Method for forming silicon-containing materials during a photoexcitation deposition process

• US 7,651,955 B2
• Filed: 06/20/2006
• Issued: 01/26/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 06/21/2005
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Applied Materials Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Applied Materials Incorporated
• Inventors: Ranish, Joseph M., Singh, Kaushal K.
• Primary Examiner(s): Nhu; David
• Application Number:
  US11/425,346
• Publication Number:
  US 20060286776A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,316 Days
• Field of Search: 438/197, 438/474, 438/475, 438/513, 438/535, 438/676, 438/706, 438/745, 438/680, 438/746, 438/752, 438/753, 438/931, 438/933, 438/905, 438/769
• US Class Current: 438/769
• CPC Class Codes: C23C 16/0227 by cleaning or etching
• CPC Class Codes: C23C 16/308 Oxynitrides
• 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: C30B 25/02 Epitaxial-layer growth
• CPC Class Codes: C30B 29/06 Silicon
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/02126 the material containing Si, O, and at least one of H, N, C, F, or other non-metal elements, e.g. SiOC, SiOC:H or SiONC
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/0214 the material being a silicon oxynitride, e.g. SiON or SiON:H
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/02164 the material being a silicon oxide, e.g. SiO2
• 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 21/02219 the compound comprising silicon and nitrogen
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/02277 the reactions being activated by other means than plasma or thermal, e.g. photo-CVD
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/02301 in-situ cleaning
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/0231 treatment by exposure to electromagnetic radiation, e.g. UV light
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/02348 treatment by exposure to UV light
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/02378 Silicon carbide
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/02381 : Silicon, silicon germanium, germanium
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/02529 : Silicon carbide
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/02532 : Silicon, silicon germanium, germanium
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/02576 : N-type
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/02579 : P-type
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/0262 : Reduction or decomposition of gaseous compounds, e.g. CVD
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/02661 : In-situ cleaning
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/3121 : Layers comprising organo-silicon compounds
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/3143 : composed of alternated layers or of mixtures of nitrides and oxides or of oxinitrides, e.g. formation of oxinitride by oxidation of nitride layers
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/31612 : on a silicon body
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/3185 : of siliconnitrides
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 438/905 : Cleaning of reaction chamber

Abstract

Embodiments of the invention generally provide a method for depositing films or layers using a UV source during a photoexcitation process. The films are deposited on a substrate and usually contain a material, such as silicon (e.g., epitaxy, crystalline, microcrystalline, polysilicon, or amorphous), silicon oxide, silicon nitride, silicon oxynitride, or other silicon-containing materials. The photoexcitation process may expose the substrate and/or gases to an energy beam or flux prior to, during, or subsequent a deposition process. Therefore, the photoexcitation process may be used to pre-treat or post-treat the substrate or material, to deposit the silicon-containing material, and to enhance chamber cleaning processes. Attributes of the method that are enhanced by the UV photoexcitation process include removing native oxides prior to deposition, removing volatiles from deposited films, increasing surface energy of the deposited films, increasing the excitation energy of precursors, reducing deposition time, and reducing deposition temperature.

Claims

1. A method for forming a silicon material on a substrate, comprising:

positioning a substrate within a process chamber;

exposing the substrate to a deposition gas comprising a silicon-containing precursor, an oxygen precursor, and a nitrogen precursor, wherein the silicon-containing precursor is at least one of tetraethoxysilane, alkoxysilane, or halosilane;

exposing the deposition gas to an energy beam derived from an ultraviolet (UV) source within the process chamber; and

depositing a silicon-containing material on the substrate, wherein the silicon-containing material is amorphous and comprises oxygen and nitrogen.

2. The method for forming a silicon material on a substrate according to claim 1, wherein the substrate is exposed to the energy beam during a pretreatment process prior to depositing the silicon-containing material or the substrate is exposed to the energy beam during a post-treatment process after depositing the silicon-containing material.

3. The method for forming a silicon material on a substrate according to claim 2, wherein native oxides are removed from the substrate during the pretreatment process.

4. The method for forming a silicon material on a substrate according to claim 2, wherein the energy beam has a photon energy within a range from about 2 eV to about 10 eV, within a range from about 3.2 eV to about 4.5 eV, or with in a range of both about 2 eV to about 10 eV and about 3.2 eV to about 4.5 eV.

5. The method for forming a silicon material on a substrate according to claim 4, wherein an energy delivery gas passes through the energy beam during the pretreatment process or the post-treatment process and the energy delivery gas comprises a gas selected from the group consisting of neon, argon, krypton, xenon, argon bromide, argon chloride, krypton bromide, krypton chloride, krypton fluoride, xenon fluorides, xenon chlorides, hydrogen, nitrogen, xenon bromides, fluorine, chlorine, bromine, excimers thereof, radicals thereof, derivatives thereof, and combinations thereof.

6. The method for forming a silicon material on a substrate according to claim 1, wherein the silicon-containing precursor is an alkoxysilane compound and wherein the alkoxysilane compound has the chemical formula of (RO)_nSiR′

_(4-n), wherein n=1, 2, 3, or 4, each R, independently, is selected from methyl, ethyl, propyl, or butyl, and each R′

, independently, is selected from hydrogen, a halogen group, methyl, ethyl, propyl, or butyl.

