Method and apparatus for forming silicon oxide film
AssigneeTokyo Electron Limited
InventorsYoshiro Kabe, Junichi Kitagawa, Sunao Muraoka
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An object to be processed which has silicon on its surface is loaded in a processing chamber. A plasma of a processing gas containing oxygen gas and nitrogen gas is generated in the processing chamber. The silicon on the surface of the object to be processed is oxidized by the plasma, thereby forming a silicon oxide film.
Claims21
A method for forming a silicon oxide film comprising:
- providing in a processing chamber a target object having silicon on its surface;
- forming in the processing chamber a plasma of a processing gas containing O2 gas and N2 gas;
- and
- forming a silicon oxide film by oxidizing the silicon on the surface of the target object by using the plasma,
- wherein a nitrogen concentration in the silicon oxide film is smaller than or equal to about 1 weight %.
(canceled)
A method for forming a silicon oxide film comprising:
- providing in a processing chamber a target object having silicon on its surface;
- introducing a processing gas containing a rare gas, O2 gas and N2 gas such that the O2 gas has a concentration of about 25 volume % or higher and the N2 gas has a concentration of about 1 to 50 volume %, while controlling a pressure in the processing chamber to about 400 Pa or higher;
- converting the processing gas into a plasma by radiating into the processing chamber microwaves through a planar antenna member having a plurality of slots;
- and
- forming a silicon oxide film by oxidizing the silicon on the surface of the target object by using the plasma.
An apparatus for forming a silicon oxide film comprising:
- a processing chamber in which a target object having silicon on its surface is provided;
- a gas supply mechanism for supplying into the processing chamber a processing gas containing a rare gas, O2 gas and N2 gas;
- a heating mechanism for heating the target object in the processing chamber;
- a plasma generating mechanism for converting the processing gas containing the rare gas, the O2 gas and the N2 gas into a plasma;
- a gas exhaust unit for evacuating the inside of the processing chamber;
- and
- a control unit for controlling such that a silicon oxide film is formed by oxidizing the silicon on the surface of the target object by using the processing gas containing the rare gas, the O2 gas and the N7 gas converted into the plasma by the plasma generating mechanism while a nitrogen concentration in the silicon oxide film is smaller than or equal to about 1 weight %.
(canceled)
(canceled)
(canceled)
A method for forming a silicon oxide film comprising:
- providing in a processing chamber a target object having silicon on its surface;
- forming in the processing chamber a plasma of a processing gas containing O2 gas and N2 gas;
- and
- forming a silicon oxide film by oxidizing the silicon on the surface of the target object by using the plasma,
- wherein a processing pressure is higher than or equal to about 66.5 Pa, and an O2 gas concentration in the processing gas is greater than or equal to about 50 volume %.
A method for forming a silicon oxide film comprising:
- providing in a processing chamber a target object having silicon on its surface;
- forming in the processing chamber a plasma of a processing gas containing O2 gas and N2 gas;
- and
- forming a silicon oxide film by oxidizing the silicon on the surface of the target object by using the plasma,
- wherein a processing pressure is higher than about 133 Pa, and an O2 gas concentration in the processing gas is greater than or equal to about 10 volume %.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.