# US 10,872,762 B2 · Methods of forming silicon oxide layer and semiconductor structure

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- Number: US 10,872,762 B2
- Document ID: US10872762B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 16/022,701
- Filed: 2018-06-29
- Published: 2019-05-09
- Granted: 2020-12-22
- Earliest claimed: 2017-11-08
- Assignees: Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company, Ltd.
- Applicants: Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co., Ltd.
- Inventors: Yu-Yun Peng
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10872762B2

## CPC

- H10P 14/69215: {the material being a silicon oxide, e.g. SiO2}
- C23C 16/045: {Coating cavities or hollow spaces, e.g. interior of tubes; Infiltration of porous substrates}
- C23C 16/401: {containing silicon}
- C23C 16/45523: {Pulsed gas flow or change of composition over time}
- C23C 16/56: After-treatment
- H10P 14/6336: {in the presence of a plasma [PECVD]}
- H10P 14/6339: {deposition by cyclic CVD, e.g. ALD, ALE or pulsed CVD}
- H10P 14/6681: {the precursor containing a compound comprising Si}
- 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 14/6687: {the compound comprising silicon and nitrogen}
- H10P 14/6689: {the compound being a silazane}
- H10P 90/1906: {Preparing SOI wafers}
- H10P 95/90: Thermal treatments, e.g. annealing or sintering
- H10W 10/014: {using trench refilling with dielectric materials, e.g. shallow trench isolations}
- H10W 10/061: {using SOI processes together with lateral isolation, e.g. combinations of SOI and shallow trench isolations}
- H10W 10/17: formed using trench refilling with dielectric materials, e.g. shallow trench isolations
- H10W 10/181: {Semiconductor-on-insulator [SOI] isolation regions, e.g. buried oxide regions of SOI wafers}
- H10W 20/48: Insulating materials thereof
- H10W 74/134: {the encapsulations being in grooves in the semiconductor body}
- H10W 74/137: {the encapsulations being directly on the semiconductor body (H10W74/134 takes precedence)}
- H10W 74/147: {the encapsulations being multilayered}
- H10W 20/40: Interconnections external to wafers or substrates, e.g. back-end-of-line [BEOL] metallisations or vias connecting to gate electrodes
- 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)
- H10W: GENERIC PACKAGES, INTERCONNECTIONS, CONNECTORS OR OTHER CONSTRUCTIONAL DETAILS OF DEVICES COVERED BY CLASS H10

## Abstract

Methods of forming a silicon oxide layer and a semiconductor structure are disclosed. The method of forming the silicon oxide layer includes the following steps. A silicon-containing precursor, an oxygen-containing precursor and an oxygen radical are provided to form a silicon oxide layer containing water. A thermal process is performed on the silicon oxide layer to diffuse the water into the silicon oxide layer and oxidize the silicon oxide layer by using the water as oxidizer.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A method of forming a silicon oxide layer, comprising:
performing at least one deposition cycle, comprising:
consistently providing a silicon-containing precursor and an oxygen radical to deposit a flowable silicon oxide layer; and
periodically providing an oxygen-containing precursor and increasing amount of the oxygen radical to form water in the flowable silicon oxide layer; and
performing a thermal process on the flowable silicon oxide layer to diffuse the water into the flowable silicon oxide layer to substantially disperse and insert the water throughout the flowable silicon oxide layer and oxidize the flowable silicon oxide layer by using the water as oxidizer.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein an idle time period is between the deposition cycles, and during the idle time period, the silicon-containing precursor, the oxygen radical and the oxygen-containing precursor are ceased to provide.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein an amount of the silicon-containing precursor is constant during the deposition cycle.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein the oxygen radical is generated from an oxygen-containing gas.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein the water is formed while the flowable silicon oxide layer is deposited.

### Claim 6 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein the silicon-containing precursor comprises Si or N as a central atom or an N—Si—N backbone.

### Claim 7 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein the oxygen-containing precursor comprises oxysilane or alkoxysilane.

### Claim 8 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein the flowable silicon oxide layer is formed by a flowable chemical vapor deposition process.

### Claim 9

A method of forming a silicon oxide layer, comprising:
providing a silicon-containing precursor and an oxygen radical to deposit a flowable silicon oxide layer;
providing an oxygen-containing precursor and increasing amount of the oxygen radical to form water in the flowable silicon oxide layer; and
homogeneously diffusing the water into the flowable silicon oxide layer to disperse the water throughout the flowable silicon oxide layer.

### Claim 10 (depends on 9)

The method of claim 9, wherein the silicon-containing precursor comprises Si or N as a central atom or an N—Si—N backbone.

### Claim 11 (depends on 9)

The method of claim 9, wherein the oxygen-containing precursor comprises hydrogen.

### Claim 12 (depends on 9)

The method of claim 9, wherein the oxygen-containing precursor comprises oxysilane or alkoxysilane.

### Claim 13 (depends on 9)

The method of claim 9, wherein the oxygen-containing precursor is free of nitrogen.

### Claim 14 (depends on 9)

The method of claim 9, wherein diffusing the water into the flowable silicon oxide layer comprises performing an annealing process, a curing process or a combination thereof.

### Claim 15

A method of forming a semiconductor structure, comprising:
filling an opening with a silicon oxide layer, wherein a method of forming the silicon oxide layer comprising:
performing at least one deposition cycle, comprising:
consistently providing a silicon-containing precursor and an oxygen radical to deposit a flowable silicon oxide layer; and
periodically providing an oxygen-containing precursor and increasing amount of the oxygen radical to form water in the flowable silicon oxide layer; and
performing a thermal process on the flowable silicon oxide layer to homogeneously diffuse the water into the flowable silicon oxide layer to disperse the water throughout the flowable silicon oxide layer and oxidize the flowable silicon oxide layer by using the water as oxidizer.

### Claim 16 (depends on 15)

The method of claim 15, wherein the silicon-containing precursor comprises Si or N as a central atom or an N—Si—N backbone.

### Claim 17 (depends on 15)

The method of claim 15, wherein the oxygen-containing precursor comprises oxysilane or alkoxysilane.

### Claim 18 (depends on 15)

The method of claim 15, wherein the oxygen-containing precursor is free of nitrogen.

### Claim 19 (depends on 15)

The method of claim 15, wherein the flowable silicon oxide layer is deposited by a flowable chemical vapor deposition process.

### Claim 20 (depends on 15)

The method of claim 15, wherein the semiconductor structure is a shallow trench isolation or an inter-layer dielectric.