Film forming apparatus and film forming method

• US 10,643,839 B2
• Filed: 12/07/2017
• Issued: 05/05/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 12/07/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Tokyo Electron Limited
• Original Assignee: Tokyo Electron Limited
• Inventors: Suzuki, Ayuta, Yamamoto, Kosuke, Matsuzaki, Kazuyoshi, Kagaya, Munehito, Moriya, Tsuyoshi, Mitsunari, Tadashi, Kubo, Atsushi
• Primary Examiner(s): Booth, Richard A
• Application Number:
  US15/835,157
• Publication Number:
  US 20180158671A1
• Time in Patent Office: 880 Days
• CPC Class Codes: C23C 16/448 characterised by the method used for generating reactive gas streams, e.g. by evaporation or sublimation of precursor materials
• CPC Class Codes: C23C 16/45525 Atomic layer deposition [ALD]
• CPC Class Codes: C23C 16/45565 Shower nozzles
• CPC Class Codes: C23C 16/4582 Rigid and flat substrates, e.g. plates or discs C23C16/4581 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/02164 the material being a silicon oxide, e.g. SiO2
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/02211 the compound being a silane, e.g. disilane, methylsilane or chlorosilane
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/02274 in the presence of a plasma [PECVD]
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/0228 deposition by cyclic CVD, e.g. ALD, ALE, pulsed CVD
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/67017 Apparatus for fluid treatment H01L21/67126, H01L21/6715 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/68742 characterised by a lifting arrangement, e.g. lift pins

Abstract

A film forming apparatus includes a gas injection unit having a shower plate provided with gas injection holes, and a plurality of partition regions through which gases are separately injected and which are defined by dividing an arrangement region of the gas injection holes into a plurality of concentric regions in a diametrical direction of the substrate. A supply amount of a raw material gas per unit time in a raw material gas supply period in a cycle of forming a monomolecular layer by supplying the raw material gas and a reactant gas multiple times, and per unit area of the shower plate, and/or a supply amount of the reactant gas per unit time in a reaction period of the raw material gas and the reactant gas in the cycle, and per unit area of the shower plate becomes different in at least two of the partition regions.

Claims

1. A film forming apparatus for forming a thin film having a predetermined film thickness on a substrate by repeating a cycle of forming a monomolecular layer by supplying a raw material gas and a reactant gas that reacts with the raw material gas multiple times under a vacuum atmosphere, the apparatus comprising:

a processing chamber in which a mounting portion for mounting thereon a substrate is provided and a vacuum atmosphere is formed;

a gas injection unit including a shower plate having a plurality of gas injection holes disposed to face the mounting portion, and a plurality of partition regions through which gases are separately injected and which are defined by dividing an arrangement region of the gas injection holes into a plurality of concentric regions in a diametrical direction of the substrate;

a raw material gas supply unit configured to supply a raw material gas to the gas injection unit;

a reactant gas supply unit configured to supply a reactant gas to the gas injection unit;

a plasma generation unit configured to convert the reactant gas into a plasma; and

a control unit configured to output a control signal such that at least one of a supply amount of the raw material gas per unit time in a raw material gas supply period in the cycle and per unit area of the shower plate, and a supply amount of the reactant gas per unit time in a reaction period of the raw material gas and the reactant gas in the cycle and per unit area of the shower plate, becomes different in at least two partition regions among the plurality of partition regions,

wherein the control unit outputs the control signal such that the raw material gas and the reactant gas are alternately injected from the gas injection unit and the injected reactant gas is turned into a plasma by the plasma generation unit,

wherein the thin film is formed on the substrate through a first step and a second step, and

wherein the control unit outputs the control signal such that at least one of a ratio of the supply amount of the raw material gas per unit time in the raw material gas supply period and per unit area of the shower plate between the plurality of partition regions, and a ratio of the supply amount of the reactant gas per unit time in the reaction period of the raw material gas and the reactant gas and per unit area of the shower plate between the plurality of partition regions, becomes different in the first step and the second step.

2. The film forming apparatus of claim 1, wherein the raw material gas and the reactant gas are injected through the same gas injection holes.

