# US 2025/0144667 A1 · Substrate-processing method

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- Number: US 2025/0144667 A1
- Document ID: US20250144667A1
- Status: Published application
- Kind: A1
- Application number: 18/920,078
- Filed: 2024-10-18
- Published: 2025-05-08
- Earliest claimed: 2023-11-07
- Assignees: Tokyo Electron Limited
- Applicants: Tokyo Electron Limited
- Inventors: Daisuke OBA; Nobuo MATSUKI; Yoshinori MORISADA
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20250144667A1

## CPC

- B05D 1/62: {Plasma-deposition of organic layers (plasma deposition in general C23C14/00, C23C16/00)}
- H10P 14/6922: {the material containing Si, O and at least one of H, N, C, F or other non-metal elements, e.g. SiOC, SiOC:H or SiONC}
- C23C 16/325: {Silicon carbide}
- C23C 16/36: Carbonitrides
- C23C 16/56: After-treatment
- H10P 14/6336: {in the presence of a plasma [PECVD]}
- H10P 14/6682: {the compound being a silane, e.g. disilane, methylsilane or chlorosilane}
- B05D 3/145: {After-treatment}
- B05D: PROCESSES FOR APPLYING FLUENT MATERIALS TO SURFACES, IN GENERAL (conveying articles or workpieces through baths of liquid B65G, e.g. B65G49/02)
- H10P: GENERIC PROCESSES OR APPARATUS FOR THE MANUFACTURE OR TREATMENT OF DEVICES COVERED BY CLASS H10
- C23C: COATING METALLIC MATERIAL; COATING MATERIAL WITH METALLIC MATERIAL; SURFACE TREATMENT OF METALLIC MATERIAL BY DIFFUSION INTO THE SURFACE, BY CHEMICAL CONVERSION OR SUBSTITUTION; COATING BY VACUUM EVAPORATION, BY SPUTTERING, BY ION IMPLANTATION OR BY CHEMICAL VAPOUR DEPOSITION, IN GENERAL (making metal-coated products by extrusion B21C23/22; covering with metal by connecting pre-existing layers to articles, see the relevant places, e.g. B21D39/00, B23K; metallising of glass C03C; metallising mortars, concrete, artificial stone, ceramics or natural stone C04B41/00; enamelling of, or applying a vitreous layer to, metals C23D; treating metal surfaces or coating of metals by electrolysis or electrophoresis C25D; single-crystal film growth C30B; by metallising textiles D06M11/83; decorating textiles by locally metallising D06Q1/04)

## Abstract

A substrate-processing method includes a) forming a flowable oligomer on a substrate, the flowable oligomer containing carbon; and b) exposing the substrate to a plasma of a modification gas containing carbon and hydrogen, thereby modifying the flowable oligomer and forming a carbon-containing film.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A substrate-processing method, comprising:
a) forming a flowable oligomer on a substrate, the flowable oligomer containing carbon; and
b) exposing the substrate to a plasma of a modification gas containing carbon and hydrogen, thereby modifying the flowable oligomer and forming a carbon-containing film.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The substrate-processing method according to claim 1, wherein
the modification gas contains a hydrocarbon gas and a hydrogen-containing gas.

### Claim 3 (depends on 2)

The substrate-processing method according to claim 2, wherein
a ratio of the hydrogen-containing gas to the hydrocarbon gas in the modification gas is in a range of from 1:2 through 1:200.

### Claim 4 (depends on 2)

The substrate-processing method according to claim 2, wherein
the hydrocarbon gas is methane, ethane, propane, ethylene, propylene, or acetylene.

### Claim 5 (depends on 2)

The substrate-processing method according to claim 2, wherein
the hydrogen-containing gas is H2.

### Claim 6 (depends on 2)

The substrate-processing method according to claim 2, wherein
the modification gas further contains a nitrogen-containing gas.

### Claim 7 (depends on 6)

The substrate-processing method according to claim 6, wherein
the nitrogen-containing gas is N2, NH3, or N2O.

### Claim 8 (depends on 2)

The substrate-processing method according to claim 2, wherein
the modification gas further contains a silicon-containing gas.

### Claim 9 (depends on 8)

The substrate-processing method according to claim 8, wherein
the silicon-containing gas is silane, disilane, trisilane, tetrasilane, or a high-order silane.

### Claim 10 (depends on 2)

The substrate-processing method according to claim 2, wherein
the modification gas further contains an inert gas.

### Claim 11 (depends on 1)

The substrate-processing method according to claim 1, wherein
a) includes
supplying a raw material gas containing carbon,
generating a plasma by supply of a first power, and
plasma-polymerizing the raw material gas containing carbon through plasma enhanced chemical vapor deposition, thereby forming the flowable oligomer containing carbon.

### Claim 12 (depends on 11)

The substrate-processing method according to claim 11, wherein
b) includes
supplying the modification gas containing carbon and hydrogen,
generating a plasma of the modification gas by supply of a second power that is higher than the first power, and
exposing the substrate to the plasma of the modification gas, thereby modifying the flowable oligomer.

### Claim 13 (depends on 1)

The substrate-processing method according to claim 1, wherein
the substrate-processing method repeatedly performs a) and b).

### Claim 14 (depends on 1)

The substrate-processing method according to claim 1, wherein
the carbon-containing film is SiC, SiOC, SiOCN, SiCN, or BCN.