Semiconductor device manufacturing method and substrate processing apparatus

• US 7,968,437 B2
• Filed: 11/10/2006
• Issued: 06/28/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 11/18/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Kokusai Electric Corp.
• Original Assignee: Hitachi Kokusai Electric Incorporated (Hitachi, Ltd.)
• Inventors: Horii, Sadayoshi, Itatani, Hideharu
• Primary Examiner(s): Garber; Charles
• Assistant Examiner(s): STEVENSON, ANDRE C
• Application Number:
  US12/084,141
• Publication Number:
  US 20090130859A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,691 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 438/493
• CPC Class Codes: C23C 16/0272 Deposition of sub-layers, e.g. to promote the adhesion of the main coating
• CPC Class Codes: C23C 16/45525 Atomic layer deposition [ALD]
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/28562 Selective deposition

Abstract

Productivity and product yield, as well as the step coverage and the adhesion are improved. A film forming process includes an initial film forming step, and a main film forming step. In the initial film forming step, a step of supplying a material gas into a processing chamber to adsorb the material gas on the substrate, and a step of supplying a first reaction gas not containing oxygen atoms into the processing chamber to cause a reaction with the material gas adsorbed on the substrate in order to from a thin film on the substrate, are repeated multiple cycles to form the thin film with the specified thickness on the substrate. In the main film forming step, a step of supplying a material gas into the processing chamber to adsorb the material gas on the substrate, and a step of supplying a second reaction gas containing oxygen atoms into the processing chamber to cause a reaction with the material gas adsorbed on the substrate in order to form a thin film on the substrate, are repeated multiple cycles, to form the thin film with a specified thickness on the thin film that was formed on the substrate in the initial film forming step.

Claims

1. A semiconductor device manufacturing method comprising:

loading a substrate into a processing chamber;

forming an initial portion of a thin film with a specified thickness on the substrate by repeating a first one cycle operation multiple times, wherein the first one cycle operation includes supplying a material gas into the processing chamber, and supplying a first reaction gas not containing oxygen atoms into the processing chamber,

forming a main portion of the thin film on the initial portion of the thin film formed on the substrate by repeating a second one cycle operation multiple times, wherein the second one cycle operation includes supplying the same material gas as the material gas used in the forming of the initial portion of the thin film into the processing chamber, and supplying a second reaction gas containing oxygen atoms into the processing chamber, and

unloading the substrate formed with the thin film of the specified thickness from the processing chamber.

2. The semiconductor device manufacturing method according to claim 1, wherein the first reaction gas is a gas containing hydrogen atoms.

3. The semiconductor device manufacturing method according to claim 1, wherein the first reaction gas is H₂ or NH₃, and the second reaction gas is O₂.

4. The semiconductor device manufacturing method according to claim 1, comprising, after the first reaction gas and the second reaction gas are supplied into the processing chamber, respectively activating and then supplying to the substrate the first reaction gas and the second reaction gas.

5. The semiconductor device manufacturing method according to claim 4, wherein the first reaction gas and the second reaction gas are activated by plasma generated by applying RF electric power to a RF electrode installed in the processing chamber and the value of the RF electric power applied to the RF electrode during supply of the first reaction gas is different from the value of the RF electric power applied to the RF electrode during supply of the second reaction gas.

6. The semiconductor device manufacturing method according to claim 1, wherein the supplying of the first reaction gas includes supplying the first reaction gas into the processing chamber to fill the interior of the processing chamber entirely with the first reaction gas, and applying RF electric power to a RF electrode installed in the processing chamber to generate plasma in a state where the processing chamber is filled entirely with the first reaction gas and supplying the first reaction gas activated by the plasma to the substrate.

7. The semiconductor device manufacturing method according to claim 6, wherein the supplying of the second reaction gas includes a step of supplying the second reaction gas into the processing chamber to fill the interior of the processing chamber entirely with the second reaction gas, and applying RF electric power to the RF electrode installed in the processing chamber to generate plasma in a state where the processing chamber is filled entirely with the second reaction gas and supplying the second reaction gas activated by the plasma to the substrate.

