Adhesion of diffusion barrier and fluorinated silicon dioxide using hydrogen based preclean technology

Abstract

The present invention generally provides a method for stabilizing a halogen-doped silicon oxide film, particularly a fluorinated silicon oxide film. The invention also provides a method for preventing loosely bonded halogen atoms from reacting with components of the barrier layer during subsequent processing of the substrate. The invention provides a hydrogen plasma treatment of the halogen-doped silicon oxide film without subjecting the substrate to a heated environment that may damage the substrate and the structures formed on the substrate. The invention also improves the adhesion strength between the halogen-doped silicon oxide film and the barrier layer. Furthermore, the hydrogen plasma treatment can be practiced in a variety of plasma processing chambers of an integrated process sequence, including pre-clean chambers, physical vapor deposition chambers, chemical vapor deposition chambers, etch chambers and other plasma processing chambers.

1 . A method for improving adhesion of a film deposited over a halogen-doped silicon oxide film, comprising: 
 a) exposing the halogen-doped silicon oxide film to a hydrogen plasma;    b) depositing the film thereover.    
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the step of exposing the halogen-doped silicon oxide film to a hydrogen plasma is carried out in a pre-clean chamber.  
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the hydrogen plasma comprises a plasma of a processing gas comprising hydrogen and a carrier gas.  
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the processing gas comprises between about 5% and about 50% hydrogen.  
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the halogen-doped silicon oxide film is exposed to the hydrogen plasma for between about 10 seconds and about 300 seconds.  
     
     
         6 . A method for forming a barrier film over a halogen-doped silicon oxide film on a substrate, comprising: 
 a) exposing the halogen-doped silicon oxide film to a hydrogen plasma; and    b) depositing the barrier film over the halogen-doped silicon oxide film.    
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 6 , wherein the step of exposing the halogen-doped silicon oxide film to a hydrogen plasma is carried out in a pre-clean chamber.  
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 7 , wherein the step of depositing the barrier film is carried out in a physical vapor deposition chamber.  
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 8 , wherein the hydrogen plasma comprises a plasma of a processing gas comprising hydrogen and a carrier gas.  
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 9 , wherein the processing gas comprises between about 0% and about 100% hydrogen.  
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 9 , wherein the processing gas comprises between about 5% and about 50% hydrogen.  
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 8 , wherein the barrier film is deposited using reactive sputtering.  
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 6 , wherein the halogen-doped silicon oxide film is exposed to the hydrogen plasma for between about 10 seconds and about 300 seconds.  
     
     
         14 . A method for treating a fluorinated silicon oxide film deposited on a substrate, comprising: 
 a) positioning the substrate in a plasma processing chamber; and    b) exposing the fluorinated silicon oxide film using a hydrogen plasma.    
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 14 , wherein the hydrogen plasma comprises a plasma of a processing gas comprising hydrogen and a carrier gas.  
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 15 , wherein the processing gas comprises between about 0% to about 100% hydrogen.  
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 15 , wherein the processing gas comprises between about 5% to about 50% hydrogen.  
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 14 , further comprising: 
 c) depositing a barrier film over the fluorinated silicon oxide film.    
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 18 , wherein the barrier film comprises tantalum nitride.  
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 14 , wherein the fluorinated silicon oxide film is exposed to the hydrogen plasma for between about 10 seconds and about 300 seconds.