SPUTTERING APPARATUS AND DEPOSITION METHOD OF TUNGSTEN FILM

Abstract

A substrate stage holding a substrate to be treated in a vacuum chamber in which a target made of tungsten is mounted and a high-frequency power source supplying a high-frequency electric power to the substrate stage are provided. When a first plasma atmosphere is generated in the vacuum chamber, and sputtered particles generated by sputtering the target are adhered and accumulated on the substrate so that a tungsten film is deposited, a second plasma atmosphere is generated by supplying the high-frequency electric power to the substrate stage, and plus ions in the first plasma atmosphere are also caused to collide with the substrate. Provided that an area of a substrate holding surface of the substrate stage functioning as one electrode and an inner-surface area of the vacuum chamber functioning as the other electrode of the second plasma atmosphere are defined as an anode area and a cathode area, respectively.

Claims

1. A sputtering apparatus, comprising: a substrate stage holding a substrate to be treated in a vacuum chamber in which a target made of tungsten is mounted; and a high-frequency power source supplying a high-frequency electric power to the substrate stage, wherein the sputtering apparatus is configured that when a first plasma atmosphere of a rare gas is generated in the vacuum chamber of a vacuum atmosphere, and sputtered particles generated by sputtering the target are adhered and accumulated on the substrate to be treated held by a substrate holding surface of the substrate stage so that a tungsten film is deposited, a second plasma atmosphere of capacity-coupling type is generated in the vacuum chamber by supplying the high-frequency electric power to the substrate stage functioning as one electrode, and plus ions ionized in the first plasma atmosphere are also caused to collide with the substrate to be treated, and wherein the sputtering apparatus is further configured that provided that an area of the substrate holding surface of the substrate stage to which the high-frequency electric power is supplied is defined as a cathode area and an inner-surface area of the vacuum chamber functioning as the other electrode of the second plasma atmosphere is defined as an anode area, a ratio of the anode area to the cathode area is set in a range of 4.0 to 6.0.

2. The sputtering apparatus as claimed in claim 1, further comprising: a shield unit at a ground potential surrounding a deposition space between the target and the substrate stage, the shield unit functioning as the other electrode, wherein the shield unit has a shield plate placed around the substrate stage, in a surface of the shield plate facing the deposition space, a first surface portion placed on the substrate stage side is configured to have a low impedance value compared to a second surface portion other than the first surface portion, and the anode area is configured to be caused to decrease.

3. The sputtering apparatus as claimed in claim 2, wherein the second surface portion is covered with an insulator.

4. A deposition method of a tungsten film, comprising: a step of introducing a rare gas into a vacuum chamber in which a target made of tungsten is mounted, generating a first plasma atmosphere of the rare gas in the vacuum chamber of a vacuum atmosphere by supplying an electric power to the target, scattering sputtered particles generated by sputtering a sputtering surface of the target, and depositing a tungsten film by adhering and accumulating the sputtered particles on a substrate to be treated held by a substrate stage; and a step, during deposition, of supplying a high-frequency electric power to the substrate stage functioning as one electrode and generating a second plasma atmosphere of a capacity-coupling type in the vacuum chamber, and also causing ions ionized in the first plasma atmosphere to collide with the substrate to be treated, wherein provided that an area of a substrate holding surface of the substrate stage to which the high-frequency electric power is supplied is defined as a cathode area and an inner-surface area of the vacuum chamber functioning as the other electrode of the second plasma atmosphere is defined as an anode area, the deposition method of the tungsten film further comprises a step of adjusting a self-bias potential that is a negative DC component of a potential of the substrate to be treated independently of the high-frequency electric power supplied to the substrate stage by changing a ratio of the anode area to the cathode area in a range of 4.0 to 6.0.

5. The deposition method of a tungsten film as claimed in claim 4, wherein when the second plasma atmosphere is generated, a shield unit at a ground potential surrounding a deposition space between the target and the substrate stage is configured to function as the other electrode, and wherein in a surface of the shield plate of the shield unit placed around the substrate stage, a first surface portion placed on a side of the substrate stage is configured to be set to a low impedance value compared to a second surface portion other than the first surface portion, and the anode area is configured to be caused to decrease.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0014] FIG. 1A is a schematic cross-section of a sputtering apparatus of an embodiment. FIG. 1A is a cross-section of FIG. 1A along a Ib-Ib line.

