Method for treating substrates and films with photoexcitation

• US 7,601,652 B2
• Filed: 06/21/2005
• Issued: 10/13/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 06/21/2005
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Applied Materials Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Applied Materials Incorporated
• Inventors: Shydo, Robert, Brailove, Adam, Smith, Jacob, Morin, Jeannot, Seutter, Sean M., Singh, Kaushal K., Iyer, R. Suryanarayanan, Ghanayem, Steve G.
• Primary Examiner(s): Smith; Zandra V.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Perkins; Pamela E
• Application Number:
  US11/157,567
• Publication Number:
  US 20060286820A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,575 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 438/792
• CPC Class Codes: C23C 16/0227 by cleaning or etching
• CPC Class Codes: C23C 16/345 Silicon nitride
• CPC Class Codes: C23C 16/45519 Inert gas curtains
• CPC Class Codes: C23C 16/45591 Fixed means, e.g. wings, baffles
• CPC Class Codes: C23C 16/482 using incoherent light, UV to IR, e.g. lamps
• CPC Class Codes: C23C 16/488 Protection of windows for introduction of radiation into the coating chamber
• CPC Class Codes: C23C 16/52 Controlling or regulating the coating process C23C16/45557, C23C16/279 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/0217 the material being a silicon nitride not containing oxygen, e.g. SixNy or SixByNz H01L21/02126 and H01L21/0214 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/0228 deposition by cyclic CVD, e.g. ALD, ALE, pulsed CVD
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/3185 of siliconnitrides

Abstract

Embodiments of the invention generally provide a method for depositing films using photoexcitation. The photoexcitation may be utilized for at least one of treating the substrate prior to deposition, treating substrate and/or gases during deposition, treating a deposited film, or for enhancing chamber cleaning. In one embodiment, a method for depositing silicon and nitrogen-containing film on a substrate includes heating a substrate disposed in a processing chamber, generating a beam of energy of between about 1 to about 10 eV, transferring the energy to a surface of the substrate; flowing a nitrogen-containing chemical into the processing chamber, flowing a silicon-containing chemical with silicon-nitrogen bonds into the processing chamber, and depositing a silicon and nitrogen-containing film on the substrate.

Claims

1. A method for depositing a silicon and nitrogen-containing film on a substrate, the method comprising:

positioning a substrate on a substrate support disposed in a processing chamber;

generating beam or flux of energy of between about 1 to about 10 eV;

indexing the substrate to expose different portions of the substrate to the beam of energy;

transferring the energy to a surface of the substrate in the processing chamber;

heating the substrate;

flowing a nitrogen-containing chemical into the processing chamber;

flowing a silicon-containing chemical with silicon-nitrogen bonds into the processing chamber; and

depositing a silicon and nitrogen-containing film on the heated substrate disposed in the processing chamber, wherein the step of transferring further comprises;

photoexciting the surface of the substrate prior to deposition of the silicon and nitrogen-containing film.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of transferring further comprises:

flowing an energy delivery gas through the beam of energy within the processing chamber.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the energy delivery gas is at least one of Ne, Ar, Kr, Xe, ArBr, ArCl, KBr, KCl, KrF, XeF₂, XeCl₂ and XeBr₂.

4. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

rotating the substrate to expose different portions of the substrate to the beam of energy.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of transferring further comprises:

flowing an energy delivery gas through the beam of energy; and

flowing the energized energy delivery gas into the processing chamber prior to deposition of the silicon and nitrogen-containing film.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the energy delivery gas is at least one of nitrogen or hydrogen.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of generating the beam of energy further comprises:

generating a first beam or flux of energy having a first wavelength; and

generating a second beam or flux of energy having a second wavelength.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the step of generating further comprises:

generating the first beam or flux of energy using a first lamp; and

generating the second beam or flux of energy using a second lamp housed remotely from the first lamp.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of heating further comprises:

heating the substrate to a temperature less than about 550 degrees Celsius.

10. A method for depositing a silicon and nitrogen-containing film on a substrate, the method comprising:

positioning a substrate on a substrate support disposed in a processing chamber;

generating beam or flux of energy of between about 1 to about 10 eV;

transferring the energy to a surface of the substrate in the processing chamber;

heating the substrate;

flowing a nitrogen-containing chemical into the processing chamber;

flowing a silicon-containing chemical with silicon-nitrogen bonds into the processing chamber; and

depositing a silicon and nitrogen-containing film on the heated substrate disposed in the processing chamber, wherein the step of transferring further comprises;

photoexciting the surface of the substrate prior to deposition of the silicon and nitrogen-containing film, wherein the step of photoexciting the surface of the substrate further comprises removing native oxides from the surface of the substrate; and

wherein the step of removing native oxides from the surface of the substrate further comprises flowing a polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon into the processing chamber in the presence of the beam or flux of energy.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the beam has an energy level between about 2 to about 10 eV.

12. A method for depositing a silicon and nitrogen-containing film on a substrate, the method comprising:

positioning a substrate on a substrate support disposed in a processing chamber;

generating beam or flux of energy of between about 1 to about 10 eV;

changing the angle of incidence defined between of the beam or flux of energy and the substrate surface;

transferring the energy to a surface of the substrate in the processing chamber;

heating the substrate;

flowing a nitrogen-containing chemical into the processing chamber;

flowing a silicon-containing chemical with silicon-nitrogen bonds into the processing chamber; and

depositing a silicon and nitrogen-containing film on the heated substrate disposed in the processing chamber, wherein the step of transferring further comprises;

photoexciting the surface of the substrate prior to deposition of the silicon and nitrogen-containing film.

