Processing method and processing apparatus

By forming a gettering layer of amorphous silicon germanium with impurities and diffusing the catalytic metal into it, the gettering layer can be efficiently removed, addressing inefficiencies in existing methods and ensuring uniform polycrystalline silicon film formation.

JP2026112132APending Publication Date: 2026-07-06TOKYO ELECTRON LTD
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Patent Information

Authority / Receiving Office
JP · JP
Patent Type
Applications
Current Assignee / Owner
TOKYO ELECTRON LTD
Filing Date
2024-12-24
Publication Date
2026-07-06

AI Technical Summary

Technical Problem

Existing methods for removing a gettering layer from a polycrystalline silicon film are inefficient and difficult to implement.

Method used

A processing method involving the formation of a gettering layer on a polycrystalline silicon film using amorphous silicon germanium containing impurities, followed by annealing to diffuse the catalytic metal into the gettering layer and subsequent selective etching to remove it.

Benefits of technology

The gettering layer can be easily and effectively removed, ensuring high selectivity and reducing variations in particle size during the formation of polycrystalline silicon films, particularly in complex geometries like recesses.

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Abstract

This technology provides a way to easily remove the gettering layer. [Solution] A processing method according to one aspect of the present disclosure comprises: preparing a substrate having a polycrystalline silicon film containing a catalyst metal on its surface; forming a gettering layer on the polycrystalline silicon film; and annealing the substrate to diffuse the catalyst metal contained in the polycrystalline silicon film into the gettering layer, wherein the gettering layer is formed of amorphous silicon germanium containing impurities that enable the diffusion of the catalyst metal into the gettering layer.
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Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a processing method and a processing apparatus.

Background Art

[0002] Patent Document 1 discloses a technique for forming a polycrystalline silicon film by a metal-induced crystallization method using nickel, and then removing nickel remaining on the surface of the polycrystalline silicon film by oxygen radicals and hydrogen radicals.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] The present disclosure provides a technique capable of easily removing a gettering layer.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0005] A processing method according to an aspect of the present disclosure includes preparing a substrate having a polycrystalline silicon film containing a catalytic metal on a surface thereof, forming a gettering layer on the polycrystalline silicon film, and annealing the substrate to diffuse the catalytic metal contained in the polycrystalline silicon film into the gettering layer. The gettering layer is formed of amorphous silicon germanium containing impurities that allow diffusion of the catalytic metal into the gettering layer.

Effects of the Invention

[0006] According to the present disclosure, the gettering layer can be easily removed.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0007] [Figure 1] This is a flowchart showing the processing method according to the embodiment. [Figure 2] This is a cross-sectional view (1) showing the processing method according to the embodiment. [Figure 3] This is a cross-sectional view (2) showing the processing method according to the embodiment. [Figure 4] This is a cross-sectional view (3) showing the processing method according to the embodiment. [Figure 5] This is a cross-sectional view (4) showing the processing method according to the embodiment. [Figure 6] This is a cross-sectional view (5) showing the processing method according to the embodiment. [Figure 7] This is a cross-sectional view (6) showing the processing method according to the embodiment. [Figure 8] This is a cross-sectional view showing the processing apparatus according to the embodiment. [Figure 9] This figure shows the results of nickel concentration measurements. [Figure 10] This is a diagram showing the results of germanium concentration measurements. [Figure 11] This is a diagram showing the results of phosphorus concentration measurements. [Figure 12] This figure shows the results of nickel concentration measurements. [Figure 13] This figure shows the measurement results of the etching amount. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0008] Hereinafter, exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure, not limited to those described herein, will be described with reference to the attached drawings. In all attached drawings, identical or corresponding members or components are denoted by the same or corresponding reference numerals, and redundant descriptions are omitted.

[0009] [Processing method] The processing method according to the embodiment will be described with reference to Figures 1 to 7. In the following description, the case in which a polycrystalline silicon film is formed on a substrate will be used as an example. The polycrystalline silicon film is used, for example, as a channel silicon film in a 3D NAND flash memory. Figure 1 is a flowchart of the processing method according to the embodiment. Figures 2 to 7 are cross-sectional views showing the processing method according to the embodiment. The processing method according to the embodiment has steps S1 to S6 shown in Figure 1.

