Epitaxial growth methods and structures thereof
First Claim
1. A method of semiconductor device fabrication, comprising:
- while a semiconductor wafer is loaded within a CVD reactor, performing a first baking process at a first pressure and first temperature;
after the first baking process, performing a second baking process at a second pressure and second temperature, wherein the second pressure is less than the first pressure; and
after the second baking process, flowing a precursor gas into the CVD reactor, while at a growth temperature, to deposit an epitaxial layer on the semiconductor wafer, wherein the growth temperature is greater than the first and second temperatures.
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Abstract
A method and structure for providing a two-step defect reduction bake, followed by a high-temperature epitaxial layer growth. In various embodiments, a semiconductor wafer is loaded into a processing chamber. While the semiconductor wafer is loaded within the processing chamber, a first pre-epitaxial layer deposition baking process is performed at a first pressure and first temperature. In some cases, after the first pre-epitaxial layer deposition baking process, a second pre-epitaxial layer deposition baking process is then performed at a second pressure and second temperature. In some embodiments, the second pressure is different than the first pressure. By way of example, after the second pre-epitaxial layer deposition baking process and while at a growth temperature, a precursor gas may then be introduced into the processing chamber to deposit an epitaxial layer over the semiconductor wafer.
34 Citations
20 Claims
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1. A method of semiconductor device fabrication, comprising:
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while a semiconductor wafer is loaded within a CVD reactor, performing a first baking process at a first pressure and first temperature; after the first baking process, performing a second baking process at a second pressure and second temperature, wherein the second pressure is less than the first pressure; and after the second baking process, flowing a precursor gas into the CVD reactor, while at a growth temperature, to deposit an epitaxial layer on the semiconductor wafer, wherein the growth temperature is greater than the first and second temperatures. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12)
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13. A method of semiconductor device fabrication, comprising:
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performing a two-step baking process of a semiconductor wafer within a process chamber to reduce a contaminant concentration of a semiconductor wafer growth surface; and after the performing the two-step baking process, growing an epitaxial layer on the semiconductor wafer growth surface, wherein the reduced contaminant concentration of the semiconductor wafer growth surface provides a corresponding reduction of contaminants within the epitaxial layer; wherein the two-step baking process includes a first baking step performed at a first pressure and a second baking step performed at a second pressure less than the first pressure, wherein the first baking step removes oxygen contamination and the second baking step removes carbon contamination, wherein each of the first and second baking steps are performed at a first temperature, and wherein the growing the epitaxial layer is performed at a second temperature less than the first temperature. - View Dependent Claims (14, 15, 16, 17, 18)
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19. A method of semiconductor device fabrication, comprising:
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performing a first purge of a processing chamber and ramping a processing chamber temperature up to a first baking temperature; while at the first baking temperature, performing a first baking process in a hydrogen gas (H2) ambient at a first baking pressure, wherein the first baking process removes carbon contamination from a semiconductor wafer; while at a second baking temperature, performing a second baking process in the hydrogen gas (H2) ambient at a second baking pressure, wherein the second baking pressure is less than the first baking pressure, and wherein the second baking process removes oxygen contamination from the semiconductor wafer; after removal of the carbon and oxygen contamination, growing an epitaxial layer over the semiconductor wafer by flowing silane (SiH4) and hydrogen chloride (HCl) gas over the semiconductor wafer at a growth pressure and at a growth temperature; and after growing the epitaxial layer, performing a second purge of the processing chamber and ramping the processing chamber temperature down to room temperature. - View Dependent Claims (20)
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Specification