Semiconductor processing apparatus and method of semiconductor manufacturing

Abstract

According to one embodiment, the invention provides a semiconductor processing apparatus. The semiconductor processing apparatus includes a chamber; a pedestal positioned in the chamber for supporting a semiconductor substrate; a preheat assembly surrounding the pedestal; a first heating element fixed relative to the pedestal and configured to direct heat to the semiconductor substrate; and a second heating element movable relative to the pedestal and operable to direct heat to a portion of the semiconductor substrate. Embodiments of the invention also provide methods of semiconductor manufacturing.

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD

[0001] Embodiments of the present invention relate to semiconductor processing apparatuses and methods of semiconductor manufacturing. BACKGROUND

[0002] The semiconductor integrated circuit (IC) industry has experienced rapid growth. ICs have evolved from a technology that provided a relatively low density of integrated transistors to a technology that provides a relatively high density of integrated transistors. Increasing transistor density has been achieved by scaling down the dimensions of the transistors and the features of the ICs. As the dimensions of the transistors and the features of the ICs decrease, the ability to control the processing of the ICs becomes more difficult. For example, as the dimensions of the transistors decrease, the ability to control the temperature of the fine grains of the wafer becomes more critical. In this regard, it has become increasingly challenging to achieve such precision with existing deposition apparatus designs. Thus, while conventional techniques have generally been considered satisfactory for their intended purpose, there is continued pressure to provide improved semiconductor processing apparatuses and methods of semiconductor manufacturing.

[0003] For example, in the fabrication of ICs, epitaxial layers can be formed on semiconductor wafers using a mixture of semiconductor source gases through a chemical vapor deposition process. The chemical vapor deposition is performed according to predetermined process parameters to ensure that the epitaxial components formed by subsequent processes are consistent with a target design (e.g., having particular dimensions and particular profiles). As scaling continues and component complexity increases, the precision control required becomes increasingly dependent on the ability to precisely control the processing temperature of the fine grains of the wafer. In this regard, it has become increasingly challenging to achieve such precision with existing deposition apparatus designs. Thus, while conventional techniques have generally been considered satisfactory for their intended purpose, there is continued pressure to provide improved semiconductor processing apparatuses and methods of semiconductor manufacturing. SUMMARY

[0004] Some embodiments of the present invention provide a semiconductor processing apparatus, comprising a chamber; a pedestal positioned in the chamber for supporting a semiconductor substrate; a pre-heat assembly surrounding the pedestal; a first heating element fixed relative to the pedestal and configured to direct heat to the semiconductor substrate; and a second heating element movable relative to the pedestal and operable to direct heat to a portion of the semiconductor substrate.

[0005] Other embodiments of the present invention provide a method of semiconductor manufacturing, comprising: providing a substrate onto a pedestal of an apparatus, the apparatus further comprising a first heating element fixed relative to the pedestal and a second heating element movable relative to the pedestal, the second heating element operable to generate a focused radiation; initiating rotation of the substrate; initiating heating from the first heating element on the substrate; moving the second heating element to direct the heating to an area of the substrate; and performing a deposition procedure under the heating provided by the first heating element and the second heating element.

[0006] Yet other embodiments of the present application provide a method of semiconductor manufacturing, comprising: providing a substrate to a base station of an apparatus, the apparatus further comprising a heating lamp surrounding the base station and a laser heating element movable relative to the base station; measuring a heating level difference provided by the heating lamp on a first region of the substrate and on a second region of the substrate; configuring the laser heating element to provide heating having an amount corresponding to the heating level difference; and performing an epitaxial deposition process using the heating lamp and the laser heating element, wherein the deposition process comprises a first selective epitaxial growth to form a first semiconductor layer of a semiconductor material at a first deposition temperature T1, a second selective epitaxial growth to form a second semiconductor layer of the semiconductor material at a second deposition temperature T2, a third selective epitaxial growth to form a third semiconductor layer of the semiconductor material at a third deposition temperature T3, and a cyclic deposition / etch process to form a fourth semiconductor layer of the semiconductor material at a fourth deposition temperature T4, wherein T1, T2 and T3 are different.

[0007] Yet other embodiments of the present application provide a deposition apparatus of a tunable temperature source. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

[0008] The present application can best be understood by reading the following detailed description in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which:

[0009] Figure 1 is a three-dimensional (3D) cutaway view of an embodiment of a substrate processing apparatus according to some embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0010] Figure 2 is a cross-sectional side view of a substrate processing apparatus or a portion of a substrate processing apparatus according to some embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0011] Figure 3 and Figure 4 is a cross-sectional top view of a substrate processing apparatus or a portion of a substrate processing apparatus according to some embodiments of the present application.

[0012] Figure 5 , Figure 6 , Figure 7 and Figure 8 is a schematic view of a substrate processing apparatus or a portion of a substrate processing apparatus according to some embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0013] Figure 9 and Figure 10 is a flowchart of a method of processing a substrate according to some embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0014] Figure 11are exemplary deposition procedures for epitaxial components and epitaxial components so formed in accordance with some embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0015] Figure 12 、 Figure 13 and Figure 14 are graphs illustrating component width control provided by an apparatus in accordance with some embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0016] Figure 15 is a perspective view of a semiconductor structure constructed in accordance with some embodiments of the present invention.

[0017] Figure 16 and Figure 17 are cross-sectional views of a semiconductor structure constructed in accordance with some embodiments of the present invention. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0018] The following disclosure provides many different embodiments, or examples, for implementing different components of the provided subject matter. These are only examples of the myriad of possible implementations and the general description of the components and arrangements is not intended to limit the scope of the disclosure. For example, in the following descriptions, forming a first component over or on a second component can include embodiments in which the first component and the second component are formed in direct contact, and can also include embodiments in which additional components can be formed between the first component and the second component, such that the first component and the second component can not be in direct contact. Furthermore, the present invention can be repeated with reference numerals and / or characters in various instances. This repetition is for the purpose of simplicity and clarity and does not itself indicate a relationship between the various embodiments and / or configurations discussed.

[0019] For the purposes of this description, spatially relative terms such as "beneath", "below", "lower", "above", "upper" and the like can be used to describe one element's or component's relationship to another element or component as illustrated in the figures. The spatially relative terms are intended to encompass different orientations of the device in use or operation in addition to the orientation depicted in the figures. The device can be otherwise oriented (rotated 90 degrees or at other orientations) and the spatially relative descriptors used herein interpreted accordingly. Still further, when describing nomenclature such as "about", "approximately", and the like, the term is intended to encompass values within a reasonable range of the value described, such as within + / - 10% of the value described or other values understood by one of skill in the art. For example, the term "about 5 nm" can encompass a range of sizes from 4.5 nm to 5.5 nm.

[0020] It should be noted that the embodiments discussed herein can not necessarily have to enumerate every component or part that can be present within a structure. For example, one or more components can be omitted from the figures, e.g., where discussion of the components can be sufficient to convey various implementations of the embodiments. Further, method embodiments discussed herein can be discussed in a certain order of execution, while in other method embodiments they can be executed in any reasonable order.

[0021] Embodiments of the present invention relate to semiconductor device manufacturing apparatuses and processing methods thereof, and more particularly, to semiconductor manufacturing apparatuses and methods for processing semiconductor workpieces, such as semiconductor substrates. In some embodiments, for example, the semiconductor substrates include semiconductor wafers, such as silicon wafers. In some instances, the substrates are silicon substrates having a top surface of a (100) crystal plane. The semiconductor substrates can include elemental semiconductors, such as silicon, germanium, and diamond. The semiconductor substrates can additionally or alternatively include compound semiconductors, such as silicon carbide, gallium arsenide, indium arsenide, and indium phosphide. The semiconductor substrates can include alloy semiconductors, such as silicon germanium, silicon germanium carbide, gallium arsenide phosphide, and indium gallium phosphide. The semiconductor substrates can include epitaxial layers. For example, the substrates can have an epitaxial layer overlying a bulk semiconductor. Further, to enhance performance, the semiconductor substrates can be strained. For example, the epitaxial layer can include a semiconductor material that is different from a semiconductor material of the bulk semiconductor, such as a silicon germanium layer overlying a bulk silicon or a silicon layer overlying a bulk silicon germanium formed through a process including selective epitaxial growth (SEG). In some embodiments, the semiconductor substrates include a multi-bridge channel (MBC) transistor formed or to be formed thereon, the semiconductor substrate including a stack of semiconductor material layers formed thereon. For example, the stack of semiconductor material layers includes silicon layers and silicon germanium layers alternately formed and alternately stacked thereon. Further, the semiconductor substrates can include a semiconductor-on-insulator (SOI) structure. For example, the substrates can include a buried oxide (BOX) layer formed through a process such as separation by implanted oxygen (SIMOX). The semiconductor substrates can include p-type doped regions and / or n-type doped regions. All of the doping can be achieved through a process such as ion implantation.