[0015] FIG. 2A is a graph showing a film thickness of a tungsten film obtained by the invention. FIG. 2B is a graph showing a specific resistance value of the tungsten film obtained by the invention.

DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENTS

[0016] Now, referring to figures, an embodiment of a sputtering apparatus and a deposition method of a tungsten film of the invention will be described, for example, using a case in which an article (hereinafter, referred to as substrate Sw) having a SiO.sub.2 film of a predetermined film thickness deposited on a silicon wafer is made a substrate to be treated, and a tungsten film is deposited on a deposition surface Sw1 of the substrate Sw by the so-called deposition-down manner.

[0017] With reference to FIG. 1, SM is a sputtering apparatus of a magnetron type of the embodiment and includes a vacuum chamber 1 capable of forming a vacuum atmosphere. An exhaust pipe 11 communicating with a vacuum pump unit Pu composed of a turbo-molecular pump or a dry pump is connected to a lower wall of the vacuum chamber 1, and an interior of the vacuum chamber 1 can be evacuated to vacuum. In addition, a gas pipe 13 to which a mass flow controller 12 is interposed is connected to a side wall of the vacuum chamber 1, and a rare gas (for example, argon gas and krypton gas) can be introduced into the vacuum chamber 1 at a predetermined rate during a vacuum atmosphere. A substrate stage 2 holding the substrate Sw is provided at an inner surface of the lower wall of the vacuum chamber 1. The substrate stage 2 is placed on the lower wall through an insulator I.sub.1, and the substrate Sw is positioned and held in a state in which a deposition surface Sw1 faces upward. In addition, an output from a high-frequency power source Hs is connected to the substrate stage 2 by a coaxial cable through a matching box Mb, and a high-frequency electric power of a predetermined frequency (2 to 27 MHz) can be supplied to the substrate stage 2. It should be noted that, although not specifically illustrated and described, a heater of a resistance heating type is incorporated in the substrate stage 2, and that the substrate Sw can be heated in a predetermined range (for example, 100 C. to 400 C.). In addition, a cathode unit Uc is provided with an upper part of the vacuum chamber 1.

[0018] The cathode unit Uc has a target 3 made of tungsten of a predetermined purity (for example, 99.99 wt %) that is placed opposite to the substrate Sw, and a magnet unit 4 that is positioned outside of the vacuum chamber 1 and operates a leakage magnetic field that penetrates the target 3 to a deposition space 1a. Since the magnet unit 4 can be used from the conventional ones, the detailed description of the magnet unit 4 is omitted. The target 3 has a shape (circular shape in a plan view) corresponding to a contour of the substrate Sw and an area of a size larger than the substrate Sw. A backing plate 31 is mounted on one surface of the target 3. Furthermore, the target 3 is detachably attached to the vacuum chamber 1 in a state in which an insulator I.sub.2 is interposed at a portion of the backing plate 31 expanding outward from the target 3. An output from a DC power source Ps is connected to the target 3, a predetermined DC power with a negative potential can be supplied to the target 3. A shield unit Us surrounding the deposition space 1a between the substrate stage 2 and the target 3 is provided in the vacuum chamber 1.

