# US 10,373,823 B2 · Deployment of light energy within specific spectral bands in specific sequences for deposition, treatment and removal of materials

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- Number: US 10,373,823 B2
- Document ID: US10373823B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 15/994,409
- Filed: 2018-05-31
- Published: 2018-12-06
- Granted: 2019-08-06
- Earliest claimed: 2017-06-05
- Assignees: Applied Materials, Inc.
- Applicants: Applied Materials, Inc.
- Inventors: Swaminathan T. Srinivasan; Atashi Basu; Pramit Manna; Khokan C. Paul; Diwakar N. Kedlaya
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10373823B2

## CPC

- H10P 14/6538: {by exposure to UV light}
- C23C 16/24: Deposition of silicon only
- C23C 16/345: {Silicon nitride}
- C23C 16/401: {containing silicon}
- C23C 16/56: After-treatment
- H10P 14/6334: {using decomposition or reaction of gaseous or vapour phase compounds, i.e. chemical vapour deposition (deposition by physical ablation of a target H10P14/6329)}
- H10P 14/6532: {by exposure to a plasma}
- H10P 14/6681: {the precursor containing a compound comprising Si}
- H10P 14/6682: {the compound being a silane, e.g. disilane, methylsilane or chlorosilane}
- H10P 14/6903: {containing silicon}
- H10P 14/69215: {the material being a silicon oxide, e.g. SiO2}
- H10P 14/69433: {the material being a silicon nitride not containing oxygen, e.g. SixNy or SixByNz}
- H10P 72/0436: {mainly by radiation}
- H10P 72/0462: {characterised by the construction of the processing chambers, e.g. modular processing chambers}
- H10P 72/3302: {Mechanical parts of transfer devices}
- H10P 95/00: Generic processes or apparatus for manufacture or treatments not covered by the other groups of this subclass
- H10P 72/0454: {surrounding a central transfer chamber}
- H10P 72/0468: {comprising a chamber adapted to a particular process}
- H10P: GENERIC PROCESSES OR APPARATUS FOR THE MANUFACTURE OR TREATMENT OF DEVICES COVERED BY CLASS H10
- C23C: COATING METALLIC MATERIAL; COATING MATERIAL WITH METALLIC MATERIAL; SURFACE TREATMENT OF METALLIC MATERIAL BY DIFFUSION INTO THE SURFACE, BY CHEMICAL CONVERSION OR SUBSTITUTION; COATING BY VACUUM EVAPORATION, BY SPUTTERING, BY ION IMPLANTATION OR BY CHEMICAL VAPOUR DEPOSITION, IN GENERAL (making metal-coated products by extrusion B21C23/22; covering with metal by connecting pre-existing layers to articles, see the relevant places, e.g. B21D39/00, B23K; metallising of glass C03C; metallising mortars, concrete, artificial stone, ceramics or natural stone C04B41/00; enamelling of, or applying a vitreous layer to, metals C23D; treating metal surfaces or coating of metals by electrolysis or electrophoresis C25D; single-crystal film growth C30B; by metallising textiles D06M11/83; decorating textiles by locally metallising D06Q1/04)

## Abstract

In an embodiment, a method includes depositing a silicon matrix on a substrate; exposing the silicon matrix to a first wavelength or wavelength range of ultraviolet radiation in an ultraviolet processing chamber; exposing the silicon matrix to a second wavelength or wavelength range of ultraviolet radiation in an ultraviolet processing chamber, wherein the second wavelength or wavelength range includes a wavelength lower than any wavelength in the first wavelength or wavelength range; exposing the silicon matrix to a third wavelength or wavelength range of ultraviolet radiation in an ultraviolet processing chamber, wherein the third wavelength or wavelength range includes a wavelength lower than any wavelength in the first wavelength or wavelength range and second wavelength or wavelength range; and a repeat exposure of any wavelength range. In some embodiments, a healing operation comprising a deposition operation, a reactive cure, a thermal cure, or a combination thereof may be performed.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A method of processing a substrate, comprising:
depositing a silicon matrix on a substrate;
exposing the silicon matrix to a first wavelength or wavelength range of ultraviolet radiation in an ultraviolet processing chamber;
exposing the silicon matrix to a second wavelength or wavelength range of ultraviolet radiation in the ultraviolet processing chamber, wherein the second wavelength or wavelength range includes a wavelength lower than any wavelength in the first wavelength or wavelength range;
exposing the silicon matrix to a third wavelength or wavelength range of ultraviolet radiation in the ultraviolet processing chamber, wherein the third wavelength or wavelength range includes a wavelength lower than any wavelength in the first wavelength or wavelength range and second wavelength or wavelength range; and
repeating exposing the silicon matrix in the ultraviolet processing chamber to the first wavelength or wavelength range, the second wavelength or wavelength range, the third wavelength or wavelength range, or a combination thereof.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein the first wavelength or wavelength range is centered between about 190 nm and about 800 nm, the second wavelength or wavelength range is centered between about 180 nm and about 190 nm, and the third wavelength or wavelength range is centered between about 165 nm and about 180 nm.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, further comprising maintaining a temperature of a substrate between about 0° C. and about 500° C. during exposure to ultraviolet radiation.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, further comprising treating the silicon matrix by a deposition operation, a reactive cure, a thermal cure, or a combination thereof.

### Claim 5 (depends on 4)

The method of claim 4, wherein the treating the silicon matrix is the reactive cure, the reactive cure comprising forming a plasma from a silicon-containing precursor to deposit a silicon-containing compound onto the substrate.

