Method and system for filling gaps

Abstract

A method for filling a gap includes providing a substrate in a reaction chamber, wherein the substrate includes the gap. The method includes depositing a metal nitride layer having a first volume into the gap. The method includes converting the metal nitride layer into a metal oxide layer having a second volume. The second volume is larger than the first volume.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This disclosure relates to semiconductor technology, and in particular to methods and systems for filling gaps. Background Technology

[0002] The scaling of semiconductor devices (such as logic and memory devices) has led to significant improvements in the speed and density of integrated circuits. However, conventional techniques for scaling down these devices face significant challenges for future technology nodes. One challenge is developing suitable methods for depositing thin-film materials that can fill substrate features without leaving gaps, voids, or seams. This is inherently challenging, especially when using cyclic methods like ALD, which tend to produce conformal layers more easily.

[0003] Any discussion set forth in this section (including discussions of problems and solutions) is included in this disclosure and is for the purpose of providing background to this disclosure only. This discussion should not be construed as an admission that any or all information was known at the time of making this invention or otherwise constitutes prior art. Summary of the Invention

[0004] This invention provides a simplified overview of some concepts, which will be described in further detail below. This invention is not intended to necessarily identify key or essential features of the claimed subject matter, nor is it intended to limit the scope of the claimed subject matter.

[0005] One aspect of this disclosure provides a method for filling a gap. The method includes providing a substrate in a reaction chamber. The substrate includes the gap. The method includes depositing a metal nitride layer having a first volume into the gap. The method includes converting the metal nitride layer into a metal oxide layer having a second volume greater than the first volume.

[0006] Another aspect of this disclosure provides a system for filling gaps. The system includes a reaction chamber, a heater, a precursor source, a nitrogen-containing reactant source, an oxygen-containing reactant source, and a controller. The reaction chamber includes a substrate support for supporting a substrate. The heater is configured and arranged to heat the substrate in the reaction chamber. The precursor source is coupled to the reaction chamber. The nitrogen-containing reactant source is coupled to the reaction chamber. The oxygen-containing reactant source is coupled to the reaction chamber. The controller is programmed and / or configured to control the entry of the precursor source and the oxygen-containing reactant source into the reaction chamber to deposit a metal nitride layer and to convert the metal nitride layer into a metal oxide layer by the methods described herein.

[0007] These and other embodiments will be readily understood by those skilled in the art from the following detailed description of certain embodiments with reference to the accompanying drawings. The invention is not limited to any particular embodiment disclosed. Attached Figure Description

[0008] The invention can be more fully understood by reading the following detailed description and embodiments and by referring to the accompanying drawings, wherein:

[0009] Figure 1 This is a flowchart of a method for filling gaps on a substrate according to some embodiments of the present disclosure;

[0010] Figure 2 This is a flowchart of a cyclic process for forming a first layer on a substrate according to some embodiments of the present disclosure;

[0011] Figures 3 to 5 It is based on Figure 1 A schematic diagram of the structure of each step in the process;

[0012] Figure 6 This is a flowchart of a method for filling gaps on a substrate according to some other embodiments having additional steps of this disclosure;

[0013] Figure 7 and Figure 8 It is based on Figure 6 A schematic diagram of the structure of the additional steps shown; and

[0014] Figure 9 This is a schematic diagram of a system according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. Detailed Implementation

[0015] The following description is for the purpose of illustrating the general principles of this disclosure and should not be construed as limiting. The scope of this disclosure is determined by reference to the appended claims. Exemplary embodiments of this disclosure will now be described in detail, examples of which are illustrated in the accompanying drawings. Wherever possible, the same reference numerals are used in the drawings and description to refer to the same or similar parts.

[0016] In this disclosure, the terms “approximately,” “equal to,” “equivalent to,” “same,” “basically,” or “approximately” generally refer to a given value or range of values ​​that vary within 20%, or within 10%, 5%, 3%, 2%, 1%, or 0.5%. Furthermore, any two numbers of a variable may constitute a feasible range of the variable, and any range indicated may include or exclude endpoints. Additionally, any value of the indicated variable may refer to an exact value or an approximate value and includes equivalents, and may refer to the mean, median, representative value, multi-value, etc.

