Low target power wafer sputtering regime identified during magnetron tantalum barrier physical vapor deposition

Abstract

A wafer sputtering regime has been identified during tantalum barrier deposition using a magnetron physical vapor deposition (MPVD) tool. The MPVD tools are designed to operate at high target powers (tens of kW) where the highly directed energetic metal (athermal metal) is the dominant metal species incident on the wafer. Although athermal metal gives better coverage than neutral metal (thermal) due to the narrower range of incident strike angles to the wafer, shadowing by the feature geometries is still a concern. Having available a wafer sputter regime or “resputter” regime in a PVD tool allows for redistribution of metal from horizontal surfaces in the feature exposed to the plasma to vertical surfaces in the feature. The key in obtaining a wafer sputter regime is the operation of the plasma source in a range that the wafer bias power is effective at generating a sufficient self-bias for sputtering to occur. Discussed are modeling results which predict the wafer sputtering regime and the experimental confirmation that the low target power wafer sputter regime exists. The identified sputter regime in MPVD is such that there is a net deposition of metal at the field. Metal thickness reduction does occur at the trench and via bottoms where much of the unionized metal is being shadowed yielding a lower deposition to sputtering ratio compared to the field.