# US 12,768,042 B2 · Activator, method of forming thin film using activator, semiconductor substrate fabricated using method, and semiconductor device including semiconductor substrate

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- Number: US 12,768,042 B2
- Document ID: US12768042B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 18/848,577
- Filed: 2023-03-17
- Published: 2025-07-10
- Granted: 2026-10-20
- Earliest claimed: 2022-04-05
- Assignees: Soulbrain Co., Ltd.
- Applicants: Soulbrain Co., Ltd.
- Inventors: Seung Hyun Lee; Jae Sun Jung; Chang Bong Yeon; Jong Moon Kim
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US12768042B2

## CPC

- C23C 16/45553: {characterized by the use of precursors specially adapted for ALD}
- 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)

## Abstract

The present invention relates to an activator, a method of forming a thin film using the activator, a semiconductor substrate fabricated using the method, and a semiconductor device including the semiconductor substrate. According to the present invention, by providing a compound having a predetermined structure as an activator, the reaction rate may be improved by effectively replacing the ligands of an adsorbed precursor, and the thin film growth rate may be appropriately reduced. Thus, even when forming a thin film on a substrate with a complex structure, step coverage and the thickness uniformity of a thin film may be greatly improved, and impurities may be reduced.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A method of forming a thin film on a substrate, comprising injecting an activator into a chamber to substitute a ligand of a precursor compound adsorbed on a surface of a loaded substrate,
wherein the substituting a ligand is a self-limiting surface reaction, the precursor comprises an aminosilane compound, and the activator is used in a process in which a thin film is formed by a separate reaction gas after the ligand substitution;
wherein the activator comprises a halogenated compound, and the halogenated compound comprises one or more selected from hydrogen iodide, methyl iodide, ethyl iodide, propyl iodide, butyl iodide, isopropyl iodide, and tert-butyl iodide;
wherein the activator activates a laminated film formed from one or more precursor compounds selected from the group consisting of Al, Si, Ti, V, Co, Ni, Cu, Zn, Ga, Ge, Se, Zr, Nb, Mo, Ru, Rh, In, Sn, Sb, Te, Hf, Ta, W, Re, Os, Ir, La, Ce, and Nd,
wherein the thin film is prepared by using the precursor compound represented by Chemical Formula 1 below;
wherein the thin film is applied to formation of the thin film for use as a diffusion barrier film, an etching stop film, an electrode film, a dielectric film, a gate insulating film, a block oxide film, or a charge trap;
wherein the activator is used in a process in which a thin film is formed by a separate reaction gas after the ligand substitution,
wherein M comprises one or more selected from Al, Si, Ti, V, Co, Ni, Cu, Zn, Ga, Ge, Se, Zr, Nb, Mo, Ru, Rh, In, Sn, Sb, Te, Hf, Ta, W, Re, Os, Ir, La, Ce, and Nd; L1, L2, L3, and L4 are —H, —X, —R, —OR, or —NR2 and are the same or different, wherein —X is F, Cl, Br. or I; and R is C1-C10 alkyl, C1-C10 alkene, or C1-C10 alkane and is linear or circular.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The method according to claim 1, wherein, in Chemical Formula 1, L1, L2, L3, and L4 are —H or —R and are the same or different, wherein —R is C1-C10 alkyl, C1-C10 alkene, or C1-C10 alkane and substitutes a ligand having a linear or cyclic structure.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The method according to claim 1 wherein, in Chemical Formula 1, L1, L2, L3, and L4 are —H, —OR, or —NR2 and are the same or different, wherein —R substitutes an H, C1-C10 alkyl, C1-C10 alkene, C1-C10 alkane, iPr, or tBu ligand.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The method according to claim 1, wherein, in Chemical Formula 1, L1, L2, L3, and L4 are —H or —X and are the same or different, wherein —X substitutes an F, Cl, Br, or I ligand.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

The method according to claim 1, wherein the thin film is a molybdenum film, a tungsten film, a silicon nitride film, a silicon oxide film, a titanium nitride film, a titanium oxide film, a tungsten nitride film, a molybdenum nitride film, a hafnium oxide film, a zirconium oxide film, a tungsten oxide film, or an aluminum oxide film.

### Claim 6 (depends on 1)

A semiconductor substrate fabricated using the method according to claim 1.

### Claim 7 (depends on 6)

The semiconductor substrate according to claim 6, wherein the thin film has a multilayer structure of two or three layers.

### Claim 8 (depends on 6)

A semiconductor device comprising the semiconductor substrate according to claim 6.