13. A method for depositing a silicon and nitrogen-containing film on a substrate, the method comprising:

positioning a substrate on a substrate support disposed in a processing chamber;

generating beam or flux of energy of between about 1 to about 10 eV;

exposing the substrate to the beam of energy at an incidence angle of less than about 90 degrees;

transferring the energy to a surface of the substrate in the processing chamber;

heating the substrate;

flowing a nitrogen-containing chemical into the processing chamber;

flowing a silicon-containing chemical with silicon-nitrogen bonds into the processing chamber; and

depositing a silicon and nitrogen-containing film on the heated substrate disposed in the processing chamber, wherein the step of transferring further comprises;

photoexciting the surface of the substrate prior to deposition of the silicon and nitrogen-containing film.

14. A method for depositing a silicon and nitrogen-containing film on a substrate, the method comprising:

positioning a substrate on a substrate support disposed in a processing chamber;

generating beam or flux of energy of between about 1 to about 10 eV;

transferring generated energy to the surface of the substrate in the processing chamber prior to deposition of the silicon and nitrogen-containing film;

heating the substrate;

flowing a nitrogen-containing chemical into the processing chamber;

flowing a silicon-containing chemical with silicon-nitrogen bonds into the processing chamber; and

depositing a silicon and nitrogen-containing film on the heated substrate disposed in the processing chamber, wherein the step of transferring further comprises photoexciting the surface of the substrate prior to deposition of the silicon and nitrogen-containing film; and

transferring generated energy to the surface of the substrate in the processing chamber after the deposition of the silicon and nitrogen-containing film.

15. A method for depositing a silicon and nitrogen-containing film on a substrate, the method comprising:

positioning a substrate on a substrate support disposed in a processing chamber;

generating beam or flux of energy of between about 1 to about 10 eV;

transferring the energy to a surface of the substrate in the processing chamber;

heating the substrate;

flowing a nitrogen-containing chemical into the processing chamber;

flowing a silicon-containing chemical with silicon-nitrogen bonds into the processing chamber; and

depositing a silicon and nitrogen-containing film on the heated substrate disposed in the processing chamber, wherein the step of transferring further comprises;

photoexciting the surface of the substrate prior to deposition of the silicon and nitrogen-containing film, wherein the steps of generating and transferring further comprises;

flowing an energy delivery gas through a first beam or flux of energy;

flowing the energized energy delivery gas into the processing chamber prior to deposition of the silicon and nitrogen-containing film; and

photoexciting the surface of the substrate disposed in the processing chamber with a second beam or flux of energy after the deposition of the silicon and nitrogen-containing film.

16. A method for depositing a silicon and nitrogen-containing film on a substrate, the method comprising:

positioning a substrate on a substrate support disposed in a processing chamber;

generating beam or flux of energy of between about 1 to about 10 eV;

transferring the energy to a surface of the substrate in the processing chamber;

heating the substrate;

flowing a nitrogen-containing chemical into the processing chamber;

flowing a silicon-containing chemical with silicon-nitrogen bonds into the processing chamber; and

depositing a silicon and nitrogen-containing film on the heated substrate disposed in the processing chamber, wherein the step of transferring further comprises;

photoexciting the surface of the substrate prior to deposition of the silicon and nitrogen-containing film, wherein the steps of generating and transferring further comprises;

flowing a first energy delivery gas through a first beam or flux of energy;

flowing the energized first energy delivery gas into the processing chamber prior to deposition of the silicon and nitrogen-containing film;

flowing a second energy delivery gas through a second beam or flux of energy; and

flowing the energized second energy delivery gas into the processing chamber after deposition of the silicon and nitrogen-containing film.

17. A method for depositing a silicon and nitrogen-containing film on a substrate, the method comprising:

positioning a substrate on a substrate support disposed in a processing chamber;

generating beam or flux of energy of between about 1 to about 10 eV;

transferring the energy to a surface of the substrate in the processing chamber;

heating the substrate;

flowing a nitrogen-containing chemical into the processing chamber;

flowing a silicon-containing chemical with silicon-nitrogen bonds into the processing chamber; and

depositing a silicon and nitrogen-containing film on the heated substrate disposed in the processing chamber, wherein the step of transferring further comprises;

photoexciting the surface of the substrate prior to deposition of the silicon and nitrogen-containing film, wherein the steps of generating and transferring further comprises;

photoexciting the surface of the substrate disposed in the processing chamber with a first beam or flux of energy prior to deposition of the silicon and nitrogen-containing film; and

photoexciting the surface of the substrate disposed in the processing chamber with a second beam or flux of energy after the deposition of the silicon and nitrogen-containing film.

18. A method for depositing a silicon and nitrogen-containing film on a substrate, the method comprising:

positioning a substrate on a substrate support disposed in a processing chamber;

generating beam or flux of energy of between about 1 to about 10 eV;

transferring the energy to a surface of the substrate in the processing chamber;

heating the substrate;

flowing a nitrogen-containing chemical into the processing chamber;

flowing a silicon-containing chemical with silicon-nitrogen bonds into the processing chamber; and

depositing a silicon and nitrogen-containing film on the heated substrate disposed in the processing chamber, wherein the step of transferring further comprises;

photoexciting the surface of the substrate prior to deposition of the silicon and nitrogen-containing film, wherein the steps of generating and transferring further comprises;

photoexciting the surface of the substrate disposed in the processing chamber with a first beam or flux of energy prior to deposition of the silicon and nitrogen-containing film;

flowing a second energy delivery gas through a second beam or flux of energy; and

flowing the energized second energy delivery gas into the processing chamber after deposition of the silicon and nitrogen-containing film.