[0017] "At least one," "one or more," and "and / or" are open-ended expressions that are both conjunction and disjunctive in operation. For example, each of the expressions "at least one of A, B, and C," "at least one of A, B, or C," "one or more of A, B, and C," "one or more of A, B, or C," and "A, B, and / or C" represents a single A, a single B, a single C, A and B together, A and C together, B and C together, or A, B, and C together. When each of A, B, and C in the above expressions refers to an element (e.g., X, Y, and Z) or an element category (e.g., X1-X), the meaning is different. n Y1-Y m and Z1-Z o When used, this phrase is intended to refer to a single element selected from X, Y, and Z; a combination of elements selected from the same category (e.g., X1 and X2); and a combination of elements selected from two or more categories (e.g., Y1 and Z). o ).

[0018] As used herein, the term "precursor" can refer to a compound that participates in a chemical reaction to produce another compound. In this disclosure, the term "gas" can include materials that are gases at normal temperature and pressure (NTP), evaporated solids and / or evaporated liquids, and may, depending on the circumstances, consist of a single gas or a mixture of gases. Gases other than process gases, i.e., gases not introduced through gas distribution components, other gas distribution devices, etc., can be used, for example, to seal the reaction space, and may include sealing gases, such as rare gases.

[0019] As used herein, the term "substrate" can refer to any one or more underlying materials that can be used to form or on which devices, circuits, or films are formed. A substrate may comprise a bulk material, such as silicon (e.g., single-crystal silicon), other group IV materials (e.g., germanium), or other semiconductor materials (e.g., group II-VI or III-V semiconductor materials), and may comprise one or more layers overlying or underlying the bulk material. Furthermore, a substrate may include various features formed within or on at least a portion of the substrate, such as recesses, protrusions, gaps, voids, slots, etc. By way of example, a substrate may comprise at least one of a bulk semiconductor material and an insulating or dielectric material layer covering at least a portion of the bulk semiconductor material.

[0020] As used herein, the terms "film" and / or "layer" can refer to any continuous or discontinuous structure and material, such as materials deposited by the methods disclosed herein. For example, films and / or layers can include two-dimensional materials, three-dimensional materials, nanoparticles, partially or entirely molecular layers, or partially or entirely atomic layers or atomic and / or molecular clusters. A film or layer can consist partially or entirely of a plurality of dispersed atoms on a substrate surface and / or embedded in and / or in devices fabricated on the substrate. A film or layer can include a material or layer having pinholes and / or isolation islands. A film or layer can be at least partially continuous. A film or layer can be patterned, e.g., subdivided, and can be included in multiple semiconductor devices.

[0021] In this disclosure, the term "deposition process" as used herein can refer to introducing a precursor into a reaction chamber to deposit a layer on a substrate. The term "cyclic deposition process" can refer to introducing a precursor sequentially into a reaction chamber to deposit a layer or film on a substrate, and includes processing techniques such as atomic layer deposition (ALD), cyclic chemical vapor deposition (cyclic CVD), and hybrid cyclic deposition processes including ALD and CVD.

[0022] Generally, this disclosure relates to techniques for filling gaps using volume expansion. One aspect of this disclosure is to provide a method for filling gaps in a substrate. Figure 1 This is a flowchart of a method for filling gaps on a substrate according to embodiments of the present disclosure. Figure 1 As shown, method 10 includes step 12 of providing a substrate having gaps thereon; step 14 of depositing a first layer into the gaps; and step 16 of converting the first layer into a second layer (e.g., by performing a conversion process).

[0023] It should be understood that Figure 1 Method 10 shown is merely exemplary and is not intended to limit this disclosure. Additional steps may be provided before, during, and after method 10. For example, in some embodiments, step 13, depositing the fill layer into the gap, may be performed before step 14, depositing the first layer into the gap, as will be discussed later. Figure 5 Detailed description is provided.

