US6428859B1
Expired / Lapsed
US
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Sequential method for depositing a film by modulated ion-induced atomic layer deposition (MII-ALD)
Assignee: Novellus Systems Inc
•
Filing: 2001-03-19
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Granted: 2002-08-06
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Expires: 2021-03-19
Abstract
Abstract The present invention relates to an enhanced sequential atomic layer deposition (ALD) technique suitable for deposition of barrier layers, adhesion layers, seed layers, low dielectric constant (low-k) films, high dielectric constant (high-k) films, and other conductive, semi-conductive, and non-conductive films. This is accomplished by 1) providing a non-thermal or non-pyrolytic means of triggering the deposition reaction; 2) providing a means of depositing a purer film of higher density at lower temperatures; and, 3) providing a faster and more efficient means of modulating the deposition sequence and hence the overall process rate resulting in an improved deposition method. It is emphasized that this abstract is provided to comply with the rules requiring an abstract that will allow a searcher or other reader to quickly ascertain the subject matter of the technical disclosure. It is submitted with the understanding that it will not be used to interpret or limit the scope or meaning of the claims.
Inventors
- 👤 Tony P. Chiang
- 👤 Karl F. Leeser
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-09 01:34
CPC Classifications
C; C23; C23C; C23C16/00; C23C16/44; C23C16/455; C23C16/45523; C23C16/45525; C23C16/45527; C23C16/45536; C23C16/45538; C23C16/45544; C23C16/46; C23C16/463; C23C16/466; C23C16/48; C23C16/481; C23C16/483; H; H10; H10P; H10P14/00; H10P14/40; H10P14/42; H10P14/43; H10P14/432; H10W; H10W20/00; H10W20/01; H10W20/031; H10W20/032; H10W20/033; H10W20/042
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 52
Claim 1
Independent Claim
125 words
A sequential method for depositing a thin film onto a substrate in an evacuated chamber comprising: introducing a first reactant gas into said chamber; adsorption of at least one monolayer of said first reactant gas onto said substrate; evacuation of excess said first reactant gas from said chamber; introduction of at least one ion generating feed gas into said chamber; introduction of at least one radical generating feed gas into said chamber; generating a plasma from said ion generating feed gas and said radical generating feed gas to form ions and radicals; exposing said substrate to said ions and said radicals; modulating said ions; and reacting said adsorbed monolayer of said first reactant gas with said ions and said radicals to deposit said thin film.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
125 words
A sequential method for depositing a thin film onto a substrate in an evacuated chamber comprising: introducing a first reactant gas into said chamber; adsorption of at least one monolayer of said first reactant gas onto said substrate; evacuation of excess said first reactant gas from said chamber; introduction of at least one ion generating feed gas into said chamber; introduction of at least one radical generating feed gas into said chamber; generating a plasma from said ion generating feed gas and said radical generating feed gas to form ions and radicals; exposing said substrate to said ions and said radicals; modulating said ions; and reacting said adsorbed monolayer of said first reactant gas with said ions and said radicals to deposit said thin film.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
16 words
The method of claim 1 , wherein said deposited thin film is at most one monolayer.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
18 words
The method of claim 1 , wherein said method is repeated until the film achieves a desired thickness.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
37 words
The method of claim 1 , wherein said first reactant gas is selected from the group consisting of Ta containing precursors, W containing precursors, Ti containing precursors, Mo containing precursors, Hf containing precursors, and Cu containing precursors.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
15 words
The method of claim 1 , wherein said first reactant gas is a metal halide.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
31 words
The method of claim 5 , wherein said metal halide is selected from the group consisting of TaCl 5 , TaBr 5 , WF 6 , TiCl 4 , and CuCl.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
14 words
The method of claim 1 , wherein said first reactant gas is an organometallic.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
36 words
The method of claim 7 , wherein said organometallic is selected from the group consisting of pentakis(diethylamido)tantalum (PDEAT), pentakis(ethylmethylamido)tantalum (PEMAT), t-butylimino tris(diethylamino) tantalum (TBTDET), W(CO) 6 , tetrakis(dimethylamido)titanium (TDMAT), tetrakis(diethylamido)titanium (TDEAT), and (Trimethylvinylsilyl)hexafluoroacetylacetonato Copper I (Cu(TMVS)(hfac)).
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
36 words
The method of claim 1 , wherein said radical generating feed gas is selected from the group consisting of H 2 , O 2 , N 2 , NH 3 , and H 2 O vapor.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
28 words
The method of claim 1 , wherein said generated radicals are selected from a group consisting of hydrogen atoms, nitrogen atoms, oxygen atoms, OH molecules, and NH molecules.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
24 words
The method of claim 1 , wherein said ion generating feed gas is selected from a group consisting of Argon, Krypton, Neon, and Xenon.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
30 words
The method of claim 1 , wherein said generated ions are selected from a group consisting of Ar + , Kr + , Ne + , and Xe + .
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
18 words
The method of claim 1 , further comprising exposing said substrate to at least one additional reactant gas.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
18 words
The method of claim 1 , wherein said substrate is simultaneously exposed to said ions and said radicals.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
19 words
The method of claim 1 , wherein said substrate is exposed to said ions after exposure to said radicals.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
19 words
The method of claim 1 , further comprising electrically biasing said substrate to a negative potential relative to ground.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
15 words
The method of claim 16 , wherein application of said bias occurs during ion exposure.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim
15 words
The method of claim 16 , wherein application of said bias occurs during radical exposure.
Claim 20
Dependent Claim
18 words
The method of claim 16 , wherein application of said bias occurs during simultaneous ion and radical exposure.
