Method of improving the uniformity of PECVD-deposited thin films
First Claim
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1. A method of improving film deposition uniformity of a PECVD deposited film, wherein a deposition plasma is formed directly over a substrate surface having an equivalent radius of about 0.7 meter or greater, comprising:
- providing a substrate having a surface equivalent radius of about 0.7 meter or greater;
placing said substrate in a parallel plate processing chamber;
setting an electrode spacing between parallel plate electrodes in said parallel plate processing chamber to be below about 1000 mils;
setting an R.F. power frequency to be between about 13.56 MHZ and about 3 MHZ;
setting an electron density of a plasma used during deposition of said PECVD-deposited film to be less than about 1010/cm3;
selecting a plasma source gas in which reactive species are dissociated at an electron density used during deposition of said film;
setting a total gas flow in said processing chamber so that a volumetric gas turnover rate in said processing chamber is at least 0.015 processing chamber volumes per minute; and
depositing said PECVD-deposited film, wherein surface standing wave effects are controlled during film deposition, so that a film deposition rate of at least 1,000Å
/min is achieved over said substrate surface having an equivalent radius of about 0.7 meter or greater, in combination with a film thickness variation over said substrate surface of less than about 10.8 %.
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Abstract
We have discovered that controlling a combination of PECVD deposition process parameters during deposition of silicon-containing thin film provides improved control over surface standing wave effects. By minimizing surface standing wave effects, the uniformity of film properties (particularly film thickness) across a substrate surface onto which the films have been deposited is improved.
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Citations
17 Claims
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1. A method of improving film deposition uniformity of a PECVD deposited film, wherein a deposition plasma is formed directly over a substrate surface having an equivalent radius of about 0.7 meter or greater, comprising:
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providing a substrate having a surface equivalent radius of about 0.7 meter or greater; placing said substrate in a parallel plate processing chamber; setting an electrode spacing between parallel plate electrodes in said parallel plate processing chamber to be below about 1000 mils; setting an R.F. power frequency to be between about 13.56 MHZ and about 3 MHZ; setting an electron density of a plasma used during deposition of said PECVD-deposited film to be less than about 1010/cm3; selecting a plasma source gas in which reactive species are dissociated at an electron density used during deposition of said film; setting a total gas flow in said processing chamber so that a volumetric gas turnover rate in said processing chamber is at least 0.015 processing chamber volumes per minute; and depositing said PECVD-deposited film, wherein surface standing wave effects are controlled during film deposition, so that a film deposition rate of at least 1,000Å
/min is achieved over said substrate surface having an equivalent radius of about 0.7 meter or greater, in combination with a film thickness variation over said substrate surface of less than about 10.8 %. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17)
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Specification