[0022] In the fabrication of integrated circuits, epitaxial layers can be formed on semiconductor substrates using a mixture of semiconductor source gases through a deposition process (e.g., a chemical vapor deposition process, a physical vapor deposition process, an atomic layer deposition process, etc.). The deposition process is performed according to predetermined process parameters in order to ensure that the epitaxial features formed by subsequent processes conform to a target design (e.g., have a particular width and a particular height). The process parameters include process time, type of process gas, temperature of the process chamber, pressure of the process chamber, etc. As scaling continues and the complexity of features increases, the required precision control of feature size and / or profile becomes increasingly dependent on the ability to precisely control the process temperature of the fine grains on the substrate. In this regard, it becomes increasingly challenging to achieve such precision temperature control with existing deposition tool designs. In addition, maintaining feature uniformity also becomes increasingly challenging. For example, epitaxial features formed at the edge of the substrate can have a reduced size, a defect known as a roll-off profile. Such defects have been shown to cause increased off-current, short channel conditions, and / or otherwise degrade device characteristics. In this regard, the present invention provides a movable heat source that can direct thermal energy to a particular fine area of the substrate, thereby providing localized heating and / or adjustments for other non-uniform heating. Such localized heating enables a precision of heating that is not available in existing tool designs, thereby providing increased fabrication capabilities. In addition, while deposition operations are applied as examples in the following disclosure, embodiments of the present invention can also be applied in various other operations that similarly require temperature uniformity and / or precision of heating.

[0023] Figure 1 is a three-dimensional (3D) cross-sectional view of the semiconductor processing apparatus 1000. Figure 1 Portions of the semiconductor processing apparatus behind an imaginary vertical plane through the processing apparatus taken along a transverse axis of the processing apparatus (as described below) are shown. As Figure 1 shown, the processing apparatus includes tiers of mechanisms. For example, a substrate stage 1010 is provided in a lower region of the apparatus; a first heating element stage 1020 is provided above the substrate stage 1010, and a second heating element stage 1030 is provided above the first heating element stage 1020. For simplicity, additional tiers (e.g., additional heating element stages) can be present and omitted in Figure 1 For example, another heating element stage (not shown) can be located below the substrate stage 1010, thereby providing heating to the bottom surface of a substrate located on the substrate stage 1010. These stages will be described in greater detail below.

[0024] Reference is now made to Figure 2 and Figure 3 The various stages 1010, 1020, and 1030 are described in detail. Figure 2is a cross-sectional view of a semiconductor processing apparatus 1000 (or simply apparatus 1000). In some embodiments, the apparatus 1000 can be used to deposit an epitaxial layer on a semiconductor substrate 5, thereby forming an epitaxial component (e.g., an epitaxial source / drain component). Figure 3 is a top view of a substrate stage 1010 of the apparatus 1000 according to some embodiments of the present application. In some embodiments, the substrate stage 1010 of the apparatus 1000 includes a housing 10, a susceptor 20, a fluid discharge module 30, a fluid removal assembly 40, and a preheating assembly 60. The number of components of the apparatus 1000 can be increased or decreased as needed and is not limited to this embodiment. Furthermore, the apparatus 1000 can be applied to other semiconductor processes in addition to depositing an epitaxial layer, such as any semiconductor process that uses a chemical gas to deposit a semiconductor material on a semiconductor substrate 5.

[0025] The housing 10 includes an upper portion 12, a lower portion 14, and side portions 16. The upper portion 12, the lower portion 14, and the side portions 16 define a cavity 19 (or chamber 19) within the housing 10. In some embodiments, the cavity 19 can receive one or more semiconductor substrates 5 that are 250 mm or more in diameter. In some embodiments, the upper portion 12 and the lower portion 14 are made of a material that has a high structural strength and is chemically stable during processing. In some embodiments, the upper portion 12 and the lower portion 14 are transparent or include transparent windows to allow light (visible or infrared) from the lamps to pass through. In some embodiments, the upper portion 12 and the lower portion 14 are made of transparent quartz. In some embodiments, the side portions 16 include an upper clamping element 17 and a lower clamping element 18. The upper and lower clamping elements 17 and 18 are combined together by a suitable means, such as latching, to secure the fluid discharge module 30 and the fluid removal assembly 40. In some embodiments, the upper portion 12 is secured to a flange 171 of the upper clamping element 17. The flange 171 is spaced apart from the preheating assembly 60 by a sufficient distance.

[0026] The base 20 includes a shaft 22, a plurality of supports 24, and a base 26. The lower ends of the supports 24 are connected to the rotation shaft 22, and the upper ends of the supports 24 are connected to the bottom surface of the base 26. Therefore, the base 26 is horizontally fixed to the upper ends of the supports 24, thereby supporting the semiconductor substrate 5. In some embodiments, the base 20 is connected via the shaft 22 to a variable-speed motor (not shown) to rotate about a rotation axis C. A fluid discharge module 30 and a fluid removal assembly 40 are disposed on either side of the base 20 along a transverse axis T to provide gas flow along the upper surface of the base 26. The transverse axis T passes through the rotation axis C of the base 26. In some embodiments, the fluid discharge module 30 and the fluid removal assembly 40 are disposed on opposite sides of the base 20. Process gases, such as silicon source gases, from the fluid discharge module 30 flow across the upper surface of the base 26 and are discharged through the fluid removal assembly 40, such as… Figure 2 and Figure 3 As indicated by the arrows in the diagram. In some embodiments, the fluid discharge module 30 is fluidly connected to the gas supply module. Process gas from the gas supply module is supplied to the semiconductor substrate 5 via the fluid discharge module 30. In some embodiments, the gas supply module includes a plurality of gas sources and a plurality of fluid control units. The fluid discharge module 30 includes a discharge connector assembly 35, which is fluidly connected to the gas sources via the fluid control units, wherein the fluid control units control the flow rate of the process gas supplied to the fluid discharge module 30. In some embodiments, the fluid discharge module 30 further includes a fluid discharge assembly 31. The fluid discharge assembly 31 has a side surface, which is arranged adjacent to the preheating assembly 60. The side surface may also be curved and extends circumferentially along the semiconductor substrate 5 with a transverse axis T as its center. The side surface may be a continuous curved surface or a multi-segment curved surface. The fluid discharge assembly 31 may include one or more discharge channels 321, which are configured to allow fluid to be discharged from the fluid discharge module 30 to the semiconductor substrate 5. In some embodiments, the discharge channel 321 is fluidly connected to an opening 324 formed on the side surface of the fluid discharge assembly 31. Process gases can flow through a large area of ​​the semiconductor substrate 5 via the fluid discharge assembly 31 to deposit a silicon thin film on the semiconductor substrate 5.

[0027] The first heating element stage 1020 includes a plurality of heating elements 90. The heating elements 90 can be lamp modules that are affixed to the apparatus 1000 at the stage above the substrate stage 1010. During a fabrication process, the heating elements 90 can emit light to heat a particular region of the substrate 5. In some embodiments, a subset of the heating elements 90 can be configured to direct light from above the substrate 5 to an inner region of the substrate 5, and thus to direct heat from above the substrate 5 to the inner region of the substrate 5. For example, the light of the heating elements 90 can be configured to be directed to a curved portion of the top dome that reflects the light and heat onto the inner region of the substrate 5. Meanwhile, another subset of the heating elements 90 can be configured to direct light from above the substrate 5 to an outer region of the substrate 5, and thus to direct heat from above the substrate 5 to the outer region of the substrate 5. For example, the light of the heating elements 90 can be configured to be directed to a flat portion of the top dome. In some embodiments, the first heating element stage 1020 is simply part of a fixed heating system implemented on the semiconductor processing apparatus 1000. For example, another plurality of heating elements, represented by heating elements 95, can be provided below the substrate stage 1010. In some embodiments, a subset of the heating elements 95 can be configured to direct light from below the substrate 5 to an inner region of the substrate 5, and thus to direct heat from below the substrate 5 to the inner region of the substrate 5, while another subset of the heating elements 95 can be configured to direct light from below the substrate 5 to an outer region of the substrate 5, and thus to direct heat from below the substrate 5 to the outer region of the substrate 5. In some embodiments, the heating elements 95 can be the same as or similar to the heating elements 90, and together form a heating cavity around the substrate 5. The heating elements 90 and 95 can remain stationary while the substrate 5 rotates during a fabrication process performed on the substrate. In some embodiments, the first heating element stage 1020 (and any additional heating stages, e.g., represented by the heating elements 95 below the substrate stage 1010) can be configured to be symmetrically arranged across an imaginary vertical plane taken through the transverse axis T. In other words, Figure 1 the portion not shown in FIG. 10 can be configured to approximate a mirror image of the portion shown in FIG. 10. For example, Figure 1 the portion not shown in FIG. 10 can be configured to approximate a mirror image of the portion shown in FIG. 10. For example, Figure 1 sixteen heating elements are shown on the first heating element stage 1020. In some embodiments, another sixteen heating elements, similar to those shown, are present in the portion not shown in FIG. 10. Figure 1

[0028] ​As described above, the heating elements 90 and 95 can direct thermal energy to specific areas on the substrate 5. As scaling continues and components become more and more miniaturized, these areas often contain many device components that require different levels of thermal treatment. The individual heating elements 90 and 95 can not be able to provide this differentiated heating treatment. Furthermore, in some embodiments, components on the edge of the substrate can be subjected to a different heating environment, which results in these components having an unintended different size or profile. For example, due to the non-uniformity of heating, source / drain components on the edge of the substrate (e.g., source / drain components of silicon germanium) can take up less volume compared to source / drain components on the interior areas of the substrate 5.

