Atomic layer treatment process using metastable radical species
The use of metastable active radical species in substrate processing systems addresses the challenge of precise control in oxidation and etching by enabling monolayer-level treatments with minimal diffusion and ion damage, ensuring uniformity and reproducibility.
Patent Information
- Application Number
- JP2024027978
- Authority / Receiving Office
- JP · JP
- Patent Type
- Patents
- Current Assignee / Owner
- Priority Date
- 2018-09-10
- Filing Date
- 2024-02-28
- Publication Date
- 2025-07-18
- Estimated Expiration
- 2039-08-30
AI Technical Summary
Conventional substrate processing systems face challenges in achieving precise control over feature sizes below 10 nm, particularly in oxidation processes where variations in oxidation thickness occur due to surface properties, leading to uncontrolled oxidation and damage from high-energy oxygen ions.
A method involving the use of metastable active radical species, such as helium plasma, to generate plasma in a separate chamber, which activates adsorbed oxygen or other gases on the substrate surface, allowing for controlled monolayer oxidation or etching by saturating the surface with treatment gases like molecular oxygen, helium, or other reactive species, and purging excess gases to prevent ion damage.
This approach enables precise control of oxidation or etching at the monolayer level, minimizing diffusion and ion damage, ensuring uniformity and reproducibility across the substrate surface.
Smart Images
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Abstract
Description
Technical Field
[0001] [Cross - Reference to Related Applications] This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 62 / 729,124, filed Sep. 10, 2018. The entire disclosure of the above - referenced application is incorporated herein by reference.
[0002] This disclosure relates to a substrate processing system, and more particularly, to a substrate processing system for performing treatment processes using metastable active radical species.
Background Art
[0003] The description of "Background Art" provided herein is intended to present the context of the present disclosure generally. The achievements of the inventors named herein within the scope described in the "Background Art" of this specification, as well as aspects of this specification that may not be considered prior art at the time of filing, are not admitted as prior art to the present disclosure, either expressly or implicitly.
[0004] A substrate processing system may be used to treat substrates such as semiconductor wafers. A substrate processing system typically includes a processing chamber, a substrate support (e.g., an electrostatic chuck), and a gas delivery system. Examples of substrate treatment include etching, deposition, photoresist removal, cleaning, etc. During processing, the substrate is placed on the substrate support, and one or more process gases may be introduced into the processing chamber by the gas delivery system. RF power may be supplied to generate a plasma that initiates a chemical reaction. An RF bias may be supplied to the substrate support to control the ion energy.
[0005] Features are defined on a substrate using deposition, etching, and other processes. As technology continues to advance, feature sizes continue to decrease. To reliably fabricate substrates with small features, it is important to perform very precise process control. Currently, feature sizes are less than 10 nm and are progressing towards 5 nm and beyond.
[0006] During some oxidation processes, there is no etch stop. Conventional methods for performing oxidation rely on oxides formed on the substrate during the oxidation process as diffusion barrier layers to reduce or stop further oxidation of the substrate. With these techniques, significant variations occur in the thickness of the oxidation depending on the properties and surface state of the materials used. For example, even if the same material is used, oxidation is less on a smooth surface compared to a rough surface. Similarly, on a porous surface, oxidation is faster and less effective in blocking diffusion compared to a material with less porosity. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0007] A method of treating an exposed surface of a substrate includes: a) purging a first chamber and a second chamber of a substrate processing system using a purge gas, with a gas distribution device disposed between the first chamber and the second chamber; b) after a), flowing a treatment gas not into the first chamber but into the second chamber to build an adsorption layer on the surface of a substrate disposed on a substrate support in the second chamber; c) stopping the flow of the treatment gas into the second chamber; d) flowing the purge gas to purge the first chamber and the second chamber; and e) generating plasma in the first chamber while flowing the purge gas into the first chamber to generate metastable active radical species, and delivering the metastable active radical species through the gas distribution device to the second chamber to surface-activate the adsorption layer.
[0008] In other features, the substrate is oxidized or etched with monolayer control. This method includes supplying a purge gas to the first chamber during b). The purge gas includes helium (He), and the treatment gas includes molecular oxygen (O2).
[0009] In other features, the purge gas is selected from the group consisting of helium (He) and molecular nitrogen (N2), and the treatment gas is selected from the group consisting of molecular oxygen (O2), hydrochloric acid (HCl), molecular chlorine (Cl2), nitrogen trifluoride (NF3), and molecular hydrogen (H2).
