ALTERNATING BETWEEN DEPOSITION AND TREATMENT OF DIAMOND-LIKE CARBON

• US 20180274100A1
• Filed: 09/27/2017
• Published: 09/27/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 03/24/2017
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Applied Materials Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Applied Materials Incorporated
• Inventors: Yang, Yang, Ramaswamy, Kartik, Venkatasubramanian, Eswaranand, Collins, Kenneth S., Lane, Steven, Monroy, Gonzalo Antonio, Chen, Lucy, Guo, Yue
• Application Number:
  US15/717,897
• Publication Number:
  US 20180274100A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: C23C 16/26 Deposition of carbon only
• CPC Class Codes: C23C 16/272 using DC, AC or RF discharges
• CPC Class Codes: C23C 16/4412 Details relating to the exhausts, e.g. pumps, filters, scrubbers, particle traps
• CPC Class Codes: C23C 16/487 using electron radiation
• CPC Class Codes: C23C 16/505 using radio frequency discharges
• CPC Class Codes: C23C 16/52 Controlling or regulating the coating process C23C16/45557, C23C16/279 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: C23C 16/56 After-treatment
• CPC Class Codes: H01J 2237/332 Coating
• CPC Class Codes: H01J 2237/3321 CVD [Chemical Vapor Deposition]
• CPC Class Codes: H01J 37/302 Controlling tubes by external information, e.g. programme control H01J37/304 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H01J 37/317 for changing properties of the objects or for applying thin layers thereon, e.g. for ion implantation H01J37/36 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H01J 37/32082 Radio frequency generated discharge H01J37/32357, H01J37/32366, H01J37/32394 and H01J37/32403 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H01J 37/3233 using charged particles
• CPC Class Codes: H01J 37/32449 Gas control, e.g. control of the gas flow
• CPC Class Codes: H01J 37/32568 Relative arrangement or disposition of electrodes; moving means
• CPC Class Codes: H01J 37/32715 Workpiece holder
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/02115 the material being carbon, e.g. alpha-C, diamond or hydrogen doped carbon
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/022 the layer being a laminate, i.e. composed of sublayers, e.g. stacks of alternating high-k metal oxides adhesion layers or buffer layers H01L21/02304, H01L21/02362
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/02271 deposition by decomposition or reaction of gaseous or vapour phase compounds, i.e. chemical vapour deposition H01L21/02266 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/02274 in the presence of a plasma [PECVD]
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/0234 : treatment by exposure to a plasma
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/02351 : treatment by exposure to corpuscular radiation, e.g. exposure to electrons, alpha-particles, protons or ions

Abstract

A method of forming a layer of diamond-like carbon on a workpiece includes supporting the workpiece in a chamber with the workpiece facing an upper electrode, and forming a plurality of successive sublayers to form the layer of layer of diamond-like carbon by alternating between depositing a sublayer of diamond-like carbon on the workpiece in the chamber and treating the sublayer with a plasma of the inert gas or an electron beam from the upper electrode.

Claims

1. An electron beam plasma reactor comprising:

a plasma chamber having a side wall;

an upper electrode;

a first RF source power generator coupled to said upper electrode;

a first gas supply to provide a hydrocarbon gas;

a second gas supply to provide an inert gas;

a gas distributor to deliver the hydrocarbon gas and the inert gas to the chamber;

a vacuum pump coupled to the chamber to evacuate the chamber;

a workpiece support pedestal to hold a workpiece facing the upper electrode; and

a controller configured to operate the upper electrode, gas distributor and vacuum pump to alternate between depositing a layer of diamond-like carbon on the workpiece and treating the workpiece with an electron beam from the upper electrode.

2. The reactor of claim 1, wherein the controller is configured to

cause the gas distributor to deliver the hydrocarbon gas from the first gas supply into the chamber, and

cause the first RF power source to apply first RF power at a first frequency to the upper electrode to generate a plasma in the chamber and produce deposition of the layer of diamond-like carbon on the workpiece.

3. The reactor of claim 2, comprising a lower electrode and a second RF source power generator coupled to the lower electrode and configured to apply second RF power at a second frequency to the upper electrode.

