HEAT TREATMENT METHOD AND HEAT TREATMENT APPARATUS FOR HEATING SUBSTRATE BY IRRADIATING SUBSTRATE WITH LIGHT

• US 20130337661A1
• Filed: 06/11/2013
• Published: 12/19/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 06/15/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: SCREEN Holdings Co., Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Dainippon Screen Manufacturing Company Limited (SCREEN Holdings Co., Ltd.)
• Inventors: KATO, Shinichi
• Granted Patent: US 9,023,740 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 438/795
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/02356 treatment to change the morphology of the insulating layer, e.g. transformation of an amorphous layer into a crystalline layer
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/26 Bombardment with radiation H01L21/3105 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/2636 for heating, e.g. electron beam heating
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/2686 using incoherent radiation
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/28176 with a treatment, e.g. annealing, after the formation of the definitive gate conductor
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/28185 with a treatment, e.g. annealing, after the formation of the gate insulator and before the formation of the definitive gate conductor
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/67115 mainly by radiation
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/68785 characterised by the mechanical construction of the susceptor, stage or support
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 29/517 the insulating material comprising a metallic compound, e.g. metal oxide, metal silicate H01L29/518 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 3/0047 for semiconductor manufacture

Abstract

A surface of a semiconductor wafer with a gate of a high dielectric constant film formed thereon is heated to a target temperature for a short time by irradiating the surface with a flash of light. This promotes the crystallization of the high dielectric constant film while suppressing the growth of an underlying silicon dioxide film. Subsequently, the temperature of the semiconductor wafer subjected to the flash heating is maintained at an annealing temperature by irradiating the semiconductor wafer with light from halogen lamps. An annealing process after the flash heating is performed in an atmosphere of a gas mixture of hydrogen gas and nitrogen gas. The annealing process is performed on the semiconductor wafer in the atmosphere of the hydrogen-nitrogen gas mixture, so that defects present near the interfaces of the high dielectric constant film are eliminated by hydrogen termination.

Claims

1. A method of irradiating a substrate with a high dielectric constant film formed thereon with light to heat the substrate, thereby promoting the crystallization of said high dielectric constant film, said method comprising the steps of:

(a) irradiating a surface of the substrate with said high dielectric constant film formed thereon with a flash of light from a flash lamp to heat the surface of said substrate including said high dielectric constant film to a first temperature; and

(b) irradiating said substrate with light from a halogen lamp to maintain the temperature of said substrate at a second temperature lower than said first temperature,

said step (b) being performed in an atmosphere containing any gas selected from the group consisting of hydrogen, ammonia, hydrogen chloride, sulfur dioxide, nitrous oxide, and hydrogen sulfide.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein

the temperature of said substrate is maintained at a temperature in the range of 300°

to 700°

C. for a time period in the range of two seconds to 30 minutes in said step (b).

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein

said step (b) is performed after said step (a).

4. The method according to claim 3, further comprising the step of

(c) irradiating said substrate with light from said halogen lamp to heat the temperature of said substrate to said second temperature, said step (c) being performed before said step (a).

5. The method according to claim 1, wherein

a gate electrode including at least one metal selected from the group consisting of titanium, zirconium, hafnium, vanadium, niobium, tantalum, molybdenum, and tungsten is formed on said high dielectric constant film.

6. The method according to claim 1, wherein

said high dielectric constant film includes at least one selected from the group consisting of TiN, ZrN, HfN, VN, NbN, TaN, MoN, WN, TiSiN, HfSiN, VSiN, NbSiN, TaSiN, MoSiN, WSiN, HfAlN, VAIN, NbAlN, TaAlN, MoAlN, and WAlN.

7. A heat treatment apparatus for irradiating a substrate with a high dielectric constant film formed thereon with light to heat the substrate, thereby promoting the crystallization of said high dielectric constant film, said heat treatment apparatus comprising:

a chamber for receiving therein the substrate with said high dielectric constant film formed thereon;

a holder for holding said substrate in said chamber;

a flash lamp for irradiating a surface of said substrate held by said holder with a flash of light to heat the surface of said substrate including said high dielectric constant film to a first temperature;

a halogen lamp for irradiating said substrate held by said holder with light;

an atmosphere forming part for supplying any gas selected from the group consisting of hydrogen, ammonia, hydrogen chloride, sulfur dioxide, nitrous oxide, and hydrogen sulfide into said chamber to form an atmosphere containing said gas within said chamber; and

a controller for controlling the emission of light from said halogen lamp and said atmosphere forming part so as to irradiate said substrate with light from said halogen light, thereby maintaining the temperature of said substrate at a second temperature lower than said first temperature, while forming an atmosphere containing said gas within said chamber.

8. The heat treatment apparatus according to claim 7, wherein

said second temperature is in the range of 300°

to 700°

C., and

said controller controls the emission of light from said halogen lamp so as to maintain the temperature of said substrate at said second temperature for a time period in the range of two seconds to 30 minutes.

9. The heat treatment apparatus according to claim 7, wherein

said controller controls the emission of light from said halogen lamp so as to maintain the temperature of said substrate at said second temperature after the surface of said substrate is heated to said first temperature by the irradiation with a flash of light from said flash lamp.

10. The heat treatment apparatus according to claim 9, wherein

said controller controls the emission of light from said halogen lamp so as to heat said substrate to said second temperature before the surface of said substrate is heated to said first temperature by the irradiation with a flash of light from said flash lamp.

11. The heat treatment apparatus according to claim 7, wherein

a gate electrode including at least one metal selected from the group consisting of titanium, zirconium, hafnium, vanadium, niobium, tantalum, molybdenum, and tungsten is formed on said high dielectric constant film.

12. The heat treatment apparatus according to claim 7, wherein

said high dielectric constant film includes at least one selected from the group consisting of TiN, ZrN, HfN, VN, NbN, TaN, MoN, WN, TiSiN, HfSiN, VSiN, NbSiN, TaSiN, MoSiN, WSiN, HfAlN, VAIN, NbAlN, TaAlN, MoAlN, and WAlN.