[0029] The preheating assembly 60 is disposed outside the circumferential direction of the susceptor 20. Process gas from the fluid delivery module 30 passes through the preheating assembly 60 (on the left side of the figure) Figure 2 and Figure 3 ), the semiconductor substrate 5, and the preheating assembly 60 (on the right side of the figure) in sequence, and is exhausted via the fluid removal assembly 40. Thus, the process gas can be preheated as it passes through the preheating assembly 60 and before reaching the substrate 5. In some embodiments, the preheating assembly 60 absorbs thermal energy from the heating elements 90, 95. In some embodiments, the preheating assembly 60 includes a support 68. The support 68 can be made of an opaque material (e.g., silicon carbide, graphite coated with silicon carbide, etc.) and can be coated with silicon carbide to prevent corrosion by the process gas. The support 68 can be a closed annular ring and surround the base 26. However, it should be understood that embodiments of the present application can have a variety of forms and modifications. In other embodiments, the support 68 is arched, the arch angle is approximately 360 degrees, and a gap is formed between the two ends of the arch to prevent the support 68 from deforming due to the accumulation of thermal stress after thermal expansion.

[0030] The support 68 has an inner edge 681. In some embodiments, the inner edge 681 and the outer edge of the base 26 form a gap between the inner edge 681 and the outer edge of the base 26 in the circumferential direction of the base 26 to allow the base 26 to rotate. In some embodiments, the distance between the inner edge 681 and the outer edge of the base 26 at a particular location can be a distance d. In some embodiments, the distance d is configured to be at least 1.5 mm. If the distance d is too small, the susceptor 20 can hit the preheating assembly 60 during rotation. In some embodiments, the susceptor 20 and the preheating assembly 60 are configured to be precisely concentric. For example, the inner edge 681 can have a circular profile, the center of which falls exactly on the axis C. Thus, in this case, the distance d between the preheating assembly 60 (e.g., the inner edge 681) and the susceptor 20 (e.g., the outer edge of the base 26) does not change as the susceptor 20 rotates around the axis C. However, in some other cases, precise concentric configuration can not be achievable. For example, referring to FIG. 3, the inner edge 681 can have a circular profile, the center of which does not fall exactly on the axis C. Thus, in this case, the distance d between the preheating assembly 60 (e.g., the inner edge 681) and the susceptor 20 (e.g., the outer edge of the base 26) changes as the susceptor 20 rotates around the axis C. Figure 4The inner edge 681 may have a center C1 offset from the C-axis of the base 26. Therefore, as the base 20 rotates, the center C1 of the base 20 can move across the axis C and rotate between two extreme positions C1' and C1''. In some embodiments, the center C... l This rotational movement can be referred to as the oscillation of the base 20. The degree of oscillation can be measured from the maximum change in distance d between a specific position 26e on the base 26 and between the two extreme positions 26e' and 26e'. The degree of oscillation is called the oscillation distance W. In other words, as Figure 4 As shown, W is equal to the change in distance d between the inner edge 681 and the outer edge of the base 26. That is, W = d1 - d2. In some embodiments, W is designed to be less than about 0.3 mm. If W is greater than about 0.3 mm, the base 26 may impact the preheating assembly 60 during its rotation, resulting in hardware damage.

[0031] In some embodiments, the relative position of a specific component on substrate 5 with respect to preheating assembly 60 and heating elements 90, 95 determines the heating profile experienced by the component during the manufacturing process. The oscillating motion of base 20 causes movement of base 20 relative to preheating assembly 60, thereby introducing heating variations and instabilities to the component. While such heating variations and instabilities may be small when the component has a size much larger than the oscillation distance W, they can become unacceptable when the component size is comparable to this oscillation distance W. Therefore, the oscillation effect becomes increasingly apparent and critical as advanced technology nodes continue to scale down. In some embodiments, an additional heating source, which can be used in the second heating element stage 1030, addresses and compensates for this oscillation variation caused by the oscillation motion.

[0032] refer to Figure 1 , Figure 2 And further reference Figure 5 and Figure 6The apparatus 1000 includes a second heating element stage 1030. The second heating element stage 1030 can be positioned above the first heating element stage 1020 and directly above the substrate 5. In some embodiments, the second heating element stage 1030 can include a plurality of heating sources 80. In some embodiments, the heating sources 80 can be laser heating elements. In some embodiments, there can be from about 1 to about 20 laser heating elements 80 on the second heating element stage 1030. In some embodiments, the heating provided by the laser heating elements 80 is implemented to provide localized heating in specific manufacturing steps without the interaction or cooperation from the heating elements 90, 95. In some embodiments, the heating provided by the laser heating elements 80 can be configured to compensate for heating variations and instability caused by the wobble motion, thereby compensating for such variations and instability. As a result, each component receives a more stable and predictable heating experience. Furthermore, in some embodiments, the heating provided by the laser heating elements 80 can also be configured to compensate for the lack of heating uniformity provided by the heating elements 90, 95. As mentioned above, it is generally challenging to provide uniform heating to all areas of the substrate 5 with only the heating elements 90, 95. For example, epitaxial components on the edges of the substrate 5 can receive less heating due to their unique location on the substrate 5. In a method that does not implement laser heating elements 80, these epitaxial components can grow to a smaller extent than designed, thereby making them potentially have a smaller volume. Here, the laser heating elements 80 can be configured to direct laser heat energy onto those affected edge epitaxial components to provide a heat energy amount that corresponds to the difference compared to the amount of heating at only those edge locations and the amount of heating on the inner portion of the substrate 5. As a result, the components at the edge locations on the substrate 5 can receive the same amount of heating as the components on the inner portion of the substrate 5. In other words, all relevant areas of the substrate 5 can receive the same amount of heating uniformly regardless of their exact location. Component uniformity (e.g., the size of epitaxial components) can be significantly improved.

[0033] In some embodiments, the laser heating element 80 can be configured to heat a small target area on the substrate 5 without substantially heating or affecting areas surrounding the target area. In some embodiments, the size of the affected target area can be controlled by adjusting the size of the laser beam such that areas outside the periphery of the laser beam are not affected. For example, the laser heating element 80 can be controlled to have a beam diameter of about 0.5 mm to 25 mm. In some embodiments, the beam diameter can be about 10 mm to about 18 mm. If the beam diameter is too small, the process time can be too long; conversely, if the beam diameter is too large, the heating precision can be too low to adequately produce. Thus, components outside of the specifically irradiated target area are not subjected to laser heating, but rather only experience heating from the heating elements 90, 95, if any. In some embodiments, the laser heating element 80 can be configured to provide a laser beam of a unique wavelength that is only absorbable by the material of the explicit target component. Thus, components of different materials will not be heated, regardless of whether they fall within the target area irradiated by the laser beam. In some embodiments, the target component can comprise silicon germanium (SiGe), and the laser wavelength can be about 800 nm to about 1000 nm. In some embodiments, the laser wavelength can be about 900 nm to about 950 nm. If the laser wavelength is too long or too short, the laser energy can not be efficiently absorbed by the target component. However, in some embodiments, the target material can be different than SiGe, and the laser wavelength can be adjusted to provide optimal absorption of the laser heating power. In other words, by adjusting the laser beam size and wavelength, a specific area of a small size can be selectively heated. In some embodiments, the laser heating element 80 provides photonic energy. Photonic energy is energy carried by a photon. The magnitude of the energy is proportional to the electromagnetic frequency of the photon, and thus, equivalently, inversely proportional to the wavelength. The higher the frequency of the photon, the higher its energy. Photonic energy is different from other sources of energy, such as energy carried by high speed electrons. For example, photonic energy is not ionizing, and implementation of the laser heating element does not change the oxidation state of the material with which it interacts. In contrast, high speed electrons, such as those from an electron beam source, can interact with the target material and cause chemical changes (e.g., changes in oxidation state) or physical changes (e.g., removal of portions of the target material bombarded by the electrons).