[0010] This method includes etching the substrate by selecting a treatment gas from the group consisting of molecular chlorine (Cl2), nitrogen trifluoride (NF3), and molecular hydrogen (H2), and controlling the temperature of the substrate during treatment to a predetermined temperature lower than the etching reaction temperature of the selected treatment gas.
[0011] In other features, metastable active radical species activate the surface of the adsorption layer.
[0012] In other features, a) to f) are repeated one or more times. During f), there is no treatment gas in the first chamber and the second chamber. A predetermined amount of treatment gas is supplied during b).
[0013] A substrate processing system for selectively etching a substrate includes a first chamber and a second chamber including a substrate support. A gas delivery system selectively supplies at least one of a purge gas and a treatment gas to the first chamber and the second chamber. A plasma generation system selectively generates plasma in the first chamber. A gas distribution device defines a plenum and includes a first plurality of through holes from an upper surface to a lower surface of the gas distribution device and a second plurality of through holes from the plenum to the lower surface. A controller is configured to a) flow a purge gas to purge the first chamber and the second chamber, b) after a), flow a treatment gas to the plenum to construct an adsorption layer on the surface of the substrate, c) stop the flow of the treatment gas, d) flow a purge gas to purge the first chamber and the second chamber, e) generate plasma in the first chamber while flowing the purge gas to the first chamber to generate metastable active radical species, and deliver the metastable active radical species to the second chamber through the gas distribution device.
[0014] In other features, the controller is configured to select helium (He) as the purge gas and molecular oxygen (O2) as the treatment gas. The controller is configured to select the purge gas from the group consisting of helium (He) and molecular nitrogen (N2), and the treatment gas from the group consisting of molecular oxygen (O2), hydrochloric acid (HCl), molecular chlorine (Cl2), nitrogen trifluoride (NF3), and molecular hydrogen (H2).
[0015] In other features, the controller is configured to etch the substrate by selecting the treatment gas from the group consisting of molecular chlorine (Cl2), nitrogen trifluoride (NF3), and molecular hydrogen (H2), and controlling the temperature of the substrate during treatment to a predetermined temperature lower than the etching reaction temperature of the selected treatment gas.
[0016] In other features, metastable active radical species activate the surface of the adsorption layer. The controller is configured to repeat a) to e) one or more times. During e), there is no treatment gas in the first chamber and the second chamber. The controller is configured to supply a predetermined amount of treatment gas during b). The controller is configured to supply a purge gas to the first chamber during b).
[0017] Further applicable areas of the present disclosure will become apparent from the "Detailed Description", the "Claims", and the drawings. The "Detailed Description" and the specific examples are for illustrative purposes only and are not intended to limit the scope of the disclosure.
Brief Description of the Drawings
[0018] The present disclosure will be more fully understood from the detailed description and the accompanying drawings.
[0019]
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[0025] In the drawings, reference numbers may be reused to identify similar and / or identical elements.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
[0026] The systems and methods according to the present disclosure relate to substrate treatment including oxidation or etching with control at the monolayer level. Oxygen plasma or oxygen downstream plasma may be used for the oxidation treatment of the surface of the substrate. Direct oxygen plasma contains high-energy oxygen ions that can damage the surface of the substrate. The porous material of the substrate is severely damaged. In other processes, attempts have been made to filter oxygen ions using remote plasma or downstream plasma. However, some ions still pass through the filter and damage the substrate.
[0027] Oxygen plasma supplies highly reactive oxygen radicals that rapidly oxidize the surface. It is very difficult to control the uniformity across the entire substrate and maintain reproducibility from substrate to substrate. The oxidizing species are often supplied in excess by the oxygen plasma, which leads to uncontrolled oxidation and damage to sensitive surfaces. If there are several types of exposed materials on the surface of the substrate and the oxidation behavior of the materials differs due to variations in local consumption limited by the transport rate of the chemical species, the loading effect becomes significant.
[0028] The systems and methods according to the present disclosure relate to a process for oxidizing or etching the surface of a substrate at the monolayer level with precise control. Oxidation or etching is limited to the rate of one monolayer at a time by the adsorbed oxygen. For example, diffusion is minimized by using downstream He radicals to activate oxygen only on the upper surface of the substrate. Advantages include oxidation at the monolayer level, minimization of diffusion, no ion damage, and precise oxidation control. In some examples, the process includes atomic layer treatments using molecular oxygen (O2) and helium (He), although other treatments are described herein.
