Methods for forming a dielectric film

• US 6,461,982 B2
• Filed: 02/27/1997
• Issued: 10/08/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 02/27/1997
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Micron Technology, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Micron Technology, Inc.
• Inventors: Thakur, Randhir P. S., DeBoer, Scott J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Chaudhari, Chandra
• Assistant Examiner(s): Chen, Jack S. J.
• Application Number:
  US08/807,831
• Publication Number:
  US 20010036752A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,049 Days
• Field of Search: 438/240, 438/778, 438/485, 438/3, 438/785, 438/591, 438/287, 438/771
• US Class Current: 438/778
• CPC Class Codes: C23C 16/40 Oxides
• CPC Class Codes: C23C 16/52 Controlling or regulating the coating process C23C16/45557, C23C16/279 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/02181 the material containing hafnium, e.g. HfO2
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/02183 the material containing tantalum, e.g. Ta2O5
• 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
• 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 21/316 composed of oxides or glassy oxides or oxide based glass
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/31691 with perovskite structure
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 28/40 Capacitors
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 29/516 with at least one ferroelectric layer

Abstract

A method of forming a high dielectric oxide film includes forming a high dielectric oxide film on a surface. The high dielectric oxide film has a dielectric constant greater than about 4 and includes a plurality of oxygen vacancies present during the formation of the film. The high dielectric oxide film is exposed during the formation thereof to an amount of atomic oxygen sufficient for reducing the number of oxygen vacancies. Further, the amount of atomic oxygen used in the formation method may be controlled as a function of the amount of oxygen incorporated into the high dielectric oxide film during the formation thereof or be controlled as a function of the concentration of atomic oxygen in a process chamber in which the high dielectric oxide film is being formed. An apparatus for forming the high dielectric oxide film is also described.

Claims

1. A method of forming a high dielectric oxide film, the method comprising:

depositing a high dielectric oxide film on a surface of a device structure provided in a process chamber, the high dielectric oxide film having a dielectric constant greater than about 4 and including a plurality of oxygen vacancies formed during deposition of the high dielectric oxide film; and

exposing the high dielectric oxide film during deposition to an amount of atomic oxygen that reduces the plurality of oxygen vacancies to eliminate a post deposition oxygen anneal of the high dielectric oxide film, wherein the atomic oxygen utilized for exposure is provided by generation of a plasma from at least one of O₂, O₃, NO, and N₂O, wherein the generation of the plasma is performed remotely from the process chamber, and further wherein the amount of atomic oxygen to which the high dielectric oxide film is exposed during deposition thereof is controlled as a function of the amount of oxygen incorporated into the high dielectric oxide film during the deposition thereof.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the surface is biased for attracting ionized atomic oxygen of the plasma.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein the atomic oxygen is exposed to a heat source.

4. The method according to claim 1, wherein the high dielectric film includes one of Ta₂O₅, Ba_xSr₁₋

xTiO₃, Y₂O₃, TiO₂, HfO₂, PZT, PLZT, and SBT.

5. The method according to claim 1, wherein the high dielectric oxide film comprises a Ta₂O₅ film.

6. The method according to claim 5, wherein depositing the high dielectric oxide film further comprises providing a vaporized tantalum precursor for use in the deposition of the Ta₂O₅ film.

7. The method according to claim 6, wherein depositing the high dielectric oxide film further comprises depositing the Ta₂O₅ film using the atomic oxygen and the vaporized tantalum precursor simultaneously while simultaneously performing an in situ oxygen anneal of the Ta₂O₅ film.

8. The method according to claim 6, wherein providing a vaporized tantalum precursor comprises vaporization of a carbon-free solid precursor.

9. A method of forming a high dielectric oxide film, the method comprising:

depositing a high dielectric oxide film on a surface of a device structure provided in a process chamber, the high dielectric oxide film having a dielectric constant greater than about 4 and including a plurality of oxygen vacancies formed during deposition of the high dielectric oxide film; and

exposing the high dielectric oxide film during deposition to an amount of atomic oxygen that reduces the plurality of oxygen vacancies to eliminate a post deposition oxygen anneal of the high dielectric oxide film, wherein the atomic oxygen utilized for exposure is provided by generation of a plasma from at least one of O₂, O₃, NO, and N₂O, wherein the generation of the plasma is performed remotely from the process chamber, and further wherein the amount of atomic oxygen to which the high dielectric oxide film is exposed during deposition thereof is controlled as a function of a concentration of atomic oxygen in the process chamber used for deposition of the high dielectric oxide film.

10. The method according to claim 9, wherein the surface is biased for attracting ionized atomic oxygen of the plasma.

11. The method according to claim 9, wherein the atomic oxygen is exposed to a heat source.

12. The method according to claim 9, wherein the high dielectric film includes one of Ta₂O₃, Ba_xSr₁₋

xTiO₃, Y₂O₃, TiO, HfO₂, PZT, PLZT, and SBT.

13. The method according to claim 9, wherein the high dielectric oxide film comprises a Ta₂O₅ film.

14. The method according to claim 13, wherein depositing the high dielectric oxide film further comprises providing a vaporized tantalum precursor for use in the deposition of the Ta₂O₅ film.

15. The method according to claim 14, wherein depositing the high dielectric oxide film further comprises depositing the Ta₂O₅ film using the atomic oxygen and the vaporized tantalum precursor simultaneously while simultaneously performing an in situ oxygen anneal of the Ta₂O₅ film.

16. The method according to claim 14, wherein providing a vaporized tantalum precursor comprises vaporization of a carbon-free solid precursor.