Back to results
US 9,040,465 B2Granted
Dielectric doping using high productivity combinatorial methods
AssigneeIntermolecular, Inc.
InventorsPrashant B Phatak, Venkat Ananthan, Wayne R French
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A combination of deposition processes can be used to evaluate layer properties using a combinatorial workflow. The processes can include a base ALD process and another process, such as a PVD process. The high productivity combinatorial technique can provide an evaluation of the material properties for given ALD base layer and PVD additional elements. An ALD process can then be developed to provide the desired layers, replacing the ALD and PVD combination.
Claims19
A method for evaluating material composition in a combinatorial manner, the method comprising
- providing a substrate, wherein the substrate has a plurality of site isolated regions defined thereon, and wherein the substrate is one of a silicon-containing substrate, a germanium-containing substrate, a III-V substrate, or a II-VI substrate;
- depositing a plurality of test layer stacks comprising:
- depositing a first layer on the substrate using a first atomic layer deposition (ALD) process, wherein at least one characteristic of the first layer is varied in a combinatorial manner between the plurality of site isolated regions, wherein the first ALD process comprises sequentially introducing a metal source gas and an oxidizing agent, wherein the metal source gas is one of tetrakis(dimethylamino)hafnium (TDMAH), tetrakis(diethylamino)hafnium (TDEAH), or tetrakis(ethylmethylamino)hafnium (TEMAH), and wherein the oxidizing agent is one of oxygen (O2), ozone (O3), or water (H2O);
- depositing a second layer on the first layer in each of the plurality of site isolated regions, wherein at least one characteristic of the second layer is varied in a combinatorial manner between the plurality of site isolated regions, wherein the second layer is deposited by a physical vapor deposition (PVD) process, wherein the PVD layer comprises a material used to modify the composition of the first ALD layer, and wherein the PVD layer includes a layer of silicon;
- and
- depositing a third layer on the second layer, wherein the third layer is deposited by a second ALD process, wherein at least one of the first ALD process and the second ALD process includes a high-k dielectric material, and wherein the high-k dielectric material is one of aluminum oxide, hafnium oxide, zirconium oxide, tantalum oxide, or titanium oxide;
- annealing the substrate via an anneal process, wherein the anneal process comprises a post metallization anneal in a forming gas, wherein the anneal process is executed in a conventional, uniform manner, and wherein the anneal process is executed after the depositing of the first layer, the second layer, and the third layer on the substrate;
- comparing a characteristic of one of the first layer, the second layer, or the third layer in one site isolated region in the plurality of site isolated regions with the same characteristic of the same layer in a different site isolated region in the plurality of site isolated regions;
- and
- developing an all ALD process to deposit a final layer stack having same characteristics as a test layer stack deposited using the physical vapor deposition process.
7 more elements
A method for evaluating material composition in a combinatorial manner, the method comprising
- providing a substrate, wherein the substrate has a plurality of site isolated regions defined thereon, wherein the substrate is a silicon-containing substrate, a germanium-containing substrate, a III-V substrate, or a II-VI substrate;
- depositing a plurality of test layer stacks comprising:
- depositing a first layer on the substrate in each of the plurality of site isolated regions, wherein at least one characteristic of the first layer is varied in a combinatorial manner between the plurality of site isolated regions, wherein the first layer is deposited by a first ALD process, creating a first ALD layer, and wherein the first layer deposited using the first ALD process includes sequential exposure of multiple precursors;
- depositing a second layer on the first ALD layer in each of the plurality of site isolated regions, wherein at least one characteristic of the second layer is varied in a combinatorial manner between the plurality of site isolated regions, wherein the second layer is deposited by a physical vapor deposition (PVD) process, creating a PVD layer, wherein the PVD layer includes a layer of silicon, wherein the PVD layer comprises a material used to modify the composition of the first ALD layer;
- and
- depositing a third layer on the second layer in each of the plurality of site isolated regions, wherein at least one characteristic of the third layer is varied in a combinatorial manner between the plurality of site isolated regions, wherein the third layer is deposited by the ALD process, creating a second ALD layer;
- comparing a characteristic of one of the first layer, the second layer, or the third layer in one site isolated region in the plurality of site isolated regions with the same characteristic of the same layer in a different site isolated region in the plurality of site isolated regions;
- and
- developing an all ALD process to deposit a final layer stack having same characteristics as a test layer stack deposited using the physical vapor deposition process.
6 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.