[0029] In other examples, the exposed surface of the substrate can be etched at the monolayer level using the systems and methods described herein. For example, the treatment gas may include HCl, and metastable active radical species are used to activate chlorine on the surface to etch the monolayer. In other examples, Cl2, NF3, or H2 is adsorbed on the surface of the substrate at a temperature lower than the etching reaction temperature (e.g., less than about 300 °C for Cl2 or NF3, less than about 400 °C for H2). Metastable active radical species are used to activate chlorine, fluorine, or hydrogen species adsorbed on the surface for monolayer etching.
[0030] An example is shown in FIGS. 1A - 1D. In FIG. 1A, a substrate 12 is disposed on a substrate support within a processing chamber. In some examples, the substrate includes an exposed low - k dielectric layer and an exposed atomic layer deposition (ALD) silicon nitride (Si3N4) layer. A flow of He is supplied through the gas distribution device 10 to purge the processing chamber. In FIG. 1B, after the purge is performed, a predetermined amount of treatment gas, such as O2, is supplied by the gas distribution device 10. By way of example only, 100 - 10,000 standard cubic centimeters per minute (sccm) of O2 (e.g., 1000 sccm) is supplied over 1 - 100 seconds (e.g., 10 seconds) to enable O2 saturation and O2 adsorption on the surface of the substrate.
[0031] In FIG. 1C, after sufficient O2 is supplied, the treatment gas (O2) is shut off and the processing chamber is purged with high - flow He to remove residual O2 within the chamber. In some examples, 2500 - 20,000 (sccm) (e.g., 5000 sccm) of He is supplied over 5 - 60 seconds (e.g., 10 seconds). At this point, no plasma is generated. In FIG. 1D, the plasma is turned on after the He purge. Quasi - stable active radical species He* are used to activate the adsorbed O2 and oxidize the monolayer on the surface. This process can be repeated one or more times as needed. As can be understood, the low - k dielectric film has negligible loss after oxidation of the ALD SiN film, while in other methods, a loss of about 100 angstroms of the low - k dielectric film may occur.
[0032] The advantages described above include controlled and minimized oxidation (approximately one monolayer) per cycle. Since the plasma does not contain oxygen (e.g., He plasma is used), damage by oxygen ions is eliminated. Since the monolayer of oxygen is saturated across the entire substrate surface, good uniformity is obtained. This process enables precise control of the amount of oxidation by varying the number of cycles.
[0033] The aforementioned process is differentiated by several factors. While oxygen is supplied at a fixed flow rate below the gas distribution device, purge gas flows into the first chamber (and optionally the second chamber). This approach prevents the back-diffusion of excessive oxygen into the ICP plasma region, which may generate oxygen ions and cause ion damage. Oxygen is adsorbed at the monolayer level on the surface of the substrate, and the remaining oxygen in the processing chamber is purged. This approach results in a uniform coating of treatment gas, such as oxygen, across the entire surface of the substrate. The surface dose of oxygen is self-limiting based on the desorption rate.
[0034] Only He plasma is generated above the gas distribution device. Therefore, only neutral He* radicals move downstream and reach the surface of the substrate. The adsorbed oxygen is locally surface-activated on the surface of the substrate by the He* radicals, and the oxygen oxidizes the underlying substrate surface. The oxygen dose depends on adsorption. This process is less sensitive to density fluctuations or loading effects due to various materials being simultaneously exposed.
[0035] As can be understood, the aforementioned example relates to an oxidation treatment using He* radicals, but other treatments using other treatment gases can be implemented. In some examples, the purge gas may include molecular nitrogen (N2), or another inert gas, such as argon (Ar), neon (Ne), krypton (Kr), xenon (Xe), and mixtures thereof. Other treatment gases for etching a monolayer include hydrochloric acid (HCl), molecular chlorine (Cl2), nitrogen trifluoride (NF3), and molecular hydrogen (H2), as further described below.
[0036] Referring now to FIG. 2, an exemplary substrate processing system 50 for selectively treating the surface of a substrate is shown. The substrate processing system 50 includes a plasma source 51 and a substrate support 52 such as an electrostatic chuck, pedestal, or other type of substrate support. In some examples, the plasma source 51 includes an ICP source. As can be appreciated, the plasma source 51 may include other suitable plasma sources such as a CCP, ECR, or microwave plasma source.
[0037] During processing, a substrate 54 is disposed on the substrate support 52. In some examples, the substrate support 52 is temperature controlled (heated and / or cooled) using one or more temperature control elements (TCEs) 55 such as a resistive heater 56, coolant channels 58, or other types of thermal control devices. The substrate support 52 may include a single temperature control zone or multiple temperature control zones that are individually controlled.