### Claim 6 (depends on 5)

The method of claim 5, wherein the silicon-containing precursor is selected from the group consisting of octamethylcyclotetrasiloxane (OMCTS), methyldiethoxysilane (MDEOS), bis(tertiarybutylamino) silane (BTBAS), tridimethylaminosilane (TriDMAS), silane, disilane, dichlorosilane, trichlorosilane, dibromosilane, silicon tetrachloride, silicon tetra bromide, and a combination thereof.

### Claim 7 (depends on 4)

The method of claim 4, wherein the treating the silicon matrix is the reactive cure, the reactive cure comprising forming a plasma from a nitrogen-containing precursor to deposit a nitrogen-containing compound onto the substrate, the nitrogen-containing precursor comprising N2, NH3, or a combination thereof.

### Claim 8 (depends on 4)

The method of claim 4, wherein the treating the silicon matrix is the thermal cure, the thermal cure comprising exposing the substrate to a temperature of about −100° C. to about 500° C.

### Claim 9 (depends on 4)

The method of claim 4, wherein the treating the silicon matrix is the thermal cure, the thermal cure comprising heating the silicon matrix at a melting point of the silicon matrix.

### Claim 10 (depends on 4)

The method of claim 4, wherein the treating the silicon matrix is the deposition operation, the deposition operation comprising depositing an amorphous silicon film on a dielectric layer of the substrate.

### Claim 11 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein a filter, reflector, or combination thereof is used to define the first wavelength range, second wavelength range, and third wavelength range.

### Claim 12

A method of processing a substrate, comprising:
depositing a silicon matrix on a substrate;
exposing the silicon matrix to a first wavelength or wavelength range of ultraviolet radiation in an ultraviolet processing chamber;
exposing the silicon matrix to a second wavelength or wavelength range of ultraviolet radiation in the ultraviolet processing chamber, wherein the second wavelength or wavelength range includes a wavelength lower than any wavelength in the first wavelength or wavelength range;
exposing the silicon matrix to a third wavelength or wavelength range of ultraviolet radiation in the ultraviolet processing chamber, wherein the third wavelength range includes a wavelength lower than any wavelength in the first wavelength or wavelength range and second wavelength or wavelength range;
treating the silicon matrix by a deposition operation, a reactive cure, a thermal cure, or a combination thereof; and
repeating exposing the silicon matrix in the ultraviolet processing chamber to the first wavelength or wavelength range, the second wavelength or wavelength range, the third wavelength or wavelength range, or a combination thereof.

### Claim 13 (depends on 12)

The method of claim 12, wherein the first wavelength or wavelength range is centered between about 190 nm and about 800 nm, the second wavelength or wavelength range is centered between about 180 nm and about 190 nm, and the third wavelength or wavelength range is centered between about 165 nm and about 180 nm.

### Claim 14 (depends on 12)

The method of claim 12, further comprising maintaining a temperature of the substrate between about −100° C. and about 500° C. during exposure to ultraviolet radiation.

### Claim 15 (depends on 12)

The method of claim 12, wherein the treating the silicon matrix is the reactive cure, the reactive cure comprising forming a plasma from a silicon-containing precursor to deposit a silicon-containing material onto the substrate.

### Claim 16 (depends on 15)

The method of claim 15, wherein the silicon-containing precursor is selected from the group consisting of octamethylcyclotetrasiloxane (OMCTS), methyldiethoxysilane (MDEOS), bis(tertiarybutylamino) silane (BTBAS), tridimethylaminosilane (TriDMAS), silane, disilane, dichlorosilane, trichlorosilane, dibromosilane, silicon tetrachloride, silicon tetra bromide, and a combination thereof.

### Claim 17 (depends on 12)

The method of claim 12, wherein the treating the silicon matrix is the reactive cure, the reactive cure comprising exposing the silicon matrix to a plasma formed from a nitrogen-containing precursor to deposit a nitrogen-containing compound onto the substrate, the nitrogen-containing precursor comprising N2, NH3, or a combination thereof.

### Claim 18 (depends on 12)

The method of claim 12, wherein a filter, reflector, or combination thereof is used to define the first, second, and third wavelength or wavelength ranges.

### Claim 19

A method of processing a substrate, comprising:
depositing a silicon matrix on a substrate;
exposing the silicon matrix to a first ultraviolet radiation having a wavelength or wavelength range between about 190 nm and about 800 nm in the ultraviolet processing chamber;
exposing the silicon matrix to a second ultraviolet radiation having a wavelength or wavelength range between about 180 nm and about 190 nm in the ultraviolet processing chamber;
exposing the silicon matrix to a third ultraviolet radiation having a wavelength or wavelength range between about 165 nm and about 180 nm in an ultraviolet processing chamber;
treating the silicon matrix by a deposition operation, a reactive cure, a thermal cure, or a combination thereof;
repeating exposing the silicon matrix to the first, second, and third ultraviolet radiation in the ultraviolet processing chamber; and
maintaining a temperature of the substrate between about −100° C. and about 500° C. during exposure to ultraviolet radiation.

### Claim 20 (depends on 19)

The method of claim 19, wherein the treating the silicon matrix is the reactive cure, the reactive cure comprising exposing the silicon matrix to a plasma formed from the group consisting of N2, NH3, octamethylcyclotetrasiloxane (OMCTS), methyldiethoxysilane (MDEOS), bis(tertiarybutylamino) silane (BTBAS), tridimethylaminosilane (TriDMAS), silane, disilane, dichlorosilane, trichlorosilane, dibromosilane, silicon tetrachloride, silicon tetra bromide, and a combination thereof to deposit a material onto the substrate.