Plasma enhanced atomic layer deposition system and method

• US 20060210713A1
• Filed: 03/21/2005
• Published: 09/21/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 03/21/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Tokyo Electron Limited
• Original Assignee: Tokyo Electron Limited
• Inventors: Brcka, Jozef
• Granted Patent: US 7,435,454 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 427/255.280
• CPC Class Codes: C23C 16/45538 Plasma being used continuously during the ALD cycle
• CPC Class Codes: C23C 16/45544 characterized by the apparatus
• CPC Class Codes: C23C 16/5096 Flat-bed apparatus
• CPC Class Codes: H01J 2237/022 Avoiding or removing foreign or contaminating particles, debris or deposits on sample or tube

Abstract

A method for depositing a film on a substrate using a plasma enhanced atomic layer deposition (PEALD) process includes disposing the substrate in a process chamber configured to facilitate the PEALD process, introducing a first process material within the process chamber and introducing a second process material within the process chamber. Electromagnetic power is coupled to the process chamber during introduction of the second process material in order to generate a plasma that facilitates a reduction reaction between the first and second process materials at a surface of the substrate, electromagnetic power is coupled to a gas injection electrode to generate a plasma that ionizes contaminants such that the ionized contaminants are attracted to a plurality of orifices in the gas injection electrode. The process chamber is vacuum pumped through the plurality of orifices to expel the ionized contaminants from the process chamber.

Claims

1. A method for depositing a film on a substrate using a plasma enhanced atomic layer deposition (PEALD) process, comprising:

disposing said substrate in a process chamber configured to facilitate said PEALD process;

introducing a first process material within said process chamber;

introducing a second process material within said process chamber;

coupling electromagnetic power to said process chamber during introduction of the second process material in order to generate a plasma that facilitates a reduction reaction between the first and second process materials at a surface of said substrate;

coupling electromagnetic power to a gas injection electrode to generate a plasma that ionizes contaminants such that the ionized contaminants are attracted to a plurality of orifices in said gas injection electrode; and

vacuum pumping said process chamber through said plurality of orifices to expel said ionized contaminants from said process chamber.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein said introducing a first process material comprises introducing a process material comprising at least one of TaF₅, TaCl₅, TaBr₅, TaI₅, Ta(CO)₅, PEMAT, PDMAT, PDEAT, TBTDET, Ta(NC₂H₅)(N(C₂H₅)₂)₃, Ta(NC(CH₃)₂C₂H₅)(N(CH₃)₂)₃, Ta(NC(CH₃)₃)(N(CH₃)₂)₃, TiF₄, TiCl₄, TiBr₄, TiI₄, TEMAT, TDMAT, TDEAT, Ti(NO₃), WF₆, W(CO)₆, MoF₆, Cu(TMVS)(hfac), CuCl, Zr(NO₃)₄, ZrCl₄, Hf(OBu^t)₄, Hf(NO₃)₄, HfCl₄, NbCl₅, ZnCl₂, Si(OC₂H₅)₄, Si(NO₃)₄, SiCl₄, SiH₂Cl₂, Al₂Cl₆, Al(CH₃)₃, Ga(NO₃)₃, or Ga(CH₃)₃.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein said introducing a second process material comprises introducing a process material comprising at least one of H₂, N₂, O₂, H₂O, NH₃, H₂O₂, SiH₄, SiH₆, N₂H₄, NH(CH₃)₂, or N₂H₃CH₃.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein said coupling electromagnetic power to the process chamber comprises coupling at least 600 W of power to the process chamber.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein said coupling electromagnetic power to the process chamber comprises coupling at least 1000 W of power to the process chamber.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein said coupling electromagnetic power to the process chamber and said coupling electromagnetic power to said process electrode are performed as a single coupling step during said introducing a second process material.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein:

said introducing a first process material comprises introducing the first process material through said plurality of orifices; and

said introducing a second process material comprises introducing the second process material through a different gas injection path while said plurality of orifices are used to vacuum pump said process chamber.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein said introducing a second process material comprises introducing the second process material through a sidewall gas injection valve.

