Thin Film Deposition Equipment

Abstract

A thin film deposition system having a plasma generation system is provided. [Solution] A thin film deposition equipment includes a carrier (2), a spray head (3), a plasma generation system (4), a first gas supply device (5), and a second gas supply device (7). The plasma generation system transports plasma gas in a vertical direction through a plasma conduit (44). The first gas supply device transports a first precursor gas in a horizontal direction through a first conduit (6). The second gas supply device transports a second precursor gas in a vertical direction through a second conduit (8). The first gas supply device first provides the first precursor gas, and then the second gas supply device starts providing the second precursor gas. During this period, the plasma generation system continues to transport the plasma gas without closing.

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to an apparatus and method for thin film deposition, and more particularly to an apparatus and method for thin film deposition having a plasma generation system. [Background technology]

[0002] Thin film deposition techniques play an important role in the semiconductor industry, some of the most common techniques include physical vapor deposition (PVD), chemical vapor deposition (CVD), plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposition (PECVD), atomic layer deposition (ALD), plasma-enhanced atomic layer deposition (PEALD), pulsed deposited layer (PDL), plasma-enhanced pulsed deposited layer (PEPDL), etc.

[0003] In the prior art, plasma dissociation can improve the quality and efficiency of atomic layer deposition. However, in a bidirectional flow process chamber, different precursor gases may or may not require plasma excitation. This results in the plasma generator being repeatedly turned on and off, and when the plasma generator is restarted, it takes a certain amount of time to reach a stable state, which reduces the efficiency of the thin film manufacturing process.

[0004] In addition, in conventional semiconductor manufacturing processes, an annealing treatment is usually performed after thin film formation to repair defects in the thin film and achieve high density, but this also extends the time of the entire semiconductor manufacturing process. Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] Therefore, it has become an important issue to improve the design of the plasma generator to shorten the time it takes for the plasma generator to reach a stable state, simplify the thin film annealing manufacturing process, and significantly reduce the schedule of semiconductor manufacturing. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] The present invention provides a thin film deposition equipment including a carrier, a spray head, a plasma generation system, a first gas supply device, and a second gas supply device. The carrier has a heater. The spray head is installed on top of the carrier and has multiple nozzles directed toward the carrier. The plasma generation system transports plasma gas vertically through a plasma conduit, where the plasma gas is sprayed onto the carrier through the multiple nozzles. The first gas supply device transports a first precursor gas horizontally through the first conduit. The second gas supply device transports a second precursor gas vertically through the second conduit, where the second precursor gas is sprayed onto the carrier through the multiple nozzles. During a manufacturing process, the first gas supply device first provides the first precursor gas, and then the second gas supply device begins to provide the second precursor gas. During the manufacturing process, the plasma generation system continues to deliver the plasma gas without being turned off.

[0007] According to one possible embodiment, the thin film deposition equipment further includes a workpiece placed on a carrier, and the heater heats the workpiece. The first precursor gas deposits a first thin film on the surface of the workpiece without being affected by the plasma gas. The second precursor gas is excited by the plasma gas to deposit a second thin film on the first thin film and simultaneously perform an annealing process.

[0008] According to one possible embodiment, the plasma generation system further includes a power supply, which generates the bias and provides the bias field.

[0009] According to one possible embodiment, the plasma generation system further includes a flow module connected to the plasma line for controlling the flow rate of the plasma gas.

[0010] According to one possible embodiment, the amount of energy provided by the plasma generation system is between 1 and 5000W.

[0011] The present invention further provides a method for thin film deposition, including the steps of: providing a thin film deposition equipment; providing a workpiece on a carrier, the carrier having a heater, the heater heating the workpiece; providing a plasma generation system including a plasma generator and a plasma conduit, the plasma conduit transporting plasma gas vertically into the interior of the reaction chamber, the plasma gas being sprayed onto the workpiece through a plurality of nozzles; transporting a first precursor gas horizontally into the interior of the reaction chamber, the first precursor gas depositing a first thin film on the surface of the workpiece without being affected by the plasma gas; and transporting a second precursor gas vertically into the interior of the reaction chamber, the second precursor gas being sprayed onto the workpiece through a plurality of nozzles, excited by the plasma gas, and depositing a second thin film on the first thin film.

