This application is related to Japanese application No. 2001-223328 filed on Jul. 24, 2001, whose priority is claimed under 35 USC xc2xa7 119, the disclosure of which is incorporated by reference in its entirety.
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a semiconductor device and a method for fabricating the same, more specifically, to a semiconductor device using an insulating film at least in a part of an interlayer dielectric film and a method for fabricating the same, the insulating film has a relative dielectric constant lower than that of silicon nitride and contains an impurity capable of detecting an etching end point.
2. The Related Art
With miniaturization and high integration of semiconductor devices, scaling down of internal interconnects and realization of multilayer internal interconnects have been proceeding. According with this, demands for planarization techniques of interlayer dielectric films and micro-fabrication such as dry etching have been more severe. Then, to meet these demands, a buried interconnect technique has been studied.
In the buried interconnect technique, a trench for an interconnect pattern is formed in an interlayer dielectric film, the inside of the trench is buried with an interconnect material, and then the interconnect material other than the inside of the trench is removed to leave the interconnect material only inside the trench. Thus, the interconnect portion is formed in a shape of burying it in the interlayer dielectric film. Accordingly, it is more advantageous in the planarization of the interlayer dielectric film than a traditional multilevel metallization technique, allowing a copper (Cu) interconnect, which has been difficult in processing by traditional RIE (Reactive Ion Etching). The Cu interconnect has low resistance and high reliability, thus attracting attention as a next generation interconnect material.
In such the buried interconnect technique, an etching stopper film is deposited in an interlayer dielectric film in general. Etching is performed under the condition that a selected ratio is great to this etching stopper film, whereby a trench and a connection hole for buried interconnect are formed in the interlayer dielectric film. As the etching stopper film, a silicon nitride film is used in the case of an SiO2 based interlayer dielectric film, for example.
However, the silicon nitride film has a relative dielectric constant of about seven, significantly greater than that of SiO2 systems, about four, increasing the relative dielectric constant of the entire interlayer dielectric film. Consequently, it is known to generate defects leading to signal delay or an increase in power consumption.
Then, Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. HEI 10(1998)-150105, for example, has been proposed a method of using an organic low dielectric constant film as an etching stopper film for the purpose of reducing the capacitance of an interlayer dielectric film, the organic low dielectric constant film has a relative dielectric constant lower than that of a silicon nitride film and contains fluorine.
According to this method, as shown in FIG. 3A, an underlayer insulating film 12 comprised of silicon oxide is deposited as a part of an interlayer dielectric film on a semiconductor substrate 11 by CVD using mono-silane and an oxygen gas as source gas. An organic low dielectric constant film 13 having a relative dielectric constant lower than that of silicon nitride is deposited thereon by spin coating, for example. An insulating film 14 comprised of a silicon oxide film as similar to the underlayer insulating film 12 and an organic low dielectric constant film 15 as similar to the organic low dielectric constant film 13 are deposited thereon.
Subsequently, a resist film (not shown) is deposited on the organic low dielectric constant film 15. The resist film is patterned by a photolithography process to form an opening over an area for forming a trench for buried interconnect. The resist film is used as a mask to etch the organic low dielectric constant film 15 as shown in FIG. 3B. Then, the insulating film 14 is etched to form a trench 16 for buried interconnect in the organic low dielectric constant film 15 and the insulating film 14.
After that, as shown in FIG. 3C, an interconnect layer 17 is formed inside the trench 16 by damascene.
Subsequently, as shown in FIG. 3D, an insulating film 18 comprised of a silicon oxide film as similar to the underlayer insulating film 12 and the insulating film 14 is deposited over the entire surface of the organic low dielectric constant film 15 and the interconnect layer 17.
A resist film (not shown) is deposited on the insulating film 18. The resist film is patterned by the photolithography process to form an opening over an area for forming a connection hole to the interconnect layer 17. As shown in FIG. 3E, the resist film is used as a mask to etch the insulating film 18, and a connection hole 19 reaching the interconnect layer 17 is formed in the insulating film 18.
Furthermore, as shown in FIG. 3F, a plug 20 comprised of tungsten, for example, is buried inside the connection hole 19.
After that, an upper interconnect is formed on the insulating film 18 in a pattern of connecting to the plug 20.
However, as described above, when the organic low dielectric constant film containing relatively plenty of fluorine is used as the etching stopper film for the purpose of decreasing interlayer capacitance, a problem is arisen that reaction products are generated greatly in the bottom of the trench and the connection hole while etching the interlayer dielectric film and the reaction products increase the electric resistance in interconnection.
The invention was made in view of the problems. The purpose is to provide a semiconductor device and a method for fabricating the same, the semiconductor device is capable of reducing interlayer capacitance, terminating etching by controlling endpoint detection highly accurately, not by etching stop utilizing a high selected ratio, and performing etching with fewer reaction products, and has interconnections of low electric resistance.
According to the invention, provided is a semiconductor device comprising:
an underlayer interconnect layer;
an interlayer dielectric film formed with a connection hole reaching the underlayer interconnect layer; and
an upper interconnect layer buried in the connection hole,
wherein the interlayer dielectric film includes an insulating film containing an impurity for detecting a first etching end point, a first insulating film, an insulating film containing an impurity for detecting a second etching end point and a second insulating film, these four films being laminated in this order.
Additionally, according to the invention, provided is a method for fabricating a semiconductor device comprising the steps of:
forming an insulating film containing an impurity for detecting a first etching end point, a first insulating film, an insulating film containing an impurity for detecting a second etching end point, and a second insulating film on an underlayer interconnect layer in this order;
forming a connection hole by etching, the connection hole reaching from the surface of the second insulating film to the insulating film containing the impurity for detecting the first etching end point;
forming a protection film in the bottom of the connection hole;
forming a trench by etching, the trench reaching from the surface of the second insulating film to the insulating film containing the impurity for detecting the second etching end point and connecting with the connection hole; and
removing the protection film, and thereafter, burying a conductive material in the connection hole and the trench, thereby forming an upper interconnect layer.
These and other objects of the present application will become more readily apparent from the detailed description given hereinafter. However, it should be understood that the detailed description and specific examples, while indicating preferred embodiments of the invention, are given by way of illustration only, since various changes and modifications within the spirit and scope of the invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art from this detailed description.
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