Importance

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Abstract

A semiconductor processing method of making electrical contact to a node includes, a) forming an insulating layer relative to a substrate having a node location to which electrical connection is to be made; b) forming a contact opening in the insulating layer to the node location; c) forming a layer of electrically conductive material to substantially fill the contact opening; the electrically conductive material being undesirably capable of absorbing oxygen, when exposed to an oxygen containing ambient, effective to render such material less electrically conductive; and d) providing the substrate with the layer of electrically conductive material within a reactor, and injecting a gas into the reactor and generating a plasma from the gas against the material, the exposure of the material to the plasma being effective to densify at least an outermost exposed portion of such material and render the layer of material less capable of absorbing oxygen when exposed to an oxygen containing ambient. Multiple such plasma treatments can be employed. The preferred electrically conductive material predominately comprises TiN. Such material as-deposited typically comprises carbon. The gas and plasma generated therefrom desirably have a component which is effective when in an activated state to interact with a component of the deposited conductive layer to remove carbon therefrom.

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First Claim