Boron Nitride Film Deposition With Borazine and Nitrogen Plasma
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current film forming methods struggle to efficiently form boron nitride films at low temperatures, often requiring high temperatures and specific plasma conditions, which can be limiting for substrate compatibility and film quality.
Innovation Solution
A film forming method involving the sequential supply of borazine-based gas and nitrogen plasma to a substrate, where the nitrogen plasma generates active nitrogen groups on the substrate surface, allowing for the low-temperature adsorption and deposition of borazine-based gas, forming a boron nitride film through repeated cycles of borazine gas supply and nitrogen plasma exposure.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Temperature
If conventional film forming methods are used to form boron nitride films, then film formation is achieved, but high temperatures are required which limits substrate compatibility
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the chemical parameters of the film formation process by using borazine-based gas with a cyclic skeleton structure instead of conventional boron-containing gases. This parameter change enables low-temperature film formation (below 400°C) while maintaining film quality, thereby improving substrate compatibility without sacrificing film forming capability
Solution Approach 2:
The patent employs a composite approach by combining borazine-based gas (containing B-N bonds) with hydrogen gas or other modifying gases. This composite gas system enables controlled film formation at low temperatures while maintaining the desired film properties, resolving the contradiction between temperature reduction and film quality maintenance
2Ease of operation
If conventional plasma conditions are used for boron nitride film formation, then film deposition is achieved, but specific plasma conditions are required which limits process flexibility
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the plasma process parameters by using borazine-based gas which inherently contains B-N bonds. This allows film formation under milder plasma conditions (lower power, lower temperature) compared to conventional methods, thereby improving process flexibility while maintaining film quality through the stable cyclic skeleton structure of borazine
3Temperature
If low temperature film formation is attempted with conventional methods, then substrate compatibility improves, but film quality and growth rate deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the chemical composition parameter by using borazine-based gas with a stable cyclic skeleton. This parameter change enables the gas to decompose and form high-quality boron nitride films at low temperatures, overcoming the limitation of conventional methods where low temperature leads to poor film quality
Solution Approach 2:
The borazine-based gas is designed with pre-formed B-N bonds in a cyclic structure. This preliminary structural arrangement allows the gas to directly deposit as boron nitride film without requiring high-temperature rearrangement reactions, thereby achieving both low temperature processing and high film quality simultaneously
4Productivity
If high temperature processing is used to improve film growth rate, then productivity increases, but substrate damage and film stress increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the chemical reactivity parameter by using borazine-based gas which has optimized bond energy in its cyclic structure. This allows the gas to decompose at lower temperatures with controlled reaction kinetics, achieving adequate film growth rates without the substrate damage and stress associated with high-temperature processing
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
This method enables the formation of high-quality boron nitride films at low temperatures, improving substrate compatibility and film properties such as relative permittivity, growth rate, bonding state, orientability, and etching resistance, while maintaining the integrity of the borazine cyclic skeleton.
Implementation Method 1
exposing the substrate to a nitrogen plasma
Implementation Method 2
The nitrogen plasma generates active nitrogen groups on the substrate surface, allowing for the low-temperature adsorption and deposition of borazine-based gas
Implementation Method 3
supplying borazine-based gas to a substrate, thereby adsorbing the borazine-based gas to the substrate
Data Source
AI summary
A film forming method includes performing a process including a) and b) a plurality of times, with a) being performed before b) in the process: a) supplying borazine-based gas to a substrate, thereby adsorbing the borazine-based gas to the substrate and b) exposing the substrate to a nitrogen plasma.