Method of decontaminating process chambers, methods of reducing defects in anti-reflective coatings, and resulting semiconductor structures

• US 20040099927A1
• Filed: 11/17/2003
• Published: 05/27/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 06/10/1998
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Zhiping Yin
• Original Assignee: Zhiping Yin
• Inventors: Yin, Zhiping
• Application Number:
  US10/715,227
• Publication Number:
  US 20040099927A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 257/639
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/0214 the material being a silicon oxynitride, e.g. SiON or SiON:H
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/0217 the material being a silicon nitride not containing oxygen, e.g. SixNy or SixByNz H01L21/02126 and H01L21/0214 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/022 the layer being a laminate, i.e. composed of sublayers, e.g. stacks of alternating high-k metal oxides adhesion layers or buffer layers H01L21/02304, H01L21/02362
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/02274 in the presence of a plasma [PECVD]
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/0276 using an anti-reflective coating anti-reflective coating for lithography in general G03F7/09
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/3145 formed by deposition from a gas or vapour
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 23/5329 Insulating materials
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/00 Indexing scheme for arrangements or methods for connecting or disconnecting semiconductor or solid-state bodies as covered by H01L24/00
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/0002 Not covered by any one of groups H01L24/00, H01L24/00 and H01L2224/00
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 438/905 Cleaning of reaction chamber

Abstract

A method for fabricating a substantially smooth-surfaced anti-reflective coating on a semiconductor device structure including generating a plasma from an inert gas in a process chamber in which the anti-reflective coating is to be deposited. The anti-reflective coating may include silicon, oxygen and nitrogen, and is preferably of the general formula Si_xO_yN_z, where x equals 0.40 to 0.65, y equals 0.02 to 0.56 and z equals 0.05 to 0.33. Preferably, x+y+z equals one. The method may also include fabricating a silicon nitride layer over the anti-reflective coating. A semiconductor device comprising a silicon nitride layer over the anti-reflective coating including at most about 1¼ in-film particles per square millimeter of surface area particles or surface roughness features in the silicon nitride of about 120-150 nanometers. Accordingly, a mask that is subsequently formed over the silicon nitride layer has a substantially uniform thickness and is substantially distortion-free.

Claims

1. A semiconductor device structure, comprising:

a first layer comprising anti-reflective material; and

a second layer comprising silicon nitride, located over said first layer, and including at most about 1¼

in-film particles per square millimeter of surface area.

2. The semiconductor device structure of claim 1, wherein said anti-reflective material comprises silicon atoms and nitrogen atoms.

3. The semiconductor device structure of claim 2, wherein said anti-reflective material further comprises oxygen atoms.

4. The semiconductor device structure of claim 1, wherein said anti-reflective material comprises Si.sub.x O.sub.y N.sub.z, where x equals about 0.40 to about 0.65 times the sum of x, y, and z, y equals about 0.02 to about 0.56 times the sum of x, y, and z, and z equals about 0.05 to about 0.33 times the sum of x, y, and z.

5. The semiconductor device structure of claim 1, wherein a surface of said first layer is substantially free of at least one of measurable particulates and surface roughness.

6. The semiconductor device structure of claim 1, wherein said second layer includes at most about 1¼

of at least one of particles and surface roughness features of at least about 120 nm dimension per square millimeter of surface area.

7. The semiconductor device structure of claim 1, wherein said second layer is formed on said first layer.

8. A semiconductor device structure, comprising:

a first layer comprising anti-reflective material; and

a second layer comprising silicon nitride, located over said first layer, and including at most about 1¼

in-film particles per square millimeter of surface area.

9. The semiconductor device structure of claim 8, wherein said anti-reflective material comprises silicon atoms and nitrogen atoms.

10. The semiconductor device structure of claim 9, wherein said anti-reflective material further comprises oxygen atoms.

11. The semiconductor device structure of claim 8, wherein said anti-reflective material comprises Si.sub.x O.sub.y N.sub.z, where x equals about 0.40 to about 0.65 times the sum of x, y, and z, y equals about 0.02 to about 0.56 times the sum of x, y, and z, and z equals about 0.05 to about 0.33 times the sum of x, y, and z.

12. The semiconductor device structure of claim 8, wherein a surface of said first layer is substantially free of at least one of measurable particulates and surface roughness.

13. The semiconductor device structure of claim 8, wherein said second layer includes at most about 1¼

of at least one of particles and surface roughness features of at least about 120 nm dimension per square millimeter of surface area.

14. The semiconductor device structure of claim 8, wherein said second layer is formed on said first layer.