9. The method of claim 7, wherein said introducing a second process material comprises introducing the second process material through different orifices of said gas injection electrode not used to vacuum pump said process chamber.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein said coupling electromagnetic power to said process chamber and said coupling electromagnetic power to said gas injection electrode are performed as separate coupling steps.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein said coupling electromagnetic power to said gas injection electrode is performed during at least one of introducing said first process material, introducing said second process material, or introducing a purge gas within said process chamber, while a corresponding one of said first process material, said second process material, or said purge gas is injected into said process chamber through a different gas injection path.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein said different gas injection path comprises at least one of a sidewall gas injection valve or different orifices of said gas injection electrode not used to vacuum pump said process chamber.

13. The method of claim 1, further comprising introducing a purge gas within said process chamber between introducing first and second process materials.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein said coupling electromagnetic power to said gas injection electrode and said vacuum pumping are performed during said introducing a purge gas.

15. The method of claim 13, wherein said introducing a purge gas comprises introducing at least one of an inert gas or a reactive gas within said process chamber.

16. The method of claim 1, further comprising forming at least one of a barrier layer, a seed layer, an adhesion layer, a gate layer, a metal layer, a metal oxide layer, a metal nitride layer, or a dielectric layer on said substrate.

17. The method of claim 1, wherein:

said introducing a first process material comprises introducing TaCl₅ to said process chamber;

said introducing a second process material comprises introducing H₂ to said process chamber;

said coupling power to a gas injection electrode comprises ionizing chlorine contaminants and attracting the ionized chlorine contaminants to said gas injection electrode; and

said vacuum pumping comprises pumping the ionized chlorine contaminants through said plurality of orifices.

18. A computer readable medium containing program instructions for execution on a substrate processing system processor, which when executed by the processor, causes the substrate processing system to perform the steps of the method recited in claim 1.

19. A computer readable medium containing program instructions for execution on a substrate processing system processor, which when executed by the processor, causes the substrate processing system to perform the steps of the method recited in claim 17.

20. A semiconductor device comprising a metal layer formed by the method recited in claim 1.

21. A semiconductor device comprising at least one of a barrier layer, a seed layer, an adhesion layer, a gate layer, a metal layer, a metal oxide layer, a metal nitride layer, and a dielectric layer formed by the method recited in claim 17.

22. An atomic layer deposition system comprising:

a process chamber;

a substrate holder provided within said process chamber, and configured to support a substrate;

a first process material supply system configured to supply a first process material to said process chamber;

a second process material supply system configured to supply a second process material to said process chamber;

a gas injection electrode configured to generate a plasma that ionizes contaminants such that the ionized contaminants are attracted to a plurality of orifices in said gas injection electrode; and

a vacuum pump coupled to said plurality of orifices and configured to pump said process chamber through said plurality of orifices to expel the ionized contaminants from said process chamber.

23. The atomic layer deposition system of claim 22, further comprising a purge gas supply system configured to provide a purge gas to said process chamber between supplying said first and second process materials.

24. The atomic layer deposition system of claim 23, wherein said plurality of orifices are coupled to at least one of said first process material supply system, said second process material supply system, and said purge gas supply system.

25. The atomic layer deposition system of claim 23, wherein said plurality of orifices comprise a plurality of sets of orifices, each set being coupled to a different one of said first process material supply system, said second process material supply system, and said purge gas supply system.

26. The atomic layer deposition system of claim 22, further comprising a peripheral gas injection electrode having a plurality of orifices.

27. An atomic layer deposition system comprising:

a process chamber;

means provided within said process chamber for supporting a substrate;

means for supplying a first process material to said process chamber;

means for supplying a second process material to said process chamber;

means for coupling electromagnetic power to the process chamber during introduction of the second process material in order to generate a plasma that facilitates a reduction reaction between the first and second process materials at a surface of said substrate;

means for coupling electromagnetic power to a gas injection electrode to generate a plasma that ionizes contaminants such that the ionized contaminants are attracted to a plurality of orifices in said gas injection electrode; and

means for vacuum pumping the process chamber through said plurality of orifices to expel said ionized contaminants from the process chamber.