[0010] In step S1, the substrate 100 is prepared as shown in Figure 2. The substrate 100 has a silicon substrate 101 and an amorphous silicon film 102. The amorphous silicon film 102 is provided on the silicon substrate 101. The amorphous silicon film 102 can be formed, for example, by chemical vapor deposition (CVD) using a silicon-containing gas. The silicon-containing gas is, for example, diisopropylaminosilane (DIPAS) gas, disilane gas, monosilane gas, or a combination thereof.

[0011] In step S2, as shown in Figure 3, nickel raw material gas is supplied to the substrate 100 to diffuse nickel (Ni) into the amorphous silicon film 102. Nickel is an example of a catalytic metal. Nickel raw material gas can be produced, for example, by vaporizing a liquid nickel raw material or by sublimating a solid nickel raw material. The nickel raw material may be an organic nickel raw material. Examples of liquid nickel raw materials are (EtCp)2Ni[Ni(C2H5C5H4)2] or CpAllylNi[(C3H5)(C5H5)Ni]. Examples of solid nickel raw materials are (MeCp)2Ni[Ni(CH3C5H4)2]. For example, when the nickel raw material is (EtCp)2Ni, the temperature of the substrate 100 when diffusing nickel into the amorphous silicon film 102 (hereinafter referred to as the "diffusion temperature") may be 150°C or higher and 300°C or lower.

[0012] In step S3, as shown in FIG. 4, the substrate 100 is heated, and the amorphous silicon film 102 is crystallized to form a polycrystalline silicon film 103 by metal-induced crystallization with nickel in the amorphous silicon film 102 as nuclei. The temperature of the substrate 100 when forming the polycrystalline silicon film 103 (hereinafter referred to as "crystallization temperature") may be 500°C or higher and 600°C or lower. The atmosphere when heating the substrate 100 is, for example, an inert gas atmosphere at normal pressure. The atmosphere when heating the substrate 100 may also be a reduced-pressure atmosphere.

[0013] In step S4, as shown in FIG. 5, a gettering layer 104 is formed on the polycrystalline silicon film 103. The gettering layer 104 may be in contact with the polycrystalline silicon film 103. The gettering layer 104 is formed of amorphous silicon germanium containing impurities that allow the diffusion of nickel into the gettering layer 104. The gettering layer 104 is formed of, for example, amorphous silicon germanium containing phosphorus (P). The impurities may be phosphorus (P), arsenic (As), boron (B), carbon (C), nitrogen (N), or a combination thereof. The amorphous silicon germanium may have a silicon (Si) ratio of 70 atm% or higher and 80 atm% or lower, and a germanium (Ge) ratio of 20 atm% or higher and 30 atm% or lower. The gettering layer 104 can be formed, for example, by chemical vapor deposition using a silicon-containing gas, a germanium-containing gas, and a phosphorus-containing gas. In chemical vapor deposition, hydrogen gas may be further added. The silicon-containing gas is, for example, monosilane (SiH4) gas. The silicon-containing gas may also be monosilane (SiH4) gas, disilane (Si2H6) gas, trisilane (Si3H8) gas, a higher-order silane with 4 or more silicon atoms, or a combination thereof. The germanium-containing gas is, for example, monogerman (GeH4) gas. The phosphorus-containing gas is, for example, phosphine (PH3) gas. For example, when the silicon-containing gas is monosilane gas, the germanium-containing gas is monogerman gas, and the phosphorus-containing gas is phosphine gas, the temperature of the substrate 100 when forming the gettering layer 104 (hereinafter referred to as "gettering layer formation temperature") may be 400°C or higher and 500°C or lower.

[0014] In step S5, as shown in FIG. 6, by annealing the substrate 100, nickel contained in the polycrystalline silicon film 103 is diffused into the gettering layer 104. The temperature of the substrate 100 when diffusing nickel into the gettering layer 104 (hereinafter referred to as "annealing temperature") may be 500°C or higher and 900°C or lower.

