Method of growing oxide thin films
AssigneeASM International N.V.
InventorsEva Tois, Suvi Haukka, Marko Tuominen
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Abstract
Process for producing silicon oxide containing thin films on a growth substrate by the ALCVD method. In the process, a vaporisable silicon compound is bonded to the growth substrate, and the bonded silicon compound is converted to silicon dioxide. The invention comprises using a silicon compound which contains at least one organic ligand and the bonded silicon compound is converted to silicon dioxide by contacting it with a vaporised, reactive oxygen source, in particular with ozone. The present invention provides a controlled process for growing controlling thin films containing SiO2, with sufficiently short reaction times.
Claims39
An atomic layer deposition (ALD) process for producing a thin metal silicon oxide (MSiOx) film on a substrate, the process comprising a plurality of consecutive deposition cycles that each deposit only a MSiOx, each cycle comprising:
- contacting a substrate in a flow type reactor with a vapor phase silicon compound such that the silicon bonds to the substrate;
- contacting the substrate with a vapor phase metal compound such that the metal bonds to the substrate;
- converting the bonded silicon and metal compounds into MSiOx by contacting them with a reactive vapor phase oxygen source;
- and
- purging the reactor with an inert gas after each contacting step and after each converting step;
- wherein in each of the contacting steps, the silicon compound, the metal compound or the oxygen source flows continuously from an inlet of the reactor to an outlet of the reactor.
An atomic layer deposition (ALD) process for producing a thin metal silicon oxide (MSiOx) film on a substrate, the process comprising:
- consecutively repeating a deposition cycle for depositing MSiOx until a MSiOx film of the desired thickness is formed, the deposition cycle comprising:
- pulsing a vapor phase silicon compound into a chamber in a flow type reactor such that silicon compound bonds to the substrate;
- pulsing a first reactive vapor phase oxygen source into the chamber to convert bonded silicon compound into an oxide;
- pulsing a vapor phase metal compound into the chamber such that metal compound bonds to the substrate;
- pulsing a second reactive vapor phase oxygen source into the chamber to convert bonded metal compound into an oxide;
- and
- purging the reactor with an inert gas after each pulsing;
- wherein in each of the pulsing steps the silicon compound, the first reactive oxygen source, the metal compound or the second reactive oxygen source flows continuously from an inlet of the reactor to an outlet of the reactor.
A method of manufacturing a gate dielectric film comprising a metal silicon oxide (MSiOx) on a substrate in a flow type reactor, the method comprising:
- adsorbing a layer of a silicon compound on the substrate in a self-limiting reaction;
- adsorbing a layer of a metal compound on the substrate in a self-limiting reaction;
- converting the adsorbed silicon and metal compounds into a tertiary metal silicon oxide by contact with a reactive vapor phase oxygen source compound;
- and
- purging the reactor with an inert gas after each contacting step and after each converting step;
- and wherein the adsorbing and converting steps form a deposition cycle that is repeated multiple times in a row to form the MSiOx oxide in a layer of a desired thickness;
- wherein in each of the adsorbing and converting steps the silicon compound, metal compound or oxygen source compound flows continuously from an inlet of the reactor to an outlet of the reactor.
An atomic layer deposition (ALD) process for producing a metal silicon oxide (MSiOx) film on a substrate in a flow type reactor, wherein the metal silicon oxide is formed from metal oxide and silicon oxide, the process comprising a plurality of consecutive deposition cycles that each deposit only a MSiOx, each cycle comprising:
- contacting the substrate with a vapor phase silicon compound such that the silicon bonds to the substrate;
- contacting the substrate with a vapor phase metal compound such that the metal bonds to the substrate;
- converting the bonded silicon and metal compounds into MSiOx by contacting them with a reactive vapor phase oxygen source,
- wherein the growth rate of the MSiOx is higher than the growth rate by ALD of the metal oxide and silicon oxide from which the metal silicon oxide is formed;
- wherein in each of the contacting steps, the vapor phase silicon compound, the vapor phase metal compound or the reactive vapor phase oxygen source flows continuously from an inlet of the reactor to an outlet of the reactor.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.