Claims
- 1. An apparatus, comprising:a substrate; an interlayer dielectric (ILD) overlaying the substrate; an interconnect of a first metal formed into, and planarized to the top of, the ILD; and a barrier layer disposed between the interconnect and the ILD, the barrier layer planarized to the top of the ILD, a top surface of the ILD, interconnect, and barrier layer implanted with ions of a second metal such that an electromigration barrier is formed that reduces electromigration at the top surface of the interconnect.
- 2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the first metal comprises copper.
- 3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the top surface includes an alloy of the first metal and the second metal, the alloy having an activation energy of electromigration higher than that of the first metal.
- 4. The apparatus of claim 3, wherein the second metal comprises any one of titanium, tantalum, cobalt, chromium, or aluminum.
- 5. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the top surface of the interconnect includes a metal-oxide layer comprising any one of titanium oxide, tantalum oxide, cobalt oxide, chromium oxide, or aluminum oxide.
- 6. The apparatus claim 1, wherein the top surface of the interconnect has an activation energy of electromigration approximately between 1.0 to 1.2 eV.
Parent Case Info
This Application is a Divisional of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 10/255,416 entitled “SURFACE ALTERATION OF METAL INTERCONNECT IN INTEGRATED CIRCUITS FOR ELECTROMIGRATION AND ADHESION IMPROVEMENT.” filed on Sep. 25, 2002.
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