[0024] Please refer to Figure 1 and Figure 3 . Figure 3 It is based on Figure 1 A schematic diagram of the structure in step 12. (See attached diagram.) Figure 3As shown, step 12 provides a substrate 102 having a gap 102G on its surface. The substrate 102 can comprise any suitable material. In some embodiments, the substrate 102 can comprise a single-crystal silicon wafer, a single-crystal germanium wafer, a gallium arsenide wafer, quartz, sapphire, glass, steel, aluminum, silicon-on-insulator substrate, plastic, etc., but this disclosure is not limited thereto. The term "substrate" is intended to include features formed within a semiconductor wafer and layers covering the wafer. The term "substrate surface" is intended to include the uppermost exposed layer on a semiconductor wafer, such as a silicon surface, fin structures, isolation features, epitaxial source / drain features, and nanostructures of GAA (gate-all-around) transistors. In some embodiments, the gap 102G on the substrate 102 can be a void, a slit, or a combination thereof, and the methods of this disclosure can be used to fill gaps, voids, or slits. For simplicity, in Figure 3 Only one gap 102G on substrate 102 is shown, and the term "gap 102G" can be used to refer to a gap, void, or slot. However, it should be understood that in embodiments of this disclosure, substrate 102 may include any suitable number of gaps 102G, and each gap 102G may be a void, slot, or a combination thereof.

[0025] In some embodiments, the gap 102G in the substrate 102 may have a depth of at least 5 nm to at most 500 nm, a width of at least 10 nm to at most 10000 nm, and / or a length of at least 10 nm to at most 10000 nm. In some embodiments, the gap 102G in the substrate 102 may have a depth of at least 10 nm to at most 250 nm, or at least 20 nm to at most 200 nm, or at least 50 nm to at most 150 nm, or at least 100 nm to at most 150 nm. In some embodiments, the gap 102G in the substrate may have a width of at least 20 nm to at most 5000 nm, or at least 40 nm to at most 2500 nm, or at least 80 nm to at most 1000 nm, or at least 100 nm to at most 500 nm, or at least 150 nm to at most 400 nm, or at least 200 nm to at most 300 nm. In some embodiments, the gap 102G in the substrate may have a length of at least 20 nm to at most 5000 nm, or at least 40 nm to at most 2500 nm, or at least 80 nm to at most 1000 nm, or at least 100 nm to at most 500 nm, or at least 150 nm to at most 400 nm, or at least 200 nm to at most 300 nm.

[0026] Please refer to Figure 1 and Figure 4 . Figure 4 It is based on Figure 1 A schematic diagram of the structure in step 14. (See attached diagram.) Figure 4As shown, step 14 fills the gap 102G with a first layer 104. In some embodiments, the first layer 104 may be a metal nitride layer, such as aluminum nitride (AlN), which may be converted into a metal oxide layer with a larger volume during a conversion process (e.g., an oxidation process). In some embodiments, filling the gap 102G with the first layer 104 includes performing a cyclic process, such as a plasma-enhanced atomic layer deposition process or a thermal atomic layer deposition process, to form the first layer 104 on the substrate 102.

[0027] Figure 2 This is a flowchart of a cyclic process for forming a first layer on a substrate according to some embodiments of the present disclosure. Specifically, Figure 2 The process for forming the first layer 104 in step 14 is illustrated. In some embodiments, forming the first layer 104 includes... Figure 2 The loop process 140 is shown below. Figure 2 As shown, the cycle process 140 includes a step 142 of providing a first precursor; a purging step 144; a step 146 of providing reagents and / or reactants; and a purging step 148.

