Method for forming a thin oxide layer using wet oxidation
AssigneeSamsung Electronics Co., Ltd.
InventorsChan-Sik Park, Sang-Woon Kim, Chung-Hwan Kwon, Sae-Hyoung Ryu
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Abstract
A process for forming oxide layer on a wafer, which comprises a wet oxidation step using a pyrogenic steam as an oxidizing agent. The present invention comprises a flowing of an inert gas throughout the process including the wet oxidation step. The process allows an easy control of the oxide layer growth rate and oxide layer thickness, a formation of a more uniform oxide layer, and an improvement in the quality of the oxide layer.
Claims32
A process for forming a thin oxide layer on a semiconductor wafer comprising the steps of:
- at least one predetermined time, flowing a gas mixture including an inert gas inside a furnace configured to contain a subject wafer;
- and
- performing a wet oxidation by using a gas mixture including a pyrogenic steam to form said oxide layer over said subject wafer.
A furnace configured to form a thin oxide layer on a semiconductor wafer comprising the steps of:
- means for providing at least one predetermined time, a flow of a gas mixture including an inert gas inside said furnace configured to contain a subject wafer;
- and
- means performing a wet oxidation by using a gas mixture including a pyrogenic steam to form said oxide layer over said subject wafer.
A furnace configured to form a thin oxide layer on a semiconductor wafer comprising the steps of:
- ducts configured to, at least one predetermined time, provide a flow of a gas mixture including an inert gas inside said furnace configured to contain a subject wafer;
- and
- ducts configured to provide a flow of material to perform wet oxidation by using a gas mixture including a pyrogenic steam to form said oxide layer over said subject wafer.
A process for forming a thin oxide layer on a semiconductor wafer comprising the steps of:
- maintaining a predetermined first temperature inside a furnace while flowing a first gas mixture comprising a first inert gas and oxygen, and a second inert gas over said wafer, said first and second inert gases being selected from the group consisting of nitrogen, argon, helium, and any combination thereof (‘first stabilization’);
- raising the temperature to a predetermined second temperature while flowing a second gas mixture comprising said first inert gas and oxygen, and said second inert gas over said wafer (‘temperature ramp’);
- maintaining said second temperature while flowing a third gas mixture comprising said first inert gas and oxygen, and said second inert gas over said wafer (‘second stabilization’);
- performing a wet oxidation by using a fourth gas mixture comprising a pyrogenic steam to form said oxide layer while flowing said second inert gas over said wafer (‘wet oxidation’);
- and
- maintaining the temperature while flowing said first inert gas and said second inert gas over said wafer (‘third stabilization’).
A process for forming a thin oxide layer on a semiconductor wafer comprising the steps of:
- loading said wafer into a furnace while flowing a first gas mixture comprising a first inert gas and a second inert gas over said wafer, said inert gases being selected from the group consisting of nitrogen, argon, helium, or any combination thereof (‘wafer load’);
- maintaining a predetermined first temperature inside said furnace while flowing a second gas mixture comprising said first inert gas and oxygen, and said second inert gas over said wafer (‘first stabilization’);
- raising the temperature to a predetermined second temperature while flowing a third gas mixture comprising said first inert gas and oxygen, and said second inert gas over said wafer (‘temperature ramp’);
- maintaining said second temperature while flowing a fourth gas mixture comprising said first inert gas and oxygen, and said second inert gas over said wafer (‘second stabilization’);
- performing a wet oxidation by using a fifth gas mixture comprising pyrogenic steam to form said oxide layer while flowing said second inert gas over said wafer (‘wet oxidation’);
- and
- maintaining the temperature while flowing said first inert gas and said second inert gas over said wafer (‘third stabilization’).
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.