[0034] Referring to Figure 4 and Figure 5In some embodiments, the laser heating element 80 can be mounted on a slide 70 above the first heating element stage 1020. In some embodiments, the slide 70 can be configured to be fixed relative to the structural support of the apparatus and extend along the x-direction. Here, the x-axis is a horizontal axis parallel to the top surface of the susceptor 20; the y-axis is another horizontal axis parallel to the top surface of the susceptor 20 and orthogonal to the x-axis; and the z-axis is orthogonal to the plane defined by the x-axis and the y-axis. In some embodiments, the laser heating element 80 can be slidably mounted on the slide 70. In other words, the laser heating element 80 can be in a sliding motion along the slide 70, thereby along the x-axis by the action of a motion motor. For example, the laser heating element 80 can be slid to positions 80x, 80x’, or other positions along the slide 70. In some embodiments, the laser heating element 80 is configured to direct light and heat vertically (e.g., along the z-axis) onto the substrate 5. Accordingly, the movable range of the laser heating element 80 on the slide 70 can be configured to span the entire lateral distance along the x-direction of the diameter size of the substrate 5 projected vertically. Further, in some embodiments, the movable range of the laser heating element 80 on the slide 70 can be configured to be symmetrically arranged on both sides of a center point vertically mapped along the z-direction onto the center axis C of rotation. Accordingly, in some embodiments, the movable range of the laser heating element 80 can be greater than the diameter size of the substrate 5. In some embodiments, to potentially accommodate different sizes of the substrate 5, the movable range of the slide 70 can be configured to be about 300 mm to about 500 mm. For example, the movable range of the slide can be configured to be about + / - 150 mm to about + / - 250 mm relative to the axis C. In some embodiments, as described in more detail below, the laser heating element 80 can be configured to be rotatable along a horizontal axis (e.g., the y-axis). Such rotation enables the laser heating element 80 to direct light and heat at an angle relative to the z-axis. When such rotation is configured in both clockwise and counterclockwise directions, the range that the laser heating element 80 can illuminate can exceed its own movable range. Accordingly, in such embodiments, the movable range of the laser heating element 80 can be less than the diameter size of the substrate 5.

[0035] In some embodiments, the slider 70 can be configured to be vertically aligned with the transverse axis T. In other words, the projection of the slider 70 on the base 26 along the z-direction passes through the center axis C. Such a configuration ensures that all areas of the substrate 5 can be targeted by the laser heating element 80, regardless of whether it is configured to be rotatable along the y-axis. However, in some other embodiments, the slider 70 can be configured to be vertically offset from the transverse axis T. In such other embodiments, when the laser heating element 80 is configured to be rotatable along the y-axis (and the laser beam is confined within the xz-plane), the laser heating element 80 can not be able to reach certain inner portions of the substrate 5. In some examples, the laser heating element 80 can be configured to be rotatable along an axis that is not the y-axis. For example, the laser heating element 80 can be configured to be rotatable along the x-axis. Thus, even when the slider 70 is vertically offset from the transverse axis T, all areas of the substrate 5 can still be targeted by the laser heating element 80 by adjusting the x-axis position of the laser heating element 80 and the angle of rotation about the x-axis.

[0036] In some embodiments, the sliding operation can be automated by a motion motor. The motion motor can drive the laser heating element 80 to direct heating onto the edge region of the substrate 5, or to direct heating onto the inner region of the substrate 5. In some embodiments, the laser heating element 80 can be moved along the slider 70 as the substrate 5 is rotated along the C-axis. Thus, areas on the substrate 5 that have the same distance from the center axis C theoretically experience the same heating history. However, as explained previously, the wobbling motion of the base 26 can cause the indicated areas to similarly wobble on the substrate 5, resulting in heating variations. For example, the wobbling motion can cause the distance between the target area and the laser heating element 80 to change during the motion. As a result, the spot size of the laser beam changes, and the power accuracy also changes. These changes result in heating instability and inaccuracy. In some embodiments, the laser heating element 80 can be configured to move a distance along the x-axis that is calculated based on the wobble distance W during the process. For example, the laser heating element 80 can shuttle between two extreme positions 80e’ and 80e”. In some embodiments, the distance δ x related to the wobble distance W. For example, equation (I) can be used to calculate δ x

[0037] δ x = c x · W (I)

[0038] where c x is a coefficient related to the rotation mechanism of the support 68, including various factors such as the change in distance d and the angle of the rotation axis. The coefficient c xexperimental thermal non-uniformity data of a substrate, such as processed by support 68, is compared to thermal non-uniformity calculated using equation (I). Further, in some embodiments, the shuttle frequency of laser heating element 80 may be related to the rotational speed R of substrate 5. For example, frequency

[0039]

[0040] where p x is a coefficient. When rotational speed R is lower (or higher), frequency needs to be slower (or higher) so that laser heating element 80 can shuttle a certain number of shuttle cycles to eliminate the wobble effect and achieve a uniform thermal effect. The number of shuttle cycles and the corresponding coefficient p x may be determined from manufacturing data. For example, device performance is compared to coefficient p x in historical manufacturing data to determine a value or range of coefficient p x to optimize the shuttle effect. In other words, laser heating element 80 can be configured to follow the wobble motion. In some embodiments, implementing a laser heating element 80 that slides such ensures better power accuracy and spot size of the irradiation area, providing a more uniform thermal distribution for the target components on substrate 5.

[0041] In some embodiments, multiple laser heating elements 80, 80’, 80” can be mounted on slider 70 to improve the ability to control heating. For example, a single laser heating element 80 can not have enough power to compensate for the heating difference between the edge portion and the inner portion of a substrate. Having multiple laser heating elements provides cumulative power to solve the laser power deficiency. In such an example, multiple laser heating elements can each be directed to the same target area. For another example related to compensating for wobble changes, when wobble distance W is too large or when rotational speed R is too large, the shuttle speed of a laser heating element can not be large enough. In such an example, multiple laser heating elements 80, 80’, 80” can be configured to cooperate with each other, for example, to shuttle a reduced distance (e.g., 1 / 3 δ x compared to the entire shuttle distance δ xTherefore, the ability to compensate for this oscillation defect is improved. In some embodiments, the second heating element stage 1030 may include a plurality of sliders 70, 72, and 74, each slider having a plurality of slidable laser heating elements mounted on the slider. For example, slider 72 may have laser heating elements 82, 82', 82" mounted on slider 72; and slider 74 may have laser heating elements 84, 84', 84" mounted on slider 74. In some embodiments, sliders 70, 72, and 74 are configured to be parallel to each other and spaced apart from each other along the y-axis. In some embodiments, sliders 70, 72, and 74 are configured to be symmetrical across the transverse axis T. However, in some embodiments, sliders 70, 72, and 74 are configured to be asymmetrical across the transverse axis T. Laser heating elements 80', 80" , 82, 82', 82" , 84, 84', 84" may be configured similarly to the laser heating element 80 described above. Laser heating elements 80, 82, and 84 may be configured to direct the same or different amounts of heat to components arranged spaced apart from each other along the y-direction.

[0042] In some embodiments, laser heating elements 80, 80', 80”, 82, 82', 82”, 84, 84', 84 (collectively referred to as laser heating element 80) may be further configured to provide adjustable dimensions to the target area irradiated thereon. Reference Figure 7 A laser heating element 80 is mounted on a holder 75 attached to a slider 70. In the illustrated embodiment, the laser heating element 80 can be configured to be rotatable along a y-axis passing through the holder 75, such that by rotating the laser heating element 80 along the y-axis, the laser heating element 80 can generate a laser beam 800 in a variable direction in the xz plane. Alternatively, as described above, in some embodiments, for example when the slider is configured to deviate vertically from the transverse axis T, the laser heating element 80 can be alternatively configured to be rotatable along the x-axis. Regardless of the axis of rotation, in some embodiments, the rotation of the laser heating element 80 can be within a range of + / -90° relative to the vertical axis z while simultaneously facing the substrate 5. In some embodiments, the laser heating source 80 can rotate counterclockwise, clockwise, or both. Although the laser beams 800 can be depicted as a single straight line, they have finite dimensions. In some embodiments, the laser beams 800 can be collimated and have substantially negligible divergence. Therefore, the laser beam 800 irradiates a region of constant size S (e.g., with a diameter D) on a plane perpendicular to the propagation direction of the laser beam 800, regardless of the distance of this plane from the laser heating element 80. Simultaneously, the irradiated region on a plane not perpendicular to the propagation direction of the laser beam 800 can have a varying size greater than S. For example, as... Figure 7As shown, the laser beam 800 can have a diameter D in a plane perpendicular to its propagation direction. However, the irradiation area on the substrate 5 can have a size larger than S. n and diameter D n Where n can be 1, 2, 3, etc. In some embodiments, the size S of the irradiation area on the substrate 5 can be calculated based on the following equations (III) and (IV). n and diameter D n :

[0043] Dn=D / cosθ (III)

[0044] Sn=S / cos 2 θ (IV)

[0045] Where θ is the angle between the vertical direction z and the direction of propagation of the laser beam 800. As described above, when facing the substrate 5, the angle θ relative to the vertical axis z can be approximately + / - 90°. In some embodiments, the laser heating element 80 is rotated (e.g., the angle θ is adjusted) to obtain an irradiation area of ​​the desired size before further movement along other sizes. Although not explicitly shown, in some embodiments, the spot size can be further modulated and adjusted by implementing lenses.

[0046] In some embodiments, size S n The change can also alter the irradiation power received on the target area. Therefore, in some embodiments, the output power of the laser source can be adjusted to compensate for this change in received power, for example, by adjusting the current supplied to the laser heating element 80. In some embodiments, the laser output power can be adjusted between about 10 W and about 120 W. If the laser power is too low, for example less than about 10 W, the heating efficiency may be too low to achieve the benefits described herein. If the laser power is too high, the device may be damaged. In some embodiments, the adjustment of the laser output power can be further based on the target substrate thickness. For example, in some embodiments, by increasing the laser output power from about 10 W to about 120 W, the total substrate thickness can be increased from about 1 nm to about 100 nm.

