High quality silicon oxide films by remote plasma CVD from disilane precursors

• US 8,242,031 B2
• Filed: 09/27/2010
• Issued: 08/14/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 10/22/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Applied Materials Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Applied Materials Incorporated
• Inventors: Mallick, Abhijit Basu, Nemani, Srinivas D., Yieh, Ellie
• Primary Examiner(s): Sefer, A.
• Assistant Examiner(s): KHAN, FARID H
• Application Number:
  US12/891,426
• Publication Number:
  US 20110014798A1
• Time in Patent Office: 687 Days
• Field of Search: 438/478, 438/479, 438/689, 438/770, 438/778, 438/781, 438/788, 438/791, 438/792, 438/787, 257/632, 257/636, 257/646, 257/751, 257/E21.002, 257/E21.102, 257/E21.24, 257/E21.261, 257/E21.268, 257/E21.273, 257/E21.277, 257/E21.279, 257/E21.269, 257/E21.271, 257/E21.272
• US Class Current: 438/787
• CPC Class Codes: C23C 16/345 Silicon nitride
• CPC Class Codes: C23C 16/452 by activating reactive gas streams before their introduction into the reaction chamber, e.g. by ionisation or addition of reactive species
• CPC Class Codes: C23C 16/56 After-treatment

Abstract

A method of depositing a silicon and nitrogen containing film on a substrate. The method includes introducing silicon-containing precursor to a deposition chamber that contains the substrate, wherein the silicon-containing precursor comprises at least two silicon atoms. The method further includes generating at least one radical nitrogen precursor with a remote plasma system located outside the deposition chamber. Moreover, the method includes introducing the radical nitrogen precursor to the deposition chamber, wherein the radical nitrogen and silicon-containing precursors react and deposit the silicon and nitrogen containing film on the substrate. Furthermore, the method includes annealing the silicon and nitrogen containing film in a steam environment to form a silicon oxide film, wherein the steam environment includes water and acidic vapor.

Claims

1. A method for forming a semiconductor structure, the method comprising:

interacting a silicon-containing precursor with at least one radical nitrogen precursor at a processing temperature of about 0°

C. to about 400°

C. to form a Si—

N(H)—

Si bond containing compound over a substrate, the silicon-containing precursor comprising two silicon atoms; and

curing the Si—

N(H)—

Si bond containing compound within an oxygen-containing environment to form a silicon oxide layer.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the processing temperature is about room temperature to about 200°

C.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the oxygen-containing environment comprises ozone.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the curing in the ozone-containing environment is performed at about room temperature to about 600°

C.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the oxygen-containing environment comprises atomic oxygen.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the curing in the atomic-oxygen-containing environment is performed at about room temperature to about 600°

C.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the radical nitrogen precursor is generated by exposing ammonia to a plasma in a remote plasma system, wherein at least a portion of the ammonia decomposes into the radical nitrogen precursor.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the silicon precursor is selected from the group consisting of alkoxy disilanes, alkoxy-alkyl disilanes, alkoxy-acetoxy disilanes, and polysilanes.