3. The film forming apparatus of claim 1, further comprising:

a heating unit configured to heat the raw material gas and the reactant gas.

4. The film forming apparatus of claim 1, wherein the raw material gas contains any one of silicon, titanium, aluminum and hafnium and the reactant gas is an oxidizing gas or a nitriding gas.

5. The film forming apparatus of claim 1, wherein the raw material gas supply unit is configured to supply a gaseous mixture of a carrier gas and the raw material gas during the raw material gas supply period and continue the supply of the carrier gas during a period other than the raw material gas supply period, and

the reactant gas supply unit is configured to supply a gaseous mixture of the carrier gas and the reactant gas during the reaction period of the raw material gas and the reactant gas and continue the supply of the carrier gas during a period other than the reaction period.

6. A film forming apparatus for forming a thin film having a predetermined film thickness on a substrate by repeating a cycle of forming a monomolecular layer by supplying a raw material gas and a reactant gas that reacts with the raw material gas multiple times under a vacuum atmosphere, the apparatus comprising:

a processing chamber in which a mounting portion for mounting thereon a substrate is provided and a vacuum atmosphere is formed;

a gas injection unit including a shower plate having a plurality of gas injection holes disposed to face the mounting portion, and a plurality of partition regions through which gases are separately injected and which are defined by dividing an arrangement region of the gas injection holes into a plurality of concentric regions in a diametrical direction of the substrate;

a raw material gas supply unit configured to supply a raw material gas to the gas injection unit;

a reactant gas supply unit configured to supply a reactant gas to the gas injection unit;

a plasma generation unit configured to convert the reactant gas into a plasma; and

a control unit configured to output a control signal such that at least one of a supply amount of the raw material gas per unit time in a raw material gas supply period in the cycle and per unit area of the shower plate, and a supply amount of the reactant gas per unit time in a reaction period of the raw material gas and the reactant gas in the cycle and per unit area of the shower plate, becomes different in at least two partition regions among the plurality of partition regions,

wherein the control unit outputs the control signal such that the reactant gas is injected from the gas injection unit during the cycle of forming the monomolecular layer and the supply amount of the raw material gas per unit time in the raw material gas supply period in the cycle and per unit area of the shower plate become different in at least two partition regions among the plurality of partition regions,

wherein the thin film is formed on the substrate through a first step and a second step, and

wherein the control unit outputs a control signal such that a ratio of the supply amount of the raw material gas per unit time in the raw material gas supply period and per unit area of the shower plate between the plurality of partition regions becomes different in the first step and the second step.

9. The film forming apparatus of claim 6, wherein the raw material gas and the reactant gas are injected through the same gas injection holes.

10. The film forming apparatus of claim 6, further comprising:

a heating unit configured to heat the raw material gas and the reactant gas.

11. The film forming apparatus of claim 6, wherein the raw material gas contains any one of silicon, titanium, aluminum and hafnium and the reactant gas is an oxidizing gas or a nitriding gas.

12. The film forming apparatus of claim 6, wherein the raw material gas supply unit is configured to supply a gaseous mixture of the carrier gas and the raw material gas during the raw material gas supply period and continue the supply of the carrier gas during a period other than the raw material gas supply period.

7. A film forming apparatus for forming a thin film having a predetermined film thickness on a substrate by repeating a cycle of forming a monomolecular layer by supplying a raw material gas and a reactant gas that reacts with the raw material gas multiple times under a vacuum atmosphere, the apparatus comprising:

a processing chamber in which a mounting portion for mounting thereon a substrate is provided and a vacuum atmosphere is formed;

a gas injection unit including a shower plate having a plurality of gas injection holes disposed to face the mounting portion, and a plurality of partition regions through which gases are separately injected and which are defined by dividing an arrangement region of the gas injection holes into a plurality of concentric regions in a diametrical direction of the substrate;

a raw material gas supply unit configured to supply a raw material gas to the gas injection unit;

a reactant gas supply unit configured to supply a reactant gas to the gas injection unit;

a plasma generation unit configured to convert the reactant gas into a plasma; and