[0047] In some embodiments, the base 26 of the base 20 is configured to be flush (or coplanar) with the top surface of the support 68 of the preheating assembly 60. In this case, as the base 20 rotates about axis C, all points on the base 26 lie in the same plane as the top surface of the support 68. In other words, the distance along the z-direction between the base 26 and the heating elements 90, 95 remains constant throughout the rotational motion. However, a precisely coplanar configuration may not be achievable. For example, refer to... Figure 8, the base 26 of the susceptor 20 can be slightly tilted at an angle with respect to the top surface of the support 68 of the pre-heat assembly 60. The degree of tilt (or conversely, the degree of coplanarity) is referred to as the leveling of the base 26. Thus, as the susceptor 20 rotates, the base 26 can swing between two extreme positions 26' and 26". This swing is also referred to as a leveling motion. Here, the extreme positions are the positions of the base 26 that are farthest from its ideal position in the z-direction. The spacing between the two extreme edge positions of the base 26 in the z-direction is defined as the leveling range L. In some embodiments, the leveling range L is configured to be less than about 0.3 mm. If the leveling range is too large, such as greater than about 0.3 mm, the lift pins can be damaged during operation. When the leveling range is non-zero, each point of the substrate 5 can have a varying distance from the heating elements 90, 95 during each rotation motion. This varying distance can degrade the control of the thermal process. Furthermore, due to the leveling issue, sometimes unintentionally, different points of the substrate 5 also receive varying heating exposure. This variation further degrades the uniformity of the components, which should otherwise have the same profile and dimensions. In some alternative embodiments, the top surface of the support 68 can not be coplanar with the base 26, but slightly higher than the upper surface of the base 26. In such alternative embodiments, there can be similar leveling issues when the base 26 is not precisely parallel to the top surface of the support 68.

[0048] In some embodiments, the leveling issue is addressed by the second heating element stage 1030. For example, the laser heating elements 80 on the second heating element stage 1030 can be configured to be height-adjustable. For example, the laser heating elements 80 (or the slides 70) can be attached to a motion motor that is capable of moving along the z-direction. In some embodiments, the laser heating elements 80 can be configured to be height-adjustable by a distance that is based on the leveling range L during the process. For example, the distance δ Figure 8 In the illustrated embodiment, the laser heating sources 80 can be adjusted along the z-direction between two extreme positions 80z' and 80z". In some embodiments, each of the two extreme positions resolves the extreme positions 26' and 26" of the corresponding base 26 from its ideal position. For example, the laser heating elements 80 can be configured to move along the z-axis by a distance that is calculated based on the leveling range L during the process. For example, the distance δ z is related to the leveling range L. For example, the distance δ z

[0049] δ z = c z · L (V)

[0050] where c z is a coefficient related to the mechanism of the height variation of the laser heating elements 80, including various factors such as the height variation L. The coefficient cz Experimental thermal non-uniformity data of a substrate processed by the laser heating element 80 is compared to the thermal non-uniformity calculated using equation (I), for example. In some embodiments, the laser heating element 80 is shuttled along the z-direction at a frequency The frequency f

[0051]

[0052] where p z is a coefficient related to the number of shuttling cycles, and thus the coefficient p z may be determined from manufacturing data. For example, the coefficient p z in device performance and historical manufacturing data are compared to determine the value or range of the coefficient p z to optimize the shuttling effect. In some embodiments, the frequency f and the coefficient p z may be equal to the frequency f and the coefficient p x , respectively. In other words, the laser heating element 80 is configured to follow the leveling motion along the z-axis. In some embodiments, implementing such a vertically height-adjustable laser heating element 80 enables better maintenance of power accuracy and spot size of the irradiation area. Thus, a more uniform heat distribution to the target features on the substrate 5 is achieved.

[0053] In some embodiments, the laser heating element 80 does not move or rotate during processing. Such embodiments can be referred to as static-type embodiments of the present invention. All movements of the laser heating element 80 are completed before the deposition recipe starts. Figure 9 is a flowchart of a method 100 of processing a substrate 5 according to a static-type embodiment of the present invention. At step 102, the substrate 5 is loaded onto the susceptor 26 of the pedestal 20 in the housing 10 of the apparatus 1000. At step 104, an appropriate recipe is selected. The recipe includes parameters such as the rotation speed of the pedestal 20, temperature, chamber pressure, precursor gas flow, carrier gas, blower speed, PID control, dopant mixing ratio, power ratio, process time, etc. Thereafter, the rotation of the pedestal 20 along the axis C is initiated. At optional step 106, the method assesses whether the same target features are located in a region of the substrate 5 having a variation in heating intensity. For example, as previously described, the heating intensity provided by the heating elements 90, 95 to the target features in the edge region and the target features in the inner portion of the substrate 5 can be different. If so, reference is made to Figure 9from the heating elements 90, 95. The heating level (e.g., heating intensity) in the edge region and the inner portion of the substrate 5 is measured separately using any suitable method. For example, an infrared thermometer can be used to determine the heating level in the edge region and in the inner portion. The difference in heating level between the two is calculated. In some embodiments, the difference in heating level can already be known from previous experiments, or in some embodiments, the target component can be located within the same region of the substrate that is not affected by the difference in heating level. In such embodiments, steps 108 and 110 can be omitted.

[0054] At step 112, the laser heating element 80 is rotated based on the desired spot size on the substrate 5. In some embodiments, the spot size can be determined based on the desired size of the region of the substrate to be heated by the laser heating element 80. In some embodiments, the deposition operation can blanket form the epitaxial layer. However, the edge region and the inner portion of the substrate 5 can be subjected to different levels of heating from the separate heating elements. In such embodiments, the target component can be the entire size of the epitaxial layer, and the spot size should cover the entire size. In some embodiments, the source / drain regions of the transistor are located in the edge region of the substrate 5 and are subjected to a lower level of heating from the heating elements 90, 95 than their counterparts in the inner portion of the substrate 5. Thus, in order for the growth of the source / drain components to receive the same amount of thermal energy, and thus avoid non-uniformity issues, the entire size corresponding to the source / drain components in the edge region can need to be heated. Thus, the spot size can need to cover the entire size of the source / drain components sufficiently. In some embodiments, a particular design of the source / drain component profile can require that a particular portion of the source / drain components grow more than other portions of the same source / drain components. Thus, the spot size can cover only that particular region. The regions not targeted by the laser heating element 80 can still receive heating from the heating elements 90, 95. As a result, a difference in heating level can be achieved. For example, as described above, the relationship between the laser beam diameter S and the spot size S on the substrate 5 is governed by equation (IV) above. Thus, the laser heating element 80 can be rotated such that the outgoing laser beam 800 has an orientation that spans an angle Θ from the z-direction, the angle Θ satisfying equation (VII): n

[0055]

[0056] where S' is the desired spot size of the irradiated region on the substrate 5, and D' is the desired spot diameter of the irradiated region on the substrate 5.

[0057] ​At step 114, the input power of the laser heating element 80 can be adjusted so that the heating power received at the substrate 5 (e.g., at the target feature in the edge region) corresponds to the heating level difference with the inner portion, as determined from step 110 (or known previously). As noted above, in some embodiments, the heating power received at the target component is determined by the angle Θ and the input power of the laser heating element 80. Since the angle Θ is fixed based on the spot size, the input power is adjusted to achieve the desired heating power. The input power can be adjusted by any suitable means, such as by adjusting the magnitude of the current provided to the laser heating element 80, by adjusting the attenuation level of a power adjuster on the path of the laser beam to the target component, etc.

[0058] At step 116, the laser heating element 80 can be moved along the slide 70 while maintaining the angle Θ so as to align the laser beam 800 with the target region of the substrate 5. At this stage, the laser is ready for the execution of the deposition procedure. At step 118, any necessary gases are turned on and any predetermined deposition procedure can be initiated. The procedure is not limited and is described later with reference to Figure 11 An exemplary procedure is provided. At step 120, the deposition procedure is terminated and completed.

[0059] In some embodiments, Figure 9 The static-type embodiments of the above-described wobble or leveling challenges can not be sufficient to address. Accordingly, the laser heating element 80 can be configured to participate in movement (along the x-direction and / or z-direction) or rotation in a predetermined manner during the deposition process. With reference to Figure 10 A method 300 is shown, the method 300 comprising moving the laser heating element 80 during the deposition process. At step 302, the substrate is loaded onto the pedestal. At step 304, the pedestal rotation is started at a rotation rate R. At step 306, the wobble distance W and the leveling range L are measured. W and L can be measured using any suitable method. At step 308, L and W are evaluated to determine whether the magnitude of L or the magnitude of W is negligible to maintain sufficient heating power accuracy. This can be determined based on a predetermined tolerance threshold. If the answer is affirmative, the method 300 can proceed substantially similar to the method 100, starting at step 106 of the method 100. If the answer for L and W is negative, the method 300 proceeds to determine whether L or W exceeds a predetermined safety threshold. This safety threshold can be established based on an instrument safety protocol to avoid damaging the instrument and / or to avoid accidents to the operator. If the answer is affirmative, an alarm is triggered at step 311 and the instrument is locked for further operation. Maintenance is requested in the meantime.

