Selective Silicon Oxide Deposition via Catalyst Mediation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current semiconductor manufacturing processes face challenges in achieving selective deposition of silicon oxide materials, particularly due to the need for low precursor reactivity for selectivity, while high-reactivity oxygen precursors like ozone are required for silicon oxide formation, making thermal silicon oxide-based deposition processes difficult.
Innovation Solution
A cyclic deposition method involving a substrate in a reaction chamber with a metal or metalloid catalyst and alkoxy silane and oxygen precursors, where a passivation agent can be used to selectively passivate surfaces, allowing for selective deposition of silicon and oxygen-comprising material on specific surfaces with high selectivity.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Manufacturing precision
If low reactivity precursors are used for selective deposition, then selectivity is improved, but deposition rate and efficiency deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The invention changes the chemical parameters of the deposition process by using metal or metalloid catalysts (such as aluminum, gallium, indium, or their compounds) to enable selective deposition with moderate reactivity precursors. The catalyst modifies the reaction conditions on the surface, allowing selective deposition without requiring extremely low reactivity precursors, thus balancing selectivity and deposition rate.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention introduces a catalyst as an intermediary substance that facilitates the selective deposition reaction. The catalyst (metal or metalloid compound) acts as a mediator between the precursor and the substrate surface, enabling selective material deposition on specific surfaces while maintaining reasonable deposition rates without requiring the precursor to have very low reactivity.
2Productivity
If high reactivity oxygen precursors like ozone are used for silicon oxide formation, then deposition efficiency is improved, but selectivity control becomes difficult
Solution Approach 1:
The invention changes the oxygen precursor from high reactivity ozone to alternative oxygen sources (such as water, hydrogen peroxide, or oxygen plasma) that can be controlled more precisely. This parameter change allows maintaining deposition efficiency while improving selectivity control through better reactivity management and surface-specific reaction control.
Solution Approach 2:
The catalyst serves as an intermediary that enables controlled oxygen incorporation during deposition. The metal or metalloid catalyst mediates the oxygen precursor reaction on the substrate surface, allowing efficient silicon oxide formation while maintaining selectivity by controlling where the oxygen reaction occurs based on catalyst distribution.
3Manufacturing precision
If conventional patterning steps are used for material deposition, then material placement precision is improved, but process complexity and cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
The invention extracts the selectivity function from the conventional patterning process by using catalyst-based selective deposition. Instead of relying on multiple patterning steps to achieve selective material placement, the selectivity is built into the deposition process itself through catalyst distribution, removing unnecessary patterning steps and reducing overall process complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention performs preliminary action by pre-distributing the catalyst on the substrate surface before deposition. This preliminary catalyst patterning enables selective material placement during deposition without requiring subsequent patterning steps, simplifying the overall manufacturing process while maintaining precise material placement.
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 efficient and selective deposition of silicon and oxygen-comprising materials, such as silicon oxide, with high selectivity (>50%) on specific surfaces, reducing processing steps and costs, and enhancing scaling in narrow structures.
Implementation Method 1
providing a metal or metalloid catalyst to the reaction chamber in a vapor phase... providing a silicon precursor comprising an alkoxy silane compound into the reaction chamber in a vapor phase... to form silicon and oxygen-comprising material on the first surface
Implementation Method 2
providing a passivation agent into the reaction chamber in a vapor phase to selectively passivate the second surface before providing a metal or metalloid catalyst into the reaction chamber
Data Source
AI summary
The present disclosure relates to methods and apparatuses for selectively depositing silicon and oxygen-comprising material on a first surface of a substrate relative to a second surface of the substrate by a cyclic deposition process, the method comprising providing a substrate in a reaction chamber; providing a metal or metalloid catalyst to the reaction chamber in a vapor phase; providing a silicon precursor comprising an alkoxy silane compound into the reaction chamber in a vapor phase; and providing an oxygen precursor comprising oxygen and hydrogen into the reaction chamber in vapor phase to form silicon and oxygen-comprising material on the first surface. The disclosure further relates to vapor deposition assemblies.