[0012] According to one possible embodiment, the second precursor gas simultaneously forms the second thin film and performs an annealing process. [Effects of the Invention]

[0013] One of the advantageous effects of the present invention is that the thin film deposition equipment provided by the present invention has a technical feature in which "during the manufacturing process, the first gas supply device first supplies the first precursor gas, and then the second gas supply device starts to supply the second precursor gas, and during the manufacturing process, the plasma generation system continues to deliver the plasma gas without shutting down," which saves the time it takes for the plasma generation system to reach a stable state after restarting, thereby improving the efficiency of the thin film manufacturing process.

[0014] One of the advantageous effects of the present invention is that in the method of thin film deposition provided by the present invention, "the plasma generator continuously transports plasma gas vertically into the reaction chamber through the plasma pipe, and the plasma gas is sprayed onto the workpiece through multiple nozzles," which eliminates the need to repeatedly turn the plasma generator on and off, saving the time it takes for the plasma system to reach a stable state after restarting, and improving the efficiency of the thin film manufacturing process. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0015] [Figure 1] 1 is a schematic diagram of an embodiment of a thin film deposition system according to the present invention; [Figure 2] 1 is a schematic diagram of an embodiment of a thin film deposition system according to the present invention; [Figure 3] 1 is a schematic diagram of an embodiment of a thin film deposition system according to the present invention; [Figure 4] 1 is a flow chart of the method for thin film deposition of the present invention. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0016] To better understand the features and technical contents of the present invention, please refer to the following detailed description of the present invention and the drawings, which are provided for reference and explanation only and are not intended to limit the present invention.

[0017] The following describes the implementation of the "thin film deposition equipment and thin film deposition method" according to the present invention through specific embodiments, so that those skilled in the art can understand the advantages and effects of the present invention based on the content disclosed herein. The present invention can be implemented or applied in other different specific embodiments, and various modifications and changes can be made to the details herein based on different perspectives and applications without departing from the concept of the present invention. It should be noted in advance that the accompanying drawings of the present invention are for simple schematic illustrations and are not drawn to actual size. The technical content of the present invention will be described in more detail based on the following embodiments, but the disclosed content should not be construed as limiting the scope of protection of the present invention.

[0018] Referring to FIG. 1, a schematic diagram of one embodiment of a thin film deposition equipment Z1 according to the present invention is shown. The thin film deposition equipment Z1 includes a reaction chamber 1, a carrier 2, a spray head 3, a plasma generation system 4, a first gas supply device 5, and a second gas supply device 7. The carrier 2 is installed inside the reaction chamber 1 and includes a heater 21. The spray head 3 is installed at the top of the reaction chamber 1 and includes multiple nozzles 31 directed toward the carrier 2. The plasma generation system 4 includes a plasma generator 41 and is connected to the reaction chamber 1. It delivers plasma gas into the reaction chamber 1 via a plasma conduit 44 in a vertical direction D1, and the plasma gas is sprayed onto the carrier 2 through the multiple nozzles 31. The first gas supply device 5 is connected to the reaction chamber 1 and delivers a first precursor gas into the reaction chamber 1 via a first conduit 6 in a horizontal direction D2. The second gas supply device 7 communicates with the reaction chamber 1 and transports a second precursor gas into the reaction chamber 1 along the vertical direction D1 through a second pipe 8, and the second precursor gas is sprayed onto the carrier 2 through a plurality of nozzles 31. During the manufacturing process, the first gas supply device 5 first provides the first precursor gas, and then the second gas supply device 7 starts to provide the second precursor gas. During the manufacturing process, the plasma generator 41 continues to deliver the plasma gas without closing.

[0019] That is, during the thin film deposition process, the plasma generator 41 is turned on and then turned off only after the process is completed. During this period, the plasma generator 41 continues to deliver plasma gas into the reaction chamber 1. Furthermore, in the embodiment shown in FIG. 1, a workpiece W, e.g., a wafer, is placed on the carrier 2. The carrier temperature can be maintained at, for example, 150°C to 350°C. The heater 21 heats the wafer. While the plasma generator 41 continues to deliver plasma gas, the first precursor gas deposits a first thin film on the wafer surface without being affected by the plasma gas. The second precursor gas is excited by the plasma gas and simultaneously deposits a second thin film on the first thin film and performs an annealing process. After the annealing process, the second thin film becomes more dense and exhibits the properties of a ferroelectric material. This contributes to improving the quality and efficiency of thin film deposition.

