US 12,327,763 B2
Treatment methods for titanium nitride films
Xinming Zhang, Santa Clara, CA (US); Shashank Sharma, Fremont, CA (US); Abhilash J. Mayur, Salinas, CA (US); Norman L. Tam, Cupertino, CA (US); and Matthew Spuller, Belmont, CA (US)
Assigned to APPLIED MATERIALS, INC., Santa Clara, CA (US)
Filed by Applied Materials, Inc., Santa Clara, CA (US)
Filed on Aug. 10, 2021, as Appl. No. 17/398,899.
Claims priority of provisional application 63/086,269, filed on Oct. 1, 2020.
Prior Publication US 2022/0108914 A1, Apr. 7, 2022
Int. Cl. H01L 21/768 (2006.01); H01L 23/532 (2006.01); H10B 12/00 (2023.01)
CPC H01L 21/76883 (2013.01) [H01L 21/76886 (2013.01); H01L 23/53261 (2013.01); H10B 12/488 (2023.02)] 19 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A method of forming conductive features in an electronic device, comprising:
thermally treating a substrate surface comprising at least portions of a titanium nitride layer, comprising:
positioning a substrate in a processing volume of a first processing chamber, the substrate comprising a field surface having a plurality of openings formed therein and the at least portions of the titanium nitride layer disposed in the plurality of openings;
heating the substrate to a first temperature of more than about 250° C.;
generating hydrogen radicals using a remote plasma source fluidly coupled to the processing volume;
maintaining the substrate at the first temperature while concurrently exposing the at least portions of the titanium nitride layer to the generated hydrogen radicals; and
extinguishing plasma formed in the remote plasma source
while concurrently flowing hydrogen gas into the processing volume.