Process gas management for an inductively-coupled plasma deposition reactor

• US 10,023,960 B2
• Filed: 03/22/2017
• Issued: 07/17/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 09/12/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: ASM IP Holding B.V. (ASM International NV)
• Original Assignee: ASM IP Holding B.V. (ASM International NV)
• Inventors: Alokozai, Fred, Milligan, Robert Brennan
• Primary Examiner(s): Maldonado, Julio J
• Assistant Examiner(s): ISAAC, STANETTA D
• Application Number:
  US15/466,149
• Publication Number:
  US 20170191164A1
• Time in Patent Office: 482 Days
• Field of Search: 427427, 427333
• CPC Class Codes: C23C 16/452 by activating reactive gas streams before their introduction into the reaction chamber, e.g. by ionisation or addition of reactive species
• CPC Class Codes: C23C 16/45563 Gas nozzles
• CPC Class Codes: C23C 16/505 using radio frequency discharges
• CPC Class Codes: C23C 16/507 using external electrodes, e.g. in tunnel type reactors
• CPC Class Codes: H01J 2237/3321 CVD [Chemical Vapor Deposition]
• CPC Class Codes: H01J 37/321 the radio frequency energy being inductively coupled to the plasma
• CPC Class Codes: H01J 37/3244 Gas supply means
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/02274 in the presence of a plasma [PECVD]
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/0262 Reduction or decomposition of gaseous compounds, e.g. CVD
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/28556 by chemical means, e.g. CVD, LPCVD, PECVD, laser CVD H01L21/28518 - H01L21/28537 and H01L21/28568 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 137/6851 With casing, support, protector or static constructional installations

Abstract

Embodiments related to hardware and methods for processing a semiconductor substrate are disclosed. One example film deposition reactor includes a process gas distributor including a plasma gas-feed inlet located to supply plasma gas to a plasma generation region within the film deposition reactor and a precursor gas-feed inlet located to supply film precursor gas downstream of the plasma generation region; an insulating confinement vessel configured to maintain a plasma generation region at a reduced pressure within the film deposition reactor and an inductively-coupled plasma (ICP) coil arranged around a portion of a sidewall of the insulating confinement vessel and positioned so that the sidewall separates the plasma generation region from the ICP coil; and a susceptor configured to support the semiconductor substrate so that a film deposition surface of the semiconductor substrate is exposed to a reaction region formed downstream of the process gas distributor.

Claims

1. A method of forming a film on a semiconductor substrate including a plasma generation region and a reaction region, the plasma generation region located upstream from the reaction region, the method comprising:

supporting the semiconductor substrate on a susceptor so that the semiconductor substrate is exposed to the reaction region within the processing tool;

in a first phase;

introducing precursor gas to the reaction region without exposing the precursor gas to plasma conditions, and

adsorbing reactive precursor intermediates to an exposed surface of the semiconductor substrate;

in a second phase;

supplying a plasma gas to the plasma generation region,

generating radicals with the plasma gas in the plasma generation region with an ICP source,

delivering radicals to the reaction region, and

reacting radicals with precursor intermediates adsorbed to the exposed surface to form the film.

2. The method of claim 1, where introducing precursor gas to the reaction region includes:

supplying the precursor gas to a precursor gas distributor from a precursor gas supply line included in a centrally-positioned precursor gas distributor support;

directing the precursor gas within the precursor gas distributor to flow radially outward from the centrally-positioned precursor gas distributor support toward an edge of the precursor gas distributor; and

ejecting the precursor gas from the precursor gas distributor from a plurality of precursor gas-feed inlets positioned between the centrally-positioned precursor gas distributor support and the edge of the precursor gas distributor so that the precursor gas is directed toward the surface of the semiconductor substrate exposed to the reaction region.

3. The method of claim 2, where generating radicals comprises:

generating a plasma in the plasma generation region; and

generating a radial distribution of radicals with the plasma by varying a radial density of plasma in the plasma generation region.

4. A method of forming a film on a semiconductor substrate in an inductively-coupled plasma (ICP) processing tool including a plasma generation region and a reaction region, the plasma generation region located upstream from the reaction region, the method comprising:

supporting the semiconductor substrate on a susceptor so that the semiconductor substrate is exposed to the reaction region within the ICP processing tool;

in a first phase;

introducing precursor gas to the reaction region without exposing the precursor gas to plasma conditions, and

adsorbing reactive precursor intermediates to an exposed surface of the semiconductor substrate;

in a second phase;

supplying a plasma gas to the plasma generation region,

generating radicals with the plasma gas in the plasma generation region with an ICP source,

delivering radicals to the reaction region, and

reacting radicals with precursor intermediates adsorbed to the exposed surface to form the film.

5. The method of claim 4, where introducing precursor gas to the reaction region includes:

supplying the precursor gas to a precursor gas distributor from a precursor gas supply line included in a centrally-positioned precursor gas distributor support;

directing the precursor gas within the precursor gas distributor to flow radially outward from the centrally-positioned precursor gas distributor support toward an edge of the precursor gas distributor; and

ejecting the precursor gas from the precursor gas distributor from a plurality of precursor gas-feed inlets positioned between the centrally-positioned precursor gas distributor support and the edge of the precursor gas distributor so that the precursor gas is directed toward the surface of the semiconductor substrate exposed to the reaction region.

6. The method of claim 4, where generating radicals comprises:

generating a plasma in the plasma generation region; and

generating a radial distribution of radicals with the plasma by varying a radial density of plasma in the plasma generation region.

7. The method of claim 4, further comprising, in a third phase:

introducing reactant gas to the reaction region;

adsorbing reactive reactant intermediates to the exposed surface of the semiconductor substrate; and

reacting radicals with precursor intermediates and reactant intermediates adsorbed to the exposed surface to form the film.