[0020] Furthermore, by adjusting the energy amount of the plasma generator 41 for different precursor gases for the desired (formed) thin film, the first precursor gas is not affected by the plasma gas, while the second precursor gas is excited by the plasma gas, allowing it to be deposited on the wafer surface and molded. Furthermore, during molding, the second precursor gas is affected by the plasma gas and undergoes an annealing process, improving the density of the second thin film. Those skilled in the art can select the first and second precursor gases based on the types of first and second thin films they wish to form. For example, the first precursor gas can be selected from gases commonly used in the art that are difficult to excite even when plasma energy is applied. Specifically, for example, if the first thin film is an aluminum oxide (Al2O3) thin film, the first precursor gas can be selected from trimethylaluminum (TMA) as the metal source and water (HO) as the oxygen source. The atomic layer deposition (ALD) reaction of TMA and HO is primarily driven by surface hydroxyl groups and can proceed effectively at relatively low temperatures (e.g., 200–300°C). Because its activation energy is relatively high, it is difficult for TMA to completely dissociate in a low-power plasma environment, achieving its "plasma-independent" characteristic. For example, the second precursor gas can be selected to be easily excited by the application of plasma energy and capable of forming a ferroelectric thin film. Specifically, for example, if the second thin film is a ferroelectric hafnium oxide (HfO2) thin film, the second precursor gas can be selected from tetrakis(dimethylamino)hafnium (TDMAHf) or tetrakis(ethylmethylamino)hafnium (TEMAHf) as the hafnium source, with oxygen plasma (O2 plasma) or ozone (O3) as the oxidizer. Highly active oxygen radicals in oxygen plasma can effectively excite these organometallic precursors, promoting the formation of HfO2 and contributing to the phase transformation of its crystalline phase (e.g., the orthorhombic phase required to form ferroelectrics).If the first thin film is an aluminum oxide (Al2O3) thin film, its relatively high dielectric constant allows it to be used as a high-k gate oxide or passivation layer. Furthermore, the dense, pinhole-free nature of Al2O3 contributes to improving the integrity of the overall thin film structure, reducing leakage current, and improving interface quality. If the second thin film is HfO2, precise control of deposition conditions and simultaneous annealing can promote the formation of an orthorhombic or rhombohedral phase, thereby exhibiting ferroelectric properties. Therefore, by selecting and using the above-mentioned first precursor gas and the above-mentioned second precursor gas, not only can the first precursor gas be unaffected by the plasma gas, but the second precursor gas can be excited by the plasma gas, but their unique chemical properties can also be used to induce the thin film to achieve specific functionality, such as ferroelectricity.

[0021] 2, a schematic diagram of an embodiment of the thin film deposition equipment Z2 of the present invention is shown. In this embodiment, the plasma generation system 4 further includes a power supply 42 installed below the reaction chamber 1, which can generate a bias and provide a bias field inside the reaction chamber 1. Therefore, the ionization efficiency of the plasma gas can be controlled by generating a bias using the power supply 42.

[0022] Referring to Figure 3, a schematic diagram of an embodiment of a thin film deposition system Z3 according to the present invention is shown. In this embodiment, the plasma generation system 4 further includes a flow module 43 connected to the plasma line 44 for controlling the flow rate of the plasma gas. The flow rate of the plasma gas can be controlled by the flow module 43 (e.g., a valve). For example, the flow rate of the plasma gas (e.g., an Ar / O2 mixed gas) can be controlled to 50-500 sccm (standard cubic centimeters per minute).

[0023] According to certain embodiments, the amount of energy provided by plasma generator 41 ranges from 1 to 5000 W (e.g., any positive integer within that range), preferably several hundred W, and more preferably within the range of 100 to 500 W. For example, when the first precursor gas contains trimethylaluminum and the second precursor gas contains tetrakis(dimethylamino)hafnium, if the energy is within the range of 100 W to 500 W, trimethylaluminum molecules are difficult to effectively dissociate by the plasma due to their relatively high thermal stability and excitation energy, while tetrakis(dimethylamino)hafnium molecules can typically be effectively excited at a level of several hundred W, and are therefore sufficiently excited into highly active substances in the plasma, thereby achieving the following: "the first precursor gas is not affected by the plasma gas, and the second precursor gas is excited by the plasma gas."

