Plasma enhanced atomic layer deposition system and method

• US 20060210723A1
• Filed: 03/21/2005
• Published: 09/21/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 03/21/2005
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Tokyo Electron Limited
• Original Assignee: Tokyo Electron Limited
• Inventors: Ishizaka, Tadahiro
• Application Number:
  US11/084,004
• Publication Number:
  US 20060210723A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 427/569
• CPC Class Codes: C23C 16/12 Deposition of aluminium only
• CPC Class Codes: C23C 16/14 Deposition of only one other metal element
• CPC Class Codes: C23C 16/20 Deposition of aluminium only
• CPC Class Codes: C23C 16/303 Nitrides
• CPC Class Codes: C23C 16/34 Nitrides C23C16/303 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: C23C 16/345 Silicon nitride
• CPC Class Codes: C23C 16/36 Carbonitrides
• CPC Class Codes: C23C 16/402 Silicon dioxide
• CPC Class Codes: C23C 16/403 of aluminium, magnesium or beryllium
• CPC Class Codes: C23C 16/405 of refractory metals or yttrium
• CPC Class Codes: C23C 16/4405 Cleaning of reactor or parts inside the reactor by using reactive gases
• CPC Class Codes: C23C 16/45525 Atomic layer deposition [ALD]
• CPC Class Codes: C23C 16/4554 Plasma being used non-continuously in between ALD reactions C23C16/56 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: C23C 16/45544 characterized by the apparatus
• CPC Class Codes: C23C 16/45565 Shower nozzles
• CPC Class Codes: C23C 16/45574 Nozzles for more than one gas
• CPC Class Codes: C23C 16/515 using pulsed discharges
• CPC Class Codes: H01J 2237/022 Avoiding or removing foreign or contaminating particles, debris or deposits on sample or tube
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/67207 comprising a chamber adapted to a particular process

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. A first level of electromagnetic power is coupled to the process chamber to generate a plasma that releases contaminants from at least one of a process chamber component or the substrate, and a second level of electromagnetic power higher than the first level is coupled to the process chamber during introduction of the second process material to generate a plasma that facilitates a reduction reaction between the first and second process materials at a surface of the substrate.

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 the process chamber;

introducing a second process material within the process chamber;

coupling a first level of electromagnetic power to the process chamber to generate a plasma that releases contaminants from at least one of a process chamber component or said substrate; and

coupling a second level of electromagnetic power higher than said first level to the processing chamber during introduction of the second process material to generate a plasma that facilitates a reduction reaction between the first and second process materials at a surface of said substrate.

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, Tal₅, 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, Til₄, 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 processing material comprises introducing a process material comprising at least one of H₂, N₂, O₂, H₂O, NH₃, H₂O₂, SiH₄, SiH₆, NH(CH₃)₂, or N₂H₃CH₃.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein said coupling a first level comprises coupling said first level of power to the process chamber during at least one of said steps of introducing a first process material and introducing a second process material.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein said coupling a second level comprises coupling said second level of power to the process chamber during both of said steps of introducing a first process material and introducing a second process material.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising introducing a purge gas to said processing chamber between introducing said first process material and introducing said second process material.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein said introducing a purge gas comprises introducing an inert gas to said processing chamber.

8. The method of claim 6, wherein said coupling a first level comprises coupling said first level of power to the process chamber during at least one of said steps of introducing a first process material, introducing said purge gas, or introducing a second process material.

9. The method of claim 6, wherein said coupling a second level comprises coupling said second level of power to the process chamber during said step of introducing a second process material, and at least one of said steps of introducing a first process material and introducing a purge gas.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein at least one of said coupling steps comprises coupling electromagnetic power to at least one of a plasma electrode or a substrate holder of the process chamber.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein said coupling a first power level and said coupling a second power level comprise coupling power to said process chamber in accordance with a stepped power curve.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein said coupling a first power level and said coupling a second power level comprise coupling power to said process chamber in accordance with a continuously varying power curve.

13. The method of claim 1, further comprising introducing at least one of said first and second process materials by use of a carrier gas.

14. The method of claim 1, further comprising coupling electromagnetic power to the process chamber during introduction of the first process material in order to generate a plasma that assists in adsorption of the first process material to said substrate.

15. The method of claim 1, further comprising forming at least one of a barrier layer, a seed layer, an adhesion layer, a gate layer and a dielectric layer on said substrate.

16. 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; and

said coupling a second level comprises coupling electromagnetic power of approximately 1000 W to the process chamber during introduction of the H₂.

17. The method of claim 1, wherein said coupling a first level comprises coupling electromagnetic power to said processing chamber at a power level less than a sputtering threshold for chamber components within the process chamber.

18. A computer readable medium containing program instructions for execution on a substrate processing system processor, which when executed by the processor, cause 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, cause the substrate processing system to perform the steps of the method recited in claim 16.

20. A semiconductor device comprising at least one of a barrier layer, a seed layer, an adhesion layer, a gate layer, a metal layer, and a dielectric layer formed by the method recited in claim 1.

21. A semiconductor device comprising at least one of a metal layer formed by the method recited in claim 16.

28. The method of claim 1, wherein said coupling a second level comprises coupling more than 600 W of electromagnetic power to the process chamber during introduction of the second process material in order to accelerate a reduction reaction process on a surface of said substrate.

29. The method of claim 28, wherein said coupling a second level comprises coupling more than 1000 W of electromagnetic power to the process chamber during introduction of the second process material in order to accelerate a reduction reaction process on a surface of said substrate.

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 power source configured to couple a first level of electromagnetic power to the process chamber to generate a plasma that releases contaminants from at least one of a process chamber component or said substrate, and to couple a second level of electromagnetic power higher than said first level to the processchamber during introduction of the second process material to generate a plasma that facilitates a reduction reaction between first and second process materials at a surface of said substrate.

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

24. The atomic layer deposition system of claim 22, wherein said power source comprises a plasma electrode and a substrate holder electrode, wherein at least one of said first level of power and said second level of power is coupled to said processing chamber through at least one of said plasma electrode and said substrate holder electrode.

25. The atomic layer deposition system of claim 22, wherein said power source comprises a gas injection electrode having a plurality of orifices coupled to at least 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, wherein said power source comprises a gas injection electrode having 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.

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 first process material to said process chamber;

means for coupling a first level of electromagnetic power to the process chamber to generate a plasma that releases contaminants from at least one of the process chamber or said substrate; and

means for coupling a second level of electromagnetic power higher than said first level to the process chamber during introduction of the second process material to generate a plasma that facilitates a reduction reaction between the first and second process materials at said substrate.