Patent ID: 8916232

Claim:
A method of preparing a substrate surface of a substrate to deposit a functionalization layer over a metallic barrier layer of a copper interconnect to assist deposition of a copper layer in the copper interconnect in an integrated system configured to operate a mixture of dry and wet processes in order to improve electromigration performance of the copper interconnect, comprising: depositing the metallic barrier layer to line the copper interconnect structure by a dry process in the integrated system configured to operate a mixture of dry and wet processes, wherein after depositing the metallic barrier layer, the substrate is transferred and processed in a controlled environment in the integrated system to prevent the formation of metallic barrier oxide, the controlled environment defined by a vacuum transfer module coupled to one or more dry process chambers and a controlled-ambient transfer module coupled to one or more wet process chambers, the vacuum transfer module and the controlled-ambient transfer module being coupled to each other by a single load lock so as to form a common path for the substrate to directly travel between the vacuum transfer module and the controlled-ambient transfer module; transporting the substrate from the vacuum transfer module to the controlled-ambient transfer module; depositing the functionalization layer over the metallic barrier layer by a wet process in the integrated system; and depositing the copper layer over the functionalization layer in the copper interconnect structure by a wet process in the integrated system after the functionalization layer is deposited over the metallic barrier layer, wherein the material used for the functionalization layer comprises a complexing group with at least two ends, one end of the complexing group forming a bond with the metallic barrier layer and another end of the complexing group forming a bond with the copper layer, wherein the functionalization layer between the metallic barrier layer and the copper layer enables the deposition of the copper layer and improves adhesion between the metallic barrier layer and the copper layer; wherein the transfer modules transfer the substrate in a dry state from one process chamber to a next process chamber, wherein ambient conditions are controlled during the transfers in the transfer modules.