[0024] Referring to FIG. 4 and further to FIG. 1, FIG. 4 is a flowchart of a thin film deposition method according to the present invention. The thin film deposition method 100 includes steps S1 to S5. Step S1: Provide a thin film deposition facility. Step S2: Provide a workpiece W on a carrier 2 having a heater 21, which heats the workpiece W. Step S3: Provide a plasma generation system 4 including a plasma generator 41 and a plasma conduit 44. The plasma conduit 44 continues to transport plasma gas into the reaction chamber 1 along the vertical direction D1, and the plasma gas is sprayed onto the workpiece W through multiple nozzles. Step S4: Transport a first precursor gas into the reaction chamber 1 along the horizontal direction D2. The first precursor gas deposits a first thin film on the surface of the workpiece W without being affected by the plasma gas. Step S5: Transport a second precursor gas into the reaction chamber 1 along the vertical direction D1. The second precursor gas is sprayed onto the workpiece W through multiple injection ports and excited by the plasma gas, depositing a second thin film on the first thin film. According to one embodiment, the second precursor gas is annealed simultaneously with the formation of the second thin film. By exciting the plasma gas and simultaneously annealing the second thin film during its formation, the density of the second thin film can be improved and the properties of the ferroelectric material can be developed. This improves the efficiency and quality of the thin film manufacturing process.

[0025] [Advantageous Effects of the Embodiments] One of the advantageous effects of the present invention is that the thin film deposition equipment provided by the present invention has a technical feature in which "the first gas supply device first supplies the first precursor gas, and then the second gas supply device starts to supply the second precursor gas, and during this period the plasma generation system continues to deliver the plasma gas without shutting down", which saves the time it takes for the plasma generation system to reach a stable state after restarting, thereby improving the efficiency of the thin film production process.

[0026] One of the advantageous effects of the present invention is that the thin film deposition method provided by the present invention "continuously transports plasma gas into the reaction chamber vertically through the plasma pipe, and the plasma gas is sprayed onto the workpiece through multiple nozzles," which eliminates the need to repeatedly turn the plasma generator on and off, saving the time it takes for the plasma system to reach a stable state after restarting it, and improving the efficiency of the thin film manufacturing process.

[0027] One of the advantageous effects of the present invention is that the thin film deposition equipment provided by the present invention "uses a second precursor gas excited by a plasma gas to deposit a second thin film on the first thin film and simultaneously anneal it." After the second thin film is annealed, its density is improved and the properties of a ferroelectric material are generated, which contributes to improving the quality and efficiency of thin film deposition.

[0028] One of the advantageous effects of the present invention is that the thin film deposition method provided by the present invention employs a technical aspect in which "the second precursor gas is annealed simultaneously with the formation of the second thin film through the excitation of the plasma gas", which can improve the density of the second thin film and create the properties of a ferroelectric material, thereby improving the efficiency and quality of the thin film manufacturing process.

[0029] The above disclosure is merely a preferred embodiment of the present invention, and the scope of the claims of the present invention is not limited thereto. Therefore, any equivalent technical modifications made by utilizing the contents of the specification and drawings of the present invention are included in the scope of the claims of the present invention. [Explanation of symbols]

[0030] Z1~Z3 Thin film deposition equipment 100 ways 1. Reaction chamber 2. Career 21 Heater 3 spray heads 31 Nozzle 4. Plasma generation system 41 Plasma Generator 42 Power supply 43 Flow Module 44 Plasma duct 5. First gas supply device 6. First Pipeline 7 Second gas supply device 8 Second Pipeline D1 vertical direction D2 horizontal direction W Processing object S1~S5 process

Claims

1. a carrier having a heater; a spray head mounted on top of the carrier, having a plurality of spray nozzles and directed toward the carrier; a plasma generation system for transporting a plasma gas along a vertical direction through a plasma pipe, the plasma gas being sprayed onto the carrier through the plurality of jets; a first gas supply device that transports a first precursor gas along a horizontal direction through a first pipe; a second gas supply device that transports a second precursor gas along the vertical direction through a second pipe, and the second precursor gas is sprayed onto the carrier through the plurality of jets; During a manufacturing process, the first gas supply device first supplies the first precursor gas, and then the second gas supply device starts to supply the second precursor gas, and during the manufacturing process, the plasma generation system continues to deliver the plasma gas without being closed.

2. 2. The thin film deposition equipment according to claim 1, further comprising a workpiece placed on the carrier, wherein the heater heats the workpiece, the first precursor gas deposits a first thin film on the surface of the workpiece without being affected by the plasma gas, and the second precursor gas is excited by the plasma gas to deposit a second thin film on the first thin film and perform an annealing process at the same time.

3. The thin film deposition facility of claim 1 , wherein the plasma generation system further comprises a power source, the power source generating a bias and providing a bias field.

4. 10. The thin film deposition facility of claim 1, wherein the plasma generation system further comprises a flow module connected to the plasma line for controlling a flow rate of the plasma gas.

5. 2. The thin film deposition facility according to claim 1, wherein the amount of energy provided by the plasma generation system is 1 to 5000 W.

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