Plasma processing method, plasma processing apparatus, and computer recording medium

• US 7,807,234 B2
• Filed: 08/05/2005
• Issued: 10/05/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 02/06/2003
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Tokyo Electron Limited
• Original Assignee: Tokyo Electron Limited
• Inventors: Kitagawa, Junichi
• Primary Examiner(s): Meeks; Timothy H
• Assistant Examiner(s): MILLER, JR, JOSEPH ALBERT
• Application Number:
  US11/197,554
• Publication Number:
  US 20050287725A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,887 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 427/575
• CPC Class Codes: A61P 31/04 Antibacterial agents
• CPC Class Codes: C23C 8/02 Pretreatment of the material to be coated C23C8/04 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: C23C 8/28 more than one element being applied in one step
• CPC Class Codes: C23C 8/34 more than one element being applied in more than one step
• CPC Class Codes: C23C 8/36 using ionised gases, e.g. ionitriding
• CPC Class Codes: C30B 33/005 Oxydation
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/0214 the material being a silicon oxynitride, e.g. SiON or SiON:H
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/02249 formation by combined oxidation and nitridation performed simultaneously
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/02252 formation by plasma treatment, e.g. plasma oxidation of the substrate after treatment of an insulating film by plasma H01L21/3105 and subgroups
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/3144 on silicon

Abstract

According to the present invention, plasma oxidation processing and plasma nitridation processing are applied at the same time to the surface of a semiconductor substrate by plasma using a microwave. After forming an insulating film by the plasma oxynitridation processing as described above, the plasma nitridation processing is further applied to the insulating film as necessary. Thereby, it is possible to form the insulating film with an excellent electrical characteristic.

Claims

1. A plasma processing method applying oxynitridation processing to a silicon substrate in a process vessel by using plasma, comprising the steps of:

introducing an inert gas, N₂, and O₂ into the process vessel;

making a mixed gas of the inert gas, N₂, and O₂ into a plasma by an antenna in the process vessel to form oxygen radicals and nitrogen radicals; and

forming a silicon oxynitride film by applying oxynitridation processing to a surface of the silicon substrate by the oxygen radicals and the nitrogen radicals,

wherein the flow rate ratio of the O₂ to N₂ is 1;

4 to 1;

6, and

wherein a nitrogen concentration in the silicon oxynitride film has two peaks including a first peak near the surface of the silicon oxynitride film that is higher than a second peak near the interface between the silicon oxynitride film and the substrate.