Semiconductor Device Manufacturing Method and Substrate Processing Apparatus

• US 20090130859A1
• Filed: 11/10/2006
• Published: 05/21/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 11/18/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Kokusai Electric Corp.
• Original Assignee: Hitachi Kokusai Electric Incorporated (Hitachi, Ltd.)
• Inventors: Horii, Sadayoshi, Itatani, Hideharu
• Granted Patent: US 7,968,437 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 438/778
• CPC Class Codes: C23C 16/0272 Deposition of sub-layers, e.g. to promote the adhesion of the main coating
• CPC Class Codes: C23C 16/45525 Atomic layer deposition [ALD]
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/28562 Selective deposition

Abstract

Productivity and product yield, as well as the step coverage and the adhesion are improved. A film forming process includes an initial film forming step, and a main film forming step. In the initial film forming step, a step of supplying a material gas into a processing chamber to adsorb the material gas on the substrate, and a step of supplying a first reaction gas not containing oxygen atoms into the processing chamber to cause a reaction with the material gas adsorbed on the substrate in order to from a thin film on the substrate, are repeated multiple cycles to form the thin film with the specified thickness on the substrate. In the main film forming step, a step of supplying a material gas into the processing chamber to adsorb the material gas on the substrate, and a step of supplying a second reaction gas containing oxygen atoms into the processing chamber to cause a reaction with the material gas adsorbed on the substrate in order to form a thin film on the substrate, are repeated multiple cycles, to form the thin film with a specified thickness on the thin film that was formed on the substrate in the initial film forming step.

Claims

1. A semiconductor device manufacturing method comprising:

a step of loading a substrate into a processing chamber;

an initial film forming step of forming a thin film with a specified thickness on the substrate by repeating one cycle operation multiple times, wherein the one cycle operation includes a step of supplying a material gas into the processing chamber to adsorb the material gas on the substrate, and a step of supplying a first reaction gas not containing oxygen atoms into the processing chamber to cause a reaction with the material gas adsorbed on the substrate in order to form a thin film on the substrate,

a main film forming step of forming a thin film with a specified thickness on the thin film formed on the substrate in the initial film forming step by repeating one cycle operation multiple times, wherein the one cycle operation includes a step of supplying the material gas into the processing chamber to adsorb the material gas on the substrate, and a step of supplying a second reaction gas containing oxygen atoms into the processing chamber to cause a reaction with the material gas adsorbed on the substrate in order to form a thin film on the substrate, and

a step of unloading the substrate formed with the thin film of a specified thickness from the processing chamber.

2. The semiconductor device manufacturing method according to claim 1, wherein the first reaction gas is a gas containing hydrogen atoms.

3. The semiconductor device manufacturing method according to claim 1, wherein the first reaction gas is H₂ or NH₃, and the second reaction gas is O₂.

4. The semiconductor device manufacturing method according to claim 1, wherein after the first reaction gas and the second reaction gas being supplied into the processing chamber, the first reaction gas and the second reaction gas are activated by plasma and then supplied to the substrate.

5. The semiconductor device manufacturing method according to claim 1, wherein after the first reaction gas and the second reaction gas being supplied into the processing chamber, the first reaction gas and the second reaction gas are activated by plasma generated by applying RF electric power to a RF electrode installed in the processing chamber and then supplied to the substrate;

and the value of the RF electric power applied to the RF electrode during supply of the first reaction gas is different from the value of the RF electric power applied to the RF electrode during supply of the second reaction gas.

6. The semiconductor device manufacturing method according to claim 1, wherein the step of supplying the first reaction gas includes a step of supplying the first reaction gas into the processing chamber to fill the interior of the processing chamber entirely with the first reaction gas, and a step of applying RF electric power to the RF electrode installed in the processing chamber to generate plasma in a state where the processing chamber is filled entirely with the first reaction gas and supplying the first reaction gas activated by the plasma to the substrate.

7. The semiconductor device manufacturing method according to claim 6, wherein the step of supplying the second reaction gas includes a step of supplying the second reaction gas into the processing chamber to fill the interior of the processing chamber entirely with the second reaction gas, and a step of applying RF electric power to the RF electrode installed in the processing chamber to generate plasma in a state where the processing chamber is filled entirely with the second reaction gas and supplying the second reaction gas activated by the plasma to the substrate.

