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Apparatus and a method for forming an alloy layer over a substrateRelated Patent Categories: Semiconductor Device Manufacturing: Process, Coating With Electrically Or Thermally Conductive Material, To Form Ohmic Contact To Semiconductive MaterialApparatus and a method for forming an alloy layer over a substrate description/claimsThe Patent Description & Claims data below is from USPTO Patent Application 20060051950, Apparatus and a method for forming an alloy layer over a substrate. Brief Patent Description - Full Patent Description - Patent Application Claims
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS [0001] This application is a continuation application of U.S. patent Application Ser. No. 11/188,068 filed Jul. 22, 2005, which is a divisional of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 10/628,949 filed Jul. 28, 2003, which is a divisional of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 09/752,492, filed Dec. 29, 2000 (now U.S. Pat. No. 6,638,580). BACKGROUND [0002] 1. Field [0003] The invention relates to introducing at least two metals into a chamber and forming a layer over a substrate, and more specifically, to forming an alloy layer over a substrate. [0004] 2. Background [0005] Integrated circuit structures are generally formed of numerous discrete devices on a semiconductor chip such as a silicon semiconductor chip. The individual devices are interconnected in appropriate patterns to one another and to external devices through the use of interconnection lines or interconnects to form an integrated device. Typically, many integrated circuit devices are formed on a single structure, such as a wafer substrate and, once formed, are separated into individual chips or dies for use in various environments. [0006] There are several conventional processes for introducing metals such as aluminum, aluminum alloy, or platinum to form an interconnect over a substrate. The metal is generally introduced in the form of a deposition process, (e.g., chemical vapor deposition (CVD), focused ion beam (FIB) deposition) and patterned by way of an etching process into a discrete line or lines. FIB deposition is generally used to introduce thin metal lines to form a metal pattern or layer over a substrate. Typically, a single metal such as platinum, tungsten, or molybdenum is introduced over a substrate by a FIB deposition system. Another process for introducing a metal interconnect, particularly copper or its alloy over a substrate is the damascene process. The damascene process introduces copper interconnect according to a desired pattern previously formed in a dielectric material over a substrate. [0007] Yet another process is FIB metal deposition which is generally used to introduce thin metal lines or arbitrary patterns as a layer over a substrate. FIB deposition is used for modification of small metallic structures such as the modification of existing interconnects in integrated circuits. [0008] One disadvantage to these approaches is that the interconnect that is formed on the substrate has a relatively high electrical resistance such as 160 .mu.ohm-centimeters (.mu.ohm-cm) to 200 .mu.ohm-cm. This may be due to the surface property that results from the use of a single metal that provides poor bulk electrical resistance or to the existence of elements like carbon which originate from the precursor. Generally, the resistance of an alloy such as tungsten-carbon-cobalt is lower than that of metal alloy such as tungsten-carbon. J. Brooks, Properties of Tungsten Carbide Cobalt Alloy, 232 (1994). What is needed is a process and a tool that allows for the introduction of metals to form a layer over a substrate that decreases the electrical resistance of the layer. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS [0009] The features, aspects, and advantages of the invention will become more thoroughly apparent from the following detailed description, appended claims, and accompanying drawings in which: [0010] FIG. 1 illustrates a schematic cross-sectional view of a processing chamber suitable for performing the modification described in reference to FIGS. 2-6 in accordance with one embodiment of the invention; [0011] FIG. 2 illustrates a schematic cross-sectional view of a portion of a substrate in accordance with one embodiment of the invention; [0012] FIG. 3 illustrates a schematic cross-sectional view of metals introduced over the substrate of FIG. 2 in accordance with one embodiment of the invention; [0013] FIG. 4 illustrates a schematic cross-sectional view of metals introduced over the substrate of FIG. 3 in accordance with one embodiment of the invention; [0014] FIG. 5 illustrates a flow diagram of one method of focused ion beam deposition of an alloy layer over a substrate in accordance with one embodiment of the invention; and [0015] FIG. 6 illustrates a flow diagram of one method of forming an alloy layer over a substrate by heating a multi-metal layer in accordance with one embodiment of the invention. DETAILED DESCRIPTION [0016] One embodiment of the invention involves introducing at least two metals for forming an alloy layer over a substrate. This is accomplished by a variety of methods. In one embodiment, at least two metals are premixed and introduced into a chamber in which a focused ion beam contacts the two metals to form at least one alloy layer over a substrate. In another embodiment, at least two precursor gases are introduced into the chamber in which each precursor gas contains at least one different metal. The focused ion beam contacts the two precursor gases to form an alloy layer over the substrate. [0017] In yet another embodiment, a second metal layer is formed over a first metal layer to create a multi-metal layer over a substrate. Thereafter, the multi-metal layer is either thermally treated or a focused ion beam is applied to at least a portion of the multi-metal layer. Thermally treating or applying a focused ion beam to the multi-metal layer results in the metal in the first metal layer reacting with the metal in the second metal layer. This reaction forms an alloy layer over the substrate. Each of these methods of forming an alloy layer reduces the electrical resistance typically found in a deposited metal layer of conventional processes. [0018] The metals selected for this process may include cobalt, metal carbonyl, molybdenum, tungsten, or a mixture of cobalt, molybdenum, tungsten or any other suitable metal. In the context of the description of the invention, the words cobalt, molybdenum, or tungsten are intended to refer to both pure cobalt, molybdenum, or tungsten and to their alloys that are suitable as integrated circuit interconnect material. [0019] In another aspect, a system is disclosed for introduction of at least two metals into a chamber using the methods described above. In one embodiment, the system includes a chamber configured to house a substrate, such as a semiconductor wafer, a discrete chip or a die, and an energy source. A system controller is configured to control the introduction of metals such as cobalt, metal carbonyl, molybdenum, tungsten, or a mixture of two or more of these metals into an energy source such as a FIB. The system controller also controls the introduction of the energized metals from the energy source over a substrate. A memory coupled to the controller includes a machine-readable medium having a machine-readable program embodied therein for directing the operation of the system. The machine-readable program includes instructions for controlling the amount of metal introduced into the energy source and controlling the energy source that introduces the energized metal into the chamber. In the discussion that follows, FIG. 1 illustrates FIB deposition system 103 for FIB deposition and FIGS. 2-6 illustrate the formation of alloy layers over a substrate. [0020] FIG. 1 illustrates a schematic cross-sectional view of a FIB deposition system 103 that is used to introduce more than one metal over substrate 100 to form an alloy layer over substrate 100. FIB deposition system 103 includes chamber 150, first and second reservoirs (183, 185), first and second precursor gas sources (194, 195), third and fourth inlets (193, 196), FIB column 175, heat source 191, and controller 190 for FIB deposition of metals such as cobalt, metal carbonyl, molybdenum, tungsten or other suitable metals over substrate 100. Each of these devices is described below. Continue reading about Apparatus and a method for forming an alloy layer over a substrate... 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