Film deposition method

• US 10,480,067 B2
• Filed: 01/31/2017
• Issued: 11/19/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 02/03/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Tokyo Electron Limited
• Original Assignee: Tokyo Electron Limited
• Inventors: Kato, Hitoshi, Murata, Masahiro, Sato, Jun, Miura, Shigehiro
• Primary Examiner(s): Bareford, Katherine A
• Assistant Examiner(s): McClure, Christina D
• Application Number:
  US15/420,333
• Publication Number:
  US 20170218510A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,022 Days
• Field of Search: 427569
• CPC Class Codes: C23C 16/345 Silicon nitride
• CPC Class Codes: C23C 16/45536 Use of plasma, radiation or electromagnetic fields
• CPC Class Codes: C23C 16/45551 for relative movement of the substrate and the gas injectors or half-reaction reactor compartments
• CPC Class Codes: H01J 37/32 Gas-filled discharge tubes heating by discharge H05B

Abstract

A film deposition method for filling a recessed pattern with a SiN film is provided. NH₂ groups are caused to adsorb on a surface of a substrate containing a recessed pattern formed in a top surface of the substrate by supplying a first process gas containing NH₃ converted to first plasma to the surface of the substrate containing the recessed pattern. The NH₂ groups is partially converted to N groups by supplying a second process gas containing N₂ converted to second plasma to the surface of the substrate containing the recessed pattern on which the NH₂ groups is adsorbed. A silicon-containing gas is caused to adsorb on the NH₂ groups by supplying the silicon-containing gas to the surface of the substrate containing the recessed pattern on which the NH₂ groups and the N groups are adsorbed. The above steps are cyclically repeated.

Claims

1. A film deposition method for filling a recessed pattern formed in a surface of a substrate with a SiN film, comprising steps of:

causing NH₂ groups to adsorb on a surface of a substrate containing a recessed pattern formed in a top surface of the substrate by supplying a first process gas containing NH₃ converted to first plasma to the surface of the substrate containing the recessed pattern;

partially converting the NH₂ groups to N groups by supplying a second process gas containing N₂ converted to second plasma to the surface of the substrate containing the recessed pattern on which the NH₂ groups is adsorbed; and

causing a silicon-containing gas to adsorb on the NH₂ groups by supplying the silicon-containing gas to the surface of the substrate containing the recessed pattern on which the NH₂ groups and the N groups are adsorbed; and

cyclically repeating the steps of causing the NH₂ groups to adsorb on the surface of the substrate, partially converting the NH₂ groups to the N groups and causing the silicon-containing gas to adsorb on the NH₂ groups,

wherein the first plasma is generated at a first height higher and more distant from the top surface of the substrate than a second height at which the second plasma is generated, the first height being set at a height that causes the first plasma containing NH₃ to reach a bottom of the recessed pattern, the second height being set at a height that causes the second plasma containing N₂ to reach only an upper portion of the recessed pattern and the top surface of the substrate.

2. The film deposition method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the NH₂ groups adsorbed on an upper portion of the recessed pattern and the top surface of the substrate W is converted to the N groups in the step of partially converting the NH₂ groups to the N groups.

3. The film deposition method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the first process gas is a gas that does not contain N₂.

4. The film deposition method as claimed in claim 3, wherein the first process gas and the second process gas further contain Ar and H₂.

5. The film deposition method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the silicon-containing gas contains any one of dichlorosilane, disilane, hexachlorodisilane, diisopropylamino-silane, tris(dimethylamino)silane, bis(tertiary-butyl-amino)silane.

6. The film deposition method as claimed in claim 1, wherein a temperature of the substrate is set higher than or equal to 400 degrees C. at which nitriding the surface of the substrate containing the recessed pattern can be performed by ammonia radicals.

7. The film deposition method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the second process gas converted to the second plasma has energy higher than energy of the first process gas converted to the first plasma.

8. The film deposition method as claimed in claim 1, further comprising:

supplying a purge gas to the surface of the substrate containing the recessed pattern between the steps of partially converting the NH₂ groups to the N groups and causing the silicon-containing gas to adsorb on the NH₂ groups, and between the steps of causing the silicon-containing gas to adsorb on the NH₂ groups and causing the NH₂ groups to adsorb on the surface of the substrate.

9. The film deposition method as claimed in claim 8,

wherein the substrate is arranged on a turntable provided in a process chamber along a circumferential direction of the turntable,

wherein the process chamber includes a first plasma processing area for performing the step of causing the NH₂ groups to adsorb on the surface of the substrate, a second plasma processing area for performing the step of partially converting the NH₂ groups to the N groups, a first purge area for performing the step of purging the surface of the substrate, an adsorption area for performing the step of causing the silicon-containing gas to adsorb on the NH₂ groups, and a second purge area for performing the step of purging the surface of the substrate, arranged along a rotational direction of the turntable and above the turntable, and

wherein the steps of causing the NH₂ groups to adsorb on the surface of the substrate, partially converting the NH₂ groups to the N groups, purging the surface of the substrate, causing the silicon-containing gas to adsorb on the NH₂ groups, and purging the surface of the substrate, are performed on the surface of the substrate containing the recessed pattern by rotating the turntable.

10. The film deposition method as claimed in claim 9,

wherein a first plasma generator and a second plasma generator are provided above the first plasma processing area and the second plasma processing area, respectively, and

wherein the first plasma generator is disposed higher than the second plasma generator so as to generate the first plasma at a first height that is higher than a second height at which the second plasma is generated.