[0028] In step 142, substrate 102 is first positioned on a substrate support. The substrate support is positioned within the reaction chamber. Suitable substrate supports include bases, pedestals, etc. A first precursor is then provided into the reaction chamber. In some embodiments, the first precursor may include a transition metal, such as titanium, tantalum, tungsten, tin, hafnium, or combinations thereof. For example, a metal-containing precursor may include a metal halide or an organometallic compound, such as tetratetra(dimethylamino)titanium (TDMAT), titanium isopropoxide (TTIP), titanium chloride (TiCl), tetratetra(ethylmethylamino)hafnium (TEMAHf), hafnium chloride (HfCl), trimethylaluminum (TMA), triethylaluminum (TEA), other metal halides, or other metal-containing compounds. In embodiments where the first layer 104 comprises aluminum nitride (AlN), the first precursor is an aluminum-based precursor, such as trimethylaluminum (TMA) and triethylaluminum (TEA) as listed above. In some embodiments, the first precursor may be provided by pulsed into the reaction chamber. In some embodiments, the pulse duration can be between 0.01 and 5 seconds.

[0029] Optionally, the reaction chamber may be purged, as in step 144, before proceeding to step 146. Purging can be accomplished by sequentially exposing the substrate 102 to one or more purge gases, for example, by supplying one or more purge gases to the reaction chamber. Exemplary purge gases include rare gases. Rare gases include He, Ne, Ar, Xe, and Kr.

[0030] In step 146, one or more nitriding reactants may be introduced into the reaction chamber. Exemplary nitriding reactants include hydrogen (H2) and ammonia (NH3). In some embodiments, the first layer 104 is formed by a plasma-enhanced atomic layer deposition (PEALD) process. During the PEALD process, reactive substances generated by plasma produced by the reactant gas are provided into the reaction chamber. In some embodiments, the reactant gas is selected from at least one of ammonia (NH3), ammonia plasma, nitrogen / hydrogen (N2 / H2) plasma, nitrogen (N2) plasma, or nitrogen radicals. In some embodiments, the first layer 104 is formed by a thermal atomic layer deposition (tALD) process. During the tALD process, a reactant gas is provided into the reaction chamber. In some embodiments, the reactant gas may include ammonia (NH3), such as nitrogen (N2) or nitrogen / hydrogen (N2 / H2). Optionally, the reaction chamber is then purged in step 148. In some embodiments, the purging in step 148 may be similar to the purging in step 144.

[0031] In some embodiments, the cyclic process including steps 142, 144, 146, and 148 may be performed once or multiple times until a sufficient amount of the first layer 104 is deposited in the gap 102G. Furthermore, each of steps 142 and 146 may be performed once or multiple times in each cycle. Since the first layer 104 will later be converted into a second layer 106 with a larger volume, the first layer does not need to completely fill the gap. Depending on the expansion ratio of the first layer during the conversion step, it may only be necessary to fill 20-70% of the gap volume. In some embodiments, the first layer 104 may be conformally deposited in the gap 102G, such as... Figure 4 As shown. In other words, the first layer 104 can have a constant thickness on the bottom surface and sidewalls of the gap 102G, for example, within an error range of 50%, 20%, 10%, 5%, 2%, 1%, 0.5%, or 0.1%.

[0032] In some embodiments, the temperature in the reaction chamber during step 14, in which the first layer 104 is deposited into the gap 102G, may be below 800°C, or at least -25°C to at most 800°C, or at least 0°C to at most 700°C, or at least 25°C to at most 600°C, or at least 50°C to at most 400°C, or at least 75°C to at most 200°C, or at least 100°C to at most 150°C.

[0033] In some embodiments, during step 14 of depositing the first layer into the gap, the pressure in the reaction chamber may be less than 760 Torr, or at least 0.2 Torr to at most 760 Torr, at least 1 Torr to at most 100 Torr, or at least 1 Torr to at most 10 Torr. In some embodiments, step 14 of depositing the first layer into the gap may be performed at pressures of at most 10.0 Torr, or at most 5.0 Torr, or at most 3.0 Torr, or at most 2.0 Torr, or at most 1.0 Torr, or at most 0.1 Torr, or at most 10 Torr. -2 Under pressure from To, or at most 10 -3 Under pressure from To, or at most 10 -4 Under pressure from To, or at most 10 -5 Under a pressure of at least 0.1 Torr to at most 10 Torr, or under a pressure of at least 0.2 Torr to at most 5 Torr, or under a pressure of at least 0.5 Torr to at most 2.0 Torr.