[0015] In step S6, as shown in FIG. 7, by supplying an etching solution to the gettering layer 104 into which nickel has diffused, the gettering layer 104 is selectively etched with respect to the polycrystalline silicon film 103. Thereby, the gettering layer 104 is removed from above the polycrystalline silicon film 103. As the etching solution, a treatment solution capable of selectively etching the gettering layer 104 with respect to the polycrystalline silicon film 103 can be used. The etching solution is, for example, SC1 (a mixed solution of aqueous ammonia, hydrogen peroxide water, and water).

[0016] As described above, the polycrystalline silicon film 103 can be formed on the silicon substrate 101.

[0017] According to the processing method according to the embodiment, the gettering layer 104 is formed of amorphous silicon germanium containing phosphorus. In this case, it is easy to obtain a selectivity ratio with the polycrystalline silicon film 103 when removing the gettering layer 104. Therefore, the gettering layer 104 can be easily removed.

[0018] In the above embodiment, the case of forming the polycrystalline silicon film 103 on a flat surface has been described, but it is not limited thereto. For example, the processing method of the present disclosure can also be applied when forming the polycrystalline silicon film 103 on the inner surface of recesses such as holes and trenches. In this case, by diffusing nickel into the amorphous silicon film 102 using a nickel raw material gas, the variation in the diffusion amount of nickel in the depth direction of the recess can be reduced. Therefore, a polycrystalline silicon film 103 with a small variation in particle size in the depth direction of the recess can be formed.

[0019] The above embodiment describes the case where the gettering layer 104 is in contact with the polycrystalline silicon film 103, but is not limited to this. A diffusion prevention layer may be provided between the gettering layer 104 and the polycrystalline silicon film 103 to prevent the diffusion of phosphorus from the gettering layer 104 to the polycrystalline silicon film 103. In other words, a diffusion prevention layer may be formed on the polycrystalline silicon film 103 before forming the gettering layer 104 on the polycrystalline silicon film 103. The diffusion prevention layer may be formed of undoped amorphous silicon or undoped amorphous germanium.

[0020] [Processing device] Referring to Figure 8, an example of a processing apparatus 1 capable of executing steps S2 to S5 of the processing method according to the embodiment will be described. Figure 8 is a cross-sectional view showing the processing apparatus 1 according to the embodiment.

[0021] The processing apparatus 1 comprises a processing container 10, a gas supply unit 30, an exhaust unit 40, a heating unit 50, and a control unit 90.

[0022] The processing container 10 has a double-tube structure consisting of a cylindrical inner tube 11 and a ceiling-covered outer tube 12 concentrically placed outside the inner tube 11. The inner tube 11 and outer tube 12 are made of, for example, quartz. The processing container 10 is configured to accommodate a boat 16.

[0023] A housing section 13 is formed on one side of the inner pipe 11 along its longitudinal direction (vertical direction). The housing section 13 is a region within a protrusion 14 formed by making a part of the side wall of the inner pipe 11 protrude outward. The supply pipes 31a, 32a, 33a, and 34a, which will be described later, are housed in the housing section 13.

[0024] The lower end of the processing container 10 is supported by a cylindrical manifold 17, which is made of, for example, stainless steel. A flange 18 is formed at the upper end of the manifold 17. The flange 18 supports the lower end of the outer pipe 12. A sealing member 19, such as an O-ring, is provided between the flange 18 and the lower end of the outer pipe 12.

[0025] An annular support portion 20 is provided on the upper inner wall of the manifold 17. The support portion 20 supports the lower end of the inner pipe 11. An exhaust port 21 is provided on the upper side wall of the manifold 17, above the support portion 20. A cover 22 is airtightly attached to the opening at the lower end of the manifold 17 via a sealing member 23 such as an O-ring. The cover 22 is made of, for example, stainless steel.

[0026] A rotating shaft 25 is provided through the center of the lid 22 via a magnetic fluid seal 24. The lower end of the rotating shaft 25 is rotatably supported by an arm 26A of a lifting mechanism 26 consisting of a boat elevator. A rotating plate 27 is provided at the upper end of the rotating shaft 25. The boat 16 is placed on the rotating plate 27 via a quartz insulation cylinder 28.