7. The method for forming a silicon material on a substrate according to claim 6, wherein the alkoxysilane compound is tetraethoxysilane.

8. The method for forming a silicon material on a substrate according to claim 7, wherein the oxygen precursor is selected from the group consisting of atomic oxygen, oxygen, ozone, water, hydrogen peroxide, radicals thereof, derivatives thereof, and combinations thereof.

9. The method for forming a silicon material on a substrate according to claim 8, wherein the nitrogen precursor is selected from the group consisting of atomic nitrogen, nitrogen, azide, ammonia, hydrazine, amine compounds, hydrazine compounds, azide compounds, radicals thereof, derivatives thereof, and combinations thereof.

10. The method for forming a silicon material on a substrate according to claim 1, wherein the silicon-containing precursor is a halosilane compound and wherein the halosilane compound is selected from the group consisting of hexachlorodisilane, tetrachlorosilane, dichlorosilane, derivatives thereof, and combinations thereof.

11. A method for forming a silicon material on a substrate, comprising:

positioning a substrate within a process chamber;

exposing the substrate to a deposition gas comprising a silicon-containing precursor and an oxygen precursor, wherein the silicon-containing precursor is at least one of tetraethoxysilane, alkoxysilane, or halosilane;

exposing the deposition gas to an energy beam derived from an ultraviolet (UV) source within the process chamber; and

depositing a silicon oxide material on the substrate.

12. The method for forming a silicon material on a substrate according to claim 11, wherein the substrate is exposed to the energy beam during a pretreatment process prior to depositing the silicon oxide material or the substrate is exposed to the energy beam during a post-treatment process after depositing the silicon oxide material.

13. The method for forming a silicon material on a substrate according to claim 11, wherein the energy beam has a photon energy, and wherein the photon energy is within a range from about 3.2 eV to about 4.5 eV, is within a range from about 2 eV to about 10 eV, or within a range from about 3.2 eV to about 4.5 eV an 2 eV to about 10 eV.

14. The method for forming a silicon material on a substrate according to claim 11, wherein an energy delivery gas passes through the energy beam during the pretreatment process or the post-treatment process and the energy delivery gas comprises a gas selected from the group consisting of neon, argon, krypton, xenon, argon bromide, argon chloride, krypton bromide, krypton chloride, krypton fluoride, xenon fluorides, xenon chlorides, xenon bromides, fluorine, chlorine, bromine, excimers thereof, radicals thereof, derivatives thereof, and combinations thereof.

15. The method for forming a silicon material on a substrate according to claim 14, wherein the energy delivery gas further comprises nitrogen gas or hydrogen gas.

16. The method for forming a silicon material on a substrate according to claim 11, herein the silicon-containing precursor is an alkoxysilane compound and wherein the alkoxysilane compound has the chemical formula of (RO)_nSiR′

_(4-n), wherein n=1, 2, 3, or 4, each R, independently, is selected from methyl, ethyl, propyl, or butyl, and each R′

, independently, is selected from hydrogen, a halogen group, methyl, ethyl, propyl, or butyl.

17. The method for forming a silicon material on a substrate according to claim 16, wherein the alkoxysilane compound is tetraethoxysilane.

18. The method for forming a silicon material on a substrate according to claim 17, wherein the oxygen precursor is selected from the group consisting of atomic oxygen, oxygen, ozone, water, hydrogen peroxide, radicals thereof, derivatives thereof, and combinations thereof.

19. The method for forming a silicon material on a substrate according to claim 11, wherein the silicon-containing precursor is a halosilane compound and wherein the halosilane compound is selected from the group consisting of hexachlorodisilane, tetrachlorosilane, dichlorosilane, derivatives thereof, and combinations thereof.

20. A method for forming a silicon material on a substrate, comprising:

positioning a substrate within a process chamber;

exposing the substrate to a deposition gas comprising tetraethoxysilane and an oxygen precursor;

exposing the deposition gas to an energy beam derived from an ultraviolet (UV) source within the process chamber; and

depositing a silicon oxide material on the substrate.

21. The method for forming a silicon material on a substrate according to claim 20, wherein the substrate is exposed to the energy beam during a pretreatment process prior to depositing the silicon oxide material or the substrate is exposed to the energy beam during a post-treatment process after depositing the silicon oxide material.

22. The method for forming a silicon material on a substrate according to claim 21, wherein the energy beam has a photon energy within a range from about 2 eV to about 10 eV.

23. The method for forming a silicon material on a substrate according to claim 22, wherein the photon energy is within a range from about 3.2 eV to about 4.5 eV.

24. The method for forming a silicon material on a substrate according to claim 21, wherein an energy delivery gas passes through the energy beam during the pretreatment process or the post-treatment process and the energy delivery gas comprises a gas selected from the group consisting of neon, argon, krypton, xenon, argon bromide, argon chloride, krypton bromide, krypton chloride, krypton fluoride, xenon fluorides, xenon chlorides, xenon bromides, fluorine, chlorine, bromine, excimers thereof, radicals thereof, derivatives thereof, and combinations thereof.

25. The method for forming a silicon material on a substrate according to claim 24, wherein the energy delivery gas further comprises nitrogen gas or hydrogen gas.