Method of forming a crystalline insulation layer on a silicon substrate

• US 6,232,242 B1
• Filed: 09/15/1999
• Issued: 05/15/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 03/25/1997
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: ROHM Co., Ltd.
• Original Assignee: ROHM Co., Ltd.
• Inventors: Kamisawa, Akira, Sasaki, Kimihiro, Hata, Tomonobu
• Primary Examiner(s): Chaudhari, Chandra
• Assistant Examiner(s): PERT, EVAN T
• Application Number:
  US09/395,983
• Time in Patent Office: 608 Days
• Field of Search: 428/688, 428/690, 428/689, 427/457, 427/458, 427/470, 427/96, 427/126.1, 427/126.2, 427/126.3, 427/126.4, 427/126.5, 427/126.6, 438/761, 438/762, 438/763, 438/778, 438/503
• US Class Current: 438/762
• CPC Class Codes: C23C 14/3407 Cathode assembly for sputtering apparatus, e.g. Target
• CPC Class Codes: C30B 23/02 Epitaxial-layer growth
• CPC Class Codes: C30B 29/16 Oxides
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/02164 the material being a silicon oxide, e.g. SiO2
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/02178 the material containing aluminium, e.g. Al2O3
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/02189 the material containing zirconium, e.g. ZrO2
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/02197 the material having a perovskite structure, e.g. BaTiO3
• 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 21/02266 deposition by physical ablation of a target, e.g. sputtering, reactive sputtering, physical vapour deposition or pulsed laser deposition
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/31604 Deposition from a gas or vapour H01L21/31691, H01L21/31695 take precedence

Abstract

Metal which forms a crystalline insulation layer is sputtered at a target and deposited as a film on a silicon substrate, the metal is chemically combined with reactive gas around the silicon substrate to thereby grow a crystal layer of a crystalline insulation substance, and a voltage is applied to the substrate so that ions of the reactive gas around the substrate are attracted to a surface of the silicon substrate and chemically combined with silicon, whereby an insulation silicon compound layer is formed at the interface of the silicon substrate and the crystalline insulation layer. As a result, a structure is obtained in which a crystalline insulation layer is formed on a crystalline silicon layer with an intervening amorphous insulation film which is formed by a silicon compound which has an excellent insulation characteristic. Hence, it is possible to epitaxially grow an additional semiconductor layer or a crystalline ferroelectric layer on a surface of the crystalline insulation layer, which makes it possible to form a three dimensional semiconductor device, a composite semiconductor device, a high performance semiconductor memory device or the like. Thus, it is possible to obtain a semiconductor device which is new and highly integrated at an inexpensive cost.

Claims

1. A method of manufacturing a semiconductor substrate for a semiconductor device comprising the steps of:

growing a crystalline insulation layer on a silicon substrate by sputtering a metal which forms said crystalline insulation layer from a target, and chemically combining said metal with reactive gas around said silicon substrate; and

forming an insulation silicon compound layer by applying a voltage to said silicon substrate so that ions of said reactive gas around said substrate are attracted to a surface of said silicon substrate and are chemically combined with silicon.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein said silicon substrate and said target are disposed facing each other within a reactive sputtering apparatus, said reactive gas is supplied into said apparatus in such a manner that there is a larger amount of said reactive gas around said substrate than around said target, and inert gas which is supplied into said apparatus is discharged, whereby said crystalline insulation layer is grown.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein said target is a composite target or an alloy target of zirconium and yttrium, said reactive gas is oxygen, said crystalline insulation layer is YSZ, and said insulation silicon compound layer is silicon oxide.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein Ce is used as said target, and a crystal layer of CeO₂ is grown as said crystalline insulation layer.

5. The method of claim 2, wherein Al is used as said target, and a crystal layer of Al₂O₃ is grown as said crystalline insulation layer.

6. The method of claim 2, wherein Mg is used as said target, and a crystal layer of MgO is grown as said crystalline insulation layer.

7. The method of claim 2, wherein Zr is used as said target, and a crystal layer of ZrO₂ is grown as said crystalline insulation layer.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein said reactive gas is supplied into said sputtering apparatus, with said target covered with a cover which has an opening at a portion of said target which faces silicon substrate.