ALD METAL OXIDE DEPOSITION PROCESS USING DIRECT OXIDATION
First Claim
1. A method for forming a hafnium material on a substrate, comprising:
- positioning a substrate within a process chamber comprising a centralized expanding channel;
flowing a process gas into the centralized expanding channel to form a vortex flow pattern;
exposing the substrate to the process gas having the vortex flow pattern;
exposing the substrate to a hafnium precursor comprising the chemical formula (R′
RN)4Hf, wherein each R and R′
is independently a hydrogen group or an alkyl group having from one to four carbon atoms;
exposing the substrate to an oxygen precursor; and
exposing the substrate to active nitrogen species.
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Accused Products
Abstract
Embodiments of the invention provide methods for forming hafnium materials, such as oxides and nitrides, by sequentially exposing a substrate to hafnium precursors and active oxygen or nitrogen species (e.g., ozone, oxygen radicals, or nitrogen radicals). The deposited hafnium materials have significantly improved uniformity when deposited by these atomic layer deposition (ALD) processes. In one embodiment, an ALD chamber contains an expanding channel having a bottom surface that is sized and shaped to substantially cover a substrate positioned on a substrate pedestal. During an ALD process for forming hafnium materials, process gases form a vortex flow pattern while passing through the expanding channel and sweep across the substrate surface. The substrate is sequentially exposed to chemical precursors that are pulsed into the process chamber having the vortex flow.
533 Citations
20 Claims
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1. A method for forming a hafnium material on a substrate, comprising:
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positioning a substrate within a process chamber comprising a centralized expanding channel;
flowing a process gas into the centralized expanding channel to form a vortex flow pattern;
exposing the substrate to the process gas having the vortex flow pattern;
exposing the substrate to a hafnium precursor comprising the chemical formula (R′
RN)4Hf, wherein each R and R′
is independently a hydrogen group or an alkyl group having from one to four carbon atoms;
exposing the substrate to an oxygen precursor; and
exposing the substrate to active nitrogen species. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7)
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8. A method for forming a hafnium material on a substrate, comprising:
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positioning a substrate within a process chamber comprising a centralized expanding channel;
flowing a process gas into the centralized expanding channel to form a vortex flow pattern;
exposing the substrate to the process gas having the vortex flow pattern; and
pulsing a hafnium precursor and an oxygen precursor sequentially into the process gas having the vortex flow pattern to expose the substrate to the hafnium precursor and the oxygen precursor while depositing a hafnium oxide material during an atomic layer deposition process. - View Dependent Claims (9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16)
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17. A method for forming a hafnium material on a substrate, comprising:
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positioning a substrate within a process chamber comprising a centralized expanding channel;
flowing a process gas into the centralized expanding channel to form a vortex flow pattern;
exposing the substrate to the process gas having the vortex flow pattern;
pulsing a hafnium precursor into the process gas having the vortex flow pattern to form a layer of the hafnium precursor on the substrate;
pulsing an oxygen precursor into the process gas having the vortex flow pattern to form an oxide layer thereon;
pulsing the hafnium precursor into the process gas having the vortex flow pattern to form another layer of the hafnium precursor;
pulsing a nitrogen precursor into the process gas having the vortex flow pattern to form a nitride layer thereon. - View Dependent Claims (18, 19, 20)
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Specification