Plasma activated conformal dielectric film deposition
AssigneeNovellus Systems, Inc.
InventorsShankar Swaminathan, Jon Henri, Dennis M. Hausmann, Pramod Subramonium, Mandyam Sriram, Vishwanathan Rangarajan, Kirthi K. Kattige, Bart J. van Schravendijk, Andrew J. McKerrow
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Methods of depositing a film on a substrate surface include surface mediated reactions in which a film is grown over one or more cycles of reactant adsorption and reaction. In one aspect, the method is characterized by intermittent delivery of dopant species to the film between the cycles of adsorption and reaction.
Claims44
A method of depositing a film on a substrate surface in a reaction chamber, the method comprising:
- (a) introducing a first reactant into the reaction chamber under conditions allowing the first reactant to adsorb onto the substrate surface;
- (b) introducing a second reactant into the reaction chamber while the first reactant is adsorbed on the substrate surface;
- (c) exposing the substrate surface to plasma to drive a reaction between the first and second reactants on the substrate surface to form a portion of the film;
- (d) repeating (a)-(c) at least once;
- (e) introducing a dopant containing material, not introduced during (a)-(d), into the reaction chamber under conditions allowing the dopant containing material to contact an exposed surface of the film;
- and
- (f) introducing a dopant into the film from the dopant containing material.
A method of depositing a dielectric film on a substrate surface in a reaction chamber, the method comprising:
- (a) flowing an oxidant into the reaction chamber under conditions allowing the oxidant to adsorb onto the substrate surface;
- (b) introducing a dielectric precursor into the reaction chamber while the oxidant continues to flow into the reaction chamber;
- (c) exposing the substrate surface to plasma to drive a reaction between the dielectric precursor and oxidant on the substrate surface to form a portion of the dielectric film;
- (d) introducing a dopant containing material, not introduced during (a)-(c), into the reaction chamber under conditions allowing the dopant containing material to contact an exposed surface of the dielectric film;
- and
- (e) causing a dopant from the dopant containing material to integrate into the dielectric film.
A method of depositing a dielectric film on a substrate surface in a reaction chamber, the method comprising:
- (a) introducing a dielectric precursor into the reaction chamber under conditions allowing the dielectric precursor to adsorb onto the substrate surface;
- (b) thereafter purging the dielectric precursor from the reaction chamber while the dielectric precursor remains adsorbed on the substrate surface;
- (c) exposing the substrate surface to plasma to drive a reaction of the dielectric precursor on the substrate surface to form a portion of the dielectric film;
- and
- (d) introducing a dopant precursor, not introduced during (a)-(c), into the reaction chamber under conditions allowing the dopant precursor to contact the portion of the dielectric film.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.