Effects of Heater Surface Precoating and Plasma Treatment on Deposited TiN Film Thickness

Titanium nitride (TiN) films are widely used in integrated circuits as diffusion barrier and adhesion layer materials. Process kits in the chemical vapour deposition (CVD) chamber, which have been in service for a long time, become coated with a thick TiN film and must be replaced with new or recycled parts during chamber preventive maintenance. However, after the replacement of the process kits and the chamber preventive maintenance, it is difficult to achieve the required uniformity and thickness and this results in a delay before the chamber can be released for production. The present paper evaluates the effects of two methods: heater surface precoating and plasma treatment. Experimental results show that these two methods are useful and effective in controlling the deposition rate and improving thickness uniformity in the TiN CVD process. The recovery time after preventive maintenance can also be shortened, improving chamber utilisation and reducing costs.