[0060] If the answer at step 310 is negative, the method 300 proceeds to rotate the laser to achieve the desired spot size. This can be done as described above with respect to Figure 9The spot size is determined similarly. At step 314, the input power of the laser heating element is adjusted based on the selected heating power and the rotation angle of the laser heating element. Although not specifically illustrated, the heating power can be selected in a similar manner as steps 106-110 of method 100 Figure 9 ). At step 316, while maintaining the angle, the laser heating element is moved along the x-axis to direct to the edge region of the substrate. At step 318, a predetermined movement pattern of the laser heating element is determined based on W, L and R. For example, prior to the initiation of step 110 of Figure 9 , the laser heating element 80 can shuttle between two extreme positions 80e’ and 80e”( Figure 5 ) in a predetermined manner to compensate for the wobble effect. For another example, prior to the initiation of step 110 of Figure 9 , the laser heating element 80 can shuttle between two extreme positions 80z’ and 80z”( Figure 8 ) in a predetermined manner to compensate for the leveling effect. For yet another example, prior to the initiation of step 110 of Figure 9 , the laser heating element 80 can shuttle in the x-direction and z-direction in a predetermined manner to address both the wobble effect and the leveling. In some embodiments, details of the movement pattern such as the shuttle distance x , the shuttle distance z , the shuttle frequency are determined based on equations (I), (II), (V) and (VI). At step 320, any suitable deposition procedure can be implemented. The deposition procedure is at step 322.

[0061] In some embodiments, the laser heating element 80 not only moves and / or rotates during the deposition process, but also dynamically responds to specific data received during the process. In other words, the movement of the laser heating element 80 is no longer predetermined prior to the implementation of the deposition procedure, but is dynamically determined during the process. Such embodiments can be referred to as dynamic motion type embodiments. In some embodiments, the movement of the laser heating element 80 along the x-direction and / or z-direction can no longer be determined based on equations (I)-(II) or (V)-(VI) entirely. Furthermore, in some embodiments, the rotation angle of the laser heating element 80 around the y-axis can no longer be determined based on equation (III) or (IV) simply. For example, the rotation angle can need to be changed during the process. Furthermore, the power provided to the laser heating element 80 can need to be further dynamically adjusted. These parameters determine the dynamic motion of the laser heating element 80 during the process. In some embodiments, the configuration of the laser heating element 80 can be represented as a function (VIII):

[0062] f(x, z, 0) = fx (W)f z (L)f θ (P) (VIII)

[0063] Where f is the position of the laser source; W is the swing distance W; and P is the heating power of the target area.

[0064] Despite about Figure 9 and Figure 10 While not specifically described, more than one laser heating element 80 may exist. In some embodiments, each of the laser heating elements 80 is similarly configured. In some embodiments, each of the laser heating elements 80 may be configured differently and may cooperate to achieve a combined effect of improved uniformity and / or stability. Regardless of whether a static, predetermined motion, or dynamically determined motion embodiment is implemented, Figure 11 A predetermined deposition procedure that can be implemented is shown (e.g., regarding...). Figure 9 Step 110 and about Figure 10 An example of step 320). Figure 11 An example of a semiconductor structure 250 on which epitaxial components are formed is also shown. The semiconductor structure 250 includes a semiconductor substrate 222 and an isolation component 224 formed in the semiconductor substrate 222, thereby defining and separating active regions. The isolation component 224 may include a shallow trench isolation (STI) component formed on the semiconductor substrate 222 by suitable processes, such as: patterning the semiconductor substrate 222 to form trenches using photolithography and etching; depositing one or more dielectric materials (e.g., silicon oxide, silicon nitride, or both); performing a chemical mechanical polishing (CMP) process to remove excess dielectric material and planarize the top surface. A fin active region 218 is formed by recessing the STI component 224, epitaxially growing a semiconductor material, or both. The fin active region 218 extends continuously from the semiconductor substrate 222 and protrudes over the STI component 224. The semiconductor structure 250 also includes a gate 230 disposed on the fin active region 218 and bonded to the channel layer of the fin active region 218 (e.g., ...). Figure 15 (As shown). In some embodiments, the gate stack 230 includes a gate dielectric layer, a gate electrode disposed on the gate dielectric layer, and a gate spacer disposed on the sidewall of the gate electrode. The gate spacer includes one or more dielectric materials. The gate electrode and the gate dielectric layer are collectively referred to as the gate stack. In some embodiments, a dummy gate stack is initially formed using a suitable material (e.g., polysilicon), and the dummy gate stack is replaced with a gate stack in subsequent manufacturing stages. In some embodiments, the gate dielectric layer includes a high-k dielectric material; and the gate electrode includes a metal or metal alloy and may include multiple layers.

[0065] The semiconductor structure 250 also includes source and drain components formed on the fin active region 218 and interposed by the gate 230. The source and drain, collectively, are referred to as the epitaxial component 220. The semiconductor structure 250 also includes one or more dielectric materials, such as 226 and 228, collectively referred to as dielectric sidewalls, disposed on the sidewalls of the fin active region 218. In some embodiments, the dielectric sidewalls of the fin active region 218 and the gate spacers of the gate 230 are co-formed by one fabrication process. For example, after forming a gate stack (or a dummy gate stack, if gate replacement is implemented) on the fin active region 218, one or more dielectric materials are formed on the sidewalls of the gate stack and the sidewalls of the fin active region 218 using suitable processes, which can include deposition and anisotropic etching (such as plasma etching).

[0066] The semiconductor structure 250 also includes one or more dielectric materials, such as 226 and 228, collectively referred to as dielectric sidewalls, disposed on the sidewalls of the fin active region 218. In some embodiments, the dielectric sidewalls of the fin active region 218 and the gate spacers of the gate 230 are co-formed by one fabrication process. For example, after forming a gate stack (or a dummy gate stack, if gate replacement is implemented) on the fin active region 218, one or more dielectric materials are formed on the sidewalls of the gate stack and the sidewalls of the fin active region 218 using suitable processes, which can include deposition and anisotropic etching (such as plasma etching).

[0067] In some embodiments, the dielectric sidewalls include multiple layers of dielectric materials, such as the dielectric material layers 226 and 228. In further embodiments, the dielectric material layer 226 includes silicon nitride (SiN) and the dielectric material layer 228 includes silicon carbon nitride (SiCN) or silicon carbon oxygen nitride (SiCON). In some instances, the total thickness of the dielectric sidewalls ranges between 2 nm and 5 nm. In some embodiments, the dielectric sidewalls include only one dielectric material layer 226 or 228.

[0068] The source / drain regions of the fin active region 218 are recessed by an etching process that selectively removes the semiconductor material of the fin active region 218 with one or more appropriate etchants, such as HBr, O2, N2, F, or a combination thereof to selectively remove silicon germanium, or Cl2, CCl2F2, Cl2, SF6, or a combination thereof to selectively remove silicon. In some embodiments, the fin active region 218 includes silicon germanium epitaxially grown on a silicon substrate for strain effects, and the etching process removes the silicon germanium in the source / drain regions and continues to recess the silicon substrate. In some embodiments, the fin active region 218 includes a stack of silicon germanium films and silicon films alternately grown on a silicon substrate for strain effects, and the etching process removes the stack of silicon germanium films and silicon films in the source / drain regions and continues to recess the silicon substrate.

[0069] Afterwards, source and drain components are epitaxially grown in the recesses of the fin active region 218 within the source / drain regions. As Figure 16As shown, the source and drain components are collectively referred to as epitaxial components 200. According to some embodiments, after forming the epitaxial components 200, the fin sidewalls are recessed by an etching process with one or more suitable etchants to selectively reduce the respective heights of the fin sidewalls, as shown Figure 17 In some examples, the recessed fin sidewalls have a height in a range between 2 nm and 20 nm.

[0070] The epitaxial components 200 are formed by a suitable procedure that includes one or more selective epitaxial growth steps, as described in further detail with reference to Figure 11 FIGS. 3A-3C.

