# US 10,483,282 B2 · VNAND tensile thick TEOS oxide

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- Number: US 10,483,282 B2
- Document ID: US10483282B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 16/267,151
- Filed: 2019-02-04
- Published: 2019-07-25
- Granted: 2019-11-19
- Earliest claimed: 2015-08-27
- Assignees: Applied Materials, Inc.
- Applicants: Applied Materials, Inc.
- Inventors: Michael Wenyoung Tsiang; Praket P. Jha; Xinhai Han; Bok Hoen Kim; Sang Hyuk Kim; Myung Hun Ju; Hyung Jin Park; Ryeun Kwan Kim; Jin Chul Son; Saiprasanna Gnanavelu; Mayur G. Kulkarni; Sanjeev Baluja; Majid K. Shahreza; Jason K. Foster
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10483282B2

## CPC

- H10B 43/27: the channels comprising vertical portions, e.g. U-shaped channels
- C23C 16/0272: {Deposition of sub-layers, e.g. to promote the adhesion of the main coating}
- C23C 16/402: {Silicon dioxide}
- C23C 16/45523: {Pulsed gas flow or change of composition over time}
- C23C 16/505: using radio frequency discharges
- C23C 16/52: Controlling or regulating the coating process {(C23C16/45557, C23C16/279 take precedence)}
- H10B 41/27: the channels comprising vertical portions, e.g. U-shaped channels
- H10B 41/50: characterised by the boundary region between the core region and the peripheral circuit region
- H10B 43/50: characterised by the boundary region between the core and peripheral circuit regions
- H10D 62/10: Shapes, relative sizes or dispositions of the regions of the semiconductor bodies; Shapes of the semiconductor bodies
- H10P 14/6336: {in the presence of a plasma [PECVD]}
- H10P 14/6506: {Formation of intermediate materials}
- H10P 14/6518: {by introduction of substances into an already-existing insulating layer}
- H10P 14/6529: {by exposure to a gas or vapour}
- H10P 14/662: {Laminate layers, e.g. stacks of alternating high-k metal oxides (adhesion layers or buffer layers H10P14/6508, H10P14/6548)}
- H10P 14/6682: {the compound being a silane, e.g. disilane, methylsilane or chlorosilane}
- H10P 14/6686: {the compound being a molecule comprising at least one silicon-oxygen bond and the compound having hydrogen or an organic group attached to the silicon or oxygen, e.g. a siloxane}
- H10P 14/69215: {the material being a silicon oxide, e.g. SiO2}
- H10P 32/20: Diffusion for doping of insulating layers
- H10W 20/071: {of dielectric parts thereof}
- H10P 50/283: {by chemical means}
- H10P 95/062: {involving a dielectric removal step}
- H10B: ELECTRONIC MEMORY DEVICES
- 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)
- H10D: INORGANIC ELECTRIC SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICES
- H10P: GENERIC PROCESSES OR APPARATUS FOR THE MANUFACTURE OR TREATMENT OF DEVICES COVERED BY CLASS H10
- H10W: GENERIC PACKAGES, INTERCONNECTIONS, CONNECTORS OR OTHER CONSTRUCTIONAL DETAILS OF DEVICES COVERED BY CLASS H10

## Abstract

Embodiments of the present disclosure generally relate to an improved method for forming a dielectric film stack used for inter-level dielectric (ILD) layers in a 3D NAND structure. In one embodiment, the method comprises providing a substrate having a gate stack deposited thereon, forming on exposed surfaces of the gate stack a first oxide layer using a first RF power and a first process gas comprising a TEOS gas and a first oxygen-containing gas, and forming over the first oxide layer a second oxide layer using a second RF power and a second process gas comprising a silane gas and a second oxygen-containing gas.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A method for processing a substrate, comprising:
positioning a substrate having a gate stack deposited thereon, the gate stack comprising a plurality of first layers and a plurality of second layers disposed alternatingly in a vertical arrangement perpendicular to a top surface of the substrate;
forming a first oxide layer on exposed surfaces of the gate stack using a first RF power and a first process gas comprising a TEOS gas and a first oxygen-containing gas;
after the first oxide layer has reached a predetermined thickness, ramping up the first RF power while continuing the flow of the TEOS gas and the first oxygen-containing gas to form an initiation layer of oxide over the first oxide layer;
after the initiation layer has reached a predetermined thickness, increasing the RF power used to form the initiation layer and turning off the flow of the TEOS gas to form a transition layer of oxide on the initiation layer; and
forming a second oxide layer over the transition layer using a second RF power that is different from the first RF power and a second process gas comprising a silane gas and a second oxygen-containing gas.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein the flow of the TEOS gas is ramped up while ramping up the first RF power to form the initiation layer of oxide over the first oxide layer.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein increasing the RF power used to form the initiation layer includes ramping up the first RF power from 150 W to about 200 W.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein the formation of the first oxide layer and the second oxide layer are performed in the same processing chamber.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, further comprising:
between the formation of the first oxide layer and the second oxide layer, subjecting the substrate to a first anneal treatment.

### Claim 6 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, further comprising:
after forming the second oxide layer, subjecting the substrate to a second anneal treatment.

### Claim 7 (depends on 6)

The method of claim 6, wherein the second anneal treatment and the formation of the second oxide layer are performed in the same process chamber.

### Claim 8 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein the first oxygen-containing gas and the TEOS gas are provided at first oxygen-containing gas:TEOS gas ratio of about 2:1 to about 6:1.

### Claim 9 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein the first RF power is provided at a high frequency of about 2 MHz or above.

### Claim 10 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein the first layers are oxides and the second layers are nitrides.

### Claim 11 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein the first layers are polycrystalline silicon and the second layers are oxides.