# US 2003/0143864 A1 · Fabrication process of a semiconductor integrated circuit device > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 2003/0143864 A1 - Document ID: US20030143864A1 - Status: Published application - Kind: A1 - Application number: 10/355,301 - Filed: 2003-01-31 - Published: 2003-07-31 - Earliest claimed: 1997-05-30 - Assignees: Hitachi, Ltd. - Inventors: Yoshikazu Tanabe; Isamu Asano; Makoto Yoshida; Naoki Yamamoto; Masayoshi Saito; Nobuyoshi Natsuaki - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20030143864A1 ## CPC - H10D 64/01354: {passivation or protection of the electrode, e.g. using re-oxidation} - H10D 64/01312: {the additional layer comprising a metal or metal silicide formed by deposition, i.e. without a silicidation reaction, e.g. sputter deposition} - H10D 64/01338: {with a treatment, e.g. annealing, after the formation of the conductor} - H10D 64/664: {the additional layers comprising a barrier layer between the layer of silicon and an upper metal or metal silicide layer} - H10D 84/0135: {Manufacturing their gate conductors} - H10D 84/0147: {Manufacturing their gate sidewall spacers} - H10D 84/0172: {Manufacturing their gate conductors} - H10D 84/0181: {Manufacturing their gate insulating layers} - H10D 84/038: {using silicon technology, e.g. SiGe} - H10P 14/6308: {of Group IV semiconductors} - H10B 12/05: {Making the transistor} - H10B 12/09: {with simultaneous manufacture of the peripheral circuit region and memory cells} - H10D: INORGANIC ELECTRIC SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICES - H10P: GENERIC PROCESSES OR APPARATUS FOR THE MANUFACTURE OR TREATMENT OF DEVICES COVERED BY CLASS H10 - H10B: ELECTRONIC MEMORY DEVICES ## Abstract With a view to preventing the oxidation of a metal film at the time of light oxidation treatment after gate patterning and at the same time to making it possible to control the reproducibility of oxide film formation and homogeneity of oxide film thickness at gate side-wall end portions, in a gate processing step using a poly-metal, a gate electrode is formed by patterning a gate electrode material which has been deposited over a semiconductor wafer 1A having a gate oxide film formed thereon and has a poly-metal structure and then, the principal surface of the semiconductor wafer 1A heated to a predetermined temperature or vicinity thereof is supplied with a hydrogen gas which contains water at a low concentration, the water having been formed from hydrogen and oxygen by a catalytic action, to selectively oxidize the principal surface of the semiconductor wafer 1A, whereby the profile of the side-wall end portions of the gate electrode is improved. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A method for fabricating a semiconductor integrated circuit device, comprising the steps of: (a) synthesizing moisture, in a first temperature range, not higher than a first temperature, from oxygen gas and hydrogen gas by use of a catalyst in a moisture synthesizing portion, to produce synthesized moisture; (b) transferring the synthesized moisture into a heat treatment chamber, to form a wet oxidative atmosphere over a first major surface of a wafer inside the chamber, while keeping the moisture in a gaseous state; and c) performing selective oxidation treatment of a first member over the first major surface of the wafer, in the wet oxidative atmosphere in the heat treatment chamber, by heating the first major surface of the wafer up to a second temperature range not lower than a second temperature higher than the first temperature, wherein introduction of hydrogen gas into the moisture synthesizing portion is started at a first time period prior to the start of introduction of oxygen gas and hydrogen gas into the moisture synthesizing portion for starting the synthesis of moisture. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) A method for fabricating a semiconductor integrated circuit device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the heat treatment chamber is a single-wafer heat treatment chamber, and the heating is by lamp heating. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) A method for fabricating a semiconductor integrated circuit device according to claim 2, wherein the composition of hydrogen and oxygen in a gas provided to synthesize moisture corresponds to that of stoichiometry for water synthesis, or is hydrogen-rich. ### Claim 4 (depends on 3) A method for fabricating a semiconductor integrated circuit device according to claim 3, wherein the composition of hydrogen and oxygen in a gas provided to synthesize water is hydrogen-rich. ### Claim 5 (depends on 4) A method for fabricating a semiconductor integrated circuit device according to claim 4, wherein the second temperature is not less than 800° C. ### Claim 6 (depends on 5) A method for fabricating a semiconductor integrated circuit device according to claim 5, wherein the first temperature is not less than 450° C. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) A method for fabricating a semiconductor integrated circuit device according to claim 1, wherein oxygen gas is not introduced during the first time period. ### Claim 8 (depends on 7) A method for fabricating a semiconductor integrated circuit device according to claim 7, wherein gases other than oxygen gas and hydrogen gas are not introduced into the moisture synthesizing portion during the synthesis of moisture. ### Claim 9 A method for fabricating a semiconductor integrated circuit device, comprising the steps of: (a) synthesizing moisture in a first temperature range, not higher than a first temperature, from oxygen gas and hydrogen gas by use of a catalyst in a moisture synthesizing portion, to produce synthesized moisture; (b) transferring the synthesized moisture into a heat treatment chamber, to form a wet oxidative atmosphere over a first major surface of a wafer inside the chamber, while keeping the moisture in a gaseous state; and (c) performing selective oxidation treatment of a first member over the first major surface of the wafer, in the wet oxidative atmosphere in the heat treatment chamber, by heating the first major surface of the wafer up to a second temperature range not lower than a second temperature higher than the first temperature, wherein step (a) comprises the substeps of; (i) introducing hydrogen gas into the moisture synthesizing portion during a first time period; and (ii) continued from substep (i), introducing oxygen gas and hydrogen gas into the moisture synthesizing portion, thereby synthesizing moisture. ### Claim 10 (depends on 9) A method for fabricating a semiconductor integrated circuit device as claimed in claim 9, wherein the heat treatment chamber is a single-wafer heat treatment chamber, and the heating is by lamp heating. ### Claim 11 (depends on 10) A method for fabricating a semiconductor integrated circuit device according to claim 10, wherein the composition of hydrogen and oxygen in a gas provided to synthesize moisture corresponds to that of stoichiometry for water synthesis, or is hydrogen-rich. ### Claim 12 (depends on 11) A method for fabricating a semiconductor integrated circuit device according to claim 11, wherein the composition of hydrogen and oxygen in a gas provided to synthesize water is hydrogen-rich. ### Claim 13 (depends on 12) A method for fabricating a semiconductor integrated circuit device according to claim 12, wherein the second temperature is not less than 800° C. ### Claim 14 (depends on 13) A method for fabricating a semiconductor integrated circuit device according to claim 13, wherein the first temperature is not less than 450° C. ### Claim 15 (depends on 9) A method for fabricating a semiconductor integrated circuit device according to claim 9, wherein oxygen gas is not introduced during the first time period. ### Claim 16 (depends on 15) A method for fabricating a semiconductor integrated circuit device according to claim 15, wherein gases other than oxygen gas and hydrogen gas are not introduced into the moisture synthesizing portion during synthesis of the moisture. ### Claim 17 A method for fabricating a semiconductor integrated circuit device, comprising the steps of: (a) synthesizing moisture in a first temperature range, not higher than a first temperature, from oxygen gas and hydrogen gas by use of a catalyst in a moisture synthesizing portion, to provide synthesized moisture; (b) transferring the synthesized moisture into a heat treatment chamber, to form a wet oxidative atmosphere over a first major surface of a wafer inside the chamber, while keeping the moisture in a gaseous state; and (c) performing selective oxidation treatment of a first member over the first major surface of the wafer, in the wet oxidative atmosphere in the heat treatment chamber, by heating the first major surface of the wafer in a second temperature range not lower than a second temperature higher than the first temperature, wherein introduction of the oxygen gas, used for forming moisture, into the moisture synthesizing portion, is not started prior to the start of introduction of the hydrogen gas into the moisture synthesizing portion. ### Claim 18 (depends on 17) A method for fabricating a semiconductor integrated circuit device as claimed in claim 17, wherein the heat treatment chamber is a single-wafer heat treatment chamber, and the heating is by lamp heating. ### Claim 19 (depends on 18) A method for fabricating a semiconductor integrated circuit device according to claim 18, wherein the composition of hydrogen and oxygen in a gas provided to synthesize moisture corresponds to that of stoichiometry for water synthesis, or is hydrogen-rich. ### Claim 20 (depends on 19) A method for fabricating a semiconductor integrated circuit device according to claim 19, wherein the composition of hydrogen and oxygen in a gas provided to synthesize water is hydrogen-rich. ### Claim 21 (depends on 20) A method for fabricating a semiconductor integrated circuit device according to claim 20, wherein the second temperature is not less than 800° C. ### Claim 22 (depends on 21) A method for fabricating a semiconductor integrated circuit device according to claim 21, wherein the first temperature is not less than 450° C. ### Claim 23 (depends on 17) A method for fabricating a semiconductor integrated circuit device according to claim 17, wherein gases other than oxygen gas and hydrogen gas are not introduced into the moisture synthesizing portion during synthesis of the moisture.