Claim 21
Dependent Claim
23 words
The method of claim 16 , further comprising coupling said bias to said substrate via a substrate pedestal on which said substrate rests.
Claim 22
Dependent Claim
24 words
The method of claim 20 , wherein said pedestal is an electrostatic chuck (ESC) to provide coupling of said bias voltage to said substrate.
Claim 23
Dependent Claim
18 words
The method of claim 16 , wherein said electrical bias is produced by a direct current power supply.
Claim 24
Dependent Claim
18 words
The method of claim 16 , wherein said electrical bias is induced by a radio frequency power supply.
Claim 25
Dependent Claim
24 words
The method of claim 23 , wherein said radio frequency is selected from the group consisting of 400 kHz, 2 MHz, and 13.56 MHz.
Claim 26
Dependent Claim
21 words
The method of claim 16 , wherein said negative potential is between about −20 V to −1000 V relative to ground.
Claim 27
Dependent Claim
21 words
The method of claim 25 , wherein said negative potential is between about −25 V to −500 V relative to ground.
Claim 28
Dependent Claim
21 words
The method of claim 26 , wherein said negative potential is between about −50 V to −350 V relative to ground.
Claim 29
Dependent Claim
30 words
The method of claim 1 , further comprising said ions and said radicals removing unwanted impurities from said substrate prior to said adsorption of said monolayer of the first reactant.
Claim 30
Dependent Claim
29 words
The method of claim 28 , wherein said ions are selected from a group consisting of Ar + , Kr + , Ne + , and Xe + .
Claim 31
Dependent Claim
23 words
The method of claim 28 , wherein said unwanted impurities are selected from the group consisting of carbon-, oxygen-, fluorine-, and chlorine-containing impurities.
Claim 32
Dependent Claim
25 words
The method of claim 28 , wherein said radicals are selected from the group consisting of hydrogen atoms, nitrogen atoms, OH molecules, and NH molecules.
Claim 33
Dependent Claim
12 words
The method of claim 28 , wherein said monolayer is an organometallic.
Claim 34
Dependent Claim
13 words
The method of claim 28 , wherein said monolayer is a metal halide.
Claim 35
Dependent Claim
24 words
The method of claim 1 , further comprising said ions and said radicals removing unwanted impurities from said monolayer during said film deposition reaction.
Claim 36
Dependent Claim
13 words
The method of claim 34 , wherein said monolayer is a metal halide.
Claim 37
Dependent Claim
23 words
The method of claim 34 , wherein said unwanted impurities are selected from the group consisting of carbon-, oxygen-, fluorine-, and chlorine-containing impurities.
Claim 38
Dependent Claim
25 words
The method of claim 34 , wherein said radicals are selected from the group consisting of hydrogen atoms, nitrogen atoms, OH molecules, and NH molecules.
Claim 39
Dependent Claim
12 words
The method of claim 34 , wherein said monolayer is an organometallic.
Claim 40
Dependent Claim
29 words
The method of claim 34 , wherein said ions are selected from a group consisting of Ar + , Kr + , Ne + , and Xe + .
Claim 41
Dependent Claim
30 words
The method of claim 1 , wherein said ion modulation is modulated in a way selected from the group consisting of modulating an ion flux and modulating an ion energy.
Claim 42
Dependent Claim
55 words
The method of claim 40 , wherein modulation in said ion flux is modulated in a way selected from the group consisting of modulating a flow of said ion generating feed gas, modulating a power of said plasma, modulating said exposure to said ions, and modulating the relative movement between said plasma and said substrate.
Claim 43
Dependent Claim
16 words
The method of claim 41 , wherein said exposure is modulated by mechanically occluding said ions.
Claim 44
Dependent Claim
24 words
The method of claim 40 , wherein said ion energy modulation occurs by modulating a magnitude of a negative potential bias on said substrate.
Claim 45
Dependent Claim
48 words
The method of claim 43 , wherein said modulation of negative potential magnitude is effected in a way selected from the group consisting of changing a direct current bias potential on said substrate and changing a radio frequency power and inducing a change in said substrate bias potential.
Claim 46
Dependent Claim
22 words
The method of claim 1 , further comprising maintaining said substrate at a temperature of between about 25° C. to 350° C.
Claim 47
Dependent Claim
18 words
The method of claim 45 , wherein said temperature is maintained between about 20° C. to 250° C.
Claim 48
Dependent Claim
18 words
The method of claim 46 , wherein said temperature is maintained between about 100° C. to 200° C.
Claim 49
Dependent Claim
27 words
The method of claim 1 , wherein the pressure of said chamber is maintained in a range of approximately 10 2 to 10 −7 torr during processing.
Claim 50
Dependent Claim
26 words
The method of claim 48 , wherein the pressure of said chamber is maintained in a range of approximately 1 to 10 −4 torr during processing.
Claim 51
Dependent Claim
23 words
The method of claim 1 , wherein said adsorption of said monolayer of said first reactant gas on said substrate occurs via chemisorption.
Claim 52
Dependent Claim
135 words
The method of claim 1 , wherein said method is followed by a sequential method for depositing a second thin film onto said substrate comprising: introducing a second reactant gas into said chamber; adsorption of at least one monolayer of said second reactant gas onto said substrate; evacuation of excess said second reactant gas from said chamber; introduction of at least one ion generating feed gas into said chamber; introduction of at least one radical generating feed gas into said chamber; generating a plasma from said ion generating feed gas and said radical generating feed gas to form ions and radicals; exposing said substrate to said ions and said radicals; modulating said ions; and reacting said adsorbed monolayer of said second reactant gas with said ions and said radicals to deposit said second thin film.
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