Strategies for Reducing Particle Defects in Ti and TiN Thin-Film Deposition Processes

Generation of particle defects in semiconductor manufacturing is inevitable, but it has to be minimized to enhance IC yield. There are various causes for the generation of particle defects in different semiconductor manufacturing processes, such as diffusion, thin-film deposition, lithography, etch, and clean. In this paper, primary defect generation mechanisms in thin-film deposition processes, such as atomic layer deposition TiN, radio frequency physical vapor deposition Ti, and physical vapor deposition TiN, are discussed. Various strategies, such as periodic clean optimization, on-load clean, idle pasting, periodic pasting optimization, kit life optimization, target burning optimization, and kit hardware selection that reduce the generation of defects in the thin-film deposition processes are presented. This paper also discusses hardware-induced surface defect and solutions to reduce them.