# US 10,870,919 B2 · Gas supply method and film forming method

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- Number: US 10,870,919 B2
- Document ID: US10870919B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 15/901,075
- Filed: 2018-02-21
- Published: 2018-09-06
- Granted: 2020-12-22
- Earliest claimed: 2017-03-02
- Assignees: Tokyo Electron Limited
- Applicants: Tokyo Electron Limited
- Inventors: Katsumasa Yamaguchi; Kensaku Narushima; Hironori Yagi; Kouichi Sekido
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10870919B2

## CPC

- C23C 16/45527: {characterized by the ALD cycle, e.g. different flows or temperatures during half-reactions, unusual pulsing sequence, use of precursor mixtures or auxiliary reactants or activations}
- C23C 16/14: Deposition of only one other metal element
- H10P 14/412: {Deposition of metallic or metal-silicide materials}
- H10P 14/418: {the conductive layers comprising transition metals}
- H10P 14/432: {using selective deposition}
- H10D 64/0112: {using conductive layers comprising silicides}
- H10D 64/01316: {the conductor comprising a layer of elemental metal contacting the insulator, e.g. Ta, W, Mo or Al}
- H10D 64/01318: {the conductor comprising a layer of alloy material, compound material or organic material contacting the insulator, e.g. TiN (comprising a layer of alloys of Si, Ge or C H10D64/01314)}
- H10D 64/0132: {the conductor being a metallic silicide}
- 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)
- H10P: GENERIC PROCESSES OR APPARATUS FOR THE MANUFACTURE OR TREATMENT OF DEVICES COVERED BY CLASS H10
- H10D: INORGANIC ELECTRIC SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICES

## Abstract

There is provided a gas supply method for temporarily storing a raw material gas generated by vaporizing a raw material accommodated in a raw material container inside a buffer tank together with a carrier gas and subsequently supplying the raw material gas into a processing container. The gas supply method includes: controlling a flow rate of a gas exhausted from the buffer tank and a flow rate of the raw material gas and the carrier gas filled in the buffer tank, so that a second internal pressure of the buffer tank becomes equal to a first internal pressure of the buffer tank when a process is performed by supplying the raw material gas into the processing container, before supplying the raw material gas into the processing container.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A film forming method for forming a metal film by repeating a raw material gas supply step of temporarily storing a raw material gas generated by vaporizing a raw material accommodated in a raw material container inside a buffer tank together with a carrier gas and subsequently supplying the raw material gas into a processing container, and a reducing gas supply step of supplying a reducing gas for reducing the raw material gas into the processing container, comprising:
a first film forming process of forming the metal film on a first substrate by repeating the raw material gas supply step and the reducing gas supply step;
a storing process of storing a first internal pressure of the buffer tank in the raw material gas supply step of the first film forming process;
a depressurizing process of depressurizing an interior of the buffer tank;
an adjusting process of adjusting a second internal pressure of the buffer tank to the first internal pressure stored in the storing process by filling the buffer tank with the raw material gas and the carrier gas and exhausting a gas from the buffer tank after the depressurizing process; and
a second film forming process of forming the metal film on a second substrate different from the first substrate by repeating the raw material gas supply step and the reducing gas supply step after the adjusting process.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, further comprising a process of performing an ALD cycle in which a cycle of supplying the raw material gas and a reducing gas for reducing the raw material gas into the processing container in the named order is repeated a plurality of times,
wherein the first internal pressure of the buffer tank is based on a pressure at the time of supplying the raw material gas in a plurality of cycles including at least the last cycle of the ALD cycle.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, further comprising a process of supplying a dilution gas into the buffer tank,
wherein the total flow rate of a flow rate of the carrier gas and a flow rate of the dilution gas is kept constant.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein the second internal pressure of the buffer tank is controlled by adjusting a pressure control valve.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein e raw material is a solid raw material of tungsten chloride.