[0038] In some examples, the substrate processing system 50 includes an upper chamber 60. In some examples, the upper chamber 60 has a dome shape, although other shapes can be used. When ICP plasma is used, a coil 64 is disposed around the outer surface of the upper chamber 60. A gas injector 68 injects plasma gas into the upper chamber 60.
[0039] The gas distribution device 84 includes a first plurality of through holes 86 that pass from the upper surface of the gas distribution device 84 to the bottom surface of the gas distribution device 84. The gas distribution device 84 also includes a plenum 85 and a second plurality of through holes 83 that pass from the plenum 85 to the bottom surface of the gas distribution device 84. The first plurality of through holes 86 are not in fluid communication with the plenum 85.
[0040] When ICP plasma is used, the RF generation system 87 generates RF power and outputs it to the coil 64. By way of example only, the RF generation system 87 may include an RF generator 88 that generates RF power, and the RF power is supplied to the coil 64 by a matching network 89.
[0041] The gas delivery system 90-1 includes one or more gas sources 92-1, 92-2, …, and 92-N (collectively referred to as gas source 92), where N is an integer greater than zero. The gas source 92 is connected to the manifold 98 by valves 94-1, 94-2, …, and 94-N (collectively referred to as valves 94) and mass flow controllers 96-1, 96-2, …, and 96-N (collectively referred to as mass flow controllers 96). Another gas delivery system 90-2 may be used to deliver the treatment gas to the plenum 85 of the gas distribution device 84.
[0042] A temperature controller 106 may be connected to the TCE 55 such as the resistance heater 56. The temperature controller 63 may communicate with one or more temperature sensors (not shown) that sense the temperature of the substrate support or the substrate and the temperature of the coolant controller 108 to control the flow of the coolant through the coolant channel 58. For example, the coolant controller 108 may include a coolant pump, a reservoir, and / or one or more temperature sensors (not shown). Valves 130 and pumps 132 may be used to control the pressure in the processing chamber and discharge reactants therefrom. As shown in FIG. 2, a system controller 140 may be used to control the components of the substrate processing system 10.
[0043] The systems and methods according to the present disclosure utilize an inert gas to generate a high density of metastable radical active species to generate plasma. The metastable radical active species transfer chemical energy high enough to excite other active radical species deposited as a monolayer on the surface of the substrate 54.
[0044] In some examples, the process is operated at an ICP power in the range of 500 W to 5 kW using an ICP chamber. In some examples, the RF power applied to the induction coil is 13.56 MHz, but other frequencies can be used. In some examples, the process is carried out in a chamber pressure range of 10 mTorr to 10 Torr.
[0045] Referring now to FIG. 3, the gas distribution device 200 includes a dual gas plenum 202 for delivering a treatment gas species and an excited gas species including a metastable radical species according to the present disclosure. The dual gas plenum 202 delivers a mixture of the treatment gas and the metastable radical species to the lower chamber without mixing them in the upper chamber.
[0046] In some examples, the process temperature ranges from 75°C to 400°C, although other process temperatures may be used. In some examples, the process temperature ranges from 100°C to 200°C, although other process temperatures may be used.
[0047] The gas distribution device 200 includes an upper flange 204, a side wall 206, and a bottom surface 208 (forming the upper surface of the dual gas plenum 202). The dual gas plenum 202 includes a gas inlet 210 for receiving the treatment gas.
[0048] The dual gas plenum 202 defines an annular channel 220 and a connection channel 224. The connection channel 224 extends across the inner portion of the bottom surface 208 between both sides of the annular channel 220. The annular channel 220 may be formed at a location between the side wall 206 and the bottom surface 208. The annular channel 220 and the connection channel 224 are in fluid communication with the gas inlet 210. The treatment gas mixture flows through the annular channel 220 into the connection channel 224. The downward-facing through holes shown in FIG. 5 direct the treatment gas mixture from the connection channel 224 into the lower chamber towards the substrate.
[0049] The region 228 located between the connection channels 224 includes a plurality of through holes 230 passing through the bottom surface 208. As can be understood, only some of the plurality of through holes 230 are shown for purposes of illustration and clarity. In some examples, the plurality of through holes 230 have a circular cross-section and uniform spacing, although other cross-sections and / or non-uniform spacing can be used. In some examples, the plurality of through holes 232 have a diameter in the range of 3 mm to 10 mm, although other diameters may be used.