[0027] The boat 16 holds multiple substrates W (for example, 25 to 200) in a substantially horizontal position with vertical spacing between them. The substrates W are, for example, semiconductor wafers. The boat 16 rotates integrally with the rotation axis 25. The boat 16 moves up and down integrally with the lid 22 by raising and lowering the arm 26A, and is inserted into and removed from the processing container 10.

[0028] The gas supply unit 30 is configured to allow various gases to be introduced into the inner tube 11. The various gases include gases used in the film formation method according to the embodiment. The gas supply unit 30 includes a silicon raw material supply unit 31, a nickel raw material supply unit 32, a germanium raw material supply unit 33, and a phosphorus raw material supply unit 34.

[0029] The silicon raw material supply unit 31 includes a supply pipe 31a inside the processing container 10 and a supply path 31b outside the processing container 10. In the supply path 31b, a silicon raw material source 31c, a mass flow controller 31d, and an on-off valve 31e are provided in order from the upstream side to the downstream side in the direction of gas flow. The supply timing of the silicon-containing gas from the silicon raw material source 31c is controlled by the on-off valve 31e, and the flow rate is adjusted to a predetermined level by the mass flow controller 31d. The silicon-containing gas flows from the supply path 31b into the supply pipe 31a and is discharged from the supply pipe 31a into the processing container 10.

[0030] The nickel raw material supply unit 32 is equipped with a supply pipe 32a inside the processing container 10 and a supply path 32b outside the processing container 10. In the supply path 32b, a raw material tank 32c, a control valve 32d, and an on / off valve 32e are provided in order from the upstream side to the downstream side in the direction of gas flow. The raw material tank 32c contains nickel raw material. The nickel raw material is either a liquid or solid material at room temperature. A heater 32f is provided around the raw material tank 32c. The heater 32f heats the nickel raw material inside the raw material tank 32c. As a result, the liquid nickel raw material vaporizes or the solid nickel raw material sublimes, generating nickel raw material gas.

[0031] The nickel raw material supply unit 32 has a carrier gas pipe 32g inserted into the raw material tank 32c from above. The carrier gas pipe 32g is equipped with a carrier gas source 32h, an on-off valve 32i, and a control valve 32j in order from the upstream side to the downstream side in the direction of gas flow. As a result, the carrier gas from the carrier gas source 32h is supplied to the raw material tank 32c, with the supply timing controlled by the on-off valve 32i and the flow rate adjusted to a predetermined level by the control valve 32j. The carrier gas, along with the nickel raw material gas in the raw material tank 32c, is supplied to the raw material tank 32c, with the supply timing controlled by the on-off valve 32e and the flow rate adjusted to a predetermined level by the control valve 32d, and flows from the supply path 32b into the supply pipe 32a. The nickel raw material gas and carrier gas that have flowed into the supply pipe 32a are discharged into the processing container 10 from the supply pipe 32a.

[0032] A bypass path 32k may be provided to connect the upstream side of the on-off valve 32i in the carrier gas piping 32g to the downstream side of the on-off valve 32e in the supply path 32b. A bypass valve 32l may be provided in the bypass path 32k.

[0033] The germanium raw material supply unit 33 includes a supply pipe 33a inside the processing container 10 and a supply path 33b outside the processing container 10. In the supply path 33b, a germanium raw material source 33c, a mass flow controller 33d, and an on-off valve 33e are provided in order from the upstream side to the downstream side in the direction of gas flow. The germanium-containing gas from the germanium raw material source 33c is supplied at a timing controlled by the on-off valve 33e and adjusted to a predetermined flow rate by the mass flow controller 33d. The germanium-containing gas flows from the supply path 33b into the supply pipe 33a and is discharged from the supply pipe 33a into the processing container 10.