[0034] refer to Figure 1 and Figure 5 , Figure 5 It is based on Figure 1 A schematic diagram of the structure in step 16. In some embodiments, once the first layer 104 is formed in the gap 102G, the conversion process described in step 16 can be performed to convert the first layer 104 into the second layer 106. In some embodiments, the second layer 106 is a metal oxide layer. In a specific embodiment, the first layer 104 is an aluminum nitride (AlN) layer, and the second layer 106 is an aluminum oxide (Al2O3) layer.

[0035] In some embodiments, the conversion process is carried out by oxidation treatment. For example, in some embodiments, the conversion process in step 16 may be a steam annealing process. Alternatively, the conversion process in step 16 may also be a process including at least one of ozone, hydrogen peroxide, oxygen plasma, oxygen free radicals, or vacuum ultraviolet oxygen. In some embodiments, the conversion process in step 16 converts the first layer 104 from a metal nitride layer to a metal oxide layer. In some embodiments, the first layer 104 is an aluminum nitride (AlN) layer and is converted (e.g., oxidized) to an aluminum oxide (Al2O3) layer by the conversion process in step 16.

[0036] In embodiments where the first layer 104 is an aluminum nitride (AlN) layer and the conversion process is a steam annealing process, the steam annealing process may include a hydroxylation step followed by a dehydration step. In some embodiments, the hydroxylation step converts the first layer 104 from a metal nitride layer to a metal hydroxide layer as an intermediate. Specifically, the hydroxylation step converts the aluminum nitride (AlN) layer 104 to an aluminum hydroxide layer. In some embodiments, the aluminum hydroxide layer may include AlO(OH). x Al(OH) x Or a combination thereof as an intermediate. In some embodiments, x is a number in the range of 0 to 3. The intermediate aluminum hydroxide layer is then converted into an aluminum oxide (Al2O3) layer by a subsequent dehydration step.

[0037] In some embodiments, the steam annealing process can be carried out at a temperature ranging from 100°C to 600°C for a duration of about 30 minutes to about 200 minutes. In some embodiments, the steam annealing process can be carried out at a pressure of about 750 Torr. However, this disclosure is not limited to these conditions. The temperature and pressure of the steam annealing can be adjusted according to the amount of the first layer 104 that is expected to be converted into the second layer 106.

[0038] Refer again Figure 1 and Figure 5 Through the conversion process in step 16, the first layer 104 is converted into the second layer 106 (e.g., aluminum nitride is converted into aluminum oxide) and expands to essentially fill the gaps 102G without additional deposition processes, as... Figure 5 As shown. That is, the first layer 104 has a first volume, and the transformed second layer 106 has a second volume larger than the first volume. In some embodiments, the second volume of the second layer 106 may be 0.1-100% larger than the first volume of the first layer 104. For example, the second volume of the second layer 106 may be 50-95% larger than the first volume of the first layer 104. However, this disclosure is not limited thereto. In this document, the volume of a given layer is defined by the total volume of the layers filling the gap 102G.

[0039] The volume expansion during the conversion from aluminum nitride (AlN) to aluminum oxide (Al2O3) can be attributed to factors such as cell size, density, spatial arrangement, or any other factor that may cause volume expansion. Therefore, by employing a method of filling interstitials by converting deposited aluminum nitride (AlN) to aluminum oxide (Al2O3), aluminum nitride (AlN) fills the interstitials more thoroughly due to its smaller volume. As a result, by replacing part or all of the aluminum oxide (Al2O3) in the interstitials with aluminum nitride (AlN) and then converting the aluminum nitride (AlN) to aluminum oxide (Al2O3), interstitials can be filled substantially without voids or gaps. The term "substantially without voids or gaps" as used herein means that the interstitials have no voids with a diameter of about 5 nm or larger, or gaps with a length of about 5 nm or larger.

