Cyclic Low Temperature Film Growth Processes
AssigneeTokyo Electron Limited
InventorsJianping Zhao, Peter Lowell George Ventzek, Toshihiko Iwao
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Abstract
A method of nitridation includes cyclically performing the following steps in situ within a processing chamber at a temperature less than about 400° C.: directing an energy flux to a localized region of an unreactive surface of a substrate to convert the localized region of the unreactive surface to a localized reactive region: and selectively nitridating the localized reactive region using a nitrogen-based gas to convert the localized reactive region to a nitride layer.
Claims20
A method of nitridation comprising cyclically performing the following steps in situ within a processing chamber at a temperature less than about 400° C.:
- directing an energy flux to a localized region of an unreactive surface of a substrate to convert the localized region of the unreactive surface to a localized reactive region;
- and
- selectively nitridating the localized reactive region using a nitrogen-based gas to convert the localized reactive region to a nitride layer.
A method of nitridation comprising cyclically performing the following steps in situ within a processing chamber at a temperature less than about 400° C.:
- treating an unreactive surface of a substrate in the processing chamber to convert the unreactive surface to a reactive surface by exposing the unreactive surface to an energy flux, the substrate being silicon or silicon oxide;
- and
- nitridating the reactive surface using a nitrogen-based gas to convert the reactive surface to a nitride layer comprising a subsequent unreactive surface, the nitride layer being silicon nitride or silicon oxynitride.
A low-temperature nitridation apparatus comprising:
- a processing chamber;
- a substrate holder disposed in the processing chamber and configured to support a substrate maintained at a temperature less than about 400° C.;
- an energy source coupled to the processing chamber and configured to direct an energy flux to a localized region of an unreactive surface of the substrate to convert the localized region of the unreactive surface to a localized reactive region;
- and
- one or more gas inlets fluidically coupled to the processing chamber and configured to selectively nitridate the localized reactive region by supplying a nitrogen-based gas into the processing chamber to convert the localized reactive region to a nitride layer.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.