Atomic layer treatment process using metastable activating radical species

Abstract

A method of processing an exposed surface of a substrate includes cleaning a first chamber and a second chamber of a substrate processing system using a cleaning gas. A gas distribution device is disposed between the first chamber and the second chamber. The method includes flowing a process gas to the second chamber but not to the first chamber to create an adsorption layer on a surface of a substrate disposed on a substrate support in the second chamber. The method includes stopping the flow of the process gas to the second chamber. The method includes flowing a purge gas to purge the first chamber and the second chamber. The method includes exciting a plasma in a first chamber while flowing a purge gas to the first chamber to produce a metastable activated radical species, and delivering the metastable activated radical species to a second chamber via a gas distribution device to surface activate the adsorption layer.

Description

This application is a divisional application of application No. 201980059258.X, application date August 30, 2019, and invention name “Atomic layer treatment process using metastable activated free radical substances”. CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

[0001] This application claims priority to U.S. Patent Application No. 62 / 729,124, filed on September 10, 2018. The entire disclosure of the above-referenced application is incorporated herein by reference. Technical Field

[0002] The present disclosure relates to substrate processing systems, and more particularly to substrate processing systems that utilize metastable activated radical species to perform treatment processes. Background Art

[0003] The background description provided here is for the purpose of generally presenting the context of the present disclosure. No admission is made, either explicitly or implicitly, that the work of the presently designated inventors is prior art to the present disclosure to the extent that it is described in this background section and in aspects of the specification that were not determined to be prior art at the time the application was filed.

[0004] Substrate processing systems can be used to process substrates such as semiconductor wafers. Substrate processing systems typically include a processing chamber, a substrate support (e.g., an electrostatic chuck), and a gas delivery system. Examples of substrate processing include etching, deposition, photoresist removal, cleaning, and the like. During processing, a substrate is placed on a substrate support, and one or more process gases may be introduced into the processing chamber via the gas delivery system. Radio frequency (RF) power may be supplied to energize a plasma that initiates a chemical reaction. An RF bias may be supplied to the substrate support to control ion energy.

[0005] Deposition, etching, and other processes are used to define features on a substrate. As technology continues to advance, feature sizes continue to decrease. To reliably manufacture substrates with small features, very precise process control is essential. Currently, feature sizes are less than 10 nm and are progressing to below 5 nm.

[0006] There is no etch stop during some oxidation processes. Conventional methods of performing oxidation rely on an oxide formed on the substrate during the oxidation process to act as a diffusion barrier, which reduces or stops further oxidation of the substrate. These methods experience large variations in the thickness of the oxide, depending on the nature of the materials used and the surface conditions. For example, even when using the same material, a smooth surface will experience less oxidation than a rough surface. Similarly, a porous surface will experience faster oxidation and be less effective at blocking diffusion than a less porous material. Summary of the Invention

[0007] A method for processing an exposed surface of a substrate comprises: a) purging a first chamber and a second chamber of a substrate processing system with a purge gas, wherein a gas distribution device is disposed between the first chamber and the second chamber; b) after a), flowing a processing gas to the second chamber but not to the first chamber to generate an adsorption layer on the surface of a substrate on a substrate support disposed in the second chamber; c) stopping the flow of the processing gas to the second chamber; d) flowing the purge gas to purge the first chamber and the second chamber; and e) while flowing the purge gas to the first chamber, exciting a plasma in the first chamber to generate metastable activated radical species, and transporting the metastable activated radical species to the second chamber via the gas distribution device to surface activate the adsorption layer.

[0008] In other features, the substrate is oxidized or etched using monolayer control. The method includes supplying the purge gas to the first chamber during b). The purge gas includes helium (He), and the process gas includes molecular oxygen (O2).

[0009] In other features, the sweep gas is selected from the group consisting of helium (He) and molecular nitrogen (N2), and the process gas is selected from the group consisting of molecular oxygen (O2), hydrochloric acid (HCl), molecular chlorine (Cl2), nitrogen trifluoride (NF3), and molecular hydrogen (H2).

[0010] The method includes etching the substrate by selecting the process gas from the group consisting of molecular chlorine (Cl2), nitrogen trifluoride (NF3), and molecular hydrogen (H2); and controlling the temperature of the substrate at a predetermined temperature during processing, the predetermined temperature being lower than an etching reaction temperature of the selected process gas.

[0011] In other features, the metastable activated radical species surface activates the adsorbed layer.

[0012] In other features, a) to f) are repeated one or more times. The first chamber and the second chamber are free of the process gas during f). A predetermined volume of the process gas is supplied during b).

[0013] A substrate processing system for selectively etching a substrate includes a first chamber and a second chamber, the second chamber including a substrate support. A gas delivery system selectively supplies at least one of a purge gas and a process gas to the first chamber and the second chamber. A plasma generation system selectively generates plasma in the first chamber. A gas distribution device defines a plenum cavity and includes a first plurality of through-holes and a second plurality of through-holes, the first plurality of through-holes extending from an upper surface of the gas distribution device to a lower surface of the gas distribution device, and the second plurality of through-holes extending from the plenum cavity to the lower surface. A controller is configured to: a) flow the purge gas to purge the first and second chambers; b) after a) flow, flow the process gas to the plenum cavity to generate an adsorption layer on the surface of the substrate; c) stop the flow of the process gas; d) flow the purge gas to purge the first and second chambers; and e) while flowing the purge gas to the first chamber, ignite a plasma in the first chamber to generate metastable activated radical species, and deliver the metastable activated radical species to the second chamber via the gas distribution device.

