High-power dielectric seasoning for stable wafer-to-wafer thickness uniformity of dielectric CVD films

• US 20060093756A1
• Filed: 11/03/2004
• Published: 05/04/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 11/03/2004
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Applied Materials Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Applied Materials Incorporated
• Inventors: Xia, Li-Qun, Nowak, Thomas, Balseanu, Mihaela, Witty, Derek R., M'Saad, Hichem, Xu, Huiwen, Rajagopalan, Nagarajan, Peterson, Chad, Shah, Ranjana
• Application Number:
  US10/981,430
• Publication Number:
  US 20060093756A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 427/569
• 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: H01L 21/02126 the material containing Si, O, and at least one of H, N, C, F, or other non-metal elements, e.g. SiOC, SiOC:H or SiONC
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/0214 the material being a silicon oxynitride, e.g. SiON or SiON:H
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/02164 the material being a silicon oxide, e.g. SiO2
• 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 21/02274 in the presence of a plasma [PECVD]
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/02301 in-situ cleaning
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/3121 Layers comprising organo-silicon compounds
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/31633 Deposition of carbon doped silicon oxide, e.g. SiOC

Abstract

A method for seasoning a deposition chamber wherein the chamber components and walls are densely coated with a material that does not contain carbon prior to deposition of an organo-silicon material on a substrate. An optional carbon-containing layer may be deposited therebetween. A chamber cleaning method using low energy plasma and low pressure to remove residue from internal chamber surfaces is provided and may be combined with the seasoning process.

Claims

1. A method for seasoning a deposition chamber comprising:

depositing one or more layers of one or more carbon-free materials on at least one internal surface of the chamber;

then

transferring one or more substrates into the deposition chamber; and

then

depositing one or more layers of one or more organo-silicon materials on at least one substrate in the chamber.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the one or more carbon free materials comprise compounds selected from the group consisting of:

amorphous silicon;

silicon nitride;

silicon oxide;

silicon oxynitride; and

combinations thereof.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein at least one of the one or more carbon-free materials comprises silicon nitride.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the one or more organo-silicon materials are deposited by plasma enhanced chemical vapor deposition.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the depositing of one or more layers of one or more carbon-free materials on at least one internal surface of the chamber comprises plasma excitation, and the plasma is generated at an energy level of greater than about 1000 W.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

depositing one or more carbon-containing materials on at least one surface onto which the one or more carbon-free materials have been deposited, prior to the transferring one or more substrates into the deposition chamber.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the one or more carbon-containing materials comprise compounds selected from the group consisting of:

organo-silicon compounds;

amorphous carbon;

hydrogenated amorphous carbon;

halogenated amorphous carbon; and

combinations thereof.

8. A method for seasoning a deposition chamber comprising:

cleaning the chamber with a plasma;

depositing one or more layers of one or more carbon-free, silicon-containing materials on at least one internal surface of the chamber; and

depositing one or more layers of one or more organo-silicon materials on at least one substrate in the chamber.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the plasma is generated in a location selected from the group consisting of:

the chamber;

remote to the chamber; and

a combination thereof.

10. The method of claim 8, wherein the plasma cleaning comprises introduction of one or more etchant gases comprising fluorine.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein at least one of the one or more etchant gases is NF₃.

12. The method of claim 8, wherein the plasma cleaning comprises introduction of an etchant gas comprising oxygen.

13. The method of claim 8, wherein the plasma is generated at an energy level of about 100 W to about 250 W.

14. The method of claim 8, wherein the plasma cleaning is carried out at a chamber pressure of less than about 3 Torr.

15. The method of claim 8, wherein at least one of the one or more carbon-free, silicon-containing materials comprises silicon nitride.

16. A method for cleaning a deposition chamber comprising:

providing one or more etchant gases to the chamber;

providing plasma excitation to at least one of the one or more etchant gases, wherein the plasma energy is generated at an energy level of about 100 W to about 250 W and the pressure in the chamber pressure is less than about 3 Torr.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the plasma is generated in a location selected from the group consisting of:

the chamber;

remote to the chamber; and

a combination thereof.

18. The method of claim 16, wherein at least one of the one or more etchant gases comprises fluorine.

19. The method of claim 16, wherein at least one of the one or more etchant gases is NF₃.

20. The method of claim 16, wherein at least one of the one or more etchant gases comprises oxygen.