[0019] The shield unit Us includes an upper shield plate 5u and a lower shield plate 5d, each of which is made of a conductive material such as stainless steel, and is electrically connected to the vacuum chamber 1 at a ground potential. The upper shield plate 5u has a tubular body part 51 surrounding a part of the deposition space 1a and an upper flat plate part 52 formed by bending an upper end part of the body part 51 toward an inside of the vacuum chamber 1. In an attached state of the upper shield plate 5u to the vacuum chamber 1, the upper flat plate part 52 is positioned around the target 3 with a clearance and in a posture in which the upper flat plate part 52 and a sputtering surface 3a at the time of non-use are approximately flat. The lower shield plate 5d has a tubular body part 53 surrounding a part of the deposition space 1a and a lower flat plate part 54 formed by bending a lower end part of the body part 51 toward the inside of the vacuum chamber 1. In an attached state of the lower shield plate 5d to the vacuum chamber 1, the lower flat plate part 54 is positioned around the substrate stage 2 with a clearance and in a posture in which the lower flat plate part 54 and a substrate holding surface 2a of the substrate stage 2 are approximately flat. In addition, an upper end part of the body part 53 of the lower shield plate 5d overlaps a lower end part of the body part 51 of the upper shield plate 5u over a predetermined length in a perpendicular direction so that sputtered particles are suppressed from stealing out of the deposition space 1a. It should be noted that although as an upper shield plate 5u and a lower shield plate 5d, the upper flat plate part 52 and the lower flat plate part 54 are integrally formed in the embodiment, the upper flat plate part 52 and the lower flat plate part 54 are not limited to the integral formation but can be formed individually. In addition, a shape of a surface of the lower flat plate part 54 of the lower shield plate 5d is not limited to a flat shape, but a convex surface curved upward and a surface inclined downward and directed to the outside of the vacuum chamber 1 are also included.

[0020] In a case where a tungsten film is deposited on the substrate Sw, the rare gas (argon gas and krypton gas) of which a flow rate is controlled is introduced into the vacuum chamber 1 of the vacuum atmosphere (a pressure in the vacuum chamber 1 is, for example, in a range of 0.1 Pa to 3.0 Pa), and the predetermined electric power (for example, in a range of 0.5 kW to 1.5 kW, depending on the area of the sputtering surface 3a) is supplied to the target 3. As a result, a first plasma atmosphere Pm1 of the rare gas is generated in the vacuum chamber 1, and plus ions (Ar.sup.+ and Kr.sup.+) ionized in the first plasma atmosphere Pm collide with the sputtering surface 3a of the target 3. Subsequently, the sputtered particles generated by the sputtering of the target 3 adhere and accumulate on the deposition surface Sw1 of the substrate Sw held by the substrate holding surface 2a of the substrate stage 2, and the tungsten film is deposited. During deposition of the tungsten film, the high-frequency electric power (for example, in the range of 200 W to 1,200 W) is supplied from the high-frequency power source Hs to the substrate stage 2 so as to generate a second plasma atmosphere Pm2 of the capacity-coupling type and also to make the plus ions (Ar.sup.+ and Kr.sup.+) ionized in the first plasma atmosphere Pm1 collide with the deposition surface Sw1 of the substrate Sw. In this case, the substrate stage 2 to which the high-frequency electric power is supplied functions as one electrode (cathode electrode), that attracts the plus ions ionized in the first plasma atmosphere Pm1, and the target 3 and the shield unit Us at a ground potential functions as the other electrode (anode electrode). In other words, the anode area can be represented by a sum of a surface area of the sputtering surface 3a of the target 3 and an inner-surface area of the shield unit Us facing the deposition space 1a. Therefore, the substrate temperature during deposition can be effectively enhanced by the ion-assist effect that causes the plus ions to collide with the deposition surface Sw1 of the substrate Sw. However, the ion-assist effect should be made the most so as not to damage the tungsten film.

[0021] In the embodiment, focusing on a plasma impedance of the second plasma atmosphere Pm2, an area of the substrate holding surface 2a of the substrate stage 2 to which the high-frequency electric power is supplied from the high-frequency power source Hs is made a cathode area, and provided that the substrate stage 2 is made one electrode (cathode electrode), an inner-surface area of the vacuum chamber 1 that functions as the other electrode (anode area) of the second plasma atmosphere 2 is made an anode area. The ratio of the anode area to the cathode area is set in a range of 4.0 to 6.0. Specifically, as shown in FIG. 1B, the surface of the lower flat plate part 54 facing the deposition space 1a is divided into two concentrical regions, i.e., a first surface portion 54a placed on a side of the substrate stage 2 and a second surface portion 54b other than the first surface portion 54a, and the second surface portion 54b is covered with an insulator 6 so that the second surface portion 54b has a relatively high impedance value. This causes the second surface portion 54b to be a potion that does not function as an anode electrode, thereby reducing the anode area substantially. For example, a foil-or plate-shaped article made of alumina can be used as an insulator 6. A distance d1, which regulates a surface portion functioning as an anode electrode, from an inner-edge part of the lower flat plate part 54 to a circle forming an interface between the first surface portion 54a and the second surface portion 54b is set in consideration of deposition results such as the ration of the anode area to the cathode area and distribution of a film thickness. It should be noted that since a plasma density of the second plasma atmosphere Pm2 also depends on a Dc power supplied to the target 3 and a strength of a magnetic field acted by the magnet unit 4, the ratio of the anode area to the cathode area must change in consideration of these matters.

