Patent ID: 8138078

Claim:
A method for fabricating a mechanically stable diffusion barrier between a semiconductor layer and a metal interconnect in a semiconductor device, the method comprising: depositing a molybdenum layer outwardly from the semiconductor layer in a deposition chamber; depositing a molybdenum nitride layer outwardly from the molybdenum layer in the deposition chamber; patterning the molybdenum layer; patterning the molybdenum nitride layer; and depositing a metal interconnect outwardly from the molybdenum nitride layer, said molybdenum nitride layer providing a diffusion barrier between said metal interconnect and said semiconductor layer; such that said molybdenum layer fuses to said molybdenum nitride layer and serves to improve the mechanical stability of said molybdenum nitride layer and thereby improve said molybdenum nitride layer's performance as a diffusion barrier between said metal interconnect and said semiconductor layer.