[0034] The phosphorus raw material supply unit 34 includes a supply pipe 34a inside the processing container 10 and a supply path 34b outside the processing container 10. In the supply path 34b, a phosphorus raw material source 34c, a mass flow controller 34d, and an on-off valve 34e are provided in order from the upstream side to the downstream side in the direction of gas flow. The phosphorus-containing gas from the phosphorus raw material source 34c is supplied at a timing controlled by the on-off valve 34e and adjusted to a predetermined flow rate by the mass flow controller 34d. The phosphorus-containing gas flows from the supply path 34b into the supply pipe 34a and is discharged from the supply pipe 34a into the processing container 10.

[0035] The supply pipes 31a, 32a, 33a, and 34a are fixed to the manifold 17. The supply pipes 31a, 32a, 33a, and 34a are made of, for example, quartz. The supply pipes 31a, 32a, 33a, and 34a extend linearly along the vertical direction near the inner pipe 11 and then bend in an L-shape within the manifold 17 to extend horizontally, thereby penetrating the manifold 17. The supply pipes 31a, 32a, 33a, and 34a are arranged side by side along the circumferential direction of the inner pipe 11 and are formed at the same height.

[0036] Multiple gas holes 31p, 32p, 33p, and 34p are provided in the supply pipes 31a, 32a, 33a, and 34a, respectively, at the locations within the inner pipe 11. The gas holes 31p, 32p, 33p, and 34p are formed at predetermined intervals along the extending direction of each supply pipe 31a, 32a, 33a, and 34a. The gas holes 31p, 32p, 33p, and 34p release gas horizontally. The spacing between the gas holes 31p, 32p, 33p, and 34p is set to be the same as, for example, the spacing between the substrates W held in the boat 16. The height position of the gas holes 31p, 32p, 33p, and 34p is set to be at an intermediate position between adjacent substrates W in the vertical direction. In this case, the gas holes 31p, 32p, 33p, and 34p can efficiently supply gas to the opposing surfaces between adjacent substrates W.

[0037] The gas supply unit 30 may mix multiple types of gases and discharge the mixed gas from a single supply pipe. For example, supply pipes 31a, 32a, 33a, and 34a may be configured to discharge inert gas. For example, instead of providing supply pipe 33a, supply pipe 31a may be configured to discharge germanium-containing gas. For example, instead of providing supply pipe 34a, supply pipe 31a may be configured to discharge phosphorus-containing gas. The supply pipes 31a, 32a, 33a, and 34a may have different shapes and arrangements from each other. In addition to silicon-containing gas, nickel raw material gas, germanium-containing gas, and phosphorus-containing gas, the gas supply unit 30 may further have supply pipes for supplying other gases.

[0038] The exhaust section 40 includes an exhaust passage 41, a pressure regulating valve 42, and a vacuum pump 43. The exhaust passage 41 is connected to the exhaust port 21. The pressure regulating valve 42 and the vacuum pump 43 are located in the middle of the exhaust passage 41. The vacuum pump 43 is located downstream of the pressure regulating valve 42 in the gas flow direction. The gas inside the processing container 10 is discharged outside the processing container 10 by the vacuum pump 43, with the exhaust flow rate controlled by the pressure regulating valve 42.

[0039] The heating section 50 has a cylindrical shape and is provided around the outer tube 12. The heating section 50 heats each substrate W inside the processing container 10. The heating section 50 includes, for example, a heater.

[0040] The control unit 90 is an electronic circuit such as a CPU (Central Processing Unit), FPGA (Field Programmable Gate Array), or ASIC (Application Specific Integrated Circuit). The control unit 90 performs the various control operations described in this specification by executing instruction codes stored in memory or by circuit design for special applications.

[0041] [Processing device operation] The operation when steps S2 to S5 of the processing method according to the embodiment are performed in the processing device 1 will be described. Step S6 may be performed in a device other than the processing device 1.

[0042] First, the control unit 90 controls the lifting mechanism 26 to move the boat 16 holding the multiple substrates W into the processing container 10, and then seals the opening at the lower end of the processing container 10 airtight with the lid 22. Each substrate W is, for example, a substrate 100 prepared in step S1.

