Method for forming silicon-containing materials during a photoexcitation deposition process

• US 7,648,927 B2
• Filed: 06/20/2006
• Issued: 01/19/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 06/21/2005
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Applied Materials Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Applied Materials Incorporated
• Inventors: Ranish, Joseph M., Singh, Kaushal K.
• Primary Examiner(s): Richards; N Drew
• Assistant Examiner(s): Lee; Kyoung
• Application Number:
  US11/425,344
• Publication Number:
  US 20060286775A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,309 Days
• Field of Search: 438/676, 438/792
• US Class Current: 438/792
• CPC Class Codes: C23C 16/0227 by cleaning or etching
• CPC Class Codes: C23C 16/308 Oxynitrides
• CPC Class Codes: C23C 16/345 Silicon nitride
• CPC Class Codes: C23C 16/45519 Inert gas curtains
• CPC Class Codes: C23C 16/45591 Fixed means, e.g. wings, baffles
• CPC Class Codes: C23C 16/482 using incoherent light, UV to IR, e.g. lamps
• CPC Class Codes: C23C 16/488 Protection of windows for introduction of radiation into the coating chamber
• CPC Class Codes: C23C 16/52 Controlling or regulating the coating process C23C16/45557, C23C16/279 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: C30B 25/02 Epitaxial-layer growth
• CPC Class Codes: C30B 29/06 Silicon
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/02126 the material containing Si, O, and at least one of H, N, C, F, or other non-metal elements, e.g. SiOC, SiOC:H or SiONC
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/0214 the material being a silicon oxynitride, e.g. SiON or SiON:H
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/02164 the material being a silicon oxide, e.g. SiO2
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/0217 the material being a silicon nitride not containing oxygen, e.g. SixNy or SixByNz H01L21/02126 and H01L21/0214 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/02219 the compound comprising silicon and nitrogen
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/02277 the reactions being activated by other means than plasma or thermal, e.g. photo-CVD
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/02301 in-situ cleaning
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/0231 treatment by exposure to electromagnetic radiation, e.g. UV light
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/02348 treatment by exposure to UV light
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/02529 Silicon carbide
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/02532 : Silicon, silicon germanium, germanium
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/02576 : N-type
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/02579 : P-type
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/0262 : Reduction or decomposition of gaseous compounds, e.g. CVD
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/02636 : Selective deposition, e.g. simultaneous growth of mono- and non-monocrystalline semiconductor materials
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/3121 : Layers comprising organo-silicon compounds
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/3143 : composed of alternated layers or of mixtures of nitrides and oxides or of oxinitrides, e.g. formation of oxinitride by oxidation of nitride layers
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/31612 : on a silicon body
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/3185 : of siliconnitrides

Abstract

Embodiments of the invention generally provide a method for depositing films or layers using a UV source during a photoexcitation process. The films are deposited on a substrate and usually contain a material, such as silicon (e.g., epitaxy, crystalline, microcrystalline, polysilicon, or amorphous), silicon oxide, silicon nitride, silicon oxynitride, or other silicon-containing materials. The photoexcitation process may expose the substrate and/or gases to an energy beam or flux prior to, during, or subsequent a deposition process. Therefore, the photoexcitation process may be used to pre-treat or post-treat the substrate or material, to deposit the silicon-containing material, and to enhance chamber cleaning processes. Attributes of the method that are enhanced by the UV photoexcitation process include removing native oxides prior to deposition, removing volatiles from deposited films, increasing surface energy of the deposited films, increasing the excitation energy of precursors, reducing deposition time, and reducing deposition temperature.

Claims

1. A method for forming a silicon material on a substrate, comprising:

positioning a substrate containing a native oxide layer within a process chamber;

exposing the substrate to an energy beam derived from a UV-source and having a photon energy between about 2 eV and about 10 eV to remove the native oxide layer during a pretreatment process; and

depositing a silicon oxide material on the substrate during a deposition process, comprising;

exposing the substrate to a deposition gas comprising an aminosilane precursor and an oxygen precursor; and

exposing the deposition gas to the energy beam within the process chamber.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the substrate is exposed to the energy beam during a post-treatment process after depositing the silicon oxide material.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the photon energy is within a range from about 3.2 eV to about 4.5 eV.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein an energy delivery gas passes through the energy beam during the pretreatment process or the post-treatment process and the energy delivery gas comprises a gas selected from the group consisting of neon, argon, krypton, xenon, argon bromide, argon chloride, krypton bromide, krypton chloride, krypton fluoride, xenon fluorides, xenon chlorides, xenon bromides, fluorine, chlorine, bromine, excimers thereof, radicals thereof, derivatives thereof, and combinations thereof.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the energy delivery gas further comprises nitrogen gas or hydrogen gas.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the aminosilane precursor is bis-tertbutylaminosilane, trisilylamine, hexakis(ethylamino) disilane, derivatives thereof, or combinations thereof.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the oxygen precursor is selected from the group consisting of atomic oxygen, oxygen, ozone, water, hydrogen peroxide, radicals thereof, derivatives thereof, and combinations thereof.

