METHOD OF MANUFACTURING SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICE, METHOD OF PROCESSING SUBSTRATE, AND SUBSTRATE PROCESSING APPARATUS

• US 20110318940A1
• Filed: 06/24/2011
• Published: 12/29/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 06/28/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Kokusai Electric Corp.
• Original Assignee: Hitachi Kokusai Electric Incorporated (Hitachi, Ltd.)
• Inventors: OTA, Yosuke, HIROSE, Yoshiro, AKAE, Naonori, TAKASAWA, Yushin
• Granted Patent: US 8,410,003 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 438/776
• CPC Class Codes: C23C 16/34 Nitrides C23C16/303 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: C23C 16/345 Silicon nitride
• CPC Class Codes: C23C 16/45523 Pulsed gas flow or change of composition over time
• CPC Class Codes: C23C 16/4557 Heated nozzles
• CPC Class Codes: C23C 16/45574 Nozzles for more than one gas
• CPC Class Codes: C23C 16/509 using internal electrodes
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/0217 the material being a silicon nitride not containing oxygen, e.g. SixNy or SixByNz H01L21/02126 and H01L21/0214 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/02247 formation by nitridation, e.g. nitridation of the substrate
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/02252 formation by plasma treatment, e.g. plasma oxidation of the substrate after treatment of an insulating film by plasma H01L21/3105 and subgroups
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/0228 deposition by cyclic CVD, e.g. ALD, ALE, pulsed CVD

Abstract

A method of manufacturing a semiconductor device includes forming a layer containing a predetermined element on a substrate by supplying a source gas containing the predetermined element into a process vessel and exhausting the source gas from the process vessel to cause a chemical vapor deposition (CVD) reaction. A nitrogen-containing gas is supplied into the process vessel and then exhausted, changing the layer containing the predetermined element into a nitride layer. This process is repeated to form a nitride film on the substrate. The process vessel is purged by supplying an inert gas into the process vessel and exhausting the inert gas from the process vessel between forming the layer containing the predetermined element and changing the layer containing the predetermined element into the nitride layer.

Claims

1. A method of manufacturing a semiconductor device, comprising:

forming a layer containing a predetermined element on a substrate by supplying a source gas containing the predetermined element into a process vessel accommodating the substrate and exhausting the source gas from the process vessel under a condition where a chemical vapor deposition (CVD) reaction is caused;

changing the layer containing the predetermined element into a nitride layer by supplying a nitrogen-containing gas into the process vessel and exhausting the nitrogen-containing gas from the process vessel, wherein an inside of the process vessel is heated and a pressure of the inside of the process vessel is lower than an atmospheric pressure;

forming a nitride film having a predetermined film thickness on the substrate by alternately repeating forming the layer containing the predetermined element and changing the layer containing the predetermined element into the nitride layer; and

purging the inside of the process vessel by supplying an inert gas into the process vessel and exhausting the inert gas from the process vessel between forming the layer containing the predetermined element and changing the layer containing the predetermined element into the nitride layer,

wherein, in forming the layer containing the predetermined element, the source gas is supplied toward the substrate through a nozzle disposed at a side of the substrate, and one of an inert gas and a hydrogen-containing gas is supplied together with the source gas through the nozzle toward the substrate such that a flow velocity of the source gas flowing parallel to a surface of the substrate is greater than that of the inert gas flowing parallel to the surface of the substrate in purging the inside of the process vessel.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein, in forming the layer containing the predetermined element, a flow rate of one of the inert gas and the hydrogen-containing gas supplied together with the source gas through the nozzle is greater than that of the inert gas supplied through the nozzle in purging the inside of the process vessel.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein, in forming the layer containing the predetermined element, a flow rate of one of the inert gas and the hydrogen-containing gas supplied together with the source gas through the nozzle is greater than that of the source gas.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein, in forming the layer containing the predetermined element, a flow rate of one of the inert gas and the hydrogen-containing gas supplied together with the source gas through the nozzle is ten to thirty times greater than that of the source gas.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the flow rate is a volumetric flow rate.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein, in forming the layer containing the predetermined element, the layer containing the predetermined element is formed while suppressing at least one of a deposition and an adsorption of the layer containing the predetermined element by an action of one of the inert gas and the hydrogen-containing gas supplied together with the source gas through the nozzle.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein one of the inert gas and the hydrogen-containing gas supplied toward the substrate together with the source gas through the nozzle is supplied into a source gas supply pipe from a supply pipe connected to the source gas supply pipe, the source gas supply pipe being connected to the nozzle and configured to supply the source gas into the nozzle.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein, in forming the nitride film, a temperature of the substrate ranges from 350°

