Method of manufacturing semiconductor device

• US 20060057828A1
• Filed: 09/08/2005
• Published: 03/16/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 09/10/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba (Toshiba Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba (Toshiba Corporation)
• Inventors: Yasutake, Nobuaki, Omura, Mitsuhiro
• Granted Patent: US 7,670,891 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 438/595
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/28035 the final conductor layer next to the insulator being silicon, e.g. polysilicon, with or without impurities H01L21/28105 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/76802 by forming openings in dielectrics
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/76826 by contacting the layer with gases, liquids or plasmas
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/76834 formation of thin insulating films on the sidewalls or on top of conductors H01L21/76831 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 29/66628 recessing the gate by forming single crystalline semiconductor material at the source or drain location
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 29/7834 with a non-planar structure, e.g. the gate or the source or the drain being non-planar

Abstract

A method of manufacturing a semiconductor device is disclosed which comprises forming a gate structure on a major surface of a semiconductor substrate with a gate insulating film interposed therebetween, forming a first insulating film to cover top and side surfaces of the gate structure and the major surface of the semiconductor substrate, reforming portions of the first insulating film which cover the top surface of the gate structure and the major surface of the semiconductor substrate by an anisotropic plasma process using a gas not containing fluorine, and removing the reformed portions of the first insulating film.

Claims

1. A method of manufacturing a semiconductor device comprising:

forming a gate structure on a major surface of a semiconductor substrate with a gate insulating film interposed therebetween;

forming a first insulating film to cover top and side surfaces of the gate structure and the major surface of the semiconductor substrate;

reforming portions of the first insulating film which cover the top surface of the gate structure and the major surface of the semiconductor substrate by an anisotropic plasma process using a gas not containing fluorine; and

removing the reformed portions of the first insulating film.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein reforming the portions of the first insulating film includes oxidizing, nitriding, or damaging the portions of the first insulating film.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein removing the reformed portions of the first insulating film is carried out by a wet process.

4. The method according to claim 1, wherein the first insulating film is formed of silicon nitride, and reforming the portions of the first insulating film includes introducing oxygen into the portions of the first insulating film.

5. The method according to claim 1, wherein the first insulating film is formed of silicon oxide, and reforming the portions of the first insulating film includes introducing nitrogen into the portions of the first insulating film.

6. The method according to claim 1, wherein reforming the portions of the first insulating film includes introducing rare gas into the portions of the first insulating film.

7. The method according to claim 1, wherein the first insulating film is formed of silicon nitride, and reforming the portions of the first insulating film includes introducing hydrogen into the portions of the first insulating film.

8. The method according to claim 1, wherein reforming the portions of the first insulating film includes controlling a plasma power in the anisotropic plasma process to form a reformed layer having a desired depth.

9. The method according to claim 1, further comprising forming an epitaxial semiconductor film on the major surface of the semiconductor substrate which has become exposed by removing the reformed portions of the first insulating film.

10. A method of manufacturing a semiconductor device comprising:

forming a conducting portion containing metal on or above a semiconductor substrate;

forming a first insulating film on the conducting portion;

forming a second insulating film on the first insulating film;

removing a portion of the second insulating film to expose a portion of the first insulating film;

reforming the exposed portion of the first insulating film by an anisotropic plasma process using a gas not containing fluorine; and

removing the reformed portion of the first insulating film.

11. The method according to claim 10, wherein reforming the exposed portion of the first insulating film includes oxidizing, nitriding, or damaging the exposed portion of the first insulating film.

12. The method according to claim 10, wherein removing the reformed portion of the first insulating film is carried out by a wet process.

13. The method according to claim 10, wherein the first insulating film is formed of silicon nitride, and reforming the exposed portion of the first insulating film includes introducing oxygen into the exposed portion of the first insulating film.

14. The method-according to claim 10, wherein the first insulating film is formed of silicon nitride, and reforming the exposed portion of the first insulating film includes introducing hydrogen into the exposed portion of the first insulating film.

15. The method according to claim 10, wherein reforming the exposed portion of the first insulating film includes controlling a plasma power in the anisotropic plasma process to form a reformed layer having a desired depth.

16. The method according to claim 10, wherein the first insulating film functions as an etching stopper in removing the portion of the second insulating film.

17. A method of manufacturing a semiconductor device comprising:

forming a first insulating film on or above a semiconductor substrate;

reforming the first insulating film by an anisotropic plasma process using a gas not containing fluorine; and

removing the reformed first insulating film,

wherein reforming the first insulating film and removing the reformed first insulating film are repeated at least two times.

18. The method according to claim 17, wherein reforming the first insulating film includes oxidizing, nitriding, or damaging the first insulating film.

19. The method according to claim 17, wherein removing the reformed first insulating film is carried out by a wet process.

20. The method according to claim 17, wherein reforming the first insulating film includes controlling a plasma power in the anisotropic plasma process to form a reformed layer having a desired depth.