Atomic layer deposition method of depositing an oxide on a substrate

• US 7,838,084 B2
• Filed: 07/20/2006
• Issued: 11/23/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 12/09/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Micron Technology, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Micron Technology, Inc.
• Inventors: Dynka, Danny, Derderian, Garo J., Meng, Shuang
• Primary Examiner(s): Meeks; Timothy
• Assistant Examiner(s): Gambetta; Kelly M
• Application Number:
  US11/491,383
• Publication Number:
  US 20060257584A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,587 Days
• Field of Search: 427/569, 427/255.25, 427/126.3
• US Class Current: 427/569
• CPC Class Codes: C23C 16/402 Silicon dioxide
• CPC Class Codes: C23C 16/403 of aluminium, magnesium or beryllium
• CPC Class Codes: C23C 16/407 of zinc, germanium, cadmium, indium, tin, thallium or bismuth
• CPC Class Codes: C23C 16/45531 specially adapted for making ternary or higher compositions
• CPC Class Codes: C23C 16/45542 Plasma being used non-continuously during the ALD reactions

Abstract

The invention includes atomic layer deposition methods of depositing an oxide on a substrate. In one implementation, a substrate is positioned within a deposition chamber. A first species is chemisorbed onto the substrate to form a first species monolayer within the deposition chamber from a gaseous precursor. The chemisorbed first species is contacted with remote plasma oxygen derived at least in part from at least one of O₂ and O₃ and with remote plasma nitrogen effective to react with the first species to form a monolayer comprising an oxide of a component of the first species monolayer. The chemisorbing and the contacting with remote plasma oxygen and with remote plasma nitrogen are successively repeated effective to form porous oxide on the substrate. Other aspects and implementations are contemplated.

Claims

1. An atomic layer deposition method of depositing an oxide on a substrate comprising:

chemisorbing a first species onto a substrate to form a first species monolayer onto the substrate from a gaseous precursor, the first species monolayer being at least substantially saturated;

contacting the chemisorbed first species with an oxygen plasma derived at least in part from at least one of O₂ and O₃ and generated remote from the substrate, and with a plasma nitrogen generated remote from the substrate, effective to react with the first species to form a monolayer that is at least substantially saturated and comprises an oxide of a component of the first species monolayer, the remote plasma oxygen and the remote plasma nitrogen being generated in different remote plasma generating chambers; and

successively repeating the chemisorbing and the contacting with remote plasma oxygen and with remote plasma nitrogen effective to form porous oxide on the substrate.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the successive repeating utilizes the same gaseous precursor during all of said successive repeating.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein the porous oxide comprises electrically insulative oxide.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein the porous oxide comprises electrically conductive oxide.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein the porous oxide comprises multiple different cations.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein the gaseous precursor comprises trimethyl aluminum, the component comprises aluminum, and the porous oxide comprises Al₂O₃.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein the gaseous precursor comprises at least one of TEOS and a silane, the component comprises silicon, and the porous oxide comprises SiO₂.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein the gaseous precursor comprises trimethyl tin, the component comprises tin, and the porous oxide comprises tin oxide.

9. The method of claim 1 wherein the gaseous precursor comprises trimethyl indium, the component comprises indium, and the porous oxide comprises indium oxide.

10. The method of claim 1 wherein the gaseous precursor comprises trimethyl tin, the gaseous precursor comprises trimethyl indium, and the porous oxide comprises In_xSn_yO.

11. The method of claim 1 wherein the remote plasma nitrogen is derived at least in part from N₂.

12. The method of claim 11 wherein nitrogen of the remote plasma nitrogen is derived entirely from N₂.

13. The method of claim 1 wherein the remote plasma nitrogen is derived at least in part from N₂O.

14. The method of claim 13 wherein nitrogen of the remote plasma nitrogen is derived entirely from N₂O.

15. The method of claim 1 wherein the remote plasma nitrogen is derived at least in part from NO_x.

16. The method of claim 15 wherein nitrogen of the remote plasma nitrogen is derived entirely from NO_x.

17. The method of claim 1 wherein the remote plasma nitrogen is from 0.1% to 10% by volume of all remote plasma oxygen and remote plasma nitrogen provided to the substrate.

18. The method of claim 17 wherein the remote plasma nitrogen is from 0.1% to 3% by volume of all remote plasma oxygen and remote plasma nitrogen provided to the substrate.

19. The method of claim 1 wherein the remote plasma nitrogen is from 0.01% to 1% by volume of all remote plasma oxygen and remote plasma nitrogen provided to the substrate.

24. The method of claim 1 wherein the remote plasma oxygen and the remote plasma nitrogen are fed separately to the deposition chamber.

25. The method of claim 1 wherein the remote plasma oxygen and the remote plasma nitrogen are fed as a mixture to the deposition chamber.

20. An atomic layer deposition method of depositing an oxide on a substrate comprising:

chemisorbing a first species onto a substrate to form a first species monolayer onto the substrate from a gaseous precursor, the first species monolayer being at least substantially saturated;

contacting the chemisorbed first species with an oxygen plasma derived at least in part from at least one of O₂ and O₃ and generated remote from the substrate, and with a plasma nitrogen generated remote from the substrate, effective to react with the first species to form a monolayer that is at least substantially saturated and comprises an oxide of a component of the first species monolayer, the remote plasma oxygen and the remote plasma nitrogen being generated in different remote plasma generating chambers; and

successively repeating the chemisorbing and the contacting with remote plasma oxygen and with remote plasma nitrogen effective to form porous oxide on the substrate comprising In_xSn_yO on the substrate, the gaseous precursor comprising an indium-containing precursor and a tin-containing precursor which are fed to the deposition chamber simultaneously.

26. The method of claim 20 wherein the remote plasma oxygen and the remote plasma nitrogen are fed separately to the deposition chamber.

27. The method of claim 20 wherein the remote plasma oxygen and the remote plasma nitrogen are fed as a mixture to the deposition chamber.

21. An atomic layer deposition method of depositing an oxide on a substrate comprising:

chemisorbing a first species onto a substrate to form a first species monolayer onto the substrate from a gaseous precursor, the first species monolayer being at least substantially saturated;

contacting the chemisorbed first species with an oxygen plasma derived at least in part from at least one of O₂ and O₃ and generated remote from the substrate, and with a plasma nitrogen generated remote from the substrate, effective to react with the first species to form a monolayer that is at least substantially saturated and comprises an oxide of a component of the first species monolayer, the remote plasma oxygen and the remote plasma nitrogen being generated in different remote plasma generating chambers; and

successively repeating the chemisorbing and the contacting with remote plasma oxygen and with remote plasma nitrogen effective to form porous oxide on the substrate comprising In_xSn_yO on the substrate, the gaseous precursor comprising an indium-containing precursor and a tin-containing precursor which are fed to the deposition chamber at different times.

22. The method of claim 21 wherein the different times overlap one another.

23. The method of claim 21 wherein the different times are spaced from one another.

28. The method of claim 21 wherein the remote plasma oxygen and the remote plasma nitrogen are fed separately to the deposition chamber.

29. The method of claim 21 wherein the remote plasma oxygen and the remote plasma nitrogen are fed as a mixture to the deposition chamber.