CHEMICAL VAPOR DEPOSITION IMPROVEMENTS THROUGH RADICAL-COMPONENT MODIFICATION

• US 20110159213A1
• Filed: 10/15/2010
• Published: 06/30/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 12/30/2009
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Applied Materials Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Applied Materials Incorporated
• Inventors: Zhao, Yue, Cai, Xiuyu, Mallick, Abhijit Basu, Venkataraman, Shankar, Ingle, Nitin K.
• Application Number:
  US12/905,582
• Publication Number:
  US 20110159213A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 427/579
• CPC Class Codes: C23C 16/345 Silicon nitride
• CPC Class Codes: C23C 16/505 using radio frequency discharges
• CPC Class Codes: C23C 16/56 After-treatment

Abstract

A method of forming a silicon oxide layer is described. The method may include the steps of mixing a carbon-free silicon-containing precursor with a radical-nitrogen precursor, and depositing a silicon-and-nitrogen-containing layer on a substrate. The radical-nitrogen precursor is formed in a plasma by flowing ammonia and nitrogen (N₂) and/or hydrogen (H₂) into the plasma in order to allow adjustment of the nitrogen/hydrogen ratio. The silicon-and-nitrogen-containing layer may be converted to a silicon-and-oxygen-containing layer by curing and annealing the film.

Claims

1. A method of forming a dielectric layer on a substrate in a plasma-free substrate processing region in a substrate processing chamber, the method comprising:

flowing a nitrogen-and-hydrogen-containing gas into a plasma region to produce a radical-nitrogen precursor, wherein the nitrogen-and-hydrogen-containing gas comprises ammonia and N₂ and has a nitrogen;

hydrogen atomic flow ratio into the plasma region above 1;

3;

combining a carbon-free silicon-containing precursor with the radical-nitrogen precursor in the plasma-free substrate processing region; and

depositing the dielectric layer on the substrate.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the nitrogen-and-hydrogen-containing gas further comprises hydrogen (H₂).

3. The method of claim 1 wherein the nitrogen:

hydrogen atomic flow ratio is greater than or about 1;

2.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein the carbon-free silicon-containing precursor comprises a silicon-and-nitrogen-containing precursor.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein the carbon-free silicon-containing precursor comprises N(SiH₃)₃.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein the dielectric layer comprises a carbon-free Si—

N—

H layer.

7. The method of claim 1 further comprising an operation of curing the dielectric layer by maintaining a temperature of the substrate at a curing temperature less than or about 400°

C. in an ozone-containing atmosphere.

8. The method of claim 1 further comprising raising a temperature of the substrate to an oxygen anneal temperature above or about 600°

C. in an oxygen-containing atmosphere comprising one or more gases selected from the group consisting of atomic oxygen, ozone, and steam (H₂O).

9. The method of claim 1 wherein the plasma region is in a remote plasma system.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the plasma region is a partitioned portion of the substrate processing chamber separated from the plasma-free substrate processing region by a showerhead.

11. A method of forming a dielectric layer on a substrate in a plasma-free substrate processing region in a substrate processing chamber, the method comprising:

flowing a nitrogen-and-hydrogen-containing gas into a plasma region to produce a radical-nitrogen precursor, wherein the nitrogen-and-hydrogen-containing gas comprises ammonia and hydrogen (H₂) and has a nitrogen;

hydrogen atomic flow ratio into the plasma region below 1;

3;

combining a carbon-free silicon-containing precursor with the radical-nitrogen precursor in the plasma-free substrate processing region; and

depositing the dielectric layer on the substrate.

12. The method of claim 11 wherein the nitrogen-and-hydrogen-containing gas further comprises nitrogen (N₂).

13. The method of claim 11 wherein the nitrogen:

hydrogen atomic flow ratio is less than or about 1;

4.

14. The method of claim 11 wherein the carbon-free silicon-containing precursor comprises a silicon-and-nitrogen-containing precursor.

15. The method of claim 11 wherein the carbon-free silicon-containing precursor comprises N(SiH₃)₃.

16. The method of claim 11 wherein the dielectric layer comprises a carbon-free Si—

N—

H layer.

17. The method of claim 11 further comprising an operation of curing the dielectric layer by raising a temperature of the substrate to a curing temperature less than or about 400°

C. in an ozone-containing atmosphere.

18. The method of claim 11 further comprising an operation of annealing the substrate by raising a temperature of the substrate to an oxygen anneal temperature above or about 600°

C. in an oxygen-containing atmosphere comprising one or more gases selected from the group consisting of atomic oxygen, ozone, and steam (H₂O).

19. The method of claim 11 wherein the plasma region is in a remote plasma system.

20. The method of claim 11 wherein the plasma region is a partitioned portion of the substrate processing chamber separated from the plasma-free substrate processing region by a showerhead.