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US5288658A Expired / Lapsed US ⏱️ 0.0 years remaining

Process for the formation of an amorphous silicon deposited film with intermittent irradiation of inert gas plasma

Assignee: Canon Inc
•
Filing: 1992-05-26
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Granted: 1994-02-22
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Expires: 2012-05-26
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Abstract

Abstract A process for forming a silicon-containing amorphous film on a substrate which comprises (a) step of depositing a silicon-containing amorphous film on said substrate and (b) step of irradiating plasma of inert gas to said silicon-containing amorphous film on deposited on the substrate in said step (a), wherein said step (a) and said step (b) are alternately repeated.

Inventors

  • 👤 Shunichi Ishihara

Bibliographic Details

Application Number —
Jurisdiction US
Data Source google_patents
Last Synchronized 2026-11-05 21:46
CPC Classifications
H; H10; H10D; H10D30/00; H10D30/60; H10D30/67; H10D30/6729; H10D30/673; H10D30/6732; H10D30/674; H10D30/6741; H10D30/6743; H10D30/6746; H10P; H10P14/00; H10P14/20; H10P14/24; H10P14/29; H10P14/2901; H10P14/2922; H10P14/34; H10P14/3402; H10P14/3404; H10P14/3411

Claims Analysis

Total Claims: 13
Claim 1
Independent Claim 133 words
A process for forming a silicon-containing amorphous film on a substrate which comprises (a) a step of depositing a silicon-containing amorphous film on said substrate and (b) a step of irradiating a plasma of inert gas to said silicon-containing amorphous film deposited on the substrate in said step (a), wherein said step (a) and said step (b) are alternately repeated while (i) controlling the thickness of said silicon-containing amorphous film deposited on each repetition of said step (a) to a thickness of at least 10 Å and (ii) maintaining the temperature of the substrate when irradiating a plasma of inert gas in step (b) to at least a transition temperature at which a marked reduction is caused in the content of hydrogen atoms contained in the silicon-containing amorphous film formed on the substrate.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim 133 words
A process for forming a silicon-containing amorphous film on a substrate which comprises (a) a step of depositing a silicon-containing amorphous film on said substrate and (b) a step of irradiating a plasma of inert gas to said silicon-containing amorphous film deposited on the substrate in said step (a), wherein said step (a) and said step (b) are alternately repeated while (i) controlling the thickness of said silicon-containing amorphous film deposited on each repetition of said step (a) to a thickness of at least 10 Å and (ii) maintaining the temperature of the substrate when irradiating a plasma of inert gas in step (b) to at least a transition temperature at which a marked reduction is caused in the content of hydrogen atoms contained in the silicon-containing amorphous film formed on the substrate.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim 28 words
The process according to claim 1, wherein the inert gas is selected from the group consisting of He gas, Ne gas, Av gas, Xe gas and Kr gas.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim 30 words
The process according to claim 1, wherein the thickness of the silicon-containing amorphous film deposited in each repetition of the step (a) is controlled to be 100 Å or less.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim 20 words
The process according to claim 1, wherein the substrate is electrically floated upon performing each repetition of the step (b).
Claim 6
Dependent Claim 23 words
The process according to claim 1, wherein a bias voltage is applied to the substrate upon performing each repetition of the step (b).
Claim 7
Dependent Claim 18 words
The process according to claim 5, wherein the bias voltage is a self-bias voltage provided by the plasma.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim 43 words
The process according to claim 1 wherein the substrate is maintained at a temperature which corresponds to the transition temperature at which a marked reduction is caused in the content of hydrogen atoms contained in the silicon-containing amorphous film formed on the substrate.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim 44 words
The process according to claim 1, wherein the substrate is maintained at a temperature which is higher than the transition temperature at which a marked reduction is caused in the content of hydrogen atoms contained in the silicon-containing amorphous film formed on the substrate.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim 35 words
The process according to claim 1, wherein the same inert gas used in each repetition of the step (b) is also used in each repetition of the step (a) together with film-forming raw material gas.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim 29 words
The process according to claim 9, wherein the concentration of the film-forming raw material gas used in each repetition of the step (a) is controlled to 30% or above.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim 15 words
The process according to claim 5, wherein the bias voltage is a negative bias voltage.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim 38 words
The process according to claim 11, wherein the thickness of the silicon-containing amorphous film to be formed in each repetition of the step (a) is controlled to a thickness in the range of 15 Å to 200 Å.

References Cited (Backward Citations)

US5049523A Cited
US5108778A Cited

USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows

Annuity Stage Window Opens Payment Deadline Surcharge Period Until Estimated Fee Status
3.5 Years (Year 4) 1997-02-21 1997-08-23 1998-02-22 $2000.00 Window Closed / Lapsed
7.5 Years (Year 8) 2001-02-21 2001-08-23 2002-02-22 $3760.00 Window Closed / Lapsed
11.5 Years (Year 12) 2005-02-21 2005-08-23 2006-02-22 $7700.00 Window Closed / Lapsed

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