MOCVD SINGLE CHAMBER SPLIT PROCESS FOR LED MANUFACTURING

• US 20100273290A1
• Filed: 03/24/2010
• Published: 10/28/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 04/28/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Applied Materials Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Applied Materials Incorporated
• Inventors: Kryliouk, Olga
• Granted Patent: US 8,110,889 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 438/99
• CPC Class Codes: C23C 16/303 Nitrides
• CPC Class Codes: C23C 16/4405 Cleaning of reactor or parts inside the reactor by using reactive gases
• CPC Class Codes: C23C 16/45563 Gas nozzles
• CPC Class Codes: C23C 16/45574 Nozzles for more than one gas
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/0237 Materials
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/0254 Nitrides
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/0262 Reduction or decomposition of gaseous compounds, e.g. CVD
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 33/007 comprising nitride compounds

Abstract

In one embodiment a method for fabricating a compound nitride semiconductor device comprising positioning one or more substrates on a susceptor in a processing region of a metal organic chemical vapor deposition (MOCVD) chamber comprising a showerhead, depositing a gallium nitride layer over the substrate with a thermal chemical-vapor-deposition process within the MOCVD chamber by flowing a first gallium containing precursor and a first nitrogen containing precursor through the showerhead into the MOCVD chamber, removing the one or more substrates from the MOCVD chamber without exposing the one or more substrates to atmosphere, flowing a chlorine gas into the processing chamber to remove contaminants from the showerhead, transferring the one or more substrates into the MOCVD chamber after removing contaminants from the showerhead, and depositing an InGaN layer over the GaN layer with a thermal chemical-vapor-deposition process within the MOCVD chamber is provided.

Claims

1. A method for fabricating a compound nitride semiconductor structure, comprising:

depositing a first layer over one or more substrates with a thermal chemical-vapor-deposition process within a processing chamber using a first group-III precursor comprising a first group-III element and a first nitrogen containing precursor, wherein the first layer comprises nitrogen and the first group-III element;

removing the one or more substrates from the processing chamber after depositing a first layer without exposing the one or more substrates to atmosphere;

flowing a first cleaning gas into the processing chamber to remove contaminants from the processing chamber after removing the one or more substrates from the processing chamber after depositing a first layer;

transferring the one or more substrates into the processing chamber without exposing the one or more substrates to atmosphere after removing contaminants from the processing chamber; and

depositing a second layer over the first layer with a thermal chemical-vapor-deposition process within the processing chamber using a second group-III precursor and a second nitrogen containing precursor, wherein the second group-III precursor comprises a second group-III element not comprised by the first group-III precursor.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

removing the one or more substrates from the processing chamber without exposing the one or more substrates to atmosphere after depositing a second layer;

flowing a second cleaning gas into the processing chamber to remove contaminants from the processing chamber after removing the one or more substrates from the processing chamber without exposing the one or more substrates to atmosphere after depositing a second layer;

transferring the one or more substrates into the processing chamber without exposing the one or more substrates to atmosphere after flowing a second cleaning gas into the processing chamber;

depositing a third layer over the one or more substrates with a thermal chemical-vapor deposition process within the processing chamber using a third group-III precursor comprising a third group-III element and a third nitrogen containing precursor, the third layer comprising nitrogen and the third group-III element; and

depositing a fourth layer over the one or more substrates with a thermal chemical-vapor deposition process within the processing chamber using a fourth group-III precursor comprising a fourth group-III element and a fourth nitrogen containing precursor, the fourth layer comprising nitrogen and the fourth group-III element.

3. The method of claim 2, further comprising:

removing the one or more substrates from the processing chamber without exposing the one or more substrates to atmosphere after depositing a fourth layer;

flowing a third cleaning gas into the processing chamber to perform a post-deposition clean to remove contaminants from the processing chamber after removing the one or more substrates from the processing chamber without exposing the one or more substrates to atmosphere after depositing a fourth layer.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein the first cleaning gas and the second cleaning gas are a halogen containing gas each individually selected from the group consisting of:

fluorine gas, chlorine gas, bromine gas, iodine gas, HI gas, HCl gas, HBr gas, HF gas, and combinations thereof.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein:

the first group III element is gallium;

the second group III element is indium;

the third group III element is aluminum;

the fourth group III element is gallium

the first layer comprises a GaN layer;

the second layer comprises an InGaN layer;

the third layer comprises a p-doped AlGaN layer; and

the fourth layer comprises a p-doped GaN layer.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the contaminants predominantly comprise Ga-rich GaN deposited on components of the processing chamber including a showerhead.

7. The method of claim 3, wherein transferring the one or more substrates into the processing chamber comprises transferring the substrate in an environment having greater than 90% inert gas.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

purging the processing chamber to remove contaminants from the processing chamber after removing the one or more substrates from the processing chamber and prior to flowing a first cleaning gas into the processing chamber to remove contaminants from the processing chamber; and

purging the processing chamber to remove contaminants from the processing chamber after flowing a first cleaning gas into the processing chamber to remove contaminants from the processing chamber.

