Low-temperature cleaning of native oxide
AssigneeASM America, Inc.
InventorChantal J. Arena
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Abstract
Disclosed herein is a method of cleaning oxide from a surface in the fabrication of an integrated device using reducing radicals and UV radiation. For silicon surfaces, the cleaning may be performed at a temperature at which a hydrogen-terminated passivated surface is stable, such that the surface remains protected after loading into the chamber until the cleaning is performed. Performing the cleaning at a lower temperature also consumes a reduced portion of the thermal budget of a semiconductor device. Epitaxial deposition can then be performed over the cleaned surface.
Claims53
A method of cleaning oxide from a surface-to-be-cleaned in the fabrication of an integrated device, the method comprising:
- contacting a surface-to-be-cleaned comprising oxide with remotely generated reducing radicals, and
- irradiating the surface-to-be-cleaned with UV radiation.
A reactor for fabricating an integrated device, the reactor comprising a source of reducing radicals and a source of UV radiation, wherein the source of UV radiation comprises an excimer UV lamp.
A reactor for fabricating an integrated device, the reactor comprising:
- a plasma chamber, and
- a reaction chamber dimensioned and configured for processing a substrate therein, wherein
- the plasma chamber is dimensioned and configured to irradiate a substrate within the reaction chamber with UV radiation generated by a plasma within the plasma chamber, and
- the plasma chamber is in fluid connection with the reaction chamber.
A method for cleaning oxide from a semiconductor surface in the fabrication of an integrated device, the method comprising:
- generating a plasma glow discharge within a reactor from a plasma gas supply, the plasma glow discharge emitting UV radiation;
- preventing a direct line-of-sight path for products of the plasma glow discharge to the semiconductor surface;
- exposing an H2 gas to the UV radiation from the plasma glow discharge, wherein the H2 is provided separately from the plasma gas supply;
- and
- contacting the semiconductor surface with the H2 gas activated by the UV radiation from the plasma glow discharge.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.