Copper-filled trench contact for transistor performance improvement

Abstract

Methods of fabricating a first contact to a semiconductor device, which fundamentally comprises providing a semiconductor device formed on a substrate. The substrate further includes a conductive surface. A dielectric layer is formed over the substrate and has an opening exposing the conductive surface. The opening extends an entire length of the semiconductor device, partway down the entire length of the device, extending from the device onto adjacent field of the device, or and a combination thereof. A barrier layer is formed within the opening. A copper containing material fills the opening to form a first contact to the semiconductor device.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A semiconductor device comprising:
 a semiconductor substrate having a contact region;   a dielectric layer on a top surface of the semiconductor substrate having an opening exposing at least a portion of the contact region;   a conductive material in the opening forming a contact to the contact region; and   a via connector on a portion of the first contact and on a portion of the dielectric layer.   
     
     
         2 . The semiconductor device of  claim 1 , further comprising a metallization layer connected to the via connector. 
     
     
         3 . The semiconductor device of  claim 2 , wherein the metallization layer is over the entire via connector. 
     
     
         4 . The semiconductor device of  claim 1 , wherein the opening has an opening length and an opening width wherein the opening length is greater than the opening width. 
     
     
         5 . The semiconductor device of  claim 4 , wherein the opening length extends one of an entire length of the contact region, partially across the entire length of the contact region, or from the contact region onto an adjacent field of the contact region. 
     
     
         6 . The semiconductor device of  claim 1 , wherein the contact region is a conductive surface on the semiconductor substrate. 
     
     
         7 . The semiconductor device of  claim 6 , wherein the contact region is formed of a silicide material. 
     
     
         8 . The semiconductor device of  claim 6 , wherein the contact region is a doped region of the semiconductor substrate. 
     
     
         9 . The semiconductor device of  claim 1 , wherein the conductive material comprises copper. 
     
     
         10 . The semiconductor device of  claim 1 , further comprising a barrier layer lining surfaces of the opening, the barrier layer comprising copper silicide. 
     
     
         11 . A method of forming a semiconductor device, comprising:
 forming a contact region on a semiconductor substrate;   forming a dielectric layer on a top surface of the semiconductor substrate;   forming an opening in the dielectric layer exposing at least a portion of the contact region;   filling the opening with a conductive material to form a first contact to the semiconductor device; and   forming a via connector on a portion of the first contact and on a portion of the dielectric layer.   
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein forming the via connector comprises a dual damascene process. 
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 12 , wherein the first contact and the via connector are filled simultaneously with the conductive material. 
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein the conductive material is copper. 
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 11 , further comprising forming a metallization layer on a top surface of the via connector. 
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 15 , wherein forming the metallization layer and the via connector comprises a dual damascene process. 
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 11 , further comprising forming a barrier layer within the opening, wherein the barrier layer performs as a silicide layer, a diffusion barrier for copper, and a nucleation layer for copper. 
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 17 , further comprising forming a copper containing material on the barrier layer within the opening. 
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein filling the opening comprises an electroless deposition process. 
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 19 , further comprising performing a surface treatment to produce an activated surface.