[0071] In some embodiments, the deposition procedure includes performing a selective growth etch (SGE) process. In some embodiments, the deposition procedure includes performing a cyclic deposition etch (CDE) process. In some embodiments, the deposition procedure includes performing a combination of a SGE process and a CDE process. Figure 11In the illustrated embodiment, the deposition procedure begins with a pre-cleaning operation on the substrate 5. A seed layer 202 can then be deposited in a deposition operation 2202. In some embodiments, a bake operation 2203 is performed, such as in a hydrogen (H2) environment. Another deposition operation 2204 is performed to form another seed layer 204. In further embodiments, the seed layer 202 is a silicon layer deposited using suitable precursors such as SiH4, and the seed layer 204 is a silicon germanium layer deposited using suitable precursors such as SiH4and GeH4. A plurality of SGE deposition operations are performed to form epitaxial layers 206, 208, and 210, respectively. In some embodiments, at the respective deposition temperatures, the epitaxial layer 206 is a boron-doped silicon germanium layer; the epitaxial layer 208 is a boron-doped silicon germanium layer, and the epitaxial layer 210 is a silicon germanium layer also doped with boron. The precursors forming those epitaxial layers can also include a dopant-containing chemical, such as borohydride (BH4) when boron is used as the dopant. Further, after each of the plurality of SGE deposition operations, an etch operation 2300 is performed, such as using hydrochloride (HC1). In the present embodiment, the SGE deposition operations of the epitaxial layers 206, 208, and 210 are performed at different temperatures. In some embodiments, the epitaxial cap layer 212 is formed in a CDE deposition operation 2212 using a Si- and Ge-containing chemical, a dopant-containing chemical, and further including an etching chemical such as HC1. In some embodiments, the operation 2212 is a cyclic process with a plurality of cycles, where each cycle includes one deposition step and one etching step using the respective chemicals, to avoid undesirable growth and control the shape of the epitaxial component 200. According to some embodiments, the number of cycles of the CDE deposition operation 2212 can be 4, 5, 6, or 7. However, this number is not intended to be limiting, and any number of cycles is suitable depending on the individual application including the desired shape. During each cycle of the CDE deposition operation 2212, the deposition includes deposition chemicals such as SiH4, Ge4, and a boron-containing gas; and the etching process includes an etchant such as HC1. In some instances, the etching process includes a germanium-containing gas such as GeH4in addition to the etchant (e.g., HC1) to accelerate the etching effect.

[0072] Furthermore, the above-described process can be carried out at different temperatures and the semiconductor processing apparatus 1000 can be used to achieve desired thermal effects, such as uniform heating. Specifically, the laser heating element 80 can be applied (i.e., turned on and utilized) in each of the multiple deposition operations 2206, 2208, 2210, and 2212 to maximize heating stability and uniformity. In some embodiments, a particular epitaxial layer may not make a significant contribution to performance in a particular application. Therefore, the laser heating element 80 may not be applied (i.e., turned off, directed away, or not used) in such deposition operations to save costs, increase production speed, etc. In the disclosed embodiments, the respective semiconductor layers 204 to 212 are made of semiconductor materials such as SiGe:B, and the deposition temperature of the corresponding deposition and the processing temperature of other operations are different and individually designed to form epitaxial components 200 with enhanced performance, such as... Figure 11 As shown. For example, the baking temperature at operation 2203 is higher than the pre-cleaning temperature and the temperatures of each SiGe:B deposition and CDE process. The first SGE deposition at operation 2206 includes a first deposition temperature T1; the second SGE deposition at operation 2208 includes a second deposition temperature T2; the third SGE deposition at operation 2210 includes a third deposition temperature T3; and the CDE deposition at operation 2212 includes a fourth deposition temperature T4. Temperatures T1, T2, T3, and T4 are different. Specifically, T2 is greater than T1, T3 is less than T1, and T4 is substantially the same as T3. The difference between T3 and T4 is less than 5%. In this embodiment, the epitaxial component 200 is a p-type source / drain component and the corresponding FET is a p-type FET. Specifically, the epitaxial component 200 includes silicon germanium epitaxially grown on a silicon substrate to achieve the desired strain effect to enhance carrier mobility.

[0073] As a result, in some embodiments, the epitaxial portions 200 in different regions of the substrate 5 can have improved uniformity relative to each other compared to methods that do not implement embodiments of the invention (e.g., without using the laser heating element 80). Furthermore, in some embodiments, deposition operations 2202 and 2204 can also utilize the laser heating element 80 as described herein. Although Figure 11Only a particular number of epitaxial layers are shown, but any suitable number of epitaxial layers can implement the methods and apparatus described herein. Moreover, each of the epitaxial layers 206, 208, 210, and 212 can include one or more sub-layers. For example, the deposition operation 2208 can include a plurality of sub-steps 2208a, 2208b, 2208c, etc. Each of these sub-steps produces a sub-layer for the epitaxial layer 208, such as sub-layers 208a, 208b, 208c, etc. In some embodiments, the dopant concentration (e.g., boron dopant) in the sub-layers can differ. In some embodiments, one or more of the plurality of sub-steps 2208a, 2208b, 2208c, etc. can apply the laser heating element 80, while other sub-steps can not apply the laser heating element 80. For example, particular sub-layers (or portions) of the source / drain components can not be particularly critical for a particular application, thereby making it possible to implement the present application in a manner that becomes too expensive to justify any benefit.

[0074] Accordingly, in accordance with some embodiments of the present application, a movable laser heating element is provided on the apparatus 1000 to achieve localized heating, thereby providing precise control over the dimensions and profile of the components. The component growth is thereby better controlled and has an increased uniformity. For example, Figure 12 A statistical analysis of the lateral width dimensions of epitaxial source / drain components of static random access memory (SRAM) cells on different regions of the substrate 5 is shown. The reference curve shows data obtained without implementing the laser heating element 80 described in the present application; while the embodiment curve shows data obtained by implementing an embodiment of the present application. As shown, without implementing an embodiment of the present application, the width of the epitaxial layer manufactured varies greatly along the radial direction of the substrate 5. For example, in the edge regions at a large distance from the central axis C, the width of the epitaxial layer drops significantly (e.g., by about 15% to about 25%). In contrast, by implementing an embodiment of the present application, the uniformity of the epitaxial layer width is significantly improved. For example, the width of the epitaxial layer in the edge regions varies by less than about 5% compared to the inner regions. In some embodiments, the width of the epitaxial layer in the edge regions varies by less than about 2% compared to the inner regions.

[0075] Figure 13 Additional examples are provided. Referring to the curve shown for "Application 1", the uniformity of the uniformity of the epitaxial layer width is significantly improved compared to Figure 12 the curve shown for "Application 2". Moreover, in some embodiments, the profile of the epitaxial layer can be specifically changed to those profiles that were previously difficult to achieve based on design requirements. For example, referring to the curve shown for "Application 3", the width of the epitaxial layer in the edge regions varies by less than about 5% compared to the inner regions. In some embodiments, the width of the epitaxial layer in the edge regions varies by less than about 2% compared to the inner regions. Figure 13In the case of application 2, by implementing embodiments of the present application, the lateral width of the epitaxial component can be controlled such that the width of the edge portion is significantly greater than the width of the inner portion. In other words, embodiments of the present application provide full control over the size and dimensions of the component, which was previously challenging or infeasible.

[0076] Reference is made to Figure 14 The power of the laser can be adjusted such that the heat provided to the target region on the substrate 5 can be controlled. As a result, the thickness or lateral width of the epitaxial component can be well controlled. For example, by increasing the laser output power from about 10 W to about 120 W, the total thickness of the substrate can be increased from about 1 nm to about 100 nm. Thus, Figure 14 It is shown that by specifically providing the laser power of the laser heating element 80 to the edge region of the substrate 5, the thickness of the epitaxial component in this region can be specifically adjusted and controlled.

[0077] Although the above disclosure describes the laser heating element 80 to be located above the susceptor 20 and above the heating elements 90, 95, in some embodiments, the laser heating element 80 is located between the susceptor 20 and the heating elements 90, 95. In such embodiments, the laser heating element 80 still projects a laser beam (or heating radiation) onto the top surface of the substrate 5. Optionally, the laser heating element 80 can alternatively be located below the susceptor 20. In such embodiments, the laser heating element 80 can project a laser beam (or heating radiation) onto the bottom surface of the susceptor 20 and affect the processing of the substrate 5 by means of thermal conduction.

[0078] Accordingly, embodiments of the present application enable improved device design and processing capabilities. Although the disclosure uses the growth of epitaxial components as an example, the same or similar methods can be employed in the fabrication of other suitable device components. In some embodiments, any film growth process and epitaxial process can implement the apparatus described herein. For example, CVD thin film deposition for forming a silicon liner can implement the present application. For example, the fabrication of planar CMOS, FinFET transistors, nanosheet-based transistors, gate-all-around (GAA) transistors, surround-gate transistors (SGT), other multi-gate transistors, III-V devices can implement aspects of the present application. Furthermore, any other process that requires heating and / or a light source can implement aspects of the present application.

[0079] Different embodiments can provide different benefits and not all embodiments necessarily exhibit all of the benefits described. In an example aspect, the present invention relates to devices. In one example aspect, the present invention provides a semiconductor processing apparatus. The semiconductor processing apparatus includes a chamber; a pedestal positioned in the chamber to support a semiconductor substrate; a pre-heat assembly surrounding the pedestal; a first heating element fixed relative to the pedestal and configured to direct heat to the semiconductor substrate; and a second heating element movable relative to the pedestal and operable to direct heat to a portion of the semiconductor substrate.

[0080] In some embodiments, the first heating element includes a heating lamp, and the second heating element is a laser heating element operable to provide a focused beam of photon radiation.

[0081] In some embodiments, the second heating element provides collimated radiation having a spot size of about 10 mm to about 18 mm.

[0082] In some embodiments, the second heating element is slidably attached to a slider fixed relative to the pedestal.

[0083] In some embodiments, the second heating element is configured to be movable in a direction perpendicular to a top surface of the pedestal.

[0084] In some embodiments, the second heating element is rotatable about an axis parallel to the top surface of the pedestal.

[0085] In some embodiments, the second heating element is configured to move in accordance with a swing motion of the pedestal relative to the pre-heat assembly.