[0043] Next, the control unit 90 controls the gas supply unit 30, the exhaust unit 40, and the heating unit 50 to execute step S2. Specifically, first, the control unit 90 controls the exhaust unit 40 to adjust the pressure inside the processing container 10 to a predetermined level, and controls the heating unit 50 to adjust and maintain the temperature of the substrate W at the diffusion temperature. Then, the control unit 90 controls the gas supply unit 30 to supply nickel raw material gas into the processing container 10. This causes nickel to diffuse into the amorphous silicon film 102.

[0044] Next, the control unit 90 controls the gas supply unit 30, the exhaust unit 40, and the heating unit 50 to execute step S3. Specifically, first, the control unit 90 controls the gas supply unit 30 to supply an inert gas such as nitrogen gas into the processing container 10, controls the exhaust unit 40 to adjust the pressure inside the processing container 10 to a predetermined level, and controls the heating unit 50 to adjust and maintain the temperature of the substrate W at the crystallization temperature. As a result, the amorphous silicon film 102 crystallizes due to metal-induced crystallization, forming a polycrystalline silicon film 103.

[0045] Next, the control unit 90 controls the gas supply unit 30, the exhaust unit 40, and the heating unit 50 to execute step S4. Specifically, first, the control unit 90 controls the exhaust unit 40 to adjust the pressure inside the processing container 10 to a predetermined level, and controls the heating unit 50 to adjust and maintain the temperature of the substrate W at the gettering layer formation temperature. Then, the control unit 90 controls the gas supply unit 30 to supply silicon-containing gas, germanium-containing gas, and phosphorus-containing gas into the processing container 10. As a result, a gettering layer 104 is formed on the polycrystalline silicon film 103.

[0046] Next, the control unit 90 controls the gas supply unit 30, the exhaust unit 40, and the heating unit 50 to execute step S5. Specifically, first, the control unit 90 controls the gas supply unit 30 to supply an inert gas such as nitrogen gas into the processing container 10, controls the exhaust unit 40 to adjust the pressure inside the processing container 10 to a predetermined level, and controls the heating unit 50 to adjust and maintain the temperature of the substrate W at the annealing temperature. As a result, nickel contained in the polycrystalline silicon film 103 diffuses into the gettering layer 104.

[0047] Next, the control unit 90 increases the pressure inside the processing container 10 to atmospheric pressure, then lowers the temperature inside the processing container 10 to the discharge temperature, and then controls the lifting mechanism 26 to discharge the boat 16 from inside the processing container 10.

[0048] As a result, steps S2 to S5 of the processing method according to the embodiment are completed in the processing apparatus 1.

[0049] [Examples] (Example 1) In Example 1, a substrate having a nickel-containing polycrystalline silicon film on its surface was first prepared. Next, in the processing apparatus 1, a diffusion barrier layer formed of undoped amorphous silicon was formed on the polycrystalline silicon film. Next, in the processing apparatus 1, while maintaining the substrate temperature at 420°C, a gettering layer formed of phosphorus-containing amorphous silicon germanium was formed on the diffusion barrier layer by chemical vapor deposition using monosilane gas, monogermanic gas, and phosphine gas. Next, in the processing apparatus 1, the substrate was annealed in a nitrogen atmosphere. The annealing temperature was set to 600°C, 700°C, 800°C, or 0°C (no treatment). Next, the nickel concentration, germanium concentration, and phosphorus concentration in the polycrystalline silicon film, diffusion barrier layer, and gettering layer were measured by secondary ion mass spectrometry (SIMS).

[0050] Figure 9 shows the results of nickel concentration measurements. Figure 10 shows the results of germanium concentration measurements. Figure 11 shows the results of phosphorus concentration measurements. In Figures 9, 10, and 11, the horizontal axis represents the depth from the surface of the gettering layer [nm]. In Figure 9, the vertical axis represents the nickel (Ni) concentration [atoms / cm³]. 3 The vertical axis in Figure 10 represents the germanium (Ge) concentration [atoms / cm³]. 3 The vertical axis in Figure 11 represents the phosphorus (P) concentration [atoms / cm³]. 3 This shows the results. In Figures 9, 10, and 11, the solid line shows the result without annealing, the dashed line shows the result with an annealing temperature of 600°C, the dashed line shows the result with an annealing temperature of 700°C, and the dashed line shows the result with an annealing temperature of 800°C.

