-doped oxide dielectric material and high dielectric constant dielectric material.  
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 4  wherein processing the formed dielectric layer using a wet chemical treatment comprises processing the formed dielectric layer with an alkaline solution selected from the group consisting of potassium hydroxide and sodium hydroxide.  
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 4  wherein processing the formed dielectric layer using an electron beam treatment comprises exposing a surface of the formed dielectric layer to an electron beam radiation dose of about 10-500 microcoulombs per square centimeter at a temperature in a range of about 35-450° C., the electron beam having an electron beam accelerating voltage in a range of approximately 0.5-20 KeV.  
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 4  wherein processing the formed dielectric layer using a plasma treatment is performed in an oxygen, nitrogen or N 2 O ambient flowing into the chamber at a flow rate of approximately 100 to 2,000 standard liters per minute, at a temperature in a range of approximately minus 25 to about 425° C., at a pressure of about 0.1 to 20 torr, at a power of about 100 to 3000 watts, at a frequency range of about 350 KHz to 2.45 GHz.  
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 1  wherein polar groups or polar sites produced at least on the surface of the formed dielectric layer following processing the formed dielectric layer improve nucleation or adhesion properties or characteristics of a subsequently-deposited material layer.  
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 1  further comprises forming a second material layer over the formed and processed dielectric layer, the second material layer being able to substantially nucleate or adhere to the formed and processed dielectric layer.  
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the dielectric layer is formed from a dielectric material selected from the group consisting of organic polymer dielectric, organic-doped oxide dielectric, aluminum oxide, tantalum pentoxide, hafnium pentoxide and barium strontium titanate.  
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 1  wherein forming the dielectric layer comprises: 
 depositing a dielectric material layer over the substrate using a chemical vapor deposition process or an atomic vapor deposition process; and  
 depositing a reactive component over the deposited dielectric material layer.  
 
     
     
         15 . An integrated circuit comprising: 
 a substrate; and    a dielectric layer formed over the substrate, the dielectric layer comprising a reactive component that produces polar groups or polar sites at least on a surface of the formed dielectric layer when processed using a process selected from the group consisting of wet chemical treatment, dry chemical treatment, plasma treatment and electron beam treatment.    
     
     
         16 . The integrated circuit of  claim 15  wherein the reactive component is selected from the group consisting of organosilanols, silanols, organo-silicon halides, siloxanes, organosilanes and phenols.  
     
     
         17 . The integrated circuit of  claim 15  wherein the dielectric layer is formed from a dielectric material selected from the group consisting of organic polymer dielectric, organic-doped oxide dielectric, aluminum oxide, tantalum pentoxide, hafnium pentoxide and barium strontium titanate.  
     
     
         18 . The integrated circuit of  claim 15  wherein polar groups or polar sites produced at least on the surface of the formed dielectric layer improve nucleation or adhesion properties or characteristics of a subsequently-deposited material layer.  
     
     
         19 . The integrated circuit of  claim 15  wherein the substrate comprises a metallization structure formed thereon.  
     
     
         20 . The integrated circuit of  claim 15  wherein the dielectric layer is formed using a process selected from the group consisting of chemical vapor deposition, atomic layer deposition or physical vapor deposition.  
     
     
         21 . The integrated circuit of  claim 15  wherein the dielectric layer has a thickness in a range of approximately 500-50,000 Å.  
     
     
         22 . A method comprising: 
 providing a substrate into a deposition chamber;    forming a dielectric layer having a reactive component therewith over the substrate using a chemical vapor deposition process or an atomic vapor deposition process; and    processing the formed dielectric layer having the reactive component to produce polar groups or polar sites at least on a surface of the formed dielectric layer, processing comprising treating the formed dielectric layer with a process selected from the group consisting of wet chemical treatment, dry chemical treatment, plasma treatment and electron beam treatment.    
     
     
         23 . The method of  claim 22  wherein the reactive component is selected from the group consisting of organosilanols, silanols, organo-silicon halides, siloxanes, organosilanes and phenols.  
     
     
         24 . The method of  claim 22  wherein the dielectric layer comprises a dielectric material selected from the dielectric material group consisting of organic polymer dielectric material having a low dielectric constant, organic-doped oxide dielectric material and high dielectric constant dielectric material.