Methods of encapsulation
AssigneeLam Research Corporation
InventorsBart J. van Schravendijk, Akhil Singhal, Joseph Hung-chi Wei, Bhadri N. Varadarajan, Kevin M. McLaughlin, Casey Holder, Ananda K. Banerji
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Abstract
Methods and apparatuses suitable for depositing low hydrogen content, hermetic, thin encapsulation layers at temperatures less than about 300° C. are provided herein. Methods involve pulsing plasma while exposing a substrate to deposition reactants, and post-treating deposited encapsulation films to densify and reduce hydrogen content. Post-treatment methods include periodic exposure to inert plasma without reactants and exposure to ultraviolet radiation at a substrate temperature less than about 300° C.
Claims20
A method of encapsulating a memory device on a substrate, the method comprising:
- (i) exposing the substrate having the memory device to a deposition precursor and a reactant at a substrate temperature less than 300° C.;
- and
- (ii) igniting a plasma to deposit an encapsulation layer over the memory device, the encapsulation layer being hermetic and having a hydrogen content less than 15%.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.