C. to 950°

C.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein, in forming the nitride film, a temperature of the substrate ranges from 700°

C. to 950°

C.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein, in forming the nitride film, a temperature of the substrate ranges from 750°

C. to 950°

C.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein, in forming the nitride film, a temperature of the substrate ranges from 800°

C. to 950°

C.

12. A method of processing a substrate, comprising:

forming a layer containing a predetermined element on a substrate by supplying a source gas containing the predetermined element into a process vessel accommodating the substrate and exhausting the source gas from the process vessel under a condition where a chemical vapor deposition (CVD) reaction is caused;

changing the layer containing the predetermined element into a nitride layer by supplying a nitrogen-containing gas into the process vessel and exhausting the nitrogen-containing gas from the process vessel, wherein an inside of the process vessel is heated and a pressure of the inside of the process vessel is lower than an atmospheric pressure;

forming a nitride film having a predetermined film thickness on the substrate by alternately repeating forming the layer containing the predetermined element and changing the layer containing the predetermined element into the nitride layer; and

purging the inside of the process vessel by supplying an inert gas into the process vessel and exhausting the inert gas from the process vessel between forming the layer containing the predetermined element and changing the layer containing the predetermined element into the nitride layer,

wherein, in forming the layer containing the predetermined element, the source gas is supplied toward the substrate through a nozzle disposed at a side of the substrate, and one of an inert gas and a hydrogen-containing gas is supplied together with the source gas through the nozzle toward the substrate such that a flow velocity of the source gas flowing parallel to a surface of the substrate is greater than that of the inert gas flowing parallel to the surface of the substrate in purging the inside of the process vessel.

13. A substrate processing apparatus comprising:

a process vessel configured to accommodate a substrate;

a heater configured to heat an inside of the process vessel;

a source gas supply system configured to supply a source gas containing a predetermined element into the process vessel;

a nitrogen-containing gas supply system configured to supply a nitrogen-containing gas into the process vessel;

a gas supply system configured to supply one of an inert gas and a hydrogen-containing gas into the process vessel;

an exhaust system configured to exhaust the inside of the process vessel;

a pressure regulator configured to control pressure of the inside of the process vessel; and

a controller configured to control the heater, the source gas supply system, the nitrogen-containing gas supply system, the gas supply system, the exhaust system, and the pressure regulator so as to perform;

a process of forming a layer containing the predetermined element on the substrate by supplying the source gas into the process vessel accommodating the substrate and exhausting the source gas from the process vessel under a condition where a chemical vapor deposition (CVD) reaction is caused;

a process of changing the layer containing the predetermined element into a nitride layer by supplying the nitrogen-containing gas into the process vessel and exhausting the nitrogen-containing gas from the process vessel, wherein the inside of the process vessel is heated and a pressure of the inside of the process vessel is lower than an atmospheric pressure;

a process of forming a nitride film having a predetermined film thickness on the substrate by alternately repeating the process of forming the layer containing the predetermined element and the process of changing the layer containing the predetermined element into the nitride layer; and

a process of purging the inside of the process vessel by supplying the inert gas into the process vessel and exhausting the inert gas from the process vessel between the process of forming the layer containing the predetermined element and the process of changing the layer containing the predetermined element into the nitride layer,

wherein, in the process of forming the layer containing the predetermined element, the source gas is supplied toward the substrate through a nozzle disposed at a side of the substrate, and one of the inert gas and the hydrogen-containing gas is supplied together with the source gas through the nozzle toward the substrate, such that a flow velocity of the source gas flowing parallel to a surface of the substrate is greater than that of the inert gas flowing parallel to the surface of the substrate in purging the inside of the process vessel.

14. The substrate processing apparatus of claim 13, wherein a source gas supply pipe configured to supply the source gas into the nozzle is connected to the nozzle, and a supply pipe configured to supply one of the inert gas and the hydrogen-containing gas supplied toward the substrate together with the source gas through the nozzle into the source gas supply pipe is connected to the source gas supply pipe.