[0014] In other features, the controller is configured to select helium (He) as the purge gas and molecular oxygen (O2) as the process gas. The controller is configured to select the purge gas from the group consisting of helium (He) and molecular nitrogen (N2), and to select the process gas from the group consisting of molecular oxygen (O2), hydrochloric acid (HCl), molecular chlorine (Cl2), nitrogen trifluoride (NF3), and molecular hydrogen (H2).

[0015] In other features, the controller is configured to etch the substrate by selecting the process gas from the group consisting of molecular chlorine (Cl2), nitrogen trifluoride (NF3), and molecular hydrogen (H2); and controlling the temperature of the substrate at a predetermined temperature during processing, the predetermined temperature being lower than an etching reaction temperature of the selected process gas.

[0016] In other features, the metastable activated radical species surface activates the adsorption layer. The controller is configured to repeat a) through e) one or more times. The first chamber and the second chamber are free of the process gas during e). The controller is configured to supply a predetermined volume of the process gas during b). The controller is configured to supply the purge gas to the first chamber during b).

[0017] Further scope of applicability of the present disclosure will become apparent from the detailed description, claims and drawings.The detailed description and specific examples are intended for purposes of illustration only and are not intended to limit the scope of the disclosure. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0018] The present disclosure will be more fully understood from the detailed description and accompanying drawings, in which:

[0019] Figures 1A to 1D An atomic layer treatment process using metastable activated radical species for surface activation of treatment species adsorbed on a substrate surface according to the present disclosure is shown;

[0020] Figure 2 is an exemplary functional block diagram of a substrate processing system according to the present disclosure;

[0021] Figure 3 is a plan view showing an example of a gas distribution device including dual gas plenum chambers according to the present disclosure;

[0022] Figure 4 According to the content of this disclosure Figure 3 A first cross-sectional view of a gas distribution device including dual gas filling chambers;

[0023] Figure 5 According to the content of this disclosure Figure 3 A second cross-sectional view of a gas distribution device comprising dual gas plenum chambers; and

[0024] Figure 6 A flow chart illustrating an example of a method for an atomic layer treatment process using metastable activated radical species for surface activation of treatment species adsorbed on an exposed surface of a substrate according to the present disclosure.

[0025] Among the drawings, reference numerals may be repeated to identify similar and / or identical elements. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0026] Systems and methods according to the present disclosure relate to substrate processing including controlled oxidation or etching at the monolayer level. Oxygen plasma or downstream oxygen plasma can be used for oxidation treatment of substrate surfaces. Direct oxygen plasma has high-energy oxygen ions that can damage the substrate surface. Porous materials of the substrate experience increased damage. Other processes use remote or downstream plasmas and are intended to filter out oxygen ions. However, some ions still pass through the filter and cause damage to the substrate.

[0027] Oxygen plasma provides highly reactive oxygen radicals that rapidly oxidize the substrate. Controlling substrate-wide uniformity and maintaining substrate-to-substrate repeatability is very difficult. Oxidizing species are often oversupplied by the oxygen plasma, leading to uncontrolled oxidation and damage to sensitive surfaces. If the substrate surface has several types of exposed materials, the loading effect can be significant if these materials have different oxidation behaviors due to localized consumption variations limited by the rate of material transport.

[0028] Systems and methods according to the present disclosure relate to processes for oxidizing or etching a substrate surface at the monolayer level with precise control. The oxidation or etching is limited to oxygen adsorbed at a rate of one monolayer at a time. For example, diffusion is minimized by using downstream He radicals to activate oxygen only at the top surface of the substrate. Advantages include oxidation at the monolayer level, minimized diffusion, no ion damage, and precise oxidation control. In some examples, the process includes atomic layer processing using molecular oxygen (O2) and helium (He), but other processes are also described herein.

[0029] In other examples, the systems and methods described herein can be used to etch the exposed surface of a substrate at the monolayer level. For example, the process gas can include HCl, and metastable activated radical species are used to surface-activate chlorine to etch the monolayer. In other examples, Cl2, NF3, or H2 are adsorbed on the substrate surface at a temperature below the etching reaction temperature (e.g., below about 300°C for Cl2 or NF3, and below about 400°C for H2). Metastable activated radical species are used to surface-activate surface-adsorbed chlorine, fluorine, or hydrogen species to provide monolayer etching.

[0030] Figures 1A to 1D An example is shown. Figure 1A In the embodiment, substrate 12 is placed on a substrate support in a process chamber. In some examples, the substrate includes an exposed low-k dielectric layer and an exposed atomic layer deposition (ALD) silicon nitride (Si3N4) layer. A He flow is supplied through a gas distribution device 10 to purge the process chamber. Figure 1B In the embodiment, after the purge is performed, a predetermined amount of process gas, such as O2, is supplied through the gas distribution device 10. By way of example only, 100 to 10,000 standard cubic centimeters (sccm) of O2 (e.g., 1,000 sccm) is supplied for 1 to 100 seconds (e.g., 10 seconds) to allow the substrate surface to be saturated with O2 and adsorbed on the substrate surface.