[0040] In some embodiments of this disclosure, the volume expansion rate resulting from the conversion of aluminum nitride (AlN) to aluminum oxide (Al2O3) can be controlled by controlling parameters (e.g., processing time) of the oxidation treatment as described in step 16. In some embodiments, an appropriate processing time for the oxidation treatment can be set according to the desired expansion rate to fill gaps 102G of a specific size. In other words, in embodiments of this disclosure, the processing time for the oxidation treatment can be set according to the size of gaps 102G. Experiments show that converting aluminum nitride (AlN) to aluminum oxide (Al2O3) by steam annealing as described in step 16 at 500°C for about 75 minutes results in a volume expansion of about 90%. However, the expansion rate does not increase indefinitely with increasing oxidation treatment time. Instead, the expansion rate saturates when the processing time is extended beyond a certain point. This occurs because most of the aluminum nitride (AlN) is essentially converted to aluminum oxide (Al2O3) after a certain duration, resulting in no significant volume expansion even with further increases in processing time.

[0041] Figure 6 This is a flowchart of a method for filling gaps on a substrate according to other embodiments having additional steps of this disclosure. Apart from the additional step 13 of depositing a filling layer 103 into the gap 102G before depositing a first layer 104 into the gap 102G, Figure 6 The method 30 shown can be similar to Figure 1 Method 10 is shown. In some embodiments, the filler layer is formed of the same material as the second layer. In such an embodiment, a portion of the second layer 106 is deposited directly as the filler layer 103 in the gap 102G, while another portion of the second layer 106 is derived from the first layer 104.

[0042] Figure 7 and Figure 8 It is based on Figure 6A schematic diagram of the structure in steps 13-16. (See attached diagram.) Figure 7 As shown, in some embodiments, the gap 102G is first filled with a filler layer 103, then filled with a first layer 104, and subsequently the first layer is converted into a second layer 106. In some embodiments, except for some adjustments, filling the gap 102G with a filler layer 103 in step 13 can be similar to the method of forming the first layer 104 in step 14 (e.g., as shown). Figure 2 (The illustrated cyclic process). For example, in an embodiment where the first layer 104 comprises aluminum nitride (AlN) and the filler layer 103 comprises aluminum oxide (Al2O3), the filler layer 103 can be... Figure 2 The cyclic process is formed, while in step 146 an oxidant (e.g., oxygen (O2), water (H2O), ozone (O3), and / or hydrogen peroxide (H2O2)) is provided to construct an oxidizing environment. Once the filler layer 103 is formed in step 13, a first layer 104 is subsequently formed on the filler layer 103 and transformed into a second layer 106, as follows. Figure 8 As shown. Although in Figure 8 The dashed line is depicted to represent the interface between the second layer 106 and the filler layer 103, but when the two layers are made of the same material, there may be no obvious interface.

[0043] In some embodiments, step 13 may be performed to accelerate the entire gap-filling process and increase yield. However, filling gap 102G with too much filler layer 103 also makes the opening in gap 102G too small to form the first layer 104. In some embodiments, step 13 may fill about 70% to 90% of the volume in gap 102G with filler layer 103. In some embodiments, step 13 may fill about 80% of the volume in gap 102G with filler layer 103.

[0044] Another aspect of this disclosure provides a system for filling gaps. In this respect, Figure 9 This is a schematic diagram of a system according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. Figure 9 The system 200 shown can be used to perform the methods as described herein and / or form structures or devices or portions thereof as described herein.

[0045] like Figure 9 As shown, in some embodiments, system 200 includes one or more reaction chambers 202, heater 218, precursor source 204, first reactant source 220, second reactant source 222, and controller 212. In some embodiments, system 200 may include one or more additional gas sources (not shown), such as reactant source, inert gas source, carrier gas source, plasma source, and / or purge gas source.

