HIGH QUALITY SILICON OXIDE FILMS BY REMOTE PLASMA CVD FROM DISILANE PRECURSORS

• US 20090104755A1
• Filed: 10/22/2007
• Published: 04/23/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 10/22/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Applied Materials Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Applied Materials Incorporated
• Inventors: Mallick, Abhijit Basu, Nemani, Srinivas D., Yieh, Ellie
• Granted Patent: US 7,867,923 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 438/477
• CPC Class Codes: C23C 16/345 Silicon nitride
• CPC Class Codes: C23C 16/452 by activating reactive gas streams before their introduction into the reaction chamber, e.g. by ionisation or addition of reactive species
• CPC Class Codes: C23C 16/56 After-treatment

Abstract

A method of depositing a silicon and nitrogen containing film on a substrate. The method includes introducing silicon-containing precursor to a deposition chamber that contains the substrate, wherein the silicon-containing precursor comprises at least two silicon atoms. The method further includes generating at least one radical nitrogen precursor with a remote plasma system located outside the deposition chamber. Moreover, the method includes introducing the radical nitrogen precursor to the deposition chamber, wherein the radical nitrogen and silicon-containing precursors react and deposit the silicon and nitrogen containing film on the substrate. Furthermore, the method includes annealing the silicon and nitrogen containing film in a steam environment to form a silicon oxide film, wherein the steam environment includes water and acidic vapor.

Claims

1. A method of depositing a silicon and nitrogen containing film on a substrate, the method comprising:

introducing silicon-containing precursor to a deposition chamber that contains the substrate, wherein the silicon-containing precursor comprises at least two silicon atoms;

generating at least one radical nitrogen precursor with a remote plasma system located outside the deposition chamber; and

introducing the radical nitrogen precursor to the deposition chamber, wherein the radical nitrogen and silicon-containing precursors react and deposit the silicon and nitrogen containing film on the substrate.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the generation of the atomic nitrogen comprises exposing ammonia to a plasma in the remote plasma system, wherein at least a portion of the ammonia decomposes into the radical nitrogen precursor.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the radical nitrogen precursor has the formula NHx, where x is 0, 1 or 2.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the silicon-containing precursor comprises a disilane precursor or a polysilane precursor.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the silicon-containing precursor is selected from the group consisting of alkoxy disilanes, alkoxy-alkyl disilanes, and polysilanes.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the silicon and nitrogen containing film comprises a silicon carbonitride film.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the silicon and nitrogen containing film comprises a Si—

N(H)—

Si bond containing film.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the method further comprises annealing the silicon and nitrogen containing film to form a silicon oxide film.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the annealing is performed in an atmosphere comprising steam.

10. The method of claim 8, wherein the annealing is performed in an atmosphere comprising acid vapor.

11. The method of claim 8, wherein the annealing is performed at a temperature ranging from about 20°

C. to about 900°

C.

12. The method of claim 8, wherein the annealing is performed in an atmosphere comprising ozone (O₃).

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the annealing further comprises exposing the substrate to ultra-violet light at a temperature ranging from about 20°

C. to about 600°

C.

14. The method of claim 8, wherein the annealing is performed in an atmosphere comprising molecular oxygen (O₂).

15. The method of claim 8, wherein the annealing is performed in an atmosphere comprising atomic oxygen (O) at a temperature ranging from about 20°

C. to about 600°

C.

16. A method of forming a silicon oxide film on a substrate, the method comprising:

providing a substrate in a deposition chamber;

generating a plurality of hydronitrene radicals with a remote plasma system coupled to the deposition chamber;

introducing silicon-containing precursor to a deposition chamber, the silicon-containing precursor including at least a Si—

Si bond;

introducing the plurality of hydronitrene radicals to the deposition chamber, wherein the hydronitrene radicals and silicon-containing precursors react and deposit a first film on the substrate, the first film including a plurality of Si—

N(H)—

Si bonds;

annealing the first film in a vapor atmosphere; and

forming a second film on the substrate, the second film including a plurality of Si—

O—

Si bonds.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the generating a plurality of hydronitrene radicals comprises exposing ammonia to a plasma in the remote plasma system, wherein at least a portion of the ammonia decomposes into the plurality of hydronitrene radicals.

18. The method of claim 16, wherein the silicon-containing precursor comprises a disilane precursor or a polysilane precursor.

19. The method of claim 16, wherein the first film further includes hydroxyl groups with a flowable characteristic.

20. The method of claim 16, wherein the annealing the first film is performed at a temperature ranging from about 20°

C. to about 900°

C.

21. The method of claim 16, wherein the vapor atmosphere comprises a water vapor and an acidic vapor.

22. The method of claim 21, wherein the forming a second film comprises using the water vapor to convert at least a portion of the plurality of Si—

N(H)—

Si bonds in the first film into at least a first portion of a plurality of Si—

O—

Si bonds.

23. The method of claim 21, wherein the forming a second film further comprises using the acidic vapor to catalyze a reaction of unreacted hydroxyl groups with the water vapor to form reactive OH groups, resulting in at least a second portion of the plurality of Si—

O—

Si bonds.

24. The method of claim 21, wherein the acidic vapor comprises hydrochloric acid or acetic acid.

25. The method of claim 16, wherein the second film has higher density than the first film.

36. The method of claim 25, wherein the reaction is performed at about 300°

C.

26. A method of curing a silicon oxide layer on a substrate, the method comprising:

providing a semiconductor processing chamber and a substrate;

forming a silicon oxide layer overlying at least a portion of the substrate;

the silicon oxide layer including carbon species as a byproduct of formation;

introducing a base vapor into the semiconductor processing chamber, the base vapor reacting with the silicon oxide layer to remove the carbon species from the silicon oxide layer; and

removing the base vapor from the semiconductor processing chamber.

27. The method of claim 26, wherein the base vapor comprises ammonia.

28. The method of claim 26, wherein the silicon layer is deposited using an alkoxysilane process.

29. The method of claim 26, wherein the silicon oxide layer is deposited using a plasma CVD process.

30. The method of claim 26, wherein introducing an base vapor further comprises flowing ammonia gas into the semiconductor processing chamber.

31. The method of claim 26, wherein the base vapor functions as a catalyst to complete reactions in the silicon oxide layer.

32. The method of claim 26, wherein the vapor is a mixture of acid and water.

33. The method of claim 26, wherein the vapor further comprises molecular oxygen (O₂).

34. The method of claim 26, wherein the vapor further comprises remotely generated radical atomic nitrogen.

35. The method of claim 26, wherein the reaction between the base vapor and silicon oxide layer is performed between about 60°

C. to about 600°

C.

37. The method of claim 26, wherein the processing chamber has a pressure of about 1 Torr to 760 Torr during the reaction with the silicon oxide layer.

38. The method of claim 37, wherein the processing chamber has a pressure of about 40 Torr.