Cu ecp planarization by insertion of polymer treatment step between gap fill and bulk fill steps

Abstract

The method generally includes filling features in a substrate by plating metal ions from a gap fill solution onto the substrate, reducing plating activity in the features in a polymer treatment step by conditioning the substrate surface with a conditioning solution, and plating the substrate surface to a desired thickness by plating metal ions from a bulk fill solution onto the substrate surface. The method may also include treating the substrate with a conditioning solution comprising suppressors after a seed layer deposition to substantially eliminate conformal deposition in features of the substrate and plating metal ions from a plating solution onto the substrate.

1 . A method for electroplating metal onto a substrate, sequentially comprising: 
 treating the substrate with a solution comprising suppressors;    substantially filling features in the substrate by electroplating metal ions from a gap fill solution onto the substrate; and then    reducing electroplating activity in the features prior to completely filling the features by conditioning a surface of the substrate with a conditioning solution.    
   
   
       2 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising electroplating the substrate with metal ions from a bulk fill solution.  
   
   
       3 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the conditioning solution comprises deionized water.  
   
   
       4 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the conditioning solution comprises suppressors.  
   
   
       5 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the gap fill solution comprises accelerators and suppressors.  
   
   
       6 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the reducing electroplating activity occurs during substrate transfer from a gap fill cell to a bulk fill cell by rinsing the substrate with the conditioning solution.  
   
   
       7 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein the substrate is transferred from a gap fill cell to a conditioning cell and then to a bulk fill cell, wherein the bulk fill solution comprises levelers and accelerators.  
   
   
       8 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein the bulk fill solution and the conditioning solution are contained in a bulk fill cell.  
   
   
       9 . A method for electroplating metal onto a substrate, sequentially comprising: 
 treating the substrate with a solution comprising suppressors;    disposing the substrate in a gap fill solution to substantially fill features in the substrate by electroplating metal ions onto the substrate;    rinsing the substrate with a conditioning solution to substantially terminate electroplating activity in the features;    transferring the substrate from the gap fill solution to a bulk fill solution; and then    electroplating metal ions from the bulk fill solution onto the substrate.    
   
   
       10 . The method of  claim 9 , wherein the conditioning solution comprises suppressors.  
   
   
       11 . The method of  claim 9 , wherein the conditioning solution comprises deionized water.  
   
   
       12 . The method of  claim 9 , wherein the gap fill solution comprises accelerators and suppressors.  
   
   
       13 . The method of  claim 9 , wherein the bulk fill solution comprises levelers and accelerators.  
   
   
       14 . A method for electroplating metal onto a substrate, sequentially comprising: 
 treating the substrate with a solution comprising suppressors;    disposing the substrate in a gap fill cell containing a gap fill solution to substantially fill features in the substrate by electroplating metal ions from the gap fill solution onto the substrate;    transferring the substrate from the gap fill cell to a conditioning cell containing a conditioning solution to substantially terminate electroplating activity in the features; and then    transferring the substrate from the conditioning cell to a bulk fill cell containing a bulk fill solution to plate a surface of the substrate to a desired thickness by electroplating metal ions from the bulk fill solution onto the substrate surface.    
   
   
       15 . The method of  claim 14 , wherein the conditioning solution comprises suppressors.  
   
   
       16 . The method of  claim 14 , wherein the conditioning solution comprises deionized water.  
   
   
       17 . The method of  claim 14 , wherein the gap fill solution comprises accelerators and suppressors.  
   
   
       18 . A method for electroplating metal onto a substrate, sequentially comprising: 
 treating the substrate with a solution comprising suppressors;    disposing the substrate in a plating cell containing a gap fill solution to substantially fill features in the substrate by electroplating metal ions from the gap fill solution onto the substrate;    draining the gap fill solution from the plating cell upon completion of substantially filling the features;    rinsing the substrate with a conditioning solution;    filling the plating cell with a bulk fill solution; and then    plating the surface of the substrate to a desired thickness by electroplating metal ions from the bulk fill solution onto the substrate.    
   
   
       19 . The method of  claim 18 , wherein the conditioning solution comprises suppressors.  
   
   
       20 . The method of  claim 18 , wherein the conditioning solution comprises deionized water.  
   
   
       21 . The method of  claim 18 , wherein the gap fill solution comprises accelerators and suppressors.  
   
   
       22 . The method of  claim 18 , wherein the bulk fill solution comprises levelers and accelerators.  
   
   
       23 . A method for electroplating metal onto a substrate, sequentially comprising: 
 depositing a seed layer on the substrate;    treating the substrate with a conditioning solution comprising suppressors to substantially eliminate conformal deposition in features of the substrate; and then    electroplating metal ions from a plating solution onto the substrate.    
   
   
       24 . The method of  claim 23  wherein the suppressors are selected from the group consisting of polyethylene, polypropylene, or combinations thereof.  
   
   
       25 . The method of  claim 23  further comprising planarizing a surface of the substrate to form a planar surface.  
   
   
       26 . The method of  claim 23  wherein the conditioning solution and the plating solution are contained in a plating cell.  
   
   
       27 . The method of  claim 23  wherein the electroplating metal ions from a plating solution onto the substrate further comprises: 
 filling features on the substrate by electroplating metal ions from a gap fill solution onto the substrate;    treating the substrate with the conditioning solution; and    electroplating metal ions from a bulk fill solution onto the substrate surface to a desired thickness.