[0046] In some embodiments, reaction chamber 202 may include any suitable reaction chamber, such as a PEALD, ALD, PECVD, or CVD reaction chamber as described herein. In some embodiments, reaction chamber 202 may include one or more substrate supports for supporting the substrate. In some embodiments, heater 218 may be configured and arranged to provide heat to the reaction chamber. Heater 218 is configured to heat the substrate in reaction chamber 202 to the high temperature required for processing. For example, heater 218 may be a radiant heater, such as a lamp, or a resistance heater.

[0047] In some embodiments, precursor source 204 may be a container comprising one or more precursors as described herein, either alone or mixed with one or more carrier gases (e.g., inert gases). Although one precursor source 204 is shown, in embodiments of the invention, system 200 may contain any suitable number of precursor sources. Precursor source 204 may be coupled to reaction chamber 202 via line 214, each of which may include a flow controller, valve, heater, etc. In some embodiments, precursor source 204 may be heated. In some embodiments, the container serving as precursor source 204 is heated such that the precursor reaches a temperature, for example, between about 30°C and about 200°C, depending on the nature of the chemical in question.

[0048] In some embodiments, the first reactant source 220 and the second reactant source 222 may each be connected to the reaction chamber 202 to provide reactants required for a specific reaction. In this disclosure, the first reactant source 220 is a nitrogen-containing reactant source, and the second reactant source 222 is an oxygen-containing reactant source.

[0049] In some embodiments, the plasma source may be a capacitively coupled plasma source, an inductively coupled plasma source, a microwave plasma source, or an electron cyclotron resonance plasma source.

[0050] In some embodiments, controller 212 includes electronic circuitry and software to selectively operate valves, manifolds, heaters, pumps, and other components included in system 200. Such circuitry and components operate to introduce precursors, reactants, and purge gases from corresponding sources. Controller 212 may be programmed and / or configured to control the timing of gas pulse sequences, the temperature of the substrate or reaction chamber 202, and the pressure within reaction chamber 202 via wired or wireless link 224. Controller 212 may include control software to electrically or pneumatically control valves, thereby controlling the inflow and outflow of precursors and reactants, as well as purge gases, into and out of reaction chamber 202. In some embodiments, controller 212 may also be configured to control the operation of precursor source 204, first reactant source 220, and second reactant source 222 via wired or wireless links 226, 228, and 230 to facilitate each operation of system 200. For example, controller 212 controls and coordinates precursor source 204, first reactant source 220, and second reactant source 222 to perform steps as described above, such as depositing first layer 104 and converting the first layer into a second layer. Controller 212 may include modules, such as software or hardware components, that perform certain tasks. Such modules may be configured to reside on addressable storage media of the control system and be programmed and / or configured to perform one or more processes as described herein.

[0051] Other configurations of system 200 are possible, including different numbers and types of precursor and reactant sources. Furthermore, it should be understood that numerous arrangements of valves, conduits, precursor sources, and auxiliary reactant sources exist to achieve the goal of selectively and in a coordinated manner feeding gas into reaction chamber 202. Additionally, for the sake of simplicity, many components have been omitted from the schematic diagram of the deposition assembly, and these components may include, for example, various valves, manifolds, purifiers, heaters, containers, vents, and / or bypasses.

[0052] This system can be used to perform the methods of this disclosure, which provide a substrate without gaps, voids, or seams. This system can be advantageously used in the field of integrated circuit manufacturing.