[0031] exist Figure 1C After sufficient O2 is supplied, the process gas (O2) is turned off and the process chamber is purged with a high flow of He to remove the residual O2 in the chamber. In some examples, 2500 to 20000 sccm (e.g., 5000 sccm) of He is supplied for 5 seconds to 60 seconds (e.g., 10 seconds). At this time, the plasma has not yet been ignited. Figure 1D In this process, the plasma is turned on after the He purge. Metastable activated radical species from He* are used to surface-activate adsorbed O2 and oxidize the monolayer on the surface. The process can be repeated one or more times as needed. As can be appreciated, the low-k dielectric film exhibits negligible loss after oxidation of the ALD SiN film, whereas other methods may experience a loss of approximately 100 angstroms in the low-k dielectric film.

[0032] Advantages of the foregoing include controlled and minimal oxidation (approximately one monolayer) per cycle. Oxygen ion damage is eliminated because the plasma does not contain oxygen (e.g., using He plasma). Good uniformity results from saturating all substrate surfaces with a monolayer of oxygen. The process allows for precise control of the amount of oxidation by varying the number of cycles.

[0033] Several factors distinguish the aforementioned process. Oxygen is supplied at a fixed dose below the gas distribution apparatus, while a sweep gas flows to the first chamber (and optionally to the second chamber). This approach prevents excessive oxygen from diffusing back into the ICP plasma region, where oxygen ions could be generated and cause ion damage. Oxygen is adsorbed on the substrate surface in a monolayer, and the remaining oxygen in the process chamber is purged. This approach provides uniform coverage of the substrate surface with process gas (e.g., oxygen). The surface dose of oxygen is self-limiting based on the desorption rate.

[0034] Only the He plasma is generated above the gas distribution device. Therefore, only neutral He* radicals travel downstream and reach the substrate surface. Adsorbed oxygen is locally surface-activated by the He* radicals on the substrate surface, and the oxygen oxidizes the underlying substrate surface. The oxygen dosage depends on the adsorption effect. This process is relatively insensitive to loading effects caused by density variations of different materials being simultaneously exposed.

[0035] As will be appreciated, while the foregoing examples relate to oxidation processes using He* radicals, other processes may be performed using other process gases. In some examples, the sweep gas may include molecular nitrogen (N2), or another inert gas such as argon (Ar), neon (Ne), krypton (Kr), xenon (Xe), and mixtures thereof. As will be further described below, other process gases used to etch a single layer include hydrochloric acid (HCl), molecular chlorine (Cl2), nitrogen trifluoride (NF3), and molecular hydrogen (H2).

[0036] Now refer to Figure 2 , an exemplary substrate processing system 50 for selectively processing a substrate surface is shown. The substrate processing system 50 includes a plasma source 51 and a substrate support 52, such as an electrostatic chuck, a pedestal, or other type of substrate support. In some examples, the plasma source 51 includes an ICP source. As will be appreciated, the plasma source 51 may include other suitable plasma sources, such as CCP, ECR, or microwave plasma sources.

[0037] During processing, a substrate 54 is positioned on a substrate support 52. In some examples, the substrate support 52 is temperature controlled (heated and / or cooled) using one or more temperature control elements (TCEs) 55, such as resistive heaters 56, coolant channels 58, or other types of thermal control devices. The substrate support 52 can include a single temperature-controlled zone or multiple temperature-controlled zones that are each controlled.

[0038] In some examples, the substrate processing system 50 includes an upper chamber 60. In some examples, the upper chamber 60 has a dome shape, although other shapes may be used. When using ICP plasma, a coil 64 is disposed around the outer surface of the upper chamber 60. A gas injector 68 injects plasma gas into the upper chamber 60.

[0039] The gas distribution device 84 includes a first plurality of through-holes 86 extending from a top surface of the gas distribution device 84 to a bottom surface of the gas distribution device 84. The gas distribution device 84 also includes a plenum cavity 85 and a second plurality of through-holes 83 extending from the plenum cavity 85 to the bottom surface of the gas distribution device 84. The first plurality of through-holes 86 are not in fluid communication with the plenum cavity 85.

[0040] If an ICP plasma is used, an RF generation system 87 generates RF power and outputs it to the coil 64. By way of example only, the RF generation system 87 may include an RF generator 88 that generates RF power that is fed to the coil 64 by a matching network 89.

[0041] Gas delivery system 90-1 includes one or more gas sources 92-1, 92-2, ..., and 92-N (collectively, gas sources 92), where N is an integer greater than zero. Gas sources 92 are connected to manifold 98 via valves 94-1, 94-2, ..., and 94-N (collectively, valves 94) and mass flow controllers 96-1, 96-2, ..., and 96-N (collectively, mass flow controllers 96). Another gas delivery system 90-2 can be used to deliver process gas to plenum 85 of gas distribution assembly 84.