8. A semiconductor device manufacturing method comprising:

a step of loading a substrate into a processing chamber,

an initial film forming step of forming a thin film with a specified thickness on the substrate by repeating one cycle operation multiple times, wherein the one cycle operation includes a step of supplying a material gas into the processing chamber, a step of supplying a first reaction gas not containing oxygen atoms into the processing chamber to fill the interior of the processing chamber entirely with the first reaction gas, and a step of applying RF electric power to a RF electrode installed in the processing chamber to generate plasma in a state where the processing chamber is filled entirely with the first reaction gas and supplying the first reaction gas activated by the plasma to the substrate,

a main film forming step of forming a thin film with a specified thickness on the thin film formed on the substrate in the initial film forming step by repeating one cycle operation multiple times, wherein the one cycle operation includes a step of supplying the material gas into the processing chamber, a step of supplying a second reaction gas containing oxygen atoms into the processing chamber to fill the interior of the processing chamber entirely with the second reaction gas, and a step of applying RF electric power to the RF electrode installed in the processing chamber to generate plasma in a state where the processing chamber is filled entirely with the second reaction gas and supplying the second reaction gas activated by the plasma to the substrate, and

a step of unloading the substrate formed with the thin film of a specified thickness from the processing chamber.

9. A semiconductor device manufacturing method comprising:

a step of loading a substrate into a processing chamber,

a step of forming a thin film with a specified thickness on the substrate by repeating one cycle operation multiple times, wherein the one cycle operation includes a step of supplying a material gas into the processing chamber, a step of supplying a reaction gas into the processing chamber to fill the interior of the processing chamber entirely with the reaction gas, and a step of applying RF electric power to a RF electrode installed in the processing chamber to generate plasma in a state where the processing chamber is filled entirely with the reaction gas and supplying the reaction gas activated by the plasma to the substrate, and

a step of unloading the substrate formed with the thin film of a specified thickness from the processing chamber.

10. A substrate processing apparatus comprising:

a processing chamber for processing a substrate,

a material gas supply line for supplying material gas into the processing chamber,

a first reaction gas supply line for supplying a first reaction gas not containing oxygen atoms into the processing chamber,

a second reaction gas supply line for supplying a second reaction gas containing oxygen atoms into the processing chamber,

an exhaust line for exhausting the interior of the processing chamber, and

a controller for regulating operation to perform multiple cycles where one cycle includes supplying of the material gas into the processing chamber, and supplying of the second reaction gas into the processing chamber, after performing multiple cycles where one cycle includes supplying of the material gas into the processing chamber, and supplying of the first reaction gas into the processing chamber.

11. A substrate processing apparatus comprising:

a processing chamber for processing a substrate,

a material gas supply line for supplying material gas into the processing chamber,

a first reaction gas supply line for supplying a first reaction gas not containing oxygen atoms into the processing chamber,

a second reaction gas supply line for supplying a second reaction gas containing oxygen atoms into the processing chamber,

a RF electrode installed in the processing chamber to generate plasma,

a RF electric power supply for applying RF electric power to the RF electrode,

an exhaust line for exhausting the interior of the processing chamber, and

a controller for regulating operation of supplying the material gas into the processing chamber, and then supplying the first reaction gas into the processing chamber to fill the interior of the processing chamber entirely with the first reaction gas, and in that state applying RF electric power to the RF electrode to generate plasma and supplying the first reaction gas activated by the plasma to the substrate, and after repeating the above operation as one cycle for multiple cycles, supplying the material gas into the processing chamber, and then supplying the second reaction gas into the processing chamber to fill the interior of the processing chamber entirely with the second reaction gas, and in that state applying RF electric power to the RF electrode to generate plasma and supplying the second reaction gas activated by the plasma to the substrate, and repeating the above operation as one cycle for multiple cycles.

12. A substrate processing apparatus comprising:

a processing chamber for processing a substrate,

a material gas supply line for supplying material gas into the processing chamber,

a reaction gas supply line for supplying a reaction gas into the processing chamber,

a RF electrode installed in the processing chamber to generate plasma,

a RF electric power supply for applying RF electric power to the RF electrode,

an exhaust line for exhausting the interior of the processing chamber,

a controller for regulating operation of supplying the material gas into the processing chamber, and then supplying the reaction gas into the processing chamber to fill the interior of the processing chamber entirely with the reaction gas, and in that state applying RF electric power to the RF electrode to generate plasma and supplying the reaction gas activated by the plasma to the substrate, and repeating the above operation as one cycle for multiple cycles.