Annealing an amorphous film using microwave energy

• US 6,172,322 B1
• Filed: 11/07/1997
• Issued: 01/09/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 11/07/1997
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Applied Komatsu Technology, Inc. (Applied Materials Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Applied Industrial Technologies Incorporated
• Inventors: Won, Taekyung, Sun, Sheng, Takehara, Takako, Shang, Quanyuan, Law, Kam S., Robertson, Robert McCormick
• Primary Examiner(s): Leung, Philip H.
• Application Number:
  US08/965,939
• Time in Patent Office: 1,159 Days
• Field of Search: 219/746, 219/762, 219/679, 219/678, 219/121.43, 219/686, 219/761, 118/723.MW, 156/345
• US Class Current: 219/121.43
• CPC Class Codes: C23C 16/56 After-treatment

Abstract

A system and method for annealing a film on a substrate in a processing chamber, including a microwave generator disposed to provide microwaves to an area within the interior of the chamber. The microwaves have a frequency such that the film is substantially absorptive at the frequency but the substrate is not substantially absorptive at the frequency. A waveguide distributes the microwaves over the surface of the film to provide a substantially uniform dosage of microwaves over the surface of the film. The method includes depositing a film on a substrate in the processing chamber. During at least a portion of the time of the depositing step, microwaves are generated having a frequency such that the film has an absorption peak at the frequency but the substrate lacks a substantial absorption peak at the frequency. The microwaves are directed towards the film.

Claims

1. A system for annealing a film on a substrate in a vacuum processing chamber comprising

a plasma enhanced chemical vapor deposition chamber having a substrate support centered in the chamber,

a sidewall opening in the chamber for ingress and egress of a substrate to be processed in the chamber while mounted on the substrate support;

a gas inlet manifold having a plurality of openings for the passage of processing gas into the chamber mounted opposed to and spaced from the substrate support;

an RF power supply connected to said chamber to form a plasma therein from said processing gas to deposit a film on said substrate;

a plurality of microwave generators mounted above said chamber, each connected to a waveguide mounted so as to direct microwaves uniformly over the surface of said film through a plurality of windows in said chamber, said microwaves having a frequency that is absorbed by said film and that is not absorbed by said substrate.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the frequency is about 2.45 GHz.

3. A system according to claim 1 wherein said microwaves generate a plasma in the chamber that transfers energy to said film, thereby heating said film to anneal temperatures.