[0042] The temperature controller 106 can be connected to the TCE 55, for example, to the resistive heater 56. The temperature controller 63 can be in communication with one or more temperature sensors (not shown) that sense the temperature of the substrate support or substrate and the temperature of the coolant controller 108 to control the coolant flowing through the coolant channel 58. For example, the coolant controller 108 can include a coolant pump, a reservoir, and / or one or more temperature sensors (not shown). The valve 130 and pump 132 can be used to control the pressure in the process chamber and to exhaust reactants from the process chamber. The system controller 140 can be used to control Figure 2 Components of the substrate processing system 10 are shown.

[0043] The system and method according to the present disclosure utilizes an inert gas to generate a plasma to produce a high density of metastable radical-activated species that carry sufficiently high chemical energy to excite other reactive radical species that are deposited as a monolayer on the surface of the substrate 54 .

[0044] In some examples, the process is performed using an ICP chamber operating at an ICP power ranging from 500 W to 5 kW. In some examples, the RF power applied to the induction coil is at 13.56 MHz, although other frequencies may also be used. In some examples, the process is performed at a chamber pressure ranging from 10 mTorr to 10 Torr.

[0045] Now refer to Figure 3 The gas distribution device 200 includes a dual gas plenum 202 for delivering a process gas species and an excited gas species including metastable activated radical species according to the present disclosure. The dual gas plenum 202 delivers the mixture of process gas and metastable activated radical species to the lower chamber without mixing in the upper chamber.

[0046] In some examples, the process temperature is in a range from 75° C. to 400° C., although other process temperatures may also be used. In other examples, the process temperature is in a range from 100° C. to 200° C., although other process temperatures may also be used.

[0047] The gas distribution device 200 includes an upper flange 204, sidewalls 206, and a bottom surface 208, which form an upper surface of the dual-gas plenum 202. The dual-gas plenum 202 includes a gas inlet 210 for receiving the process gas.

[0048] The dual gas plenum 202 defines an annular channel 220 and a connecting channel 224. The connecting channel 224 extends across an interior portion of the bottom surface 208 between opposing sides of the annular channel 220. The annular channel 220 may be formed at a location between the sidewall 206 and the bottom surface 208. Both the annular channel 220 and the connecting channel 224 are in fluid communication with the gas inlet 210. The process gas mixture flows through the annular channel 220 and into the connecting channel 224. Figure 5 The downwardly directed through-holes shown direct the process gas mixture from the connecting passage 224 into the lower chamber and toward the substrate.

[0049] The region 228 between the connecting channels 224 includes a plurality of through-holes 230 extending through the bottom surface 208. As will be appreciated, only some of the plurality of through-holes 230 are shown for purposes of illustration and clarity. In some examples, the plurality of through-holes 230 have a circular cross-section and are evenly spaced, although other cross-sections and / or uneven spacing may also be used. In some examples, the plurality of through-holes 230 have a diameter ranging from 3 mm to 10 mm, although other diameters may also be used.

[0050] Now refer to Figure 4-5 , shows a cross-sectional view of the bottom surface 208 of the dual gas plenum 202. Figure 4 , a first cross-sectional view taken along connecting channel 224 is shown. Process gas is supplied to annular channel 220, which in turn supplies process gas to connecting channel 224. A plurality of through-holes 232 fluidically connect connecting channel 224 to the lower chamber. In some examples, through-holes 232 have a diameter ranging from 0.1 mm to 1 mm, although other diameters may also be used. Through-holes 232 may be positioned at even or uneven intervals along connecting channel 224.

[0051] exist Figure 5 , a second cross-sectional view is shown taken through region 228. A plurality of through holes 230 extend from the upper chamber through the bottom surface 208 to the lower chamber. As can be seen, the flow paths of the excited gas species and the process gas species are separated until they reach the lower chamber.

[0052] Additional examples of gas distribution devices can be found in commonly assigned U.S. Patent Publication No. US20180174870-A1, filed on December 18, 2017, entitled “SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR METASTABLEACTIVATED RADICAL SELECTIVE STRIP AND ETCH USING DUAL PLENUM SHOWERHEAD,” which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety. As described therein, if desired for a particular application, the first plurality of through-holes can provide an indirect path to avoid a direct line of sight from the upper chamber to the lower chamber, and / or a light-blocking structure can be used between the plasma and the gas distribution device. In some examples, a purge gas is supplied along with the process gas to create a positive pressure and prevent the process gas from flowing into the upper chamber.

[0053] Now refer to Figure 6, a method 600 for processing a substrate is shown. At 604, a substrate is placed in a processing chamber. At 608, a purge gas, such as He, is supplied to purge the processing chamber for a predetermined period of time. At 610, after the purge, a predetermined amount of processing gas is supplied so that it can be saturated on the surface of the substrate and adsorbed on the surface of the substrate. In some examples, the processing gas is selected from molecular oxygen (O2), hydrochloric acid (HCl), molecular chlorine (Cl2), nitrogen trifluoride (NF3) and molecular hydrogen (H2). By way of example only, 1000 seem of O2 is supplied for 10 seconds so that O2 can be saturated on the surface of the substrate and O2 can be adsorbed on the surface of the substrate. The purge gas can be supplied to prevent oxygen from diffusing back into the upper chamber.

[0054] After sufficient O2 is supplied, the process gas (O2) is turned off at 614, and the chamber is purged with a high flow of He to remove residual O2 in the chamber. In some examples, 5000 sccm of He is supplied for 10 seconds. At 618, the plasma is turned on after the purge. Metastable activated radical species are used to activate O2 adsorbed on the substrate surface and oxidize the surface. At 622, the process can be repeated one or more times to adjust the thickness of the oxide layer using monolayer control.

