METHOD FOR FORMING INSULATING FILM AND FOR MANUFACTURING INTEGRATED CIRCUIT

• US 20030008523A1
• Filed: 10/05/2001
• Published: 01/09/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 07/06/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Oki Semiconductor Company Limited (ROHM Co., Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: OKI Electric Industry Company Limited
• Inventors: Ohsako, Takashi, Mori, Hirotaka, Takahashi, Masahiro, Takahashi, Masashi, Yoshida, Katsuji, Nagata, Toshio, Uchida, Hidetsugu, Uchida, Hiroaki, Ohara, Akihiko, Tsurugida, Yoshirou
• Granted Patent: US 6,524,968 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 438/770
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/02238 silicon in uncombined form, i.e. pure silicon
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/02337 treatment by exposure to a gas or vapour
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/02359 treatment to change the surface groups of the insulating layer
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/28211 in a gaseous ambient using an oxygen or a water vapour, e.g. RTO, possibly through a layer H01L21/28194 and H01L21/28202 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/31662 of silicon in uncombined form

Abstract

A method for forming an insulating film is provided which is capable of inhibiting spontaneous growth of a silicon oxide film formed on a silicon substrate and an increase in thickness of a film caused by exposure to an atmosphere.

After having allowed a silicon dioxide layer with a predetermined thickness to grow on a surface of a silicon crystal, a surface of the silicon dioxide is exposed to organic gas containing no hydroxyl group or ammonia gas.

Claims

1. A method for forming an insulating film made up of silicon dioxide on a silicon crystal comprising:

a step of allowing said silicon dioxide having a predetermined thickness to grow on said silicon crystal; and

a step of exposing a surface of said silicon dioxide to organic gas containing no hydroxyl group.

2. The method for forming the insulating film according to claim 1, wherein said organic gas is paraffin low-molecular gas.

3. The method for forming the insulating film according to claim 1, wherein a growth of said silicon dioxide occurs by exposing said silicon dioxide to an atmosphere of ozone and, after said silicon dioxide has grown until it has a predetermined thickness, said ozone in said atmosphere is replaced with nitrogen gas or inert gas and then, organic gas containing no hydroxyl group is introduced into said atmosphere, in order to expose said surface of said silicon dioxide to said organic gas.

4. A method for forming an insulating film made up of silicon dioxide on a silicon crystal, said method comprising:

a step of allowing said silicon dioxide having a predetermined thickness on a surface of said silicon crystal; and

a step of terminating binding of a dangling bond of a silicon atom on said surface of said silicon dioxide by causing a nitrogen atom to bind to said dangling bond of said silicon atom.

5. The method for forming the insulating film according to claim 4, wherein a growth of said silicon dioxide occurs by exposing a crystal face of said silicon dioxide to an atmosphere of ozone and, after said silicon dioxide has grown until it has a predetermined thickness, said ozone in said atmosphere is replaced with nitrogen gas or inert gas, and then ammonia gas is introduced into said atmosphere in order to cause a dangling bond of a silicon atom on a surface of said silicon dioxide to bind to a nitrogen atom.

6. A method for manufacturing an integrated circuit comprising:

a process of forming an insulating film made up of silicon dioxide on a silicon crystal, which includes a step of allowing silicon dioxide having a predetermined thickness to grow on a surface of said silicon crystal by exposing a crystal face of said silicon dioxide to an atmosphere of ozone, a step of replacing said ozone in said atmosphere with nitrogen gas or inert gas after said silicon dioxide has grown until it has a predetermined thickness, and a step of introducing organic gas containing no hydroxyl group into said atmosphere in order to expose a surface of said silicon dioxide to said organic gas.

7. The method for manufacturing the integrated circuit according to claim 6, wherein said insulating film is a gate insulator of an field effect transistor or a dielectric film of a capacitor.

8. A method for manufacturing an integrated circuit comprising:

a process of forming an insulating film made up of silicon dioxide on a silicon crystal, which includes a step of allowing said silicon dioxide having a predetermined thickness to grow on a surface of said silicon crystal by exposing a crystal face of said silicon dioxide to an atmosphere of ozone, a step of replacing said ozone in said atmosphere with nitrogen gas or inert gas after said silicon dioxide has grown until it has a predetermined thickness, and a step of introducing ammonia gas into said atmosphere in order to cause a dangling bond of a silicon atom on a surface of said silicon dioxide to bind to a nitrogen atom.

9. The method for manufacturing the integrated circuit according to claim 8, wherein said insulating film is a gate insulator of an field effect transistor or a dielectric film of a capacitor.