Richard D Conti

US Patent:

6500772, Dec 31, 2002

Filed:

Jan 8, 2001

Appl. No.:

09/757072

Inventors:

Ashima B. Chakravarti - Hopewell Junction NY
Richard A. Conti - Mount Kisco NY
Chester Dziobkowski - Hopewell Junction NY
Thomas Ivers - Hopewell Junction NY
Paul Jamison - Hopewell Junction NY
Frank Liucci - Wappingers Falls NY

Assignee:

International Business Machines Corporation - Armonk NY

International Classification:

H01L 2131

US Classification:

438789, 438790, 438793, 438794

Abstract:

A method of depositing a film on a substrate, comprising placing the substrate in the presence of plasma energy, and contacting the substrate with a reactive gas component comprising a compound of the formula (RâNH) SiX , wherein R is an alkyl group, n is 1, 2, or 3, and X is selected from hydrogen or the halogens. The reactive gas composition may further comprise an oxidizer and/or a reducing agent.

US Patent:

6531412, Mar 11, 2003

Filed:

Aug 10, 2001

Appl. No.:

09/928209

Inventors:

Richard A. Conti - Katonah NY
Daniel C. Edelstein - White Plains NY
Gill Yong Lee - Wappingers Falls NY

Assignee:

International Business Machines Corporation - Armonk NY
Infineon Technologies AG - Munich

International Classification:

H01C 2131

US Classification:

438778, 438695, 438697, 438712, 438723, 438761, 438781, 438618, 438620, 438622, 438626, 438627, 438628, 42725528, 42725539, 427255393, 427569, 427578, 427579

Abstract:

A method is described for forming a low-k dielectric film, in particular, a pre-metal dielectric (PMD) on a semiconductor wafer which has good gap-filling characteristics. The method uses a thermal sub-atmospheric CVD process that includes a carbon-containing organometallic precusor such as TMCTS or OMCTS, an ozone-containing gas, and a source of dopants for gettering alkali elements and for lowering the reflow temperature of the dielectric while attaining the desired low-k and gap-filling properties of the dielectric film. Phosphorous is a preferred dopant for gettering alkali elements such as sodium. Additional dopants for lowering the reflow temperature include, but are not limited to boron, germanium, arsenic, fluorine or combinations thereof.

US Patent:

6570256, May 27, 2003

Filed:

Jul 20, 2001

Appl. No.:

09/910380

Inventors:

Richard A. Conti - Mount Kisco NY
Prakash Chimanlal Dev - Plano TX
David M. Dobuzinsky - New Windsor NY
Daniel C. Edelstein - White Plains NY
Gill Y. Lee - Wappingers Falls NY
Padraic C. Shafer - Beacon NY
Alexander Simpson - Wappingers Falls NY
Peter Wrschka - Wappingers Falls NY

Assignee:

International Business Machines Corporation - Armonk NY

International Classification:

H01L 2348

US Classification:

257761, 257760, 257752, 257 72, 257762, 257767, 438624, 438622

Abstract:

A structure and method for an insulator layer having carbon-graded layers above a substrate is disclosed, wherein the concentration of carbon increases in each successive carbon-graded layer above the substrate. The insulator comprises a low-k dielectric having a dielectric constant less than 3. 3. The carbon-graded layer increases adhesion between the substrate and the insulator and between the insulator and the conductor layer. The structure may also include stabilization interfaces between the carbon-graded layers. More specifically, the carbon-graded layers include a first layer adjacent the substrate having a carbon content between about 5% and 20%, a second layer above the first layer having a carbon content between about 10% and 30%, and a third layer above the second layer having a carbon content between about 20% and 40%.

US Patent:

6740539, May 25, 2004

Filed:

Feb 13, 2003

Appl. No.:

10/366149

Inventors:

Richard A. Conti - Mount Kisco NY
Prakash Chimanlal Dev - Plano TX
David M. Dobuzinsky - New Windsor NY
Daniel C. Edelstein - White Plains NY
Gill Y. Lee - Wappingers Falls NY
Padraic C. Shafer - Beacon NY
Alexander Simpson - Wappingers Falls NY
Peter Wrschka - Wappingers Falls NY

Assignee:

International Business Machines Corporation - Armonk NY
Infineon Technologies A.G.

International Classification:

H01L 5140

US Classification:

438 99, 438624, 438780

Abstract:

A structure and method for an insulator layer having carbon-graded layers above a substrate is disclosed, wherein the concentration of carbon increases in each successive carbon-graded layer above the substrate. The insulator comprises a low-k dielectric having a dielectric constant less than 3. 3. The carbon-graded layer increases adhesion between the substrate and the insulator and between the insulator and the conductor layer. The structure may also include stabilization interfaces between the carbon-graded layers. More specifically, the carbon-graded layers include a first layer adjacent the substrate having a carbon content between about 5% and 20%, a second layer above the first layer having a carbon content between about 10% and 30%, and a third layer above the second layer having a carbon content between about 20% and 40%.