[0050] Referring to FIGS. 4-5 here, a cross-sectional view of the bottom surface 208 of the dual gas plenum 202 is shown. In FIG. 4, a first cross-sectional view taken along the connection channel 224 is shown. The treatment gas is supplied to an annular channel 220 that supplies the treatment gas to the connection channel 224. The plurality of through holes 232 fluidly connect the connection channel 224 to the lower chamber. In some examples, the plurality of through holes 232 have diameters in the range of 0.1 mm to 1 mm, although other diameters may be used. The plurality of through holes 232 can be positioned along the connection channel 224 at uniform or non-uniform intervals.
[0051] In FIG. 5, a second cross-sectional view taken through the region 228 is shown. The plurality of through holes 230 pass through the bottom surface 208 from the upper chamber to the lower chamber. As can be seen from the figure, the flow paths of the excitation gas species and the treatment gas species are separated until they reach the lower chamber.
[0052] An additional example of a gas distribution device can be found in U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 20180174870-A1 by the same applicant entitled "SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR METASTABLE ACTIVATED RADICAL SELECTIVE STRIP AND ETCH USING DUAL PLENUM SHOWERHEAD", filed on Dec. 18, 2017, which is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety. As described herein, the first plurality of through holes can provide an indirect path to prevent a line of sight from the upper chamber to the lower chamber, and / or a light-shielding structure may be used between the plasma and the gas distribution device if required for a particular application. In some examples, a purge gas is supplied while the treatment gas is supplied to create a positive pressure and prevent the treatment gas from flowing into the upper chamber.
[0053] Referring now to FIG. 6, a method 600 for treating a substrate is shown. At 604, a substrate is placed within a processing chamber. At 608, a purge gas, such as He, is supplied to purge the processing chamber for a predetermined period. At 610, after purging, a predetermined amount of treatment gas is supplied to enable saturation and adsorption on the surface of the substrate. In some examples, the treatment gas is selected from molecular oxygen (O2), hydrochloric acid (HCl), molecular chlorine (Cl2), nitrogen trifluoride (NF3), and molecular hydrogen (H2). By way of example only, 1000 sccm of O2 is supplied for 10 seconds to enable O2 saturation and O2 adsorption on the surface of the substrate. A purge gas can be supplied to prevent back-diffusion of oxygen into the upper chamber.
[0054] After sufficient O2 has been supplied, at 614 the treatment gas (O2) is shut off and the processing chamber is purged with high-flow He to remove residual O2 within the processing chamber. In some examples, 5000 sccm of He is supplied for 10 seconds. At 618, plasma is turned on after purging. Metastable active radical species are used to activate the O2 adsorbed on the surface of the substrate and oxidize the surface. At 622, this process can be repeated one or more times to adjust the thickness of the oxide layer with monolayer control.
[0055] In other examples, the exposed surface of the substrate can be etched at the monolayer level using the systems and methods described herein. For example, the treatment gas can include HCl, and metastable active radical species are used to activate chlorine to etch the monolayer. In other examples, Cl2, NF3, or H2 is adsorbed onto the surface of the substrate at a temperature lower than the etching reaction temperature (e.g., less than about 300° C. for Cl2 or NF3, less than about 400° C. for H2), and then metastable active radical species are used to activate chlorine, fluorine, or hydrogen on the surface to perform controlled etching of the monolayer.
[0056] The foregoing description is merely illustrative in nature and is in no way intended to limit the present disclosure, its application, or its use. The broad teachings of the present disclosure can be implemented in a variety of forms. Accordingly, while this disclosure includes particular examples, it will be apparent to those reviewing the drawings, the specification, and the following claims that other modifications are possible. The true scope of the present disclosure should not be so limited since other modifications will become apparent upon consideration of the drawings, the specification, and the following claims. One or more steps in a method may be performed in a different order (or concurrently) without changing the principles of the present disclosure. Further, each of the embodiments is described as having certain features, but any one or more of these features described with respect to any embodiment of the present disclosure can be implemented in any of the other embodiments and / or combined with any of the features of any of the other embodiments, and such combinations need not be explicitly described. In other words, the described embodiments are not mutually exclusive, and rearranging the order of one or more of the embodiments remains within the scope of the present disclosure.
[0057] Spatial and functional relationships between elements (e.g., between modules, between circuit elements, between semiconductor layers, etc.) are described using various terms including "connected," "engaged," "coupled," "adjacent," "next to," "above," "over," "below," "disposed." Unless explicitly stated to be "direct," when the relationship between a first element and a second element is described in the disclosure above, that relationship can be a direct relationship with no other intervening elements between the first and second elements, but can also be an indirect relationship with one or more intervening elements (either spatially or functionally) between the first and second elements. As used herein, the phrase "at least one of A, B, and C" should be construed to mean a logical OR using non-exclusive logic (A OR B OR C), and should not be construed to mean "at least one of A, at least one of B, and at least one of C."