11. The semiconductor device manufacturing method according to claim 1, wherein the material gas comprises ruthenium.

8. A semiconductor device manufacturing method comprising:

loading a substrate into a processing chamber,

forming an initial portion of a thin film with a specified thickness on the substrate by repeating a first one cycle operation multiple times, wherein the first one cycle operation includes supplying a material gas into the processing chamber, supplying a first reaction gas not containing oxygen atoms into the processing chamber to fill the interior of the processing chamber entirely with the first reaction gas, and applying RF electric power to a RF electrode installed in the processing chamber to generate plasma in a state where the processing chamber is filled entirely with the first reaction gas and supplying the first reaction gas activated by the plasma to the substrate,

forming a main portion of the thin film on the initial portion of the thin film formed on the substrate by repeating a second one cycle operation multiple times, wherein the second one cycle operation includes supplying the same material gas as the material gas used in the forming of the initial portion of the thin film into the processing chamber, supplying a second reaction gas containing oxygen atoms into the processing chamber to fill the interior of the processing chamber entirely with the second reaction gas, and applying RF electric power to the RF electrode installed in the processing chamber to generate plasma in a state where the processing chamber is filled entirely with the second reaction gas and supplying the second reaction gas activated by the plasma to the substrate, and

unloading the substrate formed with the thin film of the specified thickness from the processing chamber.

12. The semiconductor device manufacturing method according to claim 8, wherein the material gas comprises ruthenium.

9. A substrate processing apparatus comprising:

a processing chamber for processing a substrate,

a material gas supply line for supplying a material gas into the processing chamber,

a first reaction gas supply line for supplying a first reaction gas not containing oxygen atoms into the processing chamber,

a second reaction gas supply line for supplying a second reaction gas containing oxygen atoms into the processing chamber,

an exhaust line for exhausting the interior of the processing chamber, and

a controller for executing a control such that an initial portion of a thin film with a specified thickness is formed on a substrate accommodated in the processing chamber by repeating a first one cycle operation multiple times, wherein the first one cycle operation includes supplying the material gas into the processing chamber, and supplying the first reaction gas into the processing chamber, and a main portion of the thin film is formed on the initial portion of the thin film formed on the substrate by repeating a second one cycle operation multiple times, wherein the second one cycle operation includes supplying the same material gas as the material gas used in the forming of the initial portion of the thin film into the processing chamber, and supplying the second reaction gas into the processing chamber.

13. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 9, wherein the material gas comprises ruthenium.

10. A substrate processing apparatus comprising:

a processing chamber for processing a substrate,

a material gas supply line for supplying a material gas into the processing chamber,

a first reaction gas supply line for supplying a first reaction gas not containing oxygen atoms into the processing chamber,

a second reaction gas supply line for supplying a second reaction gas containing oxygen atoms into the processing chamber,

a RF electrode installed in the processing chamber to generate plasma,

a RF electric power supply for applying RF electric power to the RF electrode,

an exhaust line for exhausting the interior of the processing chamber, and

a controller for executing a control such that an initial portion of a thin film with a specified thickness is formed on a substrate accommodated in the processing chamber by repeating a first one cycle operation multiple times, wherein the first one cycle operation includes supplying the material gas into the processing chamber, supplying the first reaction gas into the processing chamber to fill the interior of the processing chamber entirely with the first reaction gas, and applying RF electric power to the RF electrode to generate plasma in a state where the processing chamber is filled entirely with the first reaction gas and supplying the first reaction gas activated by the plasma to the substrate, and a main portion of the thin film is formed on the initial portion of the thin film formed on the substrate by repeating a second one cycle operation multiple times, wherein the second one cycle operation includes supplying the same material gas as the material gas used in the forming of the initial portion of the thin film into the processing chamber, supplying the second reaction gas into the processing chamber to fill the interior of the processing chamber entirely with the second reaction gas, and applying RF electric power to the RF electrode to generate plasma in a state where the processing chamber is filled entirely with the second reaction gas and supplying the second reaction gas activated by the plasma to the substrate.

14. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 10, wherein the material gas comprises ruthenium.

15. A semiconductor device manufacturing method comprising:

loading a substrate into a processing chamber;

forming an initial portion of a thin film with a specified thickness on the substrate by alternately supplying a material gas and a first reaction gas not containing oxygen atoms into the processing chamber,

forming a main portion of the thin film on the initial portion of the thin film formed on the substrate by alternately supplying the same material gas as the material gas used in the forming of the initial portion of the thin film and a second reaction gas containing oxygen atoms into the processing chamber, and

unloading the substrate formed with the thin film of the specified thickness from the processing chamber.

16. A substrate processing method comprising:

loading a substrate into a processing chamber;

forming an initial portion of a thin film with a specified thickness on the substrate by alternately supplying a material gas and a first reaction gas not containing oxygen atoms into the processing chamber,

forming a main portion of the thin film on the initial portion of the thin film formed on the substrate by alternately supplying the same material gas as the material gas used in the forming of the initial portion of the thin film and a second reaction gas containing oxygen atoms into the processing chamber, and

unloading the substrate formed with the thin film of the specified thickness from the processing chamber.