Plasma enhanced atomic layer deposition system and method

• US 20060211224A1
• 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: Matsuda, Tsukasa
• Granted Patent: US 8,486,845 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 438/493
• 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 16/515 using pulsed discharges
• CPC Class Codes: H01J 37/32009 Arrangements for generation of plasma specially adapted for examination or treatment of objects, e.g. plasma sources plasma generation in general H05H1/24
• CPC Class Codes: H01J 37/32532 Electrodes
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/28562 Selective deposition

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. Also included is 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 the substrate. A reactive gas is introduced within the process chamber, the reactive gas chemically reacting with contaminants in the process chamber to release the contaminants from at least one of a process chamber component or 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 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; and

introducing within said process chamber a reactive gas that chemically reacts with contaminants in said process chamber to release the contaminants from at least one of a process chamber component or 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 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, further comprising heating the walls of said process chamber during said introduction of the chemically reactive gas.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein said heating comprises heating the walls of said process chamber to at least 80°

C.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein said introducing a reactive purge gas comprises introducing the reactive purge gas to said process chamber after introducing said second process material.

9. The method of claim 8 wherein said introducing a reactive purge gas further comprises introducing the reactive purge gas to said process chamber after introducing said first process material and before introducing said second process material.

10. The method of claim 8, further comprising introducing an inert purge gas to said process chamber between introducing said first process material and introducing said second process material.

11. The method of claim 1, further comprising coupling electromagnetic power to said process chamber to generate a plasma during at least one of said introducing a first process material or introducing a reactive purge gas.

12. 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.

13. 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 introducing a reactive purge gas comprises introducing NH₃ to said process chamber to react with chlorine contaminants within the process chamber.

14. 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 in the method recited in claim 1.

15. 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 in the method recited in claim 13.

16. 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 claims 1.

17. A semiconductor device comprising a metal layer formed by the method recited in claims 13.

18. 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 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; and

a reactive purge gas supply system configured to introduce within said process chamber a reactive gas that chemically reacts with contaminants in said process chamber to release the contaminants from at least one of a process chamber component or said substrate.

19. The atomic layer deposition system of claim 18, wherein said reactive purge gas supply system further comprises 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.

20. The atomic layer deposition system of claim 18, wherein said power source comprises a plasma electrode and a substrate holder electrode, wherein said electromagnetic power is coupled to said process chamber through at least one of said plasma electrode and said substrate holder electrode.

21. The atomic layer deposition system of claim 18, 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 reactive purge gas supply system.

22. The atomic layer deposition system of claim 18, 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 reactive purge gas supply system.

23. An atomic layer deposition system comprising:

a process chamber;

means provided within said process chamber for supporting a substrate;

means for introducing a first process material within said process chamber;

means for introducing a second process material within said process chamber;

means for 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; and

means for introducing within said process chamber a reactive gas that chemically reacts with contaminants in said process chamber to release the contaminants from at least one of a process chamber component or said substrate.