[0058] In some implementations, the controller may be part of a system that may be part of the above-described embodiments. Such a system may comprise a semiconductor processing apparatus including processing tool(s), chamber(s), processing platform(s), and / or specific processing components (such as wafer pedestals, gas flow systems, etc.). These systems may be incorporated into electronics for controlling operations before, during, and after the processing of semiconductor wafers or substrates. The electronics may be referred to as a "controller" that may control various components or sub-components of the system(s). The controller may, depending on the processing requirements and / or the type of system, control any of the processes disclosed herein, including delivery of processing gases, temperature setting (e.g., heating and / or cooling), pressure setting, vacuum setting, power setting, radio frequency (RF) generator setting, RF matching circuit setting, frequency setting, flow rate setting, fluid delivery setting, position and operation setting, tools and other transfer tools connected to or interfacing with a particular system, and / or wafer transfer in and out of a load lock.
[0059] Broadly speaking, a controller may be defined as an electronic device having various integrated circuits, logic, memory, and / or software, which receives instructions, issues instructions, controls operations, enables cleaning operations, and enables endpoint measurements. The integrated circuits may include a chip in the form of firmware that stores program instructions, a digital signal processor (DSP), a chip defined as an application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC), and / or one or more microprocessors, or a microcontroller that executes program instructions (e.g., software). The program instructions are instructions communicated to the controller in the form of various individual settings (or program files) that may define operating parameters for performing a particular process on or for a semiconductor wafer or for the system. In some embodiments, the operating parameters may be part of a recipe defined by a process engineer to implement one or more processing steps during the fabrication of one or more layers, materials, metals, oxides, silicon, silicon dioxide, surfaces, circuits, and / or wafer dies.
[0060] In some implementations, the controller may be part of a computer that is incorporated into, coupled to, or network-connected to the system, or a combination thereof. For example, the controller may be within the "cloud" or may be all or part of a fab host computer system, thereby enabling remote access to wafer processing. The computer can enable remote access to the system, monitor the current progress of manufacturing operations, investigate the history of past manufacturing operations, investigate trends or performance metrics from multiple manufacturing operations, change the parameters of the current process, set the processing steps following the current process, or initiate a new process. In some examples, a remote computer (e.g., a server) can provide a process recipe to the system via a network that can include a local network or the Internet. The remote computer may include a user interface that enables input or programming of parameters and / or settings, and the parameters and / or settings are then communicated from the remote computer to the system. In some examples, the controller receives instructions in a data format that specifies parameters for each processing step to be performed during one or more operations. It should be understood that the parameters may be specific to the type of process being performed and the type of tool that the controller is configured to interface with or control. Thus, as described above, the controller may comprise one or more individual controllers that are networked together and may be distributed, such as by operating together towards a common purpose such as the processes and controls described herein. An example of a distributed controller for such a purpose may be one or more integrated circuits on a chamber in communication with one or more integrated circuits located remotely (e.g., at the platform level or as part of a remote computer), which are combined to control the process in the chamber.
[0061] While not being limiting, exemplary systems may include a plasma etching chamber or module, a deposition chamber or module, a spin rinse chamber or module, a metal plating chamber or module, a cleaning chamber or module, a bevel edge etching chamber or module, a physical vapor deposition (PVD) chamber or module, a chemical vapor deposition (CVD) chamber or module, an atomic layer deposition (ALD) chamber or module, an atomic layer etching (ALE) chamber or module, an ion implantation chamber or module, a track chamber or module, and any other semiconductor processing system that may be associated with or used in the fabrication and / or manufacture of semiconductor wafers.
