Deposition of an amorphous carbon layer with high film density and high etch selectivity

• US 8,679,987 B2
• Filed: 05/10/2012
• Issued: 03/25/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 05/10/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Applied Materials Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Applied Materials Incorporated
• Inventors: Reilly, Patrick, Shaikh, Shahid, Summan, Tersem, Padhi, Deenesh, Baluja, Sanjeev, Rocha-Alvarez, Juan Carlos, Nowak, Thomas, Kim, Bok Hoen, Witty, Derek R.
• Primary Examiner(s): Vu, David
• Assistant Examiner(s): TAYLOR, EARL N
• Application Number:
  US13/468,776
• Publication Number:
  US 20130302996A1
• Time in Patent Office: 684 Days
• Field of Search: 438/781
• US Class Current: 438/781
• CPC Class Codes: C23C 16/26 Deposition of carbon only
• CPC Class Codes: C23C 16/56 After-treatment
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/02115 the material being carbon, e.g. alpha-C, diamond or hydrogen doped carbon
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/02274 in the presence of a plasma [PECVD]
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/02348 treatment by exposure to UV light
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/02527 Carbon, e.g. diamond-like carbon
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/02592 amorphous
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/0262 Reduction or decomposition of gaseous compounds, e.g. CVD
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/31144 using masks

Abstract

Embodiments described herein relate to a method for processing a substrate. In one embodiment, the method includes introducing a gas mixture comprising a hydrocarbon source and a diluent gas into a deposition chamber located within a processing system, generating a plasma from the gas mixture in the deposition chamber at a temperature between about 200° C. and about 700° C. to form a low-hydrogen content amorphous carbon layer on the substrate, transferring the substrate into a curing chamber located within the processing system without breaking vacuum, and exposing the substrate to UV radiation within the curing chamber at a curing temperature above about 200° C.

Claims

1. A method for processing a substrate, comprising:

introducing a gas mixture comprising a hydrocarbon source and a diluent gas into a deposition chamber located within a processing system;

generating a plasma from the gas mixture in the deposition chamber at a temperature between about 200°

C. and about 700°

C. to form a low-hydrogen content amorphous carbon layer on the substrate;

transferring the substrate into a curing chamber located within the processing system without breaking vacuum; and

exposing the substrate to UV radiation within the curing chamber at a curing temperature above about 200°

C.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the amorphous carbon layer is deposited at a deposition rate less than 2000 Å

/min.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the amorphous carbon layer is deposited at a temperature of about 480°

C. to about 650°

C.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the substrate is exposed to UV radiation at a chamber pressure of about 1 Torr to about 9 Torr.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the substrate is exposed to UV radiation at a UV power of about 1,000 milliWatts/cm² to about 1,500 milliWatts/cm².

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the hydrocarbon source and the diluent gas are introduced into the deposition chamber at a hydrocarbon source to diluent gas flow ratio from about 1:

32 to about 1;

18.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the amorphous carbon layer has a hydrogen content less than about 20%.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the diluents gas comprises hydrogen (H₂), helium (He), argon (Ar), ammonia (NH₃), CO, CO₂, or combinations thereof.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the hydrocarbon source gas is selected from the group consisting of acetylene (C₂H₂), propylene (C₃H₆), propyne (C₃H₄), propane (C₃H₈), butane (C₄H₁₀), butylene (C₄H₈), butadiene (C₄H₆), vinylacetylene, and combinations thereof.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the substrate is exposed to UV radiation at a temperature of about 450°

C. to about 650°

C.

12. The method of claim 10, wherein the amorphous carbon layer is deposited at a deposition rate less than 2000 Å

/min.

13. The method of claim 10, wherein the amorphous carbon layer is deposited at a temperature of about 480°

C. to about 650°

C.

14. The method of claim 10, wherein the substrate is exposed to UV radiation at a chamber pressure of about 1 Torr to about 9 Torr.

15. The method of claim 10, wherein the substrate is exposed to UV radiation at a UV power of about 1000 milliWatts/cm² to about 1,500 milliWatts/cm².

16. The method of claim 10, wherein the hydrocarbon source and the diluent gas are introduced into the deposition chamber at a hydrocarbon source to diluent gas flow ratio from about 1:

32 to about 1;

18.

17. The method of claim 10, wherein the amorphous carbon layer has a hydrogen content less than about 20%.

18. The method of claim 10, wherein the diluents gas comprises hydrogen (H₂), helium (He), argon (Ar), ammonia (NH₃), CO, CO₂, or combinations thereof.

19. The method of claim 10, wherein the hydrocarbon source gas is selected from the group consisting of acetylene (C₂H₂), propylene (C₃H₆), propyne (C₃H₄), propane (C₃H₈), butane (C₄H₁₀), butylene (C₄H₈), butadiene (C₄H₆), vinylacetylene, and combinations thereof.

20. The method of claim 10, wherein the substrate is exposed to UV radiation at a temperature of about 450°

C. to about 650°

C.

11. A method of forming a semiconductor device, comprising:

forming an amorphous carbon layer on a substrate in a deposition chamber located within a processing system by;

introducing a gas mixture comprising a hydrocarbon source and a diluent gas into the deposition chamber; and

generating a plasma from the gas mixture in the deposition chamber at a temperature between about 200°

C. and about 700°

C. to form a low-hydrogen content amorphous carbon layer on the substrate;

transferring the substrate into a curing chamber located within the processing system without breaking vacuum;

exposing the amorphous carbon layer formed on the substrate to UV radiation within the curing chamber at a curing temperature above about 200°

C.;

defining a pattern in at least one region of the amorphous carbon layer; and

transferring the pattern defined in the at least one region of the amorphous carbon layer into the substrate using the amorphous carbon layer as a mask.