[0022] According to the embodiment, even though the high-frequency electric power supplied to the substrate stage 2 during deposition is increased, the self-bias potential does not become excessive, and while suppressing the damage to the tungsten film, the low-resistance tungsten film can be deposited. A highly dense second plasma atmosphere is generated in the deposition space 1a close to the substrate Sw to which a relatively high high-frequency electric power is supplied, and the plus ions are accelerated by an optimal self-bias potential to collide with the substrate Sw, thereby depositing the low-resistance tungsten film by making the most of using the ion-assist effect. It should be noted that when the ratio of the anode area to the cathode area is greater than 6.0, it is difficult to adjust the self-bias potential independently of the high-frequency electric power, and the damage to the tungsten film by the plus ions is increased. On the other hand, when the ratio of the anode area to the cathode area is less than 4.0, a surface of the shield unit Us facing the deposition space 1a is sputtered, and in a case where the second plasma atmosphere Pm2 is generated by supplying the high-frequency electric power of a high electric power (for example, 650 W or more), a defect that is a plasma leakage toward an outside of the shield unit Us occurs, and even though the high-frequency electric power supplied to the substrate stage 2 is increased, the plasma density of the second plasma atmosphere Pm2 cannot be sufficiently enhanced and a crystal grain of the tungsten film cannot be grown. In addition, since the anode area is decreased by covering the second surface portion 54b of the lower flat plate part 54 with the insulator 6, this configuration can be easily adopted to an existing sputtering apparatus, and decrease of the film thickness on a side of the outer edge part of the substrate Sw is suppressed so that in-plane uniformity of the film thickness can be improved.

[0023] In order to confirm these effects, the following experiments were conducted using the above sputtering apparatus SM. In Invention Experiment No. 1, the area of the substrate holding surface 2a of the substrate stage 2 of the above sputtering apparatus SM, the surface area of the sputtering surface 3a of the target 3, the inner-surface area of the upper shield plate 5u facing the deposition space 1a, and the inner-surface area od the lower shield plate 5d facing the deposition space 1a were set to 660 cm.sup.2, 1,520 cm.sup.2, 562 cm.sup.2, and 2,011 cm.sup.2, respectively. In addition, the second surface portion 54b of the lower flat plate part 54 of the lower shield plate 5d is covered with the insulator 6 (1,143 cm.sup.2), and the ratio of the anode area to the cathode area was set to 4.47. Then, an article in which a SiO.sub.2 film was deposited over an entire surface of a silicon wafer of 300 mm was made into the substrate Sw. Krypton gas was introduced into the vacuum chamber 1 at a flow rate of 46 sccm, and the DC power of 1.2 kW was supplied to the target 3 made of tungsten, the high-frequency electric power of 13.56 MHz and 450 W was supplied to the substrate stage 2, and thee tungsten film was deposited on the substrate Sw for 20 second. After deposition, the film thickness and resistivity of the obtained tungsten film were measured. In FIGS. 2A, 2B, an in-plane film thickness and an in-plane resistivity of the surface of the tungsten film obtained in Invention Experiment No. 1 were represented by a solid line, respectively. In addition, an average film thickness, an average resistivity, and a value divided by the average resistivity by the average film thickness of the tungsten film obtained in Invention Experiment No. 1 were 18.96 nm, 10.79 cm, and 0.5691, respectively.

