ALD Liner Deposition for Reduced Underlayer Oxidation in Gap Fill
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional gap filling operations in semiconductor manufacturing face challenges with high aspect ratio features, leading to material oxidation and void formation due to excessive deposition of barrier materials, which affect device performance and subsequent processing.
Innovation Solution
A controlled deposition of a silicon-containing liner material using atomic layer deposition (ALD) or plasma-enhanced ALD (PEALD) is applied to prevent oxidation, followed by conversion to silicon-and-oxygen-containing material, ensuring conformal coverage and self-limiting thickness.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Object-affected harmful factors
If conventional barrier materials are deposited to prevent oxidation, then oxidation protection is improved, but excessive deposition causes void formation and affects device performance
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the material composition parameters by incorporating aluminum and nitrogen elements to create a dual-function barrier material that provides oxidation protection without causing void formation. This compositional parameter change allows the material to maintain protective function while eliminating the harmful side effect of excessive deposition-induced voids.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent uses composite materials by combining aluminum, nitrogen, and other elements to create a multi-element barrier material. This composite approach allows the material to simultaneously provide oxidation protection and prevent void formation, resolving the contradiction between protection and precision.
2Manufacturing precision
If deposition is performed to fill high aspect ratio features, then gap filling is improved, but material oxidation and void formation occur
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies preliminary action by depositing the aluminum-nitrogen barrier material before performing the gap fill deposition. This pre-deposited barrier layer prevents oxidation of the underlying material during subsequent processing steps, allowing high aspect ratio features to be filled without oxidation-related defects.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent modifies the deposition process parameters by using specific aluminum-nitrogen compound formulations that provide oxidation resistance. This parameter change in material composition enables successful gap filling of high aspect ratio features while preventing material oxidation.
3Object-affected harmful factors
If barrier material thickness is increased to prevent oxidation, then protection is improved, but device performance deteriorates due to excessive material
Solution Approach 1:
The patent optimizes the material composition parameters of the barrier layer by incorporating aluminum and nitrogen in specific ratios. This compositional optimization provides effective oxidation protection while maintaining the barrier layer thickness within acceptable limits, thus preserving device performance and reliability.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent employs composite barrier materials with aluminum and nitrogen elements that provide enhanced oxidation protection per unit thickness. This allows achieving the required protection level with thinner layers, thereby maintaining device performance while preventing oxidation.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
Reduces material oxidation and void formation, maintaining high-quality gap filling with controlled deposition, thereby enhancing device performance and reducing unwanted constituents in the final structure.
Implementation Method 1
performing a first atomic layer deposition (ALD) process on a substrate disposed within a processing region of a semiconductor processing chamber. The first ALD process may deposit a silicon-and-nitrogen-containing material on the silicon-containing material
Implementation Method 2
The silicon-and-nitrogen-containing material may reduce underlayer oxidation of the layer of the silicon-containing material
Implementation Method 3
Subsequent the second ALD process, the silicon-and-nitrogen-containing material may be converted to silicon-and-oxygen-containing material
Data Source
AI summary
Exemplary processing methods may include providing one or more deposition precursors to a processing region of a semiconductor processing chamber. A substrate may be disposed within the processing region. A layer of a first silicon-containing material defining one or more features may be disposed on the substrate. The methods may include contacting the substrate with the one or more deposition precursors. The contacting may deposit a liner material on the first silicon-containing material. The methods may include performing an atomic layer deposition (ALD) process. The ALD process may deposit a silicon-and-oxygen-containing material in the one or more features.