# US 11,908,682 B2 · Method of manufacturing semiconductor device, substrate processing apparatus and non-transitory computer-readable recording medium

> Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt

- Number: US 11,908,682 B2
- Document ID: US11908682B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 17/185,399
- Filed: 2021-02-25
- Published: 2021-06-17
- Granted: 2024-02-20
- Earliest claimed: 2018-09-13
- Assignees: Kokusai Electric Corporation
- Applicants: Kokusai Electric Corporation
- Inventors: Hiroto Igawa; Masanori Nakayama; Katsunori Funaki; Tatsushi Ueda; Yasutoshi Tsubota; Eiko Takami; Yuichiro Takeshima; Yuki Yamakado
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US11908682B2

## CPC

- H10P 14/69215: {the material being a silicon oxide, e.g. SiO2}
- C23C 8/02: Pretreatment of the material to be coated (C23C8/04 takes precedence)
- C23C 8/12: using elemental oxygen or ozone
- C23C 8/36: using ionised gases, e.g. ionitriding
- C23C 8/80: After-treatment
- C23C 28/04: only coatings of inorganic non-metallic material
- H01J 37/32449: {Gas control, e.g. control of the gas flow}
- H01J 37/32724: {Temperature}
- H10P 14/6308: {of Group IV semiconductors}
- H10P 14/6319: {Formation by plasma treatments, e.g. plasma oxidation of the substrate}
- H10P 14/6322: {Formation by thermal treatments (formation by plasma treatment H10P14/6319)}
- H10P 72/0432: {mainly by conduction}
- H10P 72/7612: {characterised by lifting arrangements, e.g. lift pins}
- H10P 72/7618: {characterised by a movable susceptor, stage or support, others than those only rotating on their own vertical axis, e.g. susceptors on a rotating carrousel}
- H01J 2237/332: Coating
- 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)
- H01J: ELECTRIC DISCHARGE TUBES OR DISCHARGE LAMPS (spark-gaps H01T; electric arc lamps H05B31/00; particle accelerators H05H)

## Abstract

According to one aspect of the technique, there is provided a method of manufacturing a semiconductor device, including: (a) forming a first oxide layer by modifying a surface of a substrate at a first temperature with a plasma of a first oxygen-containing gas; and (b) forming a second oxide layer thicker than the first oxide layer by heating the substrate to a second temperature higher than the first temperature and modifying the surface of the substrate, on which the first oxide layer is formed, with a plasma of a second oxygen-containing gas.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A method of manufacturing a semiconductor device, comprising:
(a) forming a first oxide layer by modifying a surface of a substrate at a first temperature with a plasma of a first oxygen-containing gas; and
(b) forming a second oxide layer thicker than the first oxide layer by heating the substrate to a second temperature higher than the first temperature and modifying the surface of the substrate, on which the first oxide layer is formed, with a plasma of a second oxygen-containing gas.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein the substrate comprises a film doped with impurities, and the surface of the substrate comprises a surface of the film.

### Claim 3 (depends on 2)

The method of claim 2, wherein a thickness of the first oxide layer is 1.6 nm or more.

### Claim 4 (depends on 2)

The method of claim 2, wherein a thickness of the first oxide layer is 2.0 nm or more.

### Claim 5 (depends on 2)

The method of claim 2, wherein the second temperature is lower than 800° C.

### Claim 6 (depends on 2)

The method of claim 2, wherein each of the first oxide layer and the second oxide layer comprises an oxide layer containing silicon.

### Claim 7 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein a material composition of the first oxygen-containing gas is same as a material composition of the second oxygen-containing gas.

### Claim 8 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein (a) and (b) are performed in a same process chamber.

### Claim 9 (depends on 8)

The method of claim 8, wherein, in (a), the first oxide layer is formed while the substrate is supported by a support configured to support the substrate above a substrate mounting table such that the substrate is separated from a substrate placing surface of the substrate mounting table in which a heater is embedded.

### Claim 10 (depends on 9)

The method of claim 9, wherein the substrate is placed on the support when the substrate is loaded into the process chamber.

### Claim 11 (depends on 9)

The method of claim 9, wherein (a) is performed while a temperature of the substrate is being elevated.

### Claim 12 (depends on 9)

The method of claim 9, wherein the second oxide layer is formed in (b) while the substrate is placed on the substrate placing surface of the substrate mounting table.

### Claim 13 (depends on 12)

The method of claim 12, wherein the substrate is heated by a lamp in (b).

### Claim 14 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, further comprising
(c) forming a third oxide layer thicker than the second oxide layer by heating the substrate to a third temperature higher than the second temperature and modifying the surface of the substrate, on which the second oxide layer is formed, with a plasma of a third oxygen-containing gas.

### Claim 15

A substrate processing apparatus comprising:
a process chamber in which a substrate is processed;
a gas supplier configured to supply an oxygen-containing gas into the process chamber;
a heater capable of heating the substrate arranged in the process chamber;
a plasma generator configured to excite the oxygen-containing gas supplied into the process chamber to generate a plasma; and
a controller capable of controlling the gas supplier, the heater and the plasma generator to perform:
(a) forming a first oxide layer by modifying a surface of the substrate in the process chamber at a first temperature with a plasma of a first oxygen-containing gas; and
(b) forming a second oxide layer thicker than the first oxide layer by heating the substrate to a second temperature higher than the first temperature and modifying the surface of the substrate, on which the first oxide layer is formed, with a plasma of a second oxygen-containing gas.

### Claim 16 (depends on 15)

The substrate processing apparatus of claim 15, wherein the substrate comprises a film doped with impurities, and the surface of the substrate comprises a surface of the film.

### Claim 17 (depends on 16)

The substrate processing apparatus of claim 16, wherein a thickness of the first oxide layer is 1.6 nm or more.

### Claim 18

A non-transitory computer-readable recording medium storing a program that causes, by a computer, a substrate processing apparatus to perform:
(a) forming a first oxide layer by modifying a surface of a substrate at a first temperature with a plasma of a first oxygen-containing gas; and
(b) forming a second oxide layer thicker than the first oxide layer by heating the substrate to a second temperature higher than the first temperature and modifying the surface of the substrate, on which the first oxide layer is formed, with a plasma of a second oxygen-containing gas.

### Claim 19 (depends on 18)

The non-transitory computer-readable recording medium of claim 18, wherein the substrate comprises a film doped with impurities, and the surface of the substrate comprises a surface of the film.

### Claim 20 (depends on 19)

The non-transitory computer-readable recording medium of claim 19, wherein a thickness of the first oxide layer is 1.6 nm or more.