[0024] As Comparative Experiment to Invention Experiment No. 1, the tungsten film was deposited under the same conditions as in Invention Experiment except that the second surface portion 54b of the lower flat plate part 54 of the lower shield plate 5d was not covered with the insulator 6, the ratio of anode area to the cathode area was set to 6.20. After deposition, the film thickness and resistivity of the tungsten were measured. In FIGS. 2A, 2B, the in-plane film thickness and the in-plane resistivity of the surface of the tungsten film obtained in Comparative Experiment were represented by a single-pointed line. In addition, the average film thickness, the average resistivity, and the value divided by the resistivity by the average film thickness were 18.96 nm, 10.169 cm, and 0.5698, respectively. According to the results, it was confirmed that the resistivity with respect to the film thickness, of which the tungsten film was obtained in Invention Experiment No.1, was reduced compared to Comparative Experiment (i.e., the resistivity became small when the film thickness of the tungsten film is the same).

[0025] In addition, as Invention Experiment No. 2, the tungsten film was deposited under the same conditions as in Invention Experiment No.1 except that an area of the insulator 6 covering the second surface portion 54b of the lower flat plate part 54 of the lower shield plate 5d was 130 cm.sup.2, and the ratio of the anode area to the cathode area was set to 6.0. After deposition, the film thickness and resistivity of the tungsten were measured. It was confirmed that the resistivity with respect to the film thickness of the tungsten film obtained in Invention Experiment No. 2, similar to Invention Experiment No. 1, became small compared to Comparative Example.

[0026] Next, the high-frequency electric power supplied to the substrate stage 2 was appropriately changed under the same deposition conditions as in Invention Experiment No. 1, multiple tungsten films were deposited, and the film thickness and the resistivity of the obtained tungsten films were measured. In FIGS. 2A, 2B, the in-plane film thickness and the in-plane resistivity of the tungsten films obtained by supplying the high-frequency electric power of 500 W were represented by a dotted line (Invention Experiment No. 3). In addition, the average film thickness of the tungsten film obtained in Invention Experiment No. 3 was 18.10 nm and the average resistivity was 10.77 cm. Furthermore, in FIGS. 2A, 2B, the in-plane film thickness and the in-plane resistivity of the tungsten film obtained by supplying the high-frequency electric power of 550 W were represented by a double chain line, respectively (Invention Experiment No. 4). Incidentally, the average film thickness of the tungsten film obtained in Invention Experiment No. 4 was 17.37 nm and the average resistivity was 10.88 cm. From the results of Invention Experiment Nos. 1, 3, 4, it was confirmed that the resistivity of the tungsten film is little changed and that the film thickness is decreased by increasing the high-frequency electric power. In other words, for the same film thickness, increasing the high-frequency electric power reduces the resistivity.

[0027] Although the embodiment of the invention is described, various modifications are possible as long as they do not depart from the scope of the technical conception. In the embodiment, the article of the magnetron type is exemplified as a sputtering apparatus, but the sputtering apparatus is not limited to it, and the invention can be applied to those in which the first plasma atmosphere is generated by other conventional known methods. In addition, in the embodiment, the decrease of the anode area by covering the second surface portion 54b of the lower flat plate part 54 of the lower shield plate 5d is described as an example, but a method of decreasing the anode area is not limited thereto. For example, a part of the lower flat plate part 54 configuring the second surface portion 54b may itself be formed of an insulating material such as alumina and quartz. In addition, in the case where the second surface portion 54b is provided with the insulator 6, not only the foil-shaped (film-shaped) insulator 6 is adhered to the second surface portion 54b, but also a ring-shaped insulating plate may be mounted on the second surface portion 54b, or multiple insulating plates formed into a strip shape may be mounted on the second surface portion 54b without any clearance. Furthermore, although covering the inner-surface of the lower shield plate 5d with the insulator 6 in order to decrease the anode area is described as an example, the portion covered with the insulator 6 is not restricted thereto, and the inner-surface of the upper shield plate 5u may be covered with the insulator 6, for example.

EXPLANATION OF SYMBOLS

[0028] SM Sputtering apparatus [0029] Hs High-frequency power source [0030] Pm1 First plasma atmosphere [0031] Pm2 Second plasma atmosphere [0032] Sw Substrate (Substrate to be treated) [0033] 1 Vacuum chamber [0034] 1a Deposition space [0035] 2 Substrate stage [0036] 2a Substrate holding surface [0037] 3 Target [0038] 3a Sputtering surface [0039] Us Shield unit [0040] 54 Lower flat plate part (Shield plate) [0041] 54a First surface portion [0042] 54b Second surface portion [0043] 6 Insulator