US6638879B2
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Method for forming nitride spacer by using atomic layer deposition
Assignee: Macronix International Co Ltd
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Filing: 2001-12-06
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Granted: 2003-10-28
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Expires: 2021-12-06
Abstract
Abstract The present invention provides a method for forming a silicon nitride spacer by using an atomic layer deposition (ALD) method. The procedure of the ALD is to use a first kind of excess gas as a reactant air and thus produce a first mono-layer solid phase of the first reactant air on the wafer. When the first chemical reaction is completed, the first excess air is drawn out, and then the second excess air is released to deposit a second mono-layer solid phase of the second reactant air on the first mono-layer solid phase. In this way, a whole deposited layer with a layer of the first mono-layer solid phase, a layer of the second mono-layer solid phase, and so on are stepwise formed on the wafer surface. The ALD method is a time consuming task in deposition process such as in the generation of 0.35 μm to 0.5 μm of VLSI ages. However, in the generation of 0.18 μm, 0.13 μm or beyond of VLSI ages, because the device is getting smaller than ever before, the deposition speed of the ALD method is just right on time to meet the demand and is an appropriate method in depositing silicon nitride spacer.
Inventors
- 👤 Jung-Yu Hsieh
- 👤 Chin-Hsiang Lin
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-09 01:14
CPC Classifications
H; H10; H10P; H10P14/00; H10P14/60; H10P14/63; H10P14/6326; H10P14/6328; H10P14/6334; H10P14/6339; C; C23; C23C; C23C16/00; C23C16/22; C23C16/30; C23C16/34; C23C16/345; C23C16/44; C23C16/455; C23C16/45523; C23C16/45525; H10P14/66; H10P14/668; H10P14/6681; H10P14/6682; H10D; H10D30/00; H10D30/01; H10D30/021; H10D30/0223; H10D30/0227; H10P14/69; H10P14/694; H10P14/6943; H10P14/69433
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 19
Claim 1
Independent Claim
79 words
A method for forming a spacer, said method comprising: providing a substrate having a gate electrode thereon; forming a silicon mono-layer on a surface of said substrate, and a nitride mono-layer on a surface of said silicon mono-layer by using an atomic layer deposition method; forming a silicon nitride layer mono-layer on said substrate by repeating said silicon mono-layer and said nitride mono-layer; and etching said silicon nitride layer to form a spacer on sidewall of said gate electrode.
Claim 2
Independent Claim
79 words
A method for forming a spacer, said method comprising: providing a substrate having a gate electrode thereon; forming a silicon mono-layer on a surface of said substrate, and a nitride mono-layer on a surface of said silicon mono-layer by using an atomic layer deposition method; forming a silicon nitride layer mono-layer on said substrate by repeating said silicon mono-layer and said nitride mono-layer; and etching said silicon nitride layer to form a spacer on sidewall of said gate electrode.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
36 words
The method according to claim 1 , wherein said forming said silicon mono-layer on said surface of said substrate comprises a step of introducing a gas containing a silane group to said surface of said substrate.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
16 words
The method according to claim 2 , wherein said gas containing said silane group comprises silane.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
16 words
The method according to claim 2 , wherein said gas containing said silane group comprises dichlorosilane.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
28 words
The method according to claim 2 , wherein said step of forming said conformal silicon nitride layer is performed by repeating said silicon mono-layer and said nitride mono-layer.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
15 words
The method according to claim 2 , wherein said gas containing said nitrogen comprises ammonia.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
37 words
The method according to claim 1 , wherein said forming said nitride mono-layer on said surface of said silicon mono-layer comprises a step of introducing a gas containing a nitrogen to said surface of said silicon mono-layer.
Claim 9
Independent Claim
101 words
A method for forming silicon nitride spacer, said method comprising steps of: providing a substrate having a gate electrode thereon; introducing a gas containing a silane group to a surface of said substrate; forming a silicon mono-layer on said surface of said substrate; introducing a gas containing a nitrogen to a surface of said silicon mono-layer; forming a nitride mono-layer on said surface of said silicon mono-layer; forming a conformal silicon nitride mono-layer and said substrate by repeating said silicon mono-layer and said nitride mono-layer; and etching said silicon nitride layer to form a spacer on sidewall of said gate electrode.
Claim 10
Independent Claim
101 words
A method for forming silicon nitride spacer, said method comprising steps of: providing a substrate having a gate electrode thereon; introducing a gas containing a silane group to a surface of said substrate; forming a silicon mono-layer on said surface of said substrate; introducing a gas containing a nitrogen to a surface of said silicon mono-layer; forming a nitride mono-layer on said surface of said silicon mono-layer; forming a conformal silicon nitride mono-layer and said substrate by repeating said silicon mono-layer and said nitride mono-layer; and etching said silicon nitride layer to form a spacer on sidewall of said gate electrode.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
16 words
The method according to claim 8 , wherein said gas containing said silane group comprises silane.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
16 words
The method according to claim 8 , wherein said gas containing said silane group comprises dichlorosilane.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
15 words
The method according to claim 8 , wherein said gas containing said nitrogen comprises ammonia.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
41 words
The method according to claim 8 , further comprising a step of repeating said step of introducing said gas containing said silane group to said step of forming said nitride mono-layer in said step of forming said conformal silicon nitride layer.
Claim 15
Independent Claim
118 words
A method for forming silicon nitride spacer, said method comprising: providing a substrate having a gate electrode thereon; introducing a gas containing a silane group to a surface of said substrate; forming a silicon mono-layer on said surface of said substrate; introducing a gas containing a nitrogen to a surface of said silicon mono-layer; forming a nitride mono-layer on said surface of said silicon mono-layer; repeating said step of introducing said gas containing said silane group to said step of forming said nitride mono-layer; forming a conformal silicon nitride layer on said substrate by repeating said silicon mono-layer and said nitride mono-layer; and etching said silicon nitride layer to form a spacer on sidewall of said gate electrode.
Claim 16
Independent Claim
118 words
A method for forming silicon nitride spacer, said method comprising: providing a substrate having a gate electrode thereon; introducing a gas containing a silane group to a surface of said substrate; forming a silicon mono-layer on said surface of said substrate; introducing a gas containing a nitrogen to a surface of said silicon mono-layer; forming a nitride mono-layer on said surface of said silicon mono-layer; repeating said step of introducing said gas containing said silane group to said step of forming said nitride mono-layer; forming a conformal silicon nitride layer on said substrate by repeating said silicon mono-layer and said nitride mono-layer; and etching said silicon nitride layer to form a spacer on sidewall of said gate electrode.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
16 words
The method according to claim 13 , wherein said gas containing said silane group comprises silane.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
16 words
The method according to claim 13 , wherein said gas containing said silane group comprises dichlorosilane.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim
15 words
The method according to claim 13 , wherein said gas containing said nitrogen comprises ammonia.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
US6440860B1
Cited
US6455389B1
Cited
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