4. The reactor of claim 2, wherein the controller is configured to cause the vacuum pump to remove the hydrocarbon gas from the chamber after deposition of the layer of diamond-like carbon on the workpiece.

5. The reactor of claim 4, wherein the controller is configured to

after the hydrocarbon gas is removed, cause the gas distributor to deliver the inert gas from the second gas supply into the chamber, and

cause the first RF power source to apply third RF power at a third frequency to the upper electrode to generate a plasma of the inert gas in the chamber and generate an electron beam from the upper electrode toward the workpiece, the electron beam impinging the layer of diamond-like carbon to treat the workpiece.

6. A method of forming a layer of diamond-like carbon on a workpiece, comprising:

supporting the workpiece in a chamber with the workpiece facing an upper electrode; and

forming a plurality of successive sublayers to form the layer of layer of diamond-like carbon by alternating between depositing a sublayer of diamond-like carbon on the workpiece in the chamber and treating the sublayer with a plasma of the inert gas or an electron beam from the upper electrode.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein depositing a sublayer of diamond-like carbon on the workpiece comprises introducing a hydrocarbon gas into the chamber and applying first RF power at a first frequency to the upper electrode that generates a plasma in the chamber and produces a deposition of the sublayer of diamond-like carbon on the workpiece.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein applying the first RF power generates an electron beam from the upper electrode toward the workpiece to enhance ionization of the hydrocarbon gas.

9. The method of claim 6, wherein treating the sublayer comprises introducing an inert gas into the chamber and applying first RF power at a second frequency to the upper electrode that generates a plasma of the inert gas in the chamber.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein applying the second RF power generates an electron beam from the upper electrode that impinges the sublayer of diamond-like carbon on the workpiece.

11. A method of treating or depositing a layer of diamond-like carbon on a workpiece in a chamber, comprising:

supporting the workpiece on a pedestal in the chamber, the workpiece facing an upper electrode suspended from a ceiling of the chamber;

introducing an inert gas and/or hydrocarbon gas into the chamber;

applying first RF power at a first frequency to the upper electrode that generates a plasma of the inert an inert gas and/or hydrocarbon gas in the chamber to anneal a layer of diamond-like carbon on the substrate or produce a deposition of diamond-like carbon on the workpiece; and

applying second RF power at a plurality of discrete frequencies simultaneously to a lower electrode in the pedestal, the plurality of frequencies including second frequency and a third frequency that is higher than the first frequency.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the first frequency is less than the third frequency.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the first frequency is equal to or less than the second frequency.

14. The method of claim 11, wherein the second frequency is less than 2 MHz.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the third frequency is greater than 2 MHz.

16. An electron beam plasma reactor comprising:

a plasma chamber having a side wall;

an upper electrode;

a first RF source power generator coupled to said upper electrode, the first RF source power generator configured to apply first RF power at a first frequency to the upper electrode;

a first gas supply to provide a hydrocarbon gas;

a second gas supply to provide an inert gas;

a gas distributor to deliver the hydrocarbon gas and the inert gas to the chamber;

a vacuum pump coupled to the chamber to evacuate the chamber;

a workpiece support pedestal to hold a workpiece facing the upper electrode;

a lower electrode;

a second RF source power generator coupled to the lower electrode, the second RF RF source power generator configured to apply second RF power at a plurality of frequencies simultaneously to the lower electrode, the plurality of frequencies including second frequency and a third frequency that is higher than the first frequency; and

a controller configured to operate the upper electrode, lower electrode, gas distributor and vacuum pump to deposit or anneal a layer of diamond-like carbon on the workpiece.

17. The plasma reactor of claim 16, wherein the lower electrode is supported by the workpiece support pedestal.

18. The plasma reactor of claim 17, wherein the first frequency is less than the third frequency.

19. The plasma reactor of claim 18, wherein the first frequency is equal to or less than the second frequency.

20. The plasma reactor of claim 16, wherein the second frequency is less than 2 MHz.

21. The plasma reactor of claim 16, wherein the third frequency is greater than 2 MHz.