Apparatus for the formation of a metal film

Abstract

An apparatus for forming a metal film, including a reaction vessel in which a substrate to be treated is placed, a raw material gas feed pipe inserted into the inlet vessel for feeding chlorine or hydrogen chloride, a spiral tube attached to the inner end of the raw material gas feed pipe, having a raw material gas flow passage whose inner surface is made of copper, and equipped with a heating element, an atomic reducing gas producing device for producing an atomic reducing gas within the reaction vessel, at least in the neighborhood of the substrate to be treated, and an evacuation device for evacuating any gas from the reaction vessel and the raw material gas flow passage.

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD [0001] This invention relates to methods and apparatus for the formation of a thin noble metal film by a plasma-excited vapor phase growth process. [0002] Moreover, this invention also relates to apparatus and methods for forming a metal film on a substrate surface by a vapor phase growth process. [0003] Furthermore, this invention also relates to apparatus for the vapor phase growth of a thin copper film which are useful, for example, in the formation of wiring material films for use in semiconductor devices. BACKGROUND ART [0004] Conventionally, where it is desired to form a thin noble metal film by a vapor phase growth process, such a film has been formed by the utilization of a thermal reaction using a liquid organometallic complex, such as copper hexafluoroacetylacetonato-trimethylvinylsilane [hereinafter referred to as Cu(hfac)(tmvs)], as a raw material. [0005]FIG. 22 is a schematic view of a conventional apparatus 500 for the vapor phase growth of a thin noble...

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

This method enhances film growth rates, reduces costs by using inexpensive raw materials, and minimizes impurities in the film, resulting in high-quality thin metal films suitable for semiconductor devices and other applications.

Problems solved by technology

However, the above-described prior art involves the following three problems.

First, since this method is based on the utilization of a thermal reaction induced on the substrate surface by heating substrate 515, it has been difficult to improve the rate of film growth.

Secondly, the organometallic complex [e.g., Cu(hfac)(tmvs)] used as the raw material is expensive.

Thirdly, since hexafluoroacetylacetonato (hfac) and trimethylvinylsilane (tmvs) attached to Cu in Cu(hfac)(tmvs) remain in the thin Cu film (constituting thin film 541) as impurities, it has been difficult to improve the film quality.

However, since the prior art involves the formation of a film by the utilization of a thermal reaction, it has been difficult to improve the rate of film growth.

Moreover, the metal complex used as the raw material is expensive.

Furthermore, since hexafluoroacetylacetonato and trimethylvinylsilane attached to Cu remain in the thin Cu film as impurities, it has been difficult to improve the film quality.

However, the above-described conventional method for the formation of a thin copper film involves the following three problems.

First, since the above-described method for the formation of a thin copper film is based on the thermal decomposition of vaporized Cu(hfac)(tmvs), it is difficult to improve the rate of film growth.

Secondly, the organocopper complex [e.g., Cu(hfac)(tmvs)] used as the raw material is expensive and hence raises the cost of the resulting thin copper film.

Thirdly, since hexafluoroacetylacetonato (hfac) and trimethylvinylsilane (tmvs) are incorporated into the thin copper film during its formation and remain therein as impurities, the film quality tends to be reduced.

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