US Patent:

6911378, Jun 28, 2005

Filed:

Jun 24, 2003

Appl. No.:

10/604060

Inventors:

Richard A. Conti - Katonah NY, US
Kenneth Davis - Newburgh NY, US
John A. Fitzsimmons - Poughkeepsie NY, US
David L. Rath - Stormville NY, US
Daewon Yang - Fishkill NY, US

Assignee:

International Business Machines Corporation - Armonk NY

International Classification:

H01L021/322

US Classification:

438475, 438622, 438761, 438783, 438473, 438474, 438795, 438800, 257645, 257651, 257958

Abstract:

A process for providing regions of substantially lower fluorine content in a fluorine-containing dielectric comprises exposing the fluorine-containing dielectric to a reactive species to form volatile byproducts.

US Patent:

7084079, Aug 1, 2006

Filed:

Nov 18, 2002

Appl. No.:

10/299357

Inventors:

Richard A. Conti - Katonah NY, US
Daniel C. Edelstein - White Plains NY, US
Gill Yong Lee - Wappingers Falls NY, US

Assignee:

International Business Machines Corporation - Armonk NY

International Classification:

H01L 21/469

US Classification:

438786, 438787, 438778, 438758

Abstract:

A method is described for forming a low-k dielectric film, in particular, a pre-metal dielectric (PMD) on a semiconductor wafer which has good gap-filling characteristics. The method uses a thermal sub-atmospheric CVD process that includes a carbon-containing organometallic precusor such as TMCTS or OMCTS, an ozone-containing gas, and a source of dopants for gettering alkali elements and for lowering the reflow temperature of the dielectric while attaining the desired low-k and gap-filling properties of the dielectric film. Phosphorous is a preferred dopant for gettering alkali elements such as sodium. Additional dopants for lowering the reflow temperature include, but are not limited to boron, germanium, arsenic, fluorine or combinations thereof.

US Patent:

7138717, Nov 21, 2006

Filed:

Dec 1, 2004

Appl. No.:

10/904827

Inventors:

Yun-Yu Wang - Poughquag NY, US
Richard A. Conti - Katonah NY, US
Chung-Ping Eng - Hopewell Junction NY, US
Matthew C. Nicholls - Pleasant Valley NY, US

Assignee:

International Business Machines Corporation - Armonk NY

International Classification:

H01L 29/40

US Classification:

257760, 257758

Abstract:

A cap nitride stack which prevents etch penetration to the HDP nitride while maintaining the electromigration benefits of HDP nitride atop Cu. In one embodiment, the stack comprises a first layer of HDP nitride and a second layer of a Si—C—H compound disposed over the first layer. The Si—C—H compound is for example BLoK, or N-BLoK (Si—C—H—N), and is selected from a group of materials that has high selectivity during via RIE such that RIE chemistry from the next wiring level does not punch through. Carbon and nitrogen are the key elements. In another embodiment, the stack comprises a first layer of HDP nitride, followed by a second layer of UVN (a plasma nitride), and a third layer comprising HDP nitride disposed over the second layer.

US Patent:

7179760, Feb 20, 2007

Filed:

May 27, 2005

Appl. No.:

10/908833

Inventors:

Richard A. Conti - Katonah NY, US
Thomas F. Houghton - Marlboro NY, US
Michael F. Lofaro - Hopewell Junction NY, US
Jeffery B. Maxson - New Windsor NY, US
Ann H. McDonald - New Windsor NY, US
Yun-Yu Wang - Poughquag NY, US
Keith Kwong Hon Wong - Wappingers Falls NY, US
Daewon Yang - Hopewell Junction NY, US

Assignee:

International Buisness Machines Corporation - Armonk NY

International Classification:

H01L 21/31
H01L 21/469

US Classification:

438788, 438792

Abstract:

The present invention relates to a bilayer cap structure for interconnect structures that comprise copper metallization or other conductive metallization. Such bilayer cap structure includes a first cap layer formed by an unbiased high density plasma (HDP) chemical vapor deposition process, and a second cap layer over the first cap layer, where the second cap layer is formed by a biased high density plasma (bHDP) chemical vapor deposition process. During the bHDP chemical vapor deposition process, a low AC bias power is applied to the substrate to increase the ion bombardment on the substrate surface and to induce resputtering of the capping material, thereby forming a seamless second cap layer with excellent reactive ion etching (RIE) selectivity.