[0053] While embodiments and advantages of this disclosure have been disclosed as described above, it should be understood that changes, substitutions, and modifications can be made without departing from the spirit and scope of this disclosure. Furthermore, the scope of this disclosure is not limited to the processes, machines, manufactures, compositions, apparatuses, methods, and steps described in the specific embodiments of this specification. Based on the embodiments of this disclosure, those skilled in the art will understand that current or future processes, machines, manufactures, compositions, apparatuses, methods, and steps capable of performing substantially the same function or achieving substantially the same result can be used in the embodiments of this disclosure. Therefore, the scope of this disclosure includes the processes, machines, manufactures, compositions, apparatuses, methods, and steps described above. Additionally, features of different embodiments can be used arbitrarily, provided they do not violate the spirit of this disclosure or conflict with each other. Each claim constitutes a separate embodiment, and the scope of this disclosure includes the combination of claims and embodiments.

Claims

1. A method for filling a gap, comprising: A substrate is provided in the reaction chamber, wherein the substrate includes a gap; A metal nitride layer with a first volume is deposited into the interstices; and The metal nitride layer is transformed into a metal oxide layer with a second volume, which is larger than the first volume.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein, The metal nitride layer fills the gaps substantially seamlessly.

3. The method according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein, The second volume is 0.1-100% larger than the first volume.

4. The method according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein, Prior to depositing the metal nitride layer, the method further includes depositing a filler layer into the gap.

5. The method according to claim 4, wherein, The filler layer is formed of metal oxide.

6. The method according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein, The step of converting the metal nitride layer into the metal oxide layer includes a steam annealing process.

7. The method according to claim 6, wherein, The step of converting the metal nitride layer into the metal oxide layer includes: The hydroxylation step converts the metal nitride layer into a metal hydroxide layer; and The dehydration step converts the metal hydroxide layer into a metal oxide layer.

8. The method according to claim 7, wherein, The metal nitride layer comprises AlN, and the metal oxide layer comprises Al2O3.

9. The method according to claim 8, wherein, The metal hydroxide layer includes AlO(OH) x Al(OH) x Or a combination thereof, where x is a number in the range of 0 to 3.

10. The method according to claim 6, wherein, The steam annealing process is carried out at a temperature of 100°C to 600°C for a duration of approximately 30 minutes to approximately 200 minutes.

11. The method according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein, The step of converting the metal nitride layer into the metal oxide layer includes treatment with at least one selected from ozone, hydrogen peroxide, oxygen plasma, oxygen free radicals, or vacuum ultraviolet oxygen.

12. The method according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein, Depositing a metal nitride layer into the gap includes: A plasma-enhanced atomic layer deposition (PEALD) process is performed to conformally deposit a metal nitride layer on the bottom surface and sidewalls of the gap, wherein the plasma-enhanced atomic layer deposition process includes: The first precursor is provided to the reaction chamber in the gas phase; and Treatment selected from at least one of NH3 reactants, N2 plasma, or N2 / H2 plasma.

13. The method according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein, Depositing a metal nitride layer into the gap includes: A thermal atomic layer deposition (thermal ALD) process is performed to conformally deposit a metal nitride layer on the bottom surface and sidewalls of the gap, wherein the thermal atomic layer deposition process includes: The first precursor is provided to the reaction chamber in the gas phase; and The NH3 reactant is supplied to the reaction chamber.

14. The method according to claim 12 or 13, wherein, The first precursor includes an organometallic compound.

15. The method according to claim 14, wherein, The metal in the organometallic compound includes aluminum.

16. The method according to claim 14 or 15, wherein, The organometallic compound contains ethyl or methyl groups.

17. The method according to claim 12 or 13, wherein, The first precursor includes trimethylaluminum or triethylaluminum.

18. A system comprising: The reaction chamber includes a substrate support for supporting the substrate; A heater, which is constructed and arranged to heat the substrate in the reaction chamber; The precursor source is connected to the reaction chamber; A nitrogen-containing reactant source is connected to the reaction chamber; An oxygen-containing reactant source is connected to the reaction chamber; A plasma source, which is connected to the reaction chamber; as well as A controller configured to control the entry of a precursor source and an oxygen-containing reactant source into a reaction chamber to deposit a metal nitride layer and to convert the metal nitride layer into a metal oxide layer by the method according to any one of claims 1 to 17.

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