# US 12,110,589 B2 · Methods for metal oxide post-treatment

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

- Number: US 12,110,589 B2
- Document ID: US12110589B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 16/631,979
- Filed: 2018-08-01
- Published: 2020-05-28
- Granted: 2024-10-08
- Earliest claimed: 2017-08-01
- Assignees: Applied Materials, Inc.
- Applicants: Applied Materials, Inc.
- Inventors: Tatsuya E. Sato; Wei Liu; Li-Qun Xia
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US12110589B2

## CPC

- C23C 16/45553: {characterized by the use of precursors specially adapted for ALD}
- C23C 16/04: Coating on selected surface areas, e.g. using masks
- C23C 16/403: {of aluminium, magnesium or beryllium}
- C23C 16/4554: {Plasma being used non-continuously in between ALD reactions (C23C16/56 takes precedence)}
- C23C 16/45548: {having arrangements for gas injection at different locations of the reactor for each ALD half-reaction}
- C23C 16/56: After-treatment
- H10P 14/6339: {deposition by cyclic CVD, e.g. ALD, ALE or pulsed CVD}
- H10P 14/6532: {by exposure to a plasma}
- H10P 14/69391: {the material containing aluminium, e.g. Al2O3}
- H10P 50/283: {by chemical means}
- 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

## Abstract

Methods comprising forming a metal oxide film by atomic layer deposition using water as an oxidant are described. The metal oxide film is exposed to a decoupled plasma comprising one or more of He, H2 or O2 to lower the wetch etch rate of the metal oxide film.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A method comprising:
forming an aluminum oxide film on a substrate surface by ALD using water as an oxidant; and
exposing the aluminum oxide film to a decoupled plasma consisting essentially of He, to lower the wet etch rate of the aluminum oxide film to less than 50 Å/min,
wherein the decoupled plasma is a remote directional plasma, the remote directional plasma formed in a plasma assembly having a slot with edges through which the plasma flows, the plasma having a high ion energy and concentration adjacent the edges of the slot.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, further comprising repeatedly forming the aluminum oxide film and exposing the aluminum oxide film to the decoupled plasma sequentially to deposit the aluminum oxide film to a predetermined thickness.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein forming the aluminum oxide film comprises sequentially exposing the substrate surface to an aluminum precursor and an oxygen reactant.

### Claim 4 (depends on 3)

The method of claim 3, wherein the aluminum precursor comprises trimethylaluminum and the oxygen reactant comprises water.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein the aluminum oxide film has a wet etch rate lower than 50 Å/min in 1100:1 water:HF at room temperature or in a mixture of 1:1:50 peroxide:ammonium hydroxide:water at 70° C.

### Claim 6 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein the aluminum oxide film has a wet etch rate lower than 30 Å/min in 1100:1 water:HF at room temperature.

### Claim 7 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein the metal oxide film has a wet etch rate lower than 20 Å/min in 1100:1 water:HF at room temperature or less than about 75 Å/min in a mixture of 1:1:50 peroxide:ammonium hydroxide:water at 70° C.