[0062] As described above, depending on the process steps performed by the tool, the controller may communicate with one or more of other tool circuits or modules, other tool components, cluster tools, other tool interfaces, adjacent tools, neighboring tools, tools located throughout the factory, main computers, other controllers, or tools used for material transport to and from wafer containers at tool locations and / or load ports within a semiconductor manufacturing facility. The present disclosure includes the following application examples. [Application Example 1] A method for treating an exposed surface of a substrate, comprising: a) purging a first chamber and a second chamber of a substrate processing system using a purge gas, wherein a gas distribution device is disposed between the first chamber and the second chamber; b) after a) above, flowing a treatment gas not into the first chamber but into the second chamber to form an adsorption layer on the surface of a substrate disposed on a substrate support in the second chamber; c) stopping the flow of the treatment gas into the second chamber; d) flowing the purge gas to purge the first chamber and the second chamber; e) generating plasma in the first chamber while flowing the purge gas into the first chamber to generate metastable active radical species, and delivering the metastable active radical species to the second chamber through the gas distribution device to surface-activate the adsorption layer. [Application Example 2] The method according to Application Example 1, wherein the substrate is oxidized or etched with monolayer control. [Application Example 3] The method according to Application Example 1, further comprising supplying the purge gas to the first chamber during b). [Application Example 4] The method according to Application Example 1, wherein the purge gas contains helium (He), and the treatment gas contains molecular oxygen (O 2 ). [Application Example 5] The method according to Application Example 1, wherein the purge gas is selected from the group consisting of helium (He) and molecular nitrogen (N 2), and the treatment gas is selected from the group consisting of molecular oxygen (O 2 ), hydrochloric acid (HCl), molecular chlorine (Cl 2 ), nitrogen trifluoride (NF 3 ), and molecular hydrogen (H 2 ). [Application Example 6] The method according to Application Example 1, selecting the treatment gas from the group consisting of molecular chlorine (Cl 2 ), nitrogen trifluoride (NF 3 ), and molecular hydrogen (H 2 ), and etching the substrate by controlling the temperature of the substrate during treatment to a predetermined temperature lower than the etching reaction temperature of the selected treatment gas. [Application Example 7] The method according to Application Example 1, wherein the metastable active radical species surface-activates the adsorption layer. [Application Example 8] The method according to Application Example 1, wherein said a) to said f) are repeated one or more times. [Application Example 9] The method according to Application Example 1, wherein during said f), the treatment gas is not present in the first chamber and the second chamber. [Application Example 10] The method according to Application Example 1, wherein a predetermined amount of the treatment gas is supplied during said b). [Application Example 11] A substrate processing system for selectively etching a substrate, comprising: a first chamber; a second chamber including a substrate support; a gas delivery system for selectively supplying at least one of a purge gas and a treatment gas to the first chamber and the second chamber; a plasma generation system for selectively generating plasma in the first chamber; a gas distribution device disposed between the first chamber and the second chamber, defining a plenum, and including a first plurality of through holes from an upper surface of the gas distribution device to a lower surface thereof, and a second plurality of through holes from the plenum to the lower surface; a controller, a) flowing the purge gas to purge the first chamber and the second chamber; b) after said a), flowing the treatment gas into the plenum to form an adsorption layer on the surface of the substrate; c) stopping the flow of the treatment gas; d) flowing the purge gas to purge the first chamber and the second chamber; e) generating quasi-stable active radical species by generating plasma in the first chamber while flowing the purge gas into the first chamber, and delivering the quasi-stable active radical species to the second chamber through the gas distribution device. A substrate processing system comprising a controller configured as such. [Application Example 12] The substrate processing system according to Application Example 11, wherein the controller is configured to supply helium (He) as the purge gas and molecular oxygen (O 2 ) as the treatment gas. [Application Example 13] The substrate processing system according to Application Example 11, wherein the controller selects the purge gas from the group consisting of helium (He) and molecular nitrogen (N 2 ), and molecular oxygen (O 2 ), hydrogen chloride acid (HCl), molecular chlorine (Cl 2 ), nitrogen trifluoride (NF 3 ), and molecular hydrogen (H 2 ) and select the treatment gas from the group consisting of, a substrate processing system configured to do so. [Application Example 14] The substrate processing system according to Application Example 11, wherein the controller selects the treatment gas from the group consisting of molecular chlorine (Cl 2 ), nitrogen trifluoride (NF 3 ), and molecular hydrogen (H 2 ), and etches the substrate by controlling the temperature of the substrate being treated to a predetermined temperature lower than the etching reaction temperature of the selected treatment gas. A substrate processing system configured to do so. [Application Example 15] The substrate processing system according to Application Example 11, wherein the metastable active radical species surface-activates the adsorption layer. [Application Example 16] The substrate processing system according to Application Example 11, wherein the controller is configured to repeat a) to e) one or more times. [Application Example 17] The substrate processing system according to Application Example 11, wherein during e), no treatment gas is present in the first chamber and the second chamber. [Application Example 18] The substrate processing system according to Application Example 11, wherein the controller is configured to supply a predetermined amount of the treatment gas during b). [Application Example 19] The substrate processing system according to Application Example 11, wherein the controller is configured to supply the purge gas to the first chamber during b).
