US 12,322,573 B2
Pulsing plasma treatment for film densification
Rui Li, San Jose, CA (US); Xiangjin Xie, Fremont, CA (US); Xianmin Tang, San Jose, CA (US); and Anthony Chih-Tung Chan, Sunnyvale, CA (US)
Assigned to APPLIED MATERIALS, INC., Santa Clara, CA (US)
Filed by Applied Materials, Inc., Santa Clara, CA (US)
Filed on Apr. 29, 2022, as Appl. No. 17/733,331.
Claims priority of provisional application 63/187,878, filed on May 12, 2021.
Prior Publication US 2022/0364230 A1, Nov. 17, 2022
Int. Cl. C23C 16/34 (2006.01); C23C 16/04 (2006.01); C23C 16/455 (2006.01); C23C 16/52 (2006.01); C23C 16/56 (2006.01); H01J 37/32 (2006.01); H01L 21/02 (2006.01); H01L 21/3105 (2006.01); H01L 21/768 (2006.01)
CPC H01J 37/32174 (2013.01) [C23C 16/045 (2013.01); C23C 16/34 (2013.01); C23C 16/4554 (2013.01); C23C 16/52 (2013.01); C23C 16/56 (2013.01); H01L 21/0234 (2013.01); H01L 21/3105 (2013.01); H01L 21/76856 (2013.01); H01L 21/0228 (2013.01)] 13 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A method of forming a barrier layer on a substrate, comprising:
treating an exposed barrier layer deposited over a dielectric layer on a substrate and within a feature of the substrate by pulsing a bias power applied to a substrate support supporting the substrate while exposing the barrier layer to a plasma to form a treated exposed barrier layer;
wherein the pulsing the bias power comprises a first pulsing waveform from an initial low magnitude to a higher first magnitude providing a first amount of RF power up to about 500 watts at a pulse frequency of about 1 Hz to about 10 kHz, followed by a second pulsing waveform different than the first pulsing waveform from the initial low magnitude to a higher second magnitude providing a second amount of RF power up to about 500 watts at a pulse frequency of about 1 Hz to about 10 KHz, wherein the second amount of RF power is greater than the first amount of RF power, wherein the barrier layer comprises a metal nitride, and wherein the treated exposed barrier layer has a higher density and lower resistivity relative to the exposed barrier layer prior to the treating.