Processing tool capable for forming carbon layers on substrates
AssigneeLam Research Corporation
InventorsKarl Frederick Leeser, Lee Chen, Yukinori Sakiyama
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A substrate processing tool capable of forming an carbon layer on a substrate by generating a plasma including carbon and non-carbon ions in a processing chamber, suspending the carbon and non-carbon ions in the processing chamber, removing mostly the suspended non-carbon ions from the processing chamber, and bombarding the substrate surface with mostly carbon ions. The one or more steps of the above sequence may be repeated until the carbon layer is of desired thickness.
Claims19
A method of forming a carbon layer on a substrate in a processing chamber, the method comprising:
- (i) introducing a precursor into the processing chamber, the precursor including carbon and a non-carbon element;
- (ii) generating a plasma in the processing chamber using an RF source, the plasma including carbon ions and non-carbon ions with lighter mass than the carbon ions;
- (iii) suspending the carbon ions and the non-carbon ions in the processing chamber by removing the RF source;
- and after performing (i), (ii) and (iii),
- (a) at least partially removing the non-carbon ions from the carbon ions in the processing chamber;
- (b) bombarding the substrate with mostly the carbon ions in the processing chamber after (a);
- and
- (c) forming the carbon layer from the carbon ions bombarding the substrate.
A method of forming a carbon layer on a substrate in a processing chamber, the method comprising:
- (i) introducing a precursor into the processing chamber, the precursor including carbon and a non-carbon element;
- (ii) generating a plasma in the processing chamber using an RF source, the plasma including carbon ions and non-carbon ions with lighter mass than the carbon ions;
- (iii) suspending the carbon ions and the non-carbon ions in the processing chamber;
- (a) at least partially removing the non-carbon ions from the carbon ions in the processing chamber by
- applying a negative DC voltage pulse to an electrode located distal to the substrate within the processing chamber, the negative DC voltage pulse causing more of the non-carbon ions to be attracted to the electrode relative to the carbon ions,
- neutralizing a charge of the non-carbon ions by surface recombination neutralization when the attracted non-carbon ions contact a surface of the electrode, and
- applying a vacuum in the vicinity of the electrode to remove the neutralized non-carbon ions from the processing chamber;
- (b) bombarding the substrate with mostly the carbon ions in the processing chamber after (a);
- and
- (c) forming the carbon layer from the carbon ions bombarding the substrate.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.