8. The method of claim 6, wherein the silicon material further comprises nitrogen.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the deposition gas further comprises a nitrogen precursor.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the nitrogen precursor is selected from the group consisting of atomic nitrogen, nitrogen, azide, ammonia, hydrazine, amine compounds, hydrazine compounds, azide compounds, radicals thereof, derivatives thereof, and combinations thereof.

11. The method of claim 8, wherein the substrate is exposed to a nitridation process after the deposition process.

12. A method for forming a silicon material on a substrate, comprising:

positioning a substrate within a process chamber;

depositing a silicon oxide material on the substrate during a deposition process, comprising;

exposing the substrate to a deposition gas comprising an aminosilane precursor and an oxygen precursor; and

exposing the deposition gas to an energy beam derived from a UV-source within the process chamber; and

exposing the substrate to the energy beam after depositing the silicon oxide material during a post-treatment process.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the energy beam has a photon energy within a range from about 2 eV to about 10 eV during the post-deposition process.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the photon energy is within a range from about 3.2 eV to about 4.5 eV.

15. The method of claim 13, wherein an energy delivery gas passes through the energy beam during the post-treatment process and the energy delivery gas comprises a gas selected from the group consisting of neon, argon, krypton, xenon, argon bromide, argon chloride, krypton bromide, krypton chloride, krypton fluoride, xenon fluorides, xenon chlorides, xenon bromides, fluorine, chlorine, bromine, excimers thereof, radicals thereof, derivatives thereof, and combinations thereof.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the energy delivery gas further comprises nitrogen gas or hydrogen gas.

17. The method of claim 12, wherein the substrate is exposed to the energy beam during a pretreatment process prior to depositing the silicon oxide material.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein native oxides are removed from the substrate during the pretreatment process.

19. The method of claim 17, wherein the energy beam has a photon energy within a range from about 2 eV to about 10 eV.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein the photon energy is within a range from about 3.2 eV to about 4.5 eV.

21. The method of claim 19, wherein an energy delivery gas passes through the energy beam during the pretreatment process and the energy delivery gas comprises a gas selected from the group consisting of neon, argon, krypton, xenon, argon bromide, argon chloride, krypton bromide, krypton chloride, krypton fluoride, xenon fluorides, xenon chlorides, xenon bromides, fluorine, chlorine, bromine, excimers thereof, radicals thereof, derivatives thereof, and combinations thereof.

22. The method of claim 21, wherein the energy delivery gas further comprises nitrogen gas or hydrogen gas.

23. The method of claim 12, wherein the aminosilane precursor is bis-tertbutylaminosilane, trisilylamine, hexakis(ethylamino) disilane, derivatives thereof, or combinations thereof.

24. The method of claim 23, wherein the oxygen precursor is selected from the group consisting of atomic oxygen, oxygen, ozone, water, hydrogen peroxide, radicals thereof, derivatives thereof, and combinations thereof.

33. The method of claim 12, wherein the silicon material further comprises nitrogen.

34. The method of claim 33, wherein the deposition gas further comprises a nitrogen precursor.

35. The method of claim 34, wherein the nitrogen precursor is selected from the group consisting of atomic nitrogen, nitrogen, azide, ammonia, hydrazine, amine compounds, hydrazine compounds, azide compounds, radicals thereof, derivatives thereof, and combinations thereof.

36. The method of claim 12, wherein the substrate is exposed to a nitridation process after the deposition process.

25. A method for forming a silicon material on a substrate, comprising:

positioning a substrate within a process chamber;

exposing the substrate to an energy beam derived from a UV-source and an energy delivery gas during a pretreatment process; and

depositing a silicon oxide material on the substrate during a deposition process, comprising;

exposing the substrate to a cross flow of a deposition gas comprising an aminosilane precursor, a nitrogen source, and an oxygen precursor; and

exposing the deposition gas to the energy beam within the process chamber.

26. The method of claim 25, wherein native oxides are removed from the substrate during the pretreatment process.

27. The method of claim 25, wherein the energy beam has a photon energy within a range from about 2 eV to about 10 eV.

28. The method of claim 27, wherein the photon energy is within a range from about 3.2 eV to about 4.5 eV.

29. The method of claim 27, wherein the energy delivery gas passes through the energy beam during the pretreatment process and the energy delivery gas comprises a gas selected from the group consisting of neon, argon, krypton, xenon, argon bromide, argon chloride, krypton bromide, krypton chloride, krypton fluoride, xenon fluorides, xenon chlorides, xenon bromides, fluorine, chlorine, bromine, excimers thereof, radicals thereof, derivatives thereof, and combinations thereof.

30. The method of claim 29, wherein the energy delivery gas further comprises nitrogen gas or hydrogen gas.

31. The method of claim 25, wherein the aminosilane precursor is bis-tertbutylaminosilane, trisilylamine, hexakis(ethylamino) disilane, derivatives thereof, or combinations thereof.

32. The method of claim 31, wherein the oxygen precursor is selected from the group consisting of atomic oxygen, oxygen, ozone, water, hydrogen peroxide, radicals thereof, derivatives thereof, and combinations thereof.