Doped nitride film, doped oxide film and other doped films

Abstract

Adding at least one non-silicon precursor (such as a germanium precursor, a carbon precursor, etc.) during formation of a silicon nitride, silicon oxide, silicon oxynitride or silicon carbide film improves the deposition rate and / or makes possible tuning of properties of the film, such as tuning of the stress of the film. Also, in a doped silicon oxide or doped silicon nitride or other doped structure, the presence of the dopant may be used for measuring a signal associated with the dopant, as an etch-stop or otherwise for achieving control during etching.

Description

BACKGROUND OF INVENTION [0001] The present invention generally relates to films used in manufacture of semiconductor devices, especially to nitride films and oxide films. [0002] In order to improve drive current in complementary metal oxide semiconductor (CMOS) devices, stressed films have been used either as spacers or middle-of-the-line (MOL) liners (also known as pre-metal dielectric (PMD) liners). Deposition regimes that result in either highly tensile or highly compressive nitride films are well known (e.g., rapid thermal chemical vapor deposition (RTCVD), plasma enhanced chemical vapor deposition (PECVD), high density plasma (HDP) using silicon (Si) precursor such as silane (SiH4), di chloro silane (DCS), Disilane, Hexachlorodisilane, bis-tertiary butyl amino silane (BTBAS), and ammonia (NH3)). However, within a given deposition regime it only has been possible to modulate the stress within a small range. It has been very difficult to modulate the stress to a large extent with...

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

The present invention provides a method for producing silicon nitride, silicon oxide, silicon oxynitride, or silicon carbide films with improved deposition rates and better quality. By adding specific precursors and controlling the deposition process, the method allows for better control over the stress level of the produced film. The method can also lower the temperature of deposition and provide a variety of doped films with tunable stress. The non-silicon precursors can include germanium, carbon, boron, aluminum, aluminum isopropoxide, diborane, aluminum hydrides, or alkyl hydrides or alkyl amino hydrides of the non-silicon precursors. The method can be used for producing a variety of doped films, such as germanium- and carbon-doped silicon nitride or silicon oxide films with tunable stress. The method can also provide better control over the chemical or physical properties of the produced film by measuring a signal for a non-silicon dopant from the non-silicon precursor and controlling the etch process accordingly. The method can be used at lower temperatures, such as room temperature, and can be applied to a variety of deposition techniques such as RTCVD, PECVD, LPCVD, remote plasma nitride, atomic layer deposition, or other methods.

Problems solved by technology

However, within a given deposition regime it only has been possible to modulate the stress within a small range.

It has been very difficult to modulate the stress to a large extent without comprising the film quality.

Many low temperature precursors have been investigated, and none has turned out to be ideal.

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