[0055] In other examples, the systems and methods described herein can be used to etch exposed surfaces of substrates at the monolayer level. For example, the process gas can include HCl, and metastable activated radical species are used to surface-activate chlorine to etch the monolayer. In other examples, Cl2, NF3, or H2 are adsorbed on the surface of the substrate at a temperature below the etching reaction temperature (e.g., below about 300°C for Cl2 or NF3, and below about 400°C for H2), and then metastable activated radical species are used to surface-activate chlorine, fluorine, or hydrogen to provide controlled monolayer etching.

[0056] The foregoing description is merely illustrative in nature and is in no way intended to limit the present disclosure, its application or use. The broad teachings of the present disclosure can be implemented in various forms. Therefore, although the present disclosure includes specific examples, the true scope of the present disclosure should not be so limited, because other modifications will become apparent when studying the drawings, description and appended claims. It should be understood that one or more steps in the method can be performed in a different order (or simultaneously) without changing the principles of the present disclosure. In addition, although each embodiment is described above as having certain features, any one or more of those features described with respect to any embodiment of the present disclosure can be implemented in the features of any other embodiment and / or combined with the features of any other embodiment, even if the combination is not explicitly described. In other words, the embodiments described are not mutually exclusive, and the replacement of one or more embodiments with each other remains within the scope of the present disclosure.

[0057] Various terms are used to describe the spatial and functional relationships between elements (e.g., between modules, between circuit elements, between semiconductor layers, etc.), including "connected," "engaged," "coupled," "adjacent," "next to," "on top of," "above," "below," and "disposed." Unless the relationship between a first and a second element is explicitly described as "direct," when such a relationship is described in the above disclosure, the relationship can be a direct relationship, in which there are no other intervening elements between the first and second elements, but can also be an indirect relationship, in which there are one or more intervening elements (spatially or functionally) between the first and second elements. As used herein, the phrase "at least one of A, B, and C" should be construed to mean a logical (A or B or C), using a non-exclusive logical OR, and should not be construed to mean "at least one of A, at least one of B, and at least one of C."

[0058] In some implementations, the controller is part of a system, which can be part of the examples above. Such a system can include semiconductor processing equipment, which includes one or more processing tools, one or more chambers, one or more platforms for processing, and / or specific processing components (wafer pedestals, gas flow systems, etc.). These systems can be integrated with electronic devices for controlling their operation before, during, and after the processing of semiconductor wafers or substrates. The electronic device can be referred to as a "controller" that can control various components or subcomponents of one or more systems. Depending on the processing requirements and / or system type, the controller can be programmed to control any process disclosed herein, including the delivery of process gases, temperature settings (e.g., heating and / or cooling), pressure settings, vacuum settings, power settings, radio frequency (RF) generator settings, RF matching circuit settings, frequency settings, flow rate settings, fluid delivery settings, position and operation settings, wafer transfer in and out tools and other transfer tools and / or load locks connected to or interfaced with a specific system.

[0059] In general, a controller can be defined as an electronic device having various integrated circuits, logic, memory, and / or software that receive instructions, issue instructions, control operations, enable cleaning operations, enable endpoint measurements, and the like. The integrated circuits can include chips in the form of firmware that stores program instructions, digital signal processors (DSPs), chips defined as application specific integrated circuits (ASICs), and / or one or more microprocessors or microcontrollers that execute program instructions (e.g., software). The program instructions can be instructions sent to the controller in the form of various separate settings (or program files) that define operating parameters for performing a particular process on or for a semiconductor wafer or system. In some embodiments, the operating parameters can be part of a recipe defined by a process engineer to complete one or more processing steps during the manufacture of one or more layers, materials, metals, oxides, silicon, silicon dioxide, surfaces, circuits, and / or the die of the wafer.

[0060] In some implementations, the controller can be part of or coupled to a computer that is integrated with the system, coupled to the system, otherwise networked to the system, or a combination thereof. For example, the controller can be in the "cloud" or all or part of a wafer fab host system that can allow remote access to wafer processing. The computer can enable remote access to the system to monitor the current progress of manufacturing operations, review the history of past manufacturing operations, review trends or performance metrics for multiple manufacturing operations, change parameters of the current process, set processing steps to follow the current process, or start a new process. In some examples, a remote computer (e.g., a server) can provide process recipes to the system via a network (which can include a local network or the Internet). The remote computer can include a user interface that enables the input or programming of parameters and / or settings, which are then sent from the remote computer to the system. In some examples, the controller receives instructions in the form of data that specify parameters for each processing step to be performed during one or more operations. It should be understood that the parameters can be specific to the type of process to be performed and the type of tool the controller is configured to interface with or control. Thus, as described above, the controller can be distributed, for example, by including one or more discrete controllers networked together and working toward a common purpose (e.g., process and control as described herein). An example of a distributed controller for such a purpose is one or more integrated circuits on a chamber communicating with one or more integrated circuits remotely (e.g., at a platform level or as part of a remote computer), which combine to control the process on the chamber.

