US 7,740,917 B2Granted

Method for forming thin film and base and having thin film formed by such method

AssigneeKonica Minolta Holdings, Inc.

InventorsHiromoto Ii, Toshio Tsuji, Chikao Mamiya, Kazuhiro Fukuda, Kiyoshi Oishi, Takakazu Kiyomura

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Abstract

A method for forming a film comprising a first process and a second process, the first process comprising the steps of: supplying a discharge gas to a first discharge space where high frequency electric field A is generated at or near atmospheric pressure, whereby the discharge gas is excite; transferring energy of the excited discharge gas to a film forming gas, whereby the film forming gas is excited; and exposing a substrate to the film forming gas to form a film on the substrate, and the second process comprising the steps of: supplying a gas containing an oxidizing gas to a second discharge space where high frequency electric field B is generated at or near atmospheric pressure, whereby the gas containing the oxidizing gas is excite; and the film formed in the first process is exposed to the excited gas containing the oxidizing gas.

Claims24

Dependent claims

A method for forming a film

comprising a first process and a second process,
the first process comprising the steps of:
(i) supplying a discharge gas containing nitrogen in an amount of 50% by volume or more based on a volume of the discharge gas, to a first discharge space of an atmospheric pressure plasma processing apparatus, the first discharge space is formed between a first electrode and a second electrode which are facing each other, where a high frequency electric field A is generated at atmospheric pressure or at approximately atmospheric pressure in the first discharge space by superposing a first high frequency electric field of 200 kHz or less and a second high frequency electric field of 800 kHz or more, the first high frequency electric field is applied to the first electrode and the second high frequency electric field applied to the second electrode, whereby the discharge gas is excited;
(ii) transferring energy of the excited discharge gas to a film forming gas, whereby the film forming gas is excited;
and
(iii) exposing a substrate to the excited film forming gas, whereby a film is formed on the substrate,
the second process comprising the steps of:
(iv) supplying a gas containing an oxidizing gas to a second discharge space of the atmospheric pressure plasma processing apparatus where high frequency electric field B is generated at atmospheric pressure or at approximately atmospheric pressure, whereby the gas containing the oxidizing gas is excited;
and
(v) exposing the film formed in the first process to the excited gas containing the oxidizing gas, and
moving the substrate between the first discharge space and the second discharge space.

8 more elements

A method for forming a film

comprising a first process and a second process,
the first process comprising the steps of:
(i) supplying a discharge gas containing nitrogen in an amount of 50% by volume or more based on a volume of the discharge gas, to a first discharge space of an atmospheric pressure plasma processing apparatus, the first discharge space is formed between a first electrode and a second electrode which are facing each other, where a high frequency electric field A is generated at atmospheric pressure or at approximately atmospheric pressure in the first discharge space by superposing a first high frequency electric field of 200 kHz or less and a second high frequency electric field of 800 kHz or more, the first high frequency electric field is applied to the first electrode and the second high frequency electric field applied to the second electrode, whereby the discharge gas is excited;
(ii) putting a film forming gas in contact with the excited discharge gas;
(iii) exposing a substrate to the film forming gas put in contact with the excited discharge gas, whereby a film is formed on the substrate,
the second process comprising the steps of:
(iv) supplying a gas containing an oxidizing gas to a second discharge space of the atmospheric pressure plasma processing apparatus where high frequency electric field B is generated at atmospheric pressure or at approximately atmospheric pressure, whereby the gas containing the oxidizing gas is excited;
and
(v) exposing the film formed in the first process to the excited gas containing the oxidizing gas, and
moving the substrate between the first discharge space and the second discharge space.

7 more elements

A method for forming a film

comprising a first process and a second process,
the first process comprising the steps of:
(i) supplying gas 1 containing a film forming gas and a discharge gas containing nitrogen in an amount of 50% by volume or more based on a volume of the discharge gas, to a first discharge space of an atmospheric pressure plasma processing apparatus, the first discharge space is formed between a first electrode and a second electrode which are facing each other, where a high frequency electric field A is generated at atmospheric pressure or at approximately atmospheric pressure in the first discharge space by superposing a first high frequency electric field of 200 kHz or less and a second high frequency electric field of 800 kHz or more, the first high frequency electric field is applied to the first electrode and the second high frequency electric field applied to the second electrode, and whereby gas 1 is excited;
and
(ii) exposing a substrate to exited gas 1, whereby a film is formed on the substrate,
the second process comprising the steps of:
(iii) supplying gas 2 containing an oxidizing gas to a second discharge space of the atmospheric pressure plasma processing apparatus where high frequency electric field B is generated at atmospheric pressure or at approximately atmospheric pressure, whereby gas 2 is excited;
(iv) exposing the film formed in the first process to excited gas 2 containing the oxidization gas, and
moving the substrate between the first discharge space and the second discharge space.

6 more elements

A method for forming a film

comprising a first process and a second process,
the first process comprising the steps of:
(i) supplying gas 1 containing a film forming gas to a first discharge space of an atmospheric pressure plasma processing apparatus at atmospheric pressure or at approximately atmospheric pressure the first discharge space is formed between a first electrode and a second electrode which are facing each other;
(ii) applying high frequency electric field A to the first discharge space, whereby gas 1 is excited;
and
(iii) exposing a substrate to the excited gas 1 whereby a film is formed on the substrate,
wherein
(a) the high frequency electric field A is formed by superposing a first high frequency electric field and a second high frequency electric field, the first high frequency electric field is applied to the first electrode and the second high frequency electric field applied to the second electrode;
(b) a frequency of the second high frequency electric field ω2 is higher than a frequency of the first high frequency electric field ω1;
(c) intensity of the first high frequency electric field V1, intensity of the second high frequency electric field V2, and intensity of discharge starting electric field IV1 satisfy one of the following formulas:
V1≧IV1>V2 and V1>IV1≧V2;
(d) a power density of the second high frequency electric field is not less than 1 W/cm2;
(e) gas 1 contains a reducing gas and a discharge gas;
(f) the discharge gas contains nitrogen of which content is 50% by volume or more based on a volume of a discharge gas in addition to the film forming gas;
and
(g) the film forming gas contains an organo-titanium compound,
the second process comprising the steps of:
(iv) supplying gas 2 containing an oxidizing gas to a second discharge space of the atmospheric pressure plasma processing apparatus at atmospheric pressure or at approximately atmospheric pressure;
(v) applying high frequency electric field B to the second discharge space, whereby gas 2 is excited;
and
(vi) exposing a substrate having thereon a film formed by gas 1 to excited gas 2, and
moving the substrate between the first discharge space and the second discharge space.

19 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application: 10/544,084Filed 8 Jul 2004
Priority: JP 2003-19779916 Jul 2003
Published: US 2006/0199014 A17 Sep 2006
Granted: 22 Jun 2010
Term ends: Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification8 codes

C23C 16/45595
Characterised by the method used for introducing gases into reaction chamber or for modifying gas flows in reaction chamber: atmospheric CVD gas…
C23C 16/08
Characterised by the deposition of metallic material: from metal halides
C23C 16/18
Characterised by the deposition of metallic material: from metallo-organic compounds
C23C 16/505
Using electric discharges: using radio frequency discharges