Plasma atomic layer deposition
AssigneeASM IP Holdings B.V.
InventorsHarm C. M. Knoops, Koen de Peuter, Wilhelmus M. M. Kessels
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Plasma atomic layer deposition (ALD) is optimized through modulation of the gas residence time during an excited species phase, wherein activated reactant is supplied such as from a plasma. Reduced residence time increases the quality of the deposited layer, such as reducing wet etch rates, increasing index of refraction and/or reducing impurities in the layer. For example, dielectric layers, particularly silicon nitride films, formed from such optimized plasma ALD processes have low levels of impurities remaining from the silicon precursor.
Claims20
A method of depositing a layer of dielectric silicon nitride by plasma atomic layer deposition, the method comprising:
- providing a substrate in a reaction space;
- in a first phase, contacting the substrate with a silicon precursor to adsorb an adsorbed species of the silicon precursor on the substrate;
- and
- in a second phase, contacting the substrate with excited nitrogen species to react with the adsorbed species, wherein the residence time of the excited species in the reaction space during the second phase is less than about 1.0 s, and
- cyclically repeating the first phase and second phase to form a dielectric SiN layer of a desired thickness.
A method of depositing a SiN film on a substrate in a reaction space, the method comprising:
- contacting the substrate with a silicon precursor;
- and
- subsequently contacting the substrate with excited nitrogen species, wherein the residence time of the excited nitrogen species in the reaction space is less than about 1.0 s, and
- repeating contacting the substrate with the silicon precursor and the excited nitrogen species to form a film consisting essentially of dielectric SiN.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.