METHOD FOR DIRECTIONAL DEPOSITION USING A GAS CLUSTER ION BEAM

• US 20090087579A1
• Filed: 09/28/2007
• Published: 04/02/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 09/28/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: TEL Manufacturing and Engineering of America, Inc. (Tokyo Electron Limited)
• Original Assignee: TEL Epion Inc. (Tokyo Electron Limited)
• Inventors: Hautala, John J.
• Granted Patent: US 8,372,489 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 427/527
• CPC Class Codes: C23C 14/221 Ion beam deposition C23C14/46, C23C14/48 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H01J 2237/0812 Ionized cluster beam [ICB] sources

Abstract

A method for depositing material on a substrate is described. The method comprises directionally depositing a thin film on one or more surfaces of a substrate using a gas cluster ion beam (GCIB) formed from a source of precursor to the thin film, wherein the deposition occurs on surfaces oriented substantially perpendicular to the direction of incidence of the GCIB, and deposition is substantially avoided on surfaces oriented substantially parallel to the direction of incidence.

Claims

1. A method for depositing material on a substrate having a plurality of surfaces including one or more first surfaces lying substantially parallel to a first plane and one or more second surfaces lying substantially perpendicular to said first plane, the method comprising:

directing a gas cluster ion beam (GCIB) formed from a source of precursor to a thin film toward said substrate with a direction of incidence; and

orienting said substrate relative to said direction of incidence such that said first plane is substantially perpendicular to said direction of incidence to directionally deposit said thin film on said one or more first surfaces oriented substantially perpendicular to said direction of incidence, while substantially avoiding deposition of said thin film on said one or more second surfaces oriented substantially parallel to said direction of incidence.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein a thickness of said thin film that is formed on said one or more first surfaces is achieved by selecting a GCIB dose.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

adjusting the orientation of said substrate relative to said direction of incidence to directionally deposit said thin film on one or more of said plurality of surfaces different than said one or more first surfaces.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

directing another gas cluster ion beam (GCIB) formed from another source of precursor to another thin film with said direction of incidence to directionally deposit said another thin film on said one or more first surfaces of said substrate, wherein the material composition of said another thin film is different than the material composition of said thin film.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein said directing said GCIB and said another GCIB toward said substrate to directionally deposit said thin film and said another thin film are alternatingly and sequentially performed.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein said thin film comprises a silicon-containing material.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein said source of precursor to said silicon-containing material comprises silane (SiH₄), disilane (Si₂H₆), dichlorosilane (SiH₂Cl₂), trichlorosilane (SiCl₃H), diethylsilane (C₄H₁₂Si), trimethylsilane (C₃H₁₀Si), silicon tetrachloride (SiCl₄), silicon tetrafluoride (SiF₄), or a combination of two or more thereof.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein said source of precursor to said silicon-containing material further comprises a germanium-containing material, a carbon-containing material, an oxygen-containing material, a hydrogen-containing material, a nitrogen-containing material, a fluorine-containing material, a sulfur-containing material, a boron-containing material, a phosphorous-containing material, or an arsenic-containing material, or a combination of two or more thereof.

9. The method of claim 7, wherein said source of precursor to said silicon-containing material further comprises a hydrocarbon gas having the formula C_xH_y, wherein x and y are integers greater than or equal to unity.

10. The method of claim 7, wherein said source of precursor to said silicon-containing material further comprises a fluorocarbon gas having the formula C_xF_y, wherein x and y are integers greater than or equal to unity.

11. The method of claim 7, wherein said source of precursor to said silicon-containing material further comprises a hydrofluorocarbon gas having the formula C_xH_yF_z, wherein x, y and z are integers greater than or equal to unity.

12. The method of claim 7, wherein said source of precursor to said silicon-containing material further comprises methane (CH₄) or carbon tetrafluoride (CF₄) or a combination thereof.

13. The method of claim 7, wherein said source of precursor to said silicon-containing material further comprises H₂, N₂, NH₃, NF₃, O₂, CO, CO₂, NO, N₂O, or NO₂, or a combination of two or more thereof.

14. The method of claim 7, wherein said source of precursor to said silicon-containing material further comprises sulfur hexafluoride (SF₆), boron trifluoride (BF₃), diborane (B₂H₆), phosphine (PH₃), PF₅, arsine (AsH₃), or AsF₅, or a combination of two or more thereof.

15. The method of claim 7, wherein said source of precursor to said silicon-containing material comprises germane (GeH₄), digermane (Ge₂H₆), dichlorogermane (GeH₂Cl₂), trichlorogermane (GeCl₃H), diethylgermane (C₄H₁₂Ge), trimethylgermane (C₃H₁₀Ge), germanium tetrachloride (GeCl₄), germanium tetrafluoride (GeF₄), or a combination of two or more thereof.

16. The method of claim 1, wherein said thin film comprises a fluorocarbon-containing material.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein said source of precursor to said fluorocarbon-containing material comprises a fluorocarbon gas having the formula C_xF_y, wherein x and y are integers greater than or equal to unity.

18. The method of claim 1, wherein said thin film comprises a tungsten-containing material.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein said source of precursor to said tungsten-containing material comprises tungsten hexafluoride (WF₆).