[0051] As shown in Figure 9, when the annealing temperature is 700°C and 800°C, the nickel concentration in the polycrystalline silicon film is lower and the nickel concentration in the gettering layer is higher compared to when no annealing treatment is performed. From these results, it can be said that when using a gettering layer formed of amorphous silicon germanium containing phosphorus, the nickel contained in the polycrystalline silicon film can be diffused into the gettering layer by setting the annealing temperature to 700°C and 800°C. When the annealing temperature is 700°C, the nickel concentration in the diffusion prevention layer is lower compared to when the annealing temperature is 800°C. From these results, it can be said that when the annealing temperature is 700°C, the efficiency of diffusing the nickel contained in the polycrystalline silicon film into the gettering layer is particularly high.

[0052] As shown in Figure 10, the germanium concentration in the polycrystalline silicon film is similar to that of the unannealed case when the annealing temperature is 600°C and 700°C, but higher when the annealing temperature is 800°C. From this result, it is considered that germanium diffuses from the gettering layer into the polycrystalline silicon film when the annealing temperature is 800°C. For this reason, from the viewpoint of reducing the diffusion of germanium from the gettering layer into the polycrystalline silicon film, an annealing temperature of 700°C or lower is preferable.

[0053] As shown in Figure 11, the phosphorus concentration in the polycrystalline silicon film is similar to that of the unannealed case when the annealing temperature is 600°C and 700°C, but higher when the annealing temperature is 800°C. From this result, it is considered that when the annealing temperature is 800°C, phosphorus diffuses from the gettering layer into the polycrystalline silicon film. Therefore, from the viewpoint of reducing the diffusion of phosphorus from the gettering layer into the polycrystalline silicon film, an annealing temperature of 700°C or lower is preferable.

[0054] (Comparative Example 1) In Comparative Example 1, the same process as in Example 1 was performed, except that a gettering layer formed of undoped amorphous silicon germanium was used instead of amorphous silicon germanium containing phosphorus. Specifically, first, a substrate having a polycrystalline silicon film containing nickel on its surface was prepared. Next, in the processing apparatus 1, a diffusion barrier layer formed of undoped amorphous silicon was formed on the polycrystalline silicon film. Next, in the processing apparatus 1, while maintaining the substrate temperature at 420°C, a gettering layer formed of undoped amorphous silicon germanium was formed on the diffusion barrier layer by chemical vapor deposition using monosilane gas, monogermanic gas, and phosphine gas. Next, in the processing apparatus 1, the substrate was annealed in a nitrogen atmosphere. The annealing temperature was 600°C, 700°C, 800°C, or 0°C (no treatment). Next, the nickel concentration, germanium concentration, and phosphorus concentration in the polycrystalline silicon film, diffusion barrier layer, and gettering layer were measured by secondary ion mass spectrometry.

[0055] Figure 12 shows the results of nickel concentration measurements. In Figure 12, the horizontal axis represents the depth from the surface of the gettering layer [nm], and the vertical axis represents the nickel (Ni) concentration [atoms / cm³]. 3 This shows the results. In Figure 12, the solid line shows the results without annealing, the dashed line shows the results with an annealing temperature of 600°C, the dashed line shows the results with an annealing temperature of 700°C, and the dashed line shows the results with an annealing temperature of 800°C.

[0056] As shown in Figure 12, the nickel concentration in the polycrystalline silicon film is similar to that of the unannealed film, regardless of whether the annealing temperature is 600°C, 700°C, or 800°C. From this result, it can be said that when the gettering layer is formed from undoped amorphous silicon germanium, the nickel contained in the polycrystalline silicon film hardly diffuses into the gettering layer.

[0057] (Example 2) In Example 2, two substrates were prepared: one having an amorphous silicon germanium film containing phosphorus on its surface, and another having an undoped polycrystalline silicon film on its surface. Next, SC1 was supplied to each substrate, and the relationship between the supply time of SC1 and the etching amount of each film was measured.