a control unit configured to output a control signal such that at least one of a supply amount of the raw material gas per unit time in a raw material gas supply period in the cycle and per unit area of the shower plate, and a supply amount of the reactant gas per unit time in a reaction period of the raw material gas and the reactant gas in the cycle and per unit area of the shower plate, becomes different in at least two partition regions among the plurality of partition regions,

wherein the control unit outputs the control signal such that the raw material gas and the reactant gas are alternately injected from the gas injection unit and the injected reactant gas is turned into a plasma by the plasma generation unit,

wherein the thin film is formed on the substrate through a first step and a second step, and

wherein the control unit outputs a control signal such that at least one of a relationship combination pattern of the supply amount of the raw material gas per unit time and per unit area of the shower plate in the plurality of partition regions and a relationship combination pattern of the supply amount of the reactant gas per unit time and per unit area of the shower plate in the plurality of partition regions becomes different in the first step and the second step.

13. The film forming apparatus of claim 7, wherein the raw material gas and the reactant gas are injected through the same gas injection holes.

14. The film forming apparatus of claim 7, further comprising:

a heating unit configured to heat the raw material gas and the reactant gas.

15. The film forming apparatus of claim 7, wherein the raw material gas contains any one of silicon, titanium, aluminum and hafnium and the reactant gas is an oxidizing gas or a nitriding gas.

16. The film forming apparatus of claim 7, wherein the raw material gas supply unit is configured to supply a gaseous mixture of a carrier gas and the raw material gas during the raw material gas supply period and continue the supply of the carrier gas during a period other than the raw material gas supply period, and

the reactant gas supply unit is configured to supply a gaseous mixture of the carrier gas and the reactant gas during the reaction period of the raw material gas and the reactant gas and continue the supply of the carrier gas during a period other than the reaction period.

8. A film forming apparatus for forming a thin film having a predetermined film thickness on a substrate by repeating a cycle of forming a monomolecular layer by supplying a raw material gas and a reactant gas that reacts with the raw material gas multiple times under a vacuum atmosphere, the apparatus comprising:

a processing chamber in which a mounting portion for mounting thereon a substrate is provided and a vacuum atmosphere is formed;

a gas injection unit including a shower plate having a plurality of gas injection holes disposed to face the mounting portion, and a plurality of partition regions through which gases are separately injected and which are defined by dividing an arrangement region of the gas injection holes into a plurality of concentric regions in a diametrical direction of the substrate;

a raw material gas supply unit configured to supply a raw material gas to the gas injection unit;

a reactant gas supply unit configured to supply a reactant gas to the gas injection unit;

a plasma generation unit configured to convert the reactant gas into a plasma; and

a control unit configured to output a control signal such that at least one of a supply amount of the raw material gas per unit time in a raw material gas supply period in the cycle and per unit area of the shower plate, and a supply amount of the reactant gas per unit time in a reaction period of the raw material gas and the reactant gas in the cycle and per unit area of the shower plate, becomes different in at least two partition regions among the plurality of partition regions,

wherein the control unit outputs the control signal such that the reactant gas is injected from the gas injection unit during the cycle of forming the monomolecular layer and the supply amount of the raw material gas per unit time in the raw material gas supply period in the cycle and per unit area of the shower plate become different in at least two partition regions among the plurality of partition regions,

wherein the thin film is formed on the substrate through a first step and a second step, and

wherein the control unit outputs a control signal such that a relationship combination pattern of the supply amount of the raw material gas per unit time and per unit area of the shower plate in the plurality of partition regions becomes different in the first step and the second step.

17. The film forming apparatus of claim 8, wherein the raw material gas and the reactant gas are injected through the same gas injection holes.

18. The film forming apparatus of claim 8, further comprising:

a heating unit configured to heat the raw material gas and the reactant gas.

19. The film forming apparatus of claim 8, wherein the raw material gas contains any one of silicon, titanium, aluminum and hafnium and the reactant gas is an oxidizing gas or a nitriding gas.

20. The film forming apparatus of claim 8, wherein the raw material gas supply unit is configured to supply a gaseous mixture of the carrier gas and the raw material gas during the raw material gas supply period and continue the supply of the carrier gas during a period other than the raw material gas supply period.