Cyclic Silicon Thin Film Deposition for Step Coverage
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Solution Overview
Problem
The challenge lies in forming a thin insulating film with excellent film properties and step coverage for highly integrated semiconductor devices, as thinner films often degrade in insulation characteristics and struggle with achieving fine structures and good step coverage.
Innovation Solution
A method involving the repeated deposition and purge of silicon thin films in a plasma atmosphere, using silicon precursors and reaction gases like O2, O3, N2, and NH3, with ignition gases such as Ar, He, and Xe, to form silicon oxide or nitride films, maintaining specific chamber pressures and temperatures, and repeating cycles to achieve desired thickness and properties.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Manufacturing precision
If the insulating film thickness is reduced to achieve fine structure and high integration, then the manufacturing precision and device integration are improved, but the film properties such as insulation characteristic are degraded
Solution Approach 1:
The insulating film formation process is divided into multiple cyclic deposition steps, where a silicon-containing film is deposited first, then converted to insulating material through plasma treatment. This segmented approach allows better control of film properties even at reduced thickness
Solution Approach 2:
The patent employs parameter changes by controlling deposition conditions including pressure (0.05-10 Torr), temperature (200-400°C), and using specific gas flow rates (ignition gas: 100-3000 sccm, reaction gas: 10-500 sccm) to optimize both film thickness and insulation characteristics
2Manufacturing precision
If the insulating film thickness is reduced to achieve fine structure, then the manufacturing precision is improved, but the step coverage becomes difficult to obtain
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses dynamic control of deposition parameters including repeating the deposition and purge steps multiple times (3-10 cycles) and adjusting gas flow rates dynamically to achieve uniform step coverage on complex three-dimensional structures
Solution Approach 2:
The cyclic nature of the deposition process, with repeated sequences of silicon film deposition followed by plasma treatment and purge steps, enables progressive build-up of uniform insulating film with excellent step coverage
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 insulating films with excellent properties and step coverage, even at thin thicknesses, facilitating the realization of highly integrated semiconductor devices with improved performance.
Implementation Method 1
forming the insulating film including silicon from the silicon thin film by forming a plasma atmosphere into the chamber
Implementation Method 2
depositing silicon on a substrate by injecting a silicon precursor into a chamber
Data Source
AI summary
Provided is a method of depositing a cyclic thin film that can provide excellent film properties and step coverage. The method comprises the steps of forming a silicon thin film by repeating a silicon deposition step for depositing silicon on a substrate by injecting a silicon precursor into a chamber into which the substrate is loaded and a first purge step for removing a non-reacted silicon precursor and a reacted byproduct from the chamber; and forming the insulating film including silicon from the silicon thin film by forming a plasma atmosphere into the chamber.