[0058] Figure 13 shows the measurement results of the etching amount. In Figure 13, the horizontal axis represents the supply time of SC1 [min], and the vertical axis represents the etching amount [nm] of each film. In Figure 13, circles indicate the etching amount of amorphous silicon germanium film containing phosphorus, and diamonds indicate the etching amount of undoped polycrystalline silicon film. In Figure 13, the dashed line L1 is an approximate straight line obtained by linearly approximating each point showing the measurement results of the etching amount of the silicon germanium film containing phosphorus, and the dashed line L2 is an approximate straight line obtained by linearly approximating each point showing the measurement results of the etching amount of the undoped polycrystalline silicon film.

[0059] As shown in Figure 13, the etching rate of the amorphous silicon germanium film containing phosphorus was approximately 0.38 nm / min, while the etching rate of the undoped polycrystalline silicon film was 0.02 nm / min. From these results, it can be said that by using SC1, the gettering layer 104 can be selectively etched and removed from the polycrystalline silicon film 103 in step S6 of the processing method according to the embodiment described above.

[0060] The embodiments disclosed herein should be considered in all respects to be illustrative and not restrictive. The above embodiments may be omitted, replaced, or modified in various ways without departing from the scope and spirit of the appended claims.

[0061] Although the above embodiments describe the case where the catalyst metal is nickel, the disclosure is not limited thereto. For example, the catalyst metal may be iron (Fe), copper (Cu), chromium (Cr), cobalt (Co), or silver (Ag).

[0062] In the embodiments described above, the processing apparatus is a batch-type apparatus that processes multiple substrates at once, but the disclosure is not limited thereto. For example, the processing apparatus may be a single-wafer apparatus that processes substrates one at a time. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0063] 100 circuit boards 103 Polycrystalline silicon film 104 Gettering layer

Claims

1. A substrate having a polycrystalline silicon film containing a catalytic metal on its surface is prepared, Forming a gettering layer on the aforementioned polycrystalline silicon film, By annealing the substrate, the catalyst metal contained in the polycrystalline silicon film is diffused into the gettering layer, It has, The gettering layer is formed of amorphous silicon germanium containing impurities that allow the diffusion of the catalyst metal into the gettering layer. Processing method.

2. The gettering layer is formed by chemical vapor deposition using a silicon-containing gas, a germanium-containing gas, and a phosphorus-containing gas. The processing method according to claim 1.

3. The silicon-containing gas is a monosilane gas. The germanium-containing gas is a monogermanic gas. The phosphorus-containing gas is phosphine gas. The processing method according to claim 2.

4. The polycrystalline silicon film is formed by crystallizing an amorphous silicon film through metal-induced crystallization with the catalyst metal as a nucleus. The processing method according to claim 1.

5. The method involves supplying an etching solution to the gettering layer where the catalyst metal has diffused to remove it. The processing method according to claim 1.

6. The formation of the gettering layer and the diffusion of the catalyst metal into the gettering layer are performed in the same processing vessel. The processing method according to any one of claims 1 to 5.

7. The catalyst metal is nickel. The processing method according to any one of claims 1 to 5.

8. A recess is formed on the surface of the substrate, The polycrystalline silicon film is formed on the inner surface of the recess. The processing method according to any one of claims 1 to 5.

9. The process involves forming a diffusion prevention layer on the polycrystalline silicon film before forming the gettering layer on the polycrystalline silicon film, The diffusion prevention layer is formed of amorphous silicon or amorphous silicon germanium. The processing method according to any one of claims 1 to 5.

10. A processing container for housing the substrate, A gas supply unit that supplies gas into the processing container, The substrate housed in the processing container is heated by the heating unit, Control unit and Equipped with, The control unit, A substrate having a polycrystalline silicon film containing a catalytic metal on its surface is prepared, Forming a gettering layer on the aforementioned polycrystalline silicon film, By annealing the substrate, the catalyst metal contained in the polycrystalline silicon film is diffused into the gettering layer, The system is configured to control the gas supply unit and the heating unit to perform the following actions: The gettering layer is formed of amorphous silicon germanium containing impurities that allow the diffusion of the catalyst metal into the gettering layer. Processing device.

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Patent Citations

  • JP2011060908A