Claims
1. A method for treating an exposed surface of a substrate, comprising: a) purging a first chamber and a second chamber separated by a gas distribution device; b) supplying a treatment gas through the gas distribution device to the second chamber to form an adsorption layer on the surface of the substrate disposed on a substrate support within the second chamber; c) supplying a purge gas to the first chamber and the second chamber; d) generating plasma in the first chamber and delivering metastable active radical species through the gas distribution device to the second chamber; e) etching the substrate by controlling the temperature of the substrate during treatment to a predetermined temperature lower than the etching reaction temperature of the treatment gas.
2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the substrate is oxidized or etched with monolayer control.
3. The method according to claim 1, further comprising supplying the purge gas to the first chamber during b).
4. The method according to claim 1, wherein the purge gas contains helium (He), and the treatment gas contains molecular oxygen (O 2 ).
5. The method according to claim 1, wherein the purge gas is selected from the group consisting of helium (He) and molecular nitrogen (N 2 ), and the treatment gas is molecular oxygen (O 2 ), hydrochloric acid (HCl), molecular chlorine (Cl 2 ), nitrogen trifluoride (NF 3 ), and molecular hydrogen (H 2 ), and is selected from the group consisting of).
6. The method according to claim 1, The treatment gas is further selected from the group consisting of molecular chlorine (Cl 2 ), nitrogen trifluoride (NF 3 ), and molecular hydrogen (H 2 ).
7. The method according to claim 1, wherein the metastable active radical species surface-activate the adsorption layer.
8. The method according to claim 1, wherein a) to d) are repeated one or more times.
9. The method according to claim 1, wherein during d), the treatment gas is not present in the first chamber and the second chamber.
10. The method according to claim 1, wherein a predetermined amount of the treatment gas is supplied during b).
11. A substrate processing system for selectively etching a substrate, comprising: a first chamber; a second chamber including a substrate support for supporting the substrate; a gas distribution device disposed between the first chamber and the second chamber, defining a plenum and including a first plurality of through holes from an upper surface to a lower surface of the gas distribution device and a second plurality of through holes from the plenum to the lower surface; a gas delivery system for selectively supplying a purge gas to the first chamber and a treatment gas to the gas distribution device; a plasma generation system for selectively generating plasma in the first chamber; a controller, a) flowing the purge gas to purge the first chamber and the second chamber; b) flowing the treatment gas into the plenum to form an adsorption layer on the surface of the substrate; c) flowing the purge gas to purge the first chamber and the second chamber; d) generating plasma in the first chamber and delivering metastable active radical species to the second chamber through the gas distribution device; e) a controller configured to control the temperature of the substrate being processed to a predetermined temperature lower than the etching reaction temperature of the treatment gas, a substrate processing system comprising the controller.
12. The substrate processing system according to claim 11, wherein the controller supplies helium (He) as the purge gas and supplies molecular oxygen (O 2 ),) as the treatment gas, and is configured as a substrate processing system.
13. The substrate processing system according to claim 11, wherein the controller is configured to select the purge gas from the group consisting of helium (He) and molecular nitrogen (N 2 ), and the treatment gas from the group consisting of molecular oxygen (O 2 ), hydrochloric acid (HCl), molecular chlorine (Cl 2 ), nitrogen trifluoride (NF 3 ), and molecular hydrogen (H 2 ).
14. The substrate processing system according to claim 11, wherein the controller The processing gas is configured to be selected from the group consisting of molecular chlorine (Cl 2 ), nitrogen trifluoride (NF 3 ), and molecular hydrogen (H 2 ), a substrate processing system.
15. The substrate processing system according to claim 11, wherein the metastable active radical species surface-activate the adsorption layer.
16. The substrate processing system according to claim 11, wherein the controller is configured to repeat a) to d) one or more times.
17. The substrate processing system according to claim 11, wherein during d), the treatment gas is not present in the first chamber and the second chamber.
18. The substrate processing system according to claim 11, wherein the controller is configured to supply a predetermined amount of the treatment gas during b).
19. The substrate processing system according to claim 11, wherein the controller is configured to supply the purge gas to the first chamber during b).
20. The method according to claim 1, further comprising stopping the flow of the treatment gas before c).
21. The substrate processing system according to claim 11, wherein the controller is configured to stop the flow of the treatment gas before c).
22. The substrate processing system according to claim 11, wherein the controller is configured to oxidize or etch the substrate with monolayer control.