# US 10,504,723 B2 · Method and apparatus for selective epitaxy

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- Number: US 10,504,723 B2
- Document ID: US10504723B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 15/661,124
- Filed: 2017-07-27
- Published: 2018-07-05
- Granted: 2019-12-10
- Earliest claimed: 2017-01-05
- Assignees: Applied Materials, Inc.
- Applicants: Applied Materials, Inc.
- Inventors: Xuebin Li; Hua Chung; Flora Fong-Song Chang; Schubert S. Chu; Abhishek Dube
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10504723B2

## CPC

- H10P 14/271: {characterised by the preparation of substrate for selective deposition}
- C23C 16/0236: {by etching with a reactive gas}
- C23C 16/04: Coating on selected surface areas, e.g. using masks
- C23C 16/38: Borides
- C30B 25/186: {being specially pre-treated by, e.g. chemical or physical means}
- C30B 29/10: Inorganic compounds or compositions
- H10D 62/834: further characterised by the dopants
- H10P 14/203: {using transformation of metal, e.g. oxidation or nitridation}
- H10P 14/2905: {Silicon, silicon germanium or germanium}
- H10P 14/3238: {being insulating materials}
- H10P 14/3411: {Silicon, silicon germanium or germanium}
- H10P 14/3442: {N-type}
- H10P 14/3444: {P-type}
- H10P 14/3454: {Amorphous}
- H10P 50/642: {Chemical etching}
- H10P 14/3602: {In-situ cleaning}
- 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)
- C30B: SINGLE-CRYSTAL GROWTH (by using ultra-high pressure, e.g. for the formation of diamonds, B01J3/06); UNIDIRECTIONAL SOLIDIFICATION OF EUTECTIC MATERIAL OR UNIDIRECTIONAL DEMIXING OF EUTECTOID MATERIAL; REFINING BY ZONE-MELTING OF MATERIAL (zone-refining of metals or alloys C22B); PRODUCTION OF A HOMOGENEOUS POLYCRYSTALLINE MATERIAL WITH DEFINED STRUCTURE (casting of metals, casting of other substances by the same processes or devices B22D; working of plastics B29; modifying the physical structure of metals or alloys C21D, C22F); SINGLE CRYSTALS OR HOMOGENEOUS POLYCRYSTALLINE MATERIAL WITH DEFINED STRUCTURE; AFTER-TREATMENT OF SINGLE CRYSTALS OR A HOMOGENEOUS POLYCRYSTALLINE MATERIAL WITH DEFINED STRUCTURE (for producing semiconductor devices or parts thereof H10); APPARATUS THEREFOR
- H10D: INORGANIC ELECTRIC SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICES

## Abstract

A method of forming a film on a substrate having silicon surfaces and dielectric surfaces includes precleaning the substrate; applying an inhibitor species to the dielectric surfaces; and exposing the substrate to a precursor while maintaining a temperature of less than about 600 degrees Celsius.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A method of forming a film on a substrate, the method comprising:
precleaning a substrate, wherein a surface of the substrate comprises silicon surfaces and dielectric surfaces;
applying an inhibitor species to the surface of the substrate in a first processing chamber such that the inhibitor species preferentially attaches to the dielectric surfaces of the surface of the substrate;
exposing the substrate having the inhibitor species on the dielectric surfaces thereof to a precursor for epitaxial deposition of a silicon- or germanium- containing layer in a second processing chamber, different than the first processing chamber, while maintaining the substrate at a first temperature of less than about 600 degrees Celsius; and
removing the inhibitor species from the dielectric surfaces with an oxidation process in a third processing chamber, different than the second processing chamber, while maintaining the substrate at a second temperature that is lower than the first temperature.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein the precursor comprises at least one of a silicon source or a germanium source.

### Claim 3 (depends on 2)

The method of claim 2, wherein the precursor comprises at least one of a carbon source or a dopant source.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, further comprising depositing a silicon-containing epitaxial layer comprising phosphorus on the substrate.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, further comprising depositing a germanium-containing epitaxial layer comprising boron on the substrate.

### Claim 6 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein applying the inhibitor species comprises exposing the substrate to at least one of trichlorosilane, trialkoxysilanes, silylamines, carbon, or a polymer.

### Claim 7 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, further comprising removing at least one of amorphous silicon or amorphous germanium from the dielectric surfaces.

### Claim 8 (depends on 7)

The method of claim 7, wherein the removing the at least one of amorphous silicon or amorphous germanium comprises exposing the substrate to an etching gas.

### Claim 9 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, further comprising removing at least one of amorphous silicon or amorphous germanium from the dielectric surfaces before removing the inhibitor species from the dielectric surfaces.

### Claim 10 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, further comprising pre-baking the substrate in the second processing chamber.

### Claim 11 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, further comprising pre-baking the substrate in a fourth processing chamber.

### Claim 12 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein the precleaning is performed in a preclean chamber.