[0086] In some embodiments, the second heating element is configured to move in accordance with a leveling motion of the pedestal relative to the pre-heat assembly.

[0087] In some embodiments, the second heating element is one of a plurality of second heating elements.

[0088] Another aspect of the present invention relates to a method of semiconductor manufacturing. The method includes providing a substrate onto a pedestal of an apparatus, the apparatus further including a first heating element fixed relative to the pedestal and a second heating element movable relative to the pedestal, the second heating element operable to generate focused radiation; initiating rotation of the substrate; initiating heating from the first heating element on the substrate; moving the second heating element to direct heating to a region of the substrate; and performing a deposition procedure under the heating provided by the first and second heating elements.

[0089] In some embodiments, the moving of the second heating element includes rotating the second heating element by an angle based on a selected irradiation spot size, and linearly moving the second heating element along the slider.

[0090] In some embodiments, the movement of the second heating element comprises shuttling the second heating element at a frequency determined based on a rotation speed of the substrate.

[0091] In some embodiments, the movement of the second heating element comprises moving the second heating element vertically along a direction perpendicular to a top surface of the base station in response to a leveling motion of the base station.

[0092] In some embodiments, the method further comprises determining a leveling range L of the substrate, wherein the movement of the second heating element comprises shuttling the second heating element at a shuttling frequency In some embodiments, the distance δ z shuttling the second heating element between two spaced-apart extreme positions, wherein the distance δ z is linearly related to the leveling range L, and the shuttling frequency is negatively related to a rotation speed R of the substrate.

[0093] In some embodiments, the movement of the second heating element comprises rotating the second heating element about an axis parallel to a top surface of the base station such that a radiation beam from the second heating element generates an angle θ with the vertical direction, wherein the angle θ is determined according to the equation

[0094]

[0095] The angle θ is determined by a dimension S of the radiation beam in a plane perpendicular to a propagation direction of the radiation beam and a dimension S' of the radiation beam on the substrate.

[0096] In some embodiments, the method of semiconductor manufacturing further comprises terminating the movement of the second heating element prior to performance of the deposition procedure.

[0097] In some embodiments, the performance of the deposition procedure comprises performing while maintaining the movement of the second heating element.

[0098] Yet another aspect of the present invention relates to a method of semiconductor manufacturing. The method comprises providing a substrate onto a base station of an apparatus, the apparatus further comprising a heating lamp surrounding the base station and a laser heating element movable relative to the base station; measuring a heating level difference provided by the heating lamp on a first region of the substrate and on a second region of the substrate; configuring the laser heating element to provide heating having an amount corresponding to the heating level difference; and performing an epitaxial deposition process using the heating lamp and the laser heating element. The deposition process comprises a first selective epitaxial growth to form a first semiconductor layer of a semiconductor material at a first deposition temperature T1, a second selective epitaxial growth to form a second semiconductor layer of the semiconductor material at a second deposition temperature T2, a third selective epitaxial growth to form a third semiconductor layer of the semiconductor material at a third deposition temperature T3, and a cyclic deposition / etching process to form a fourth semiconductor layer of the semiconductor material at a fourth deposition temperature T4, wherein T1, T2 and T3 are different.

[0099] In some embodiments, the performing of the epitaxial deposition procedure includes performing while maintaining a shuttle movement of the laser heating element relative to the base station.

[0100] In some embodiments, the performing of the epitaxial deposition procedure includes directing a laser beam from the laser heating element to a region of the substrate to grow a sub-layer of the epitaxial layer, the sub-layer having a different dopant concentration than a remaining portion of the epitaxial layer.

[0101] The foregoing summary of the embodiments has been presented for the purposes of illustration and description. It is recognized that one of ordinary skill in the art can readily employ the disclosure as a basis for designing or modifying processes and structures for carrying out the same purposes and / or achieving the same advantages of the embodiments disclosed herein. Those skilled in the art will also realize that the equivalent structures do not depart from the spirit and scope of the disclosure, and that they can make various changes, substitutions and alterations herein without departing from the spirit and scope of the disclosure.

Claims

1. A semiconductor processing apparatus, comprising: chamber; The base station, located in the chamber, is used to support the semiconductor substrate; Preheating components surround the base station; A first heating element is fixed relative to the base station and configured to direct heat to the semiconductor substrate; as well as A second heating element is movable relative to the base station and operable to direct heat to a portion of the semiconductor substrate, wherein the second heating element is configured to move vertically along a direction perpendicular to the top surface of the base station in accordance with the leveling movement of the base station relative to the preheating assembly.

2. The semiconductor processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein, The first heating element includes a heating lamp, and the second heating element is a laser heating element operatively capable of providing a focused photon radiation beam.

3. The semiconductor processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein, The second heating element provides collimated radiation with a spot size of 10 mm to 18 mm.

4. The semiconductor processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein, The second heating element provides collimated radiation with a spot size of approximately 10 mm, wherein "approximately" represents a range of + / -10% of the described value.

5. The semiconductor processing apparatus of claim 1, wherein the second heating element provides collimated radiation having a spot size of approximately 18 mm, wherein, The approximation refers to the range of + / -10% of the described value.

6. The semiconductor processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein, The second heating element is slidably attached to a slider fixed relative to the base station.

7. The semiconductor processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein, The second heating element is configured to be movable along a direction perpendicular to the top surface of the base station.

8. The semiconductor processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein, The second heating element is rotatable about an axis parallel to the top surface of the base station.

9. The semiconductor processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein, The second heating element is configured to move according to the swing motion of the base station relative to the preheating assembly.

10. The semiconductor processing apparatus according to claim 2, wherein, The laser heating element is configured to guide the light vertically.

11. The semiconductor processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein, The second heating element is one of a plurality of second heating elements.

12. A method for manufacturing a semiconductor, comprising: The substrate is provided to the base station of the device, which also includes a first heating element fixed relative to the base station and a second heating element movable relative to the base station, the second heating element being operable to generate focused radiation; Initiate the rotation of the substrate; Initiate heating from the first heating element on the substrate; Move the second heating element to direct heat to a region of the substrate; A deposition process is performed under heating provided by the first heating element and the second heating element, wherein the movement of the second heating element includes moving the second heating element vertically in response to the leveling movement of the base station and in a direction perpendicular to the top surface of the base station.

13. The method according to claim 12, wherein, The movement of the second heating element includes rotating the second heating element by an angle based on a selected irradiation spot size, and moving the second heating element linearly along the slider.

14. The method according to claim 12, wherein, The movement of the second heating element includes shuttling the second heating element at a frequency determined based on the rotational speed of the substrate.

15. The method according to claim 12, wherein, The second heating element is a laser heating element that can operatively provide a focused photon radiation beam.

16. The method of claim 12, further comprising determining a leveling range L of the substrate, wherein, The movement of the second heating element includes a shuttle frequency φ z In the distance δ z The second heating element moves between the two separated extreme positions. Wherein, the distance δ z It is linearly correlated with the leveling range L, and the shuttle frequency φ z It is negatively correlated with the rotational speed R of the substrate.

17. The method of claim 12, wherein, The movement of the second heating element includes rotating the second heating element about an axis parallel to the top surface of the base station, thereby causing the radiation beam from the second heating element to generate an angle θ with the vertical direction. Among them, according to the equation ， The angle θ is determined by the dimension S of the radiation beam in the plane perpendicular to the propagation direction of the radiation beam and the dimension S′ of the radiation beam on the substrate.

18. The method of claim 12, further comprising terminating the movement of the second heating element prior to the execution of the deposition process.

19. The method according to claim 12, wherein, The deposition process is performed while the second heating element is being moved.

20. A method for manufacturing a semiconductor, comprising: The substrate is provided to the base station of the device, which also includes a heating lamp surrounding the base station and a laser heating element movable relative to the base station; The difference in heating levels provided by the heating lamp on a first region and a second region of the substrate is measured; The laser heating element is configured to provide heating with an amount corresponding to the difference in heating level; as well as An epitaxial deposition process is performed using the heating lamp and the laser heating element, wherein the epitaxial deposition process includes: A first selective epitaxial growth is performed to form a first semiconductor layer of semiconductor material at a first deposition temperature T1. A second selective epitaxial growth is performed to form a second semiconductor layer of the semiconductor material at a second deposition temperature T2. A third selective epitaxial growth is performed to form a third semiconductor layer of the semiconductor material at a third deposition temperature T3, and A cyclic deposition / etching process is used to form a fourth semiconductor layer of the semiconductor material at a fourth deposition temperature T4, wherein T1, T2, and T3 are different. The laser heating element is configured to move vertically along a direction perpendicular to the top surface of the base station in accordance with the leveling movement of the base station relative to the preheating components surrounding the base station.

21. The method according to claim 20, wherein, The epitaxial deposition process is performed while maintaining the shuttle movement of the laser heating element relative to the base station.

22. The method according to claim 20, wherein, The implementation of the epitaxial deposition process includes guiding a laser beam from the laser heating element to a region of the substrate to grow a sublayer of the epitaxial layer, the sublayer having a different dopant concentration than the remainder of the epitaxial layer.

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