[0061] Example systems may include, but are not limited to, plasma etch chambers or modules, deposition chambers or modules, spin rinse chambers or modules, metal plating chambers or modules, cleaning chambers or modules, bevel edge etch chambers or modules, physical vapor deposition (PVD) chambers or modules, chemical vapor deposition (CVD) chambers or modules, atomic layer deposition (ALD) chambers or modules, atomic layer etch (ALE) chambers or modules, ion implantation chambers or modules, track chambers or modules, and any other semiconductor processing system that may be associated with or used in the manufacture and / or preparation of semiconductor wafers.

[0062] As described above, depending on one or more processing steps to be performed by the tool, the controller can communicate with one or more other tool circuits or modules, other tool components, cluster tools, other tool interfaces, adjacent tools, neighboring tools, tools located throughout the factory, a host computer, another controller, or tools used in the material transport of wafer containers to and from tool locations and / or load ports in a semiconductor manufacturing facility.

Claims

1. A method for treating an exposed surface of a substrate, comprising: a) purging the first chamber and the second chamber separated by the gas distribution device; b) supplying a process gas to the second chamber through the gas distribution device to generate an adsorption layer on a surface of a substrate on a substrate support disposed in the second chamber; c) supplying a purge gas to the first chamber and the second chamber; d) igniting a plasma in the first chamber to transport metastable activated radical species to the second chamber via the gas distribution device; and e) etching the substrate by controlling the temperature of the substrate at a predetermined temperature during processing, the predetermined temperature being lower than an etching reaction temperature of the process gas.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the substrate is oxidized or etched using single layer control. 3 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising supplying the purge gas to the first chamber during b).

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the sweep gas comprises helium (He) and the process gas comprises molecular oxygen (O2).

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the sweep gas is selected from the group consisting of helium (He) and molecular nitrogen (N 2 ), and the process gas is selected from the group consisting of molecular oxygen (O 2 ), hydrochloric acid (HCl), molecular chlorine (Cl 2 ), nitrogen trifluoride (NF 3 ) and molecular hydrogen (H 2 ).

6. The method according to claim 1, further comprising: The process gas is selected from the group consisting of molecular chlorine (Cl2), nitrogen trifluoride (NF3), and molecular hydrogen (H2).

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the metastable activated radical species surface activates the adsorption layer. The method according to claim 1 , wherein a) to d) are repeated one or more times.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the first chamber and the second chamber are free of the process gas during d).

10. The method according to claim 1, wherein a predetermined volume of the process gas is supplied during b).

11. A substrate processing system for selectively etching a substrate, comprising: Room 1; a second chamber comprising a substrate support to support the substrate; a gas distribution device disposed between the first chamber and the second chamber, defining a plenum cavity and comprising a first plurality of through holes and a second plurality of through holes, wherein the first plurality of through holes extend from an upper surface of the gas distribution device to a lower surface of the gas distribution device, and the second plurality of through holes extend from the plenum cavity to the lower surface; a gas delivery system for selectively supplying a purge gas to the first chamber and a process gas to the gas distribution device; a plasma generating system for selectively generating plasma in the first chamber; as well as A controller configured to: a) flowing the purge gas to purge the first chamber and the second chamber; b) flowing the process gas into the gas-filled cavity to generate an adsorption layer on the surface of the substrate; c) flowing the purge gas to purge the first chamber and the second chamber; d) exciting a plasma in the first chamber to transport metastable activated radical species to the second chamber through the gas distribution device; as well as e) controlling the temperature of the substrate to a predetermined temperature during processing, the predetermined temperature being lower than an etching reaction temperature of the process gas. 12 . The substrate processing system of claim 11 , wherein the controller is configured to supply helium (He) as the sweep gas and molecular oxygen (O 2 ) as the process gas.

13. The substrate processing system of claim 11 , wherein the controller is configured to select the purge gas from the group consisting of helium (He) and molecular nitrogen (N 2 ), and select the process gas from the group consisting of molecular oxygen (O 2 ), hydrochloric acid (HCl), molecular chlorine (Cl 2 ), nitrogen trifluoride (NF 3 ), and molecular hydrogen (H 2 ).

14. The substrate processing system of claim 11, wherein the controller is configured to select the process gas from the group consisting of molecular chlorine (Cl2), nitrogen trifluoride (NF3), and molecular hydrogen (H2).

15. The substrate processing system of claim 11, wherein the metastable activated radical species surface activates the adsorption layer.

16. The substrate processing system of claim 11, wherein the controller is configured to repeat a) to d) one or more times.

17. The substrate processing system of claim 11, wherein the first chamber and the second chamber are free of the process gas during d).

18. The substrate processing system of claim 11, wherein the controller is configured to supply a predetermined volume of the process gas during b).

19. The substrate processing system of claim 11, wherein the controller is configured to supply the purge gas to the first chamber during b).

20. The substrate processing system of claim 11, wherein the controller is configured to stop the flow of the process gas before c).

21. The substrate processing system of claim 11, wherein the controller is configured to oxidize or etch the substrate using a single layer control.

