US4510172A
Expired / Lapsed
US
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Technique for thin insulator growth
Assignee: International Business Machines Corp
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Filing: 1984-05-29
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Granted: 1985-04-09
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Expires: 2004-05-29
Abstract
Abstract This invention relates to a process for forming thin insulator films on conductive or semiconductive substrates in a gas plasma and more particularly relates to a process for the growth of such thin insulating films wherein the rate of insulator growth on one surface of a substrate is controlled by predepositing specific amounts of insulating films such as silicon dioxide or silicon nitride on the other surface of the substrate. Substrates with predeposited insulators form insulating films much more slowly in a gas plasma than bare substrates and, after an initial fast growth phase, the insulator thickness reaches a steady growth phase. Because of the resulting slower rate of insulator formation, control of the desired insulator thickness is easy and it is even easier if the desired insulator thickness is close to the steady growth phase.
Inventors
- 👤 Asit K. Ray
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-24 11:33
CPC Classifications
C; C04; C04B; C04B41/00; C04B41/009; C04B41/45; C04B41/50; C04B41/5025; C04B41/5053; C04B41/80; C04B41/81; C04B41/85; C04B41/87; H; H10; H10P; H10P14/00; H10P14/60; H10P14/63; H10P14/6302; H10P14/6304; H10P14/6306; H10P14/6308; H10P14/6309; H10P14/6319; H10P14/65; H10P14/6502; H10P14/6326; H10P14/6328; H10P14/6334; H10P14/6336; H10P14/69; H10P14/692; H10P14/6921; H10P14/69215
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 21
Claim 1
Independent Claim
76 words
A method for controlling the thickness of plasma formed insulators on the surface of a substrate having first and second surfaces comprising the step of: forming a first insulator layer on said first surface of said substrate said first layer having a predetermined thickness, depositing on said second surface from a gas plasma a second insulator layer the thickness of which for a given time period decreases as said predetermined thickness of said first layer increases.
Claim 2
Independent Claim
76 words
A method for controlling the thickness of plasma formed insulators on the surface of a substrate having first and second surfaces comprising the step of: forming a first insulator layer on said first surface of said substrate said first layer having a predetermined thickness, depositing on said second surface from a gas plasma a second insulator layer the thickness of which for a given time period decreases as said predetermined thickness of said first layer increases.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
13 words
A method according to claim 1 wherein said substrate is a semiconductor material.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
13 words
A method according to claim 1 wherein said substrate is a conductive material.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
28 words
A method according to claim 1 wherein the step of forming a first insulator layer includes the step of depositing said first insulator layer by chemical vapor deposition.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
28 words
A method according to claim 1 wherein the step of forming a first insulator layer includes the step of depositing said first insulator layer by gas plasma deposition.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
25 words
A method according to claim 1 wherein the step of forming a first insulator layer includes the step of thermally forming said first insulator layer.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
26 words
A method according to claim 1 wherein the step of forming a first insulator layer includes the step of depositing said first insulator layer by sputtering.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
26 words
A method according to claim 1 wherein the step of forming a first insulator layer includes the step of depositing said first insulator layer by evaporation.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
75 words
A method according to claim 1 wherein the step of of depositing from a gas plasma includes the steps of placing said substrate in a gas plasma forming apparatus such that said substrate is disposed perpendicularly to the flow of plasma gas and the pressure of said plasma gas is in the range of 15-100 mTorr, striking a plasma such that a glow is formed adjacent said first surface thereby forming said second insulator layer.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
30 words
A method according to claim 1 wherein said gas plasma is formed from a plasma gas of oxygen, said substrate is silicon and said second insulator layer is silicon oxide.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
31 words
A method according to claim 1 wherein said gas plasma is formed from a plasma gas which includes nitrogen, said substrate is silicon and said second insulator layer is silicon nitride.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
31 words
A method according to claim 1 wherein said gas plasma is formed from a plasma gas which includes carbon, said substrate is silicon and said second insulator layer is silicon carbide.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
33 words
A method according to claim 1 wherein said gas plasma is formed from a plasma gas which includes oxygen and nitrogen, said substrate is silicon and said second insulator layer is silicon oxynitride.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
19 words
A method according to claim 1 wherein said first and second insulator layers are made of the same insulators.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
18 words
A method according to claim 1 wherein said first and second insulator layers are made of different insulators.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
15 words
A method according to claim 14 wherein said first and second insulator layers are oxides.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
17 words
A method according to claim 14 wherein said first and second insulator layers are nitrides or oxynitrides.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim
15 words
A method according to claim 14 wherein said first and second insulator layers are carbides.
Claim 20
Dependent Claim
22 words
A method according to claim 15 wherein said first insulator layer is an oxide and said second insulator layer is a nitride.
Claim 21
Dependent Claim
22 words
A method according to claim 15 wherein said first insulator layer is a nitride and said second insulator layer is an oxide.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
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