Method for Forming Oxide Film by Plasma-Assisted Processing

• US 20150079311A1
• Filed: 09/19/2013
• Published: 03/19/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 09/19/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: ASM IP Holding B.V. (ASM International NV)
• Original Assignee: ASM IP Holding B.V. (ASM International NV)
• Inventors: Nakano, Ryu, Inoue, Naoki
• Granted Patent: US 9,284,642 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 427/579
• CPC Class Codes: C23C 16/401 containing silicon
• CPC Class Codes: C23C 16/405 of refractory metals or yttrium
• CPC Class Codes: C23C 16/4554 Plasma being used non-continuously in between ALD reactions C23C16/56 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: C23C 16/5096 Flat-bed apparatus
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/02112 characterised by the material of the layer
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/02164 the material being a silicon oxide, e.g. SiO2
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/02186 the material containing titanium, e.g. TiO2
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/02211 the compound being a silane, e.g. disilane, methylsilane or chlorosilane
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/02219 the compound comprising silicon and nitrogen
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/02274 in the presence of a plasma [PECVD]
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/0228 deposition by cyclic CVD, e.g. ALD, ALE, pulsed CVD

Abstract

A method for forming an oxide film by plasma-assisted processing includes: (i) supplying a precursor reactive to none of oxygen, C_xO_y, and N_xO_y (x and y are integers) without a plasma to a reaction space wherein a substrate is placed; (ii) exposing the precursor to a plasma of C_xO_y and/or N_xO_y in the reaction space; and (iii) forming an oxide film on the substrate using the precursor and the plasma.

Claims

1. A method for forming an oxide film by plasma-assisted processing, comprising:

(i) supplying a precursor reactive to none of oxygen, C_xO_y, and N_xO_y (x and y are integers) without a plasma to a reaction space wherein a substrate is placed;

(ii) exposing the precursor to a plasma of C_xO_y and/or N_xO_y in the reaction space; and

(iii) forming an oxide film on the substrate using the precursor and the plasma.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the precursor contains Si, Ti, or Ge, and the oxide film is constituted substantially by SiO, TiO, or GeO.

3. The method according to claim 2, wherein the precursor is an organoaminosilane.

4. The method according to claim 1, wherein the plasma of C_xO_y and/or N_xO_y is a CO₂ plasma.

5. The method according to claim 1, wherein the plasma-assisted processing is plasma-enhanced atomic layer deposition (PEALD), wherein step (i) comprises (ia) supplying the precursor in the reaction space to adsorb the precursor on the substrate, followed by purging to remove a non-adsorbed precursor from the substrate, step (ii) comprises (iia) exposing the adsorbed precursor to the plasma to cause surface reaction to the adsorbed precursor, followed by purging to remove a non-reacted component from the substrate, and steps (ia) and (iia) constitute one cycle and are repeated to form the oxide film in step (iii).

6. The method according to claim 5, wherein the purging in step (ia) is insufficient for removing most of the non-adsorbed precursor.

7. The method according to claim 5, wherein the plasma is generated in the reaction space by applying RF power to the reaction space.

8. The method according to claim 7, wherein C_xO_y and/or N_xO_y are/is supplied continuously to the reaction space throughout steps (i) to (iii).

9. The method according to claim 1, wherein the plasma-assisted processing is plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposition (PECVD), wherein step (i) comprises (ia) supplying the precursor in the reaction space, and step (ii) comprises (iia) exposing the precursor to the plasma to cause reaction in the reaction space before a reacted component of the precursor deposits on the substrate.

10. The method according to claim 9, wherein the plasma is generated in the reaction space by applying RF power to the reaction space.

11. The method according to claim 1, wherein in step (ii), an oxygen plasma is further added to the reaction space.

12. The method according to claim 1, wherein in step (ii), no oxygen plasma is used in the reaction space.