22. A method for treating an exposed surface of a substrate, comprising: a) purging the first chamber and the second chamber separated by the gas distribution device; b) supplying a process gas to the second chamber through the gas distribution device to generate an adsorption layer on the surface of the substrate on a substrate support disposed in the second chamber; c) supplying a purge gas to the first chamber and the second chamber; d) exciting a plasma in the first chamber to transport metastable activated radical species to the second chamber through the gas distribution device; and e) controlling etching of the substrate using single layer control by controlling the temperature of the substrate at a predetermined temperature during processing, the predetermined temperature being lower than an etching reaction temperature of the process gas.

23. A method for treating an exposed surface of a substrate, comprising: a) purging the first chamber and the second chamber separated by the gas distribution device; b) supplying a process gas to the second chamber through the gas distribution device to generate an adsorption layer on a surface of a substrate on a substrate support disposed in the second chamber; c) supplying a purge gas to the first chamber and the second chamber; d) exciting a plasma in the first chamber to transport metastable activated radical species to the second chamber via the gas distribution device to activate the adsorption layer; and e) controlling etching of the substrate using single layer control by controlling the temperature of the substrate at a predetermined temperature during processing, the predetermined temperature being lower than an etching reaction temperature of the process gas.

24. A method for treating an exposed surface of a substrate, comprising: a) purging the first chamber and the second chamber separated by the gas distribution device; b) supplying a process gas to the second chamber through the gas distribution device to generate an adsorption layer on a surface of a substrate on a substrate support disposed in the second chamber; c) supplying a purge gas to the first chamber and the second chamber; d) exciting a plasma in the first chamber to transport metastable activated radical species to the second chamber via the gas distribution device to activate the adsorption layer; and e) etching the substrate by controlling the temperature of the substrate at a predetermined temperature during processing, the predetermined temperature being lower than an etching reaction temperature of the process gas.

25. A method for treating an exposed surface of a substrate, comprising: a) purging the first chamber and the second chamber separated by the gas distribution device; b) supplying a process gas to the second chamber through the gas distribution device to generate an adsorption layer on a surface of a substrate on a substrate support disposed in the second chamber; c) supplying a purge gas to the first chamber and the second chamber; d) igniting a plasma in the first chamber to transport metastable activated radical species to the second chamber via the gas distribution device; e) repeating a) to d) one or more times; and f) controlling etching of the substrate using single layer control by controlling the temperature of the substrate at a predetermined temperature during processing, the predetermined temperature being lower than an etching reaction temperature of the process gas.

26. A method for treating an exposed surface of a substrate, comprising: a) purging the first chamber and the second chamber separated by the gas distribution device; b) supplying a process gas to the second chamber through the gas distribution device to generate an adsorption layer on a surface of a substrate on a substrate support disposed in the second chamber; c) supplying a purge gas to the first chamber and the second chamber; d) exciting a plasma in the first chamber to transport metastable activated radical species to the second chamber via the gas distribution device to activate the adsorption layer; e) repeating a) to d) one or more times; and f) controlling etching of the substrate using single layer control by controlling the temperature of the substrate at a predetermined temperature during processing, the predetermined temperature being lower than an etching reaction temperature of the process gas.

27. A method for treating an exposed surface of a substrate, comprising: a) purging the first chamber and the second chamber separated by the gas distribution device; b) supplying a process gas to the second chamber through the gas distribution device to generate an adsorption layer on a surface of a substrate on a substrate support disposed in the second chamber; c) supplying a purge gas to the first chamber and the second chamber; d) exciting a plasma in the first chamber to transport metastable activated radical species to the second chamber via the gas distribution device to activate the adsorption layer; e) repeating a) to d) one or more times; and f) etching the substrate by controlling the temperature of the substrate at a predetermined temperature during processing, the predetermined temperature being lower than an etching reaction temperature of the process gas.

28. A substrate processing system for selectively etching a substrate, comprising: Room 1; a second chamber comprising a substrate support to support the substrate; a gas distribution device disposed between the first chamber and the second chamber, defining a plenum cavity and comprising a first plurality of through holes and a second plurality of through holes, wherein the first plurality of through holes extend from an upper surface of the gas distribution device to a lower surface of the gas distribution device, and the second plurality of through holes extend from the plenum cavity to the lower surface; a gas delivery system for selectively supplying a purge gas to the first chamber and a process gas to the gas distribution device; a plasma generating system for selectively generating plasma in the first chamber; as well as A controller configured to: a) flowing the purge gas to purge the first chamber and the second chamber; b) flowing the process gas into the gas-filled cavity to generate an adsorption layer on the surface of the substrate; c) flowing the purge gas to purge the first chamber and the second chamber; d) exciting a plasma in the first chamber to transport metastable activated radical species to the second chamber through the gas distribution device; as well as e) controlling the temperature of the substrate to a predetermined temperature during processing to oxidize or etch the substrate using a monolayer control, the predetermined temperature being lower than an etching reaction temperature of the process gas.

