PLASMA ENHANCED CHEMICAL VAPOR DEPOSITION APPARATUS AND METHOD FOR FORMING NITRIDE LAYER USING THE SAME

• US 20040173157A1
• Filed: 03/22/2004
• Published: 09/09/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 10/25/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Inventors: Ahn, Byung-Ho, Shin, Seung Mok, Kim, Hwa-Sik, Han, Jae-Jong, Park, Hong-Bae, Kim, Kyoung-Seok
• Granted Patent: US 6,815,370 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 118/715
• CPC Class Codes: C23C 16/345 Silicon nitride
• CPC Class Codes: C23C 16/4404 Coatings or surface treatment on the inside of the reaction chamber or on parts thereof
• CPC Class Codes: C23C 16/4405 Cleaning of reactor or parts inside the reactor by using reactive gases
• CPC Class Codes: C23C 16/4558 Perforated rings
• CPC Class Codes: C23C 16/505 using radio frequency discharges
• CPC Class Codes: H01J 37/3244 Gas supply means
• CPC Class Codes: H01J 37/32623 Mechanical discharge control means

Abstract

A plasma enhanced chemical vapor deposition apparatus and a method of forming a nitride layer using the same, wherein the plasma enhanced CVD apparatus includes a process chamber including an upper chamber with a dome shape, a lower chamber, and an insulator therebetween, a gas distributing ring, a susceptor for supporting a wafer and heating the process chamber, a plasma compensation ring surrounding the susceptor, a vacuum pump and an electric power source connected to the process chamber. The gas distributing ring has a plurality of upwardly inclined nozzles, allowing upward distribution of reactive gases. The method of forming a nitride layer includes forming a protective film on inner walls of a process chamber, the protective film having at least two layers of differeing dielectric constant, and sequentially supplying reactive gases to the process chamber. A nitride layer formed thereby has low hydrogen content, good density and oxidation resistance.

Claims

1. A plasma enahnced CVD apparatus, comprising:

a process chamber including an upper chamber with a dome shape, a lower chamber, and an insulator placed between the upper chamber and the lower chamber;

a gas distributing ring installed in the process chamber for ejecting a gas in an upward direction inside the process chamber;

a susceptor installed below the gas distributing ring for supporting a wafer thereon, and having a heater for controlling a temperature of the wafer and an internal temperature of the process chamber;

a plasma compensation ring installed at an upper part of sidewalls of the susceptor;

a vacuum pump connected to the process chamber; and

an electric power source connected to the upper chamber and the lower chamber.

2. The apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the gas distributing ring has a plurality of nozzles at inner walls thereof, wherein each of the plurality of nozzles is upwardly sloped with an inclination of a predetermined degree.

3. The apparatus as claimed in claim 2, wherein the degree of inclination is in a range of from 30°

C. to 60°

C.

4. The apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the gas distributing ring is made of stainless steel.

5. The apparatus as claimed in claim 1, further comprising a loadlock chamber connected to the process chamber.

6. The apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the susceptor is coated with Al₂O₃.

7. The apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the plasma compensation ring is formed of stainless steel.

8. A method of forming a nitride layer using a plasma enhanced CVD comprising:

loading a wafer onto a susceptor;

supplying a first reactive gas containing nitrogen N₂ to a process chamber;

leaving the wafer intact for a first dalay time;

forming a basic layer on the wafer by converting the first reactive gas into plasma which is created by applying electric power to the process chamber;

leaving the wafer intact for a second delay time;

forming a nitride layer on the wafer having the basic layer thereon by supplying a second reactive gas to the process chamber and converting the second reactive gas into plasma;

leaving the wafer intact for a third delay time;

stopping the supply of the first and second reactive gases to the process chamber;

leaving the wafer intact for a fourth dealy time;

stopping applying the electric power; and

unloading the wafer from the susceptor.

9. The method as claimed in claim 8, wherein loading and unloading the wafer are performed through a loadlock chamber connected to the process chamber.

10. The method as claimed in claim 8, wherein ammonia is used as the first reactive gas and silane is used as the second reactive gas.

11. The method as claimed in claim 8, wherein forming the nitride layer is performed in the process chamber having an internal temperature of 580-670°

C., an internal pressure of 0.5-0.7 mTorr and an electric power applied thereto of 100-700 W.

12. The method as claimed in claim 8, further comprising forming a protective film on inner walls of the process chamber before loading the wafer, the protective film being formed of at least two layers each of which has a dielectric constant different from the others.

13. The method as claimed in claim 12, wherein forming the protective film includes forming an oxide layer on the inner walls of the process chamber and forming a nitride layer on the oxide layer.

14. The method as claimed in claim 13, wherein forming the oxide layer is performed by supplying nitrogen oxygen gas to the process chamber and converting the same in plasma.

15. The method as claimed in claim 13, wherein forming the nitride layer is performed by introducing ammonia gas and silane gas into the process chamber and converting the same gases into plasma.

16. The method as claimed in claim 8, further comprising vacuuming the process chamber to compulsorily exhaust a gas remaining in the process chamber and supplying a cleaning gas to the process chamber after unloading the wafer.

17. The method as claimed in claim 8, further comprising plasma etching cleaning to clean inner walls of the process chamber and components installed in the process chamber after unloading the wafer.

18. The method as claimed in claim 17, wherein the plasma etching cleaning is performed by supplying nitrogen trifluoride gas to the process chamber and converting the same gas into plasma.