9. The method of claim 3, further comprising:

purging the processing chamber to remove contaminants from the processing chamber after flowing a third cleaning gas into the processing chamber to remove contaminants from the processing chamber; and

performing a chamber bake process in a nitrogen and/or hydrogen containing atmosphere at a temperature from about 950°

C. to about 1,050°

C. at a chamber pressure from about 0.001 Torr to about 5 Torr after purging the processing chamber.

10. A method for fabricating a compound nitride semiconductor structure, comprising:

positioning one or more substrates on a susceptor in a processing region of a metal organic chemical vapor deposition (MOCVD) chamber comprising a showerhead;

depositing a gallium nitride layer over the substrate with a thermal chemical-vapor-deposition process within the MOCVD chamber by flowing a first gallium containing precursor and a first nitrogen containing precursor through the showerhead into the MOCVD chamber,

removing the one or more substrates from the MOCVD chamber without exposing the one or more substrates to atmosphere;

flowing a chlorine gas into the processing chamber to remove contaminants from the showerhead;

transferring the one or more substrates into the MOCVD chamber after removing contaminants from the showerhead; and

depositing an InGaN layer over the GaN layer with a thermal chemical-vapor-deposition process within the MOCVD chamber by flowing a second gallium containing precursor, an indium containing precursor, and a second nitrogen containing precursor into the MOCVD chamber.

11. The method of claim 10, further comprising:

flowing a first purge gas into the MOCVD chamber to remove chlorine gas and contaminant by-products from the MOCVD chamber prior to transferring the one or more substrates into the MOCVD chamber.

12. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

flowing a cleaning gas into the MOCVD chamber to remove contaminants from the showerhead after purging the MOCVD chamber; and

flowing a second purge gas into the MOCVD chamber to remove the cleaning gas and contaminant by-products from the MOCVD chamber.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the chlorine gas is flowed into the MOCVD chamber at a flow rate from about 1,000 sccm to about 4,000 sccm, at a total chamber pressure from about 0.001 Torr to 100 Torr, a susceptor temperature from about 600°

C. to about 700°

C., and a showerhead temperature from about 100°

C. to about 200°

C.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the first purge gas is flowed into the MOCVD chamber at a flow rate of about 1,000 sccm to about 5000 sccm, at a total chamber pressure of about 0.001 Torr to about 10 Torr, a susceptor temperature of about 900°

C., and a showerhead temperature of less than 100°

C.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the cleaning gas is flowed into the MOCVD chamber at a flow rate of about 3,000 sccm to about 5,000 sccm, at a total chamber pressure of about 300 Torr to about 700 Torr, a susceptor temperature of about 400°

C. to about 600°

C., and a showerhead temperature from about 260°

C. to about 400°

C.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the second purge gas is provided at a flow rate from about 1,000 sccm to about 4,000 sccm, at a total chamber pressure of from about 0.001 Torr to about 10 Torr, at a susceptor temperature from about 400°

C. to about 600°

C., and at a showerhead temperature greater than 200°

C.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein removing the substrate from the MOCVD chamber comprises transferring the substrate to a loadlock chamber in an atmosphere having greater than 90% N₂.

18. An integrated processing system for manufacturing compound nitride semiconductor devices comprising:

a metal organic chemical vapor deposition (MOCVD) chamber operable to form a gallium nitride (GaN) layer over one or more substrates with a thermal chemical-vapor-deposition process and to form a multi-quantum well (MQW) layer over the GaN layer; and

a halogen containing gas source coupled with the MOCVD chamber operable for flowing a halogen containing gas into the MOCVD chamber to remove at least a portion of unwanted deposition build-up deposited when forming the GaN layer over the one or more substrate from one or more interior surfaces of the MOCVD chamber prior to forming the MQW layer over the GaN layer, wherein the halogen containing gas is selected from the group comprising fluorine, chlorine, bromine, iodine, HI gas, HCl gas, HBr gas, HF gas, NF₃, and combinations thereof.

19. The integrated processing system of claim 18, further comprising:

a purge gas source coupled with the MOCVD chamber operable for flowing purge gas into the MOCVD chamber to remove reaction by-products formed from the reaction of the halogen containing gas with the unwanted deposition build-up from the MOCVD chamber prior to forming the MQW layer over the GaN layer.

20. The integrated processing system of claim 18, further comprising:

a transfer region in transferable communication with the MOCVD chamber;

a robot assembly disposed in the transfer region for transferring the one or more substrates without exposing the one or more substrates to atmosphere;

a loadlock chamber in transferable communication with the transfer region, wherein transferring one or more substrates comprises transferring the one or more substrates from the MOCVD chamber to a loadlock chamber without exposing the substrate to atmosphere in an environment having greater than 90% N₂.