29. A substrate processing system for selectively etching a substrate, comprising: Room 1; a second chamber comprising a substrate support to support the substrate; a gas distribution device disposed between the first chamber and the second chamber, defining a plenum cavity and comprising a first plurality of through holes and a second plurality of through holes, wherein the first plurality of through holes extend from an upper surface of the gas distribution device to a lower surface of the gas distribution device, and the second plurality of through holes extend from the plenum cavity to the lower surface; a gas delivery system for selectively supplying a purge gas to the first chamber and a process gas to the gas distribution device; a plasma generating system for selectively generating plasma in the first chamber; as well as A controller configured to: a) flowing the purge gas to purge the first chamber and the second chamber; b) flowing the process gas into the gas-filled cavity to generate an adsorption layer on the surface of the substrate; c) flowing the purge gas to purge the first chamber and the second chamber; d) exciting plasma in the first chamber to transport metastable activated radical species to the second chamber through the gas distribution device to activate the adsorption layer; as well as e) controlling the temperature of the substrate to a predetermined temperature during processing to oxidize or etch the substrate using a monolayer control, the predetermined temperature being lower than an etching reaction temperature of the process gas.

30. A substrate processing system for selectively etching a substrate, comprising: Room 1; a second chamber comprising a substrate support to support the substrate; a gas distribution device disposed between the first chamber and the second chamber, defining a plenum cavity and comprising a first plurality of through holes and a second plurality of through holes, wherein the first plurality of through holes extend from an upper surface of the gas distribution device to a lower surface of the gas distribution device, and the second plurality of through holes extend from the plenum cavity to the lower surface; a gas delivery system for selectively supplying a purge gas to the first chamber and a process gas to the gas distribution device; a plasma generating system for selectively generating plasma in the first chamber; as well as A controller configured to: a) flowing the purge gas to purge the first chamber and the second chamber; b) flowing the process gas into the gas-filled cavity to generate an adsorption layer on the surface of the substrate; c) flowing the purge gas to purge the first chamber and the second chamber; d) exciting plasma in the first chamber to transport metastable activated radical species to the second chamber through the gas distribution device to activate the adsorption layer; as well as e) controlling the temperature of the substrate to a predetermined temperature during processing, the predetermined temperature being lower than an etching reaction temperature of the process gas.

31. A substrate processing system for selectively etching a substrate, comprising: Room 1; a second chamber comprising a substrate support to support the substrate; a gas distribution device disposed between the first chamber and the second chamber, defining a plenum cavity and comprising a first plurality of through holes and a second plurality of through holes, wherein the first plurality of through holes extend from an upper surface of the gas distribution device to a lower surface of the gas distribution device, and the second plurality of through holes extend from the plenum cavity to the lower surface; a gas delivery system for selectively supplying a purge gas to the first chamber and a process gas to the gas distribution device; a plasma generating system for selectively generating plasma in the first chamber; as well as A controller configured to: a) flowing the purge gas to purge the first chamber and the second chamber; b) flowing the process gas into the gas-filled cavity to generate an adsorption layer on the surface of the substrate; c) flowing the purge gas to purge the first chamber and the second chamber; d) exciting a plasma in the first chamber to transport metastable activated radical species to the second chamber through the gas distribution device; e) repeating a) to d) one or more times; and f) controlling the temperature of the substrate to a predetermined temperature during processing to oxidize or etch the substrate using a single layer control, the predetermined temperature being lower than an etching reaction temperature of the process gas.

32. A substrate processing system for selectively etching a substrate, comprising: Room 1; a second chamber comprising a substrate support to support the substrate; a gas distribution device disposed between the first chamber and the second chamber, defining a plenum cavity and comprising a first plurality of through holes and a second plurality of through holes, wherein the first plurality of through holes extend from an upper surface of the gas distribution device to a lower surface of the gas distribution device, and the second plurality of through holes extend from the plenum cavity to the lower surface; a gas delivery system for selectively supplying a purge gas to the first chamber and a process gas to the gas distribution device; a plasma generating system for selectively generating plasma in the first chamber; as well as A controller configured to: a) flowing the purge gas to purge the first chamber and the second chamber; b) flowing the process gas into the gas-filled cavity to generate an adsorption layer on the surface of the substrate; c) flowing the purge gas to purge the first chamber and the second chamber; d) exciting plasma in the first chamber to transport metastable activated radical species to the second chamber through the gas distribution device to activate the adsorption layer; e) repeating a) to d) one or more times; and f) controlling the temperature of the substrate to a predetermined temperature during processing to oxidize or etch the substrate using a single layer control, the predetermined temperature being lower than an etching reaction temperature of the process gas.

33. A substrate processing system for selectively etching a substrate, comprising: Room 1; a second chamber comprising a substrate support to support the substrate; a gas distribution device disposed between the first chamber and the second chamber, defining a plenum cavity and comprising a first plurality of through holes and a second plurality of through holes, wherein the first plurality of through holes extend from an upper surface of the gas distribution device to a lower surface of the gas distribution device, and the second plurality of through holes extend from the plenum cavity to the lower surface; a gas delivery system for selectively supplying a purge gas to the first chamber and a process gas to the gas distribution device; a plasma generating system for selectively generating plasma in the first chamber; as well as A controller configured to: a) flowing the purge gas to purge the first chamber and the second chamber; b) flowing the process gas into the gas-filled cavity to generate an adsorption layer on the surface of the substrate; c) flowing the purge gas to purge the first chamber and the second chamber; d) exciting plasma in the first chamber to transport metastable activated radical species to the second chamber through the gas distribution device to activate the adsorption layer; e) repeating a) to d) one or more times; and f) controlling the temperature of the substrate to a predetermined temperature during processing, the predetermined temperature being lower than an etching reaction temperature of the process gas.

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