Cyclic Group 14 Film Doping for Low-Roughness Semiconductor Deposition
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing methods for forming films on substrates during semiconductor device manufacturing struggle to achieve films doped with group 13 or 15 elements while maintaining small surface roughness and efficiently incorporating group 14 elements as the main component.
Innovation Solution
A method involving a cycle of supplying a group 14 element-containing gas, followed by a dopant gas containing a halide of a group 13 or 15 element, a reducing gas, and then again the group 14 element-containing gas, is used to form a film with a group 14 element as the main component, utilizing a substrate processing apparatus with specific gas supply systems and processing conditions.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Quantity of substance
If a dopant gas containing halide of group 13 or 15 element is supplied to form a doped film, then the film can be doped with group 13 or 15 elements, but the surface roughness increases and dopant desorption occurs
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies periodic action by implementing a cyclic gas supply process that alternates between dopant gas supply and group 14 element-containing gas supply. This periodic switching allows the dopant to be incorporated during dopant gas supply phases while the group 14 element gas phases help smooth the surface and suppress dopant desorption, thereby resolving the contradiction between achieving dopant incorporation and maintaining surface roughness
Solution Approach 2:
The patent employs parameter changes by adjusting the supply timing, flow rates, and sequence of different gases during the film formation process. By dynamically changing gas supply parameters in a controlled cycle, the process optimizes both dopant incorporation efficiency and surface quality, preventing the surface roughness increase and dopant desorption that would occur with continuous dopant gas supply
2Quantity of substance
If dopant gas is supplied continuously to ensure sufficient doping, then the dopant incorporation is adequate, but the deposition rate decreases and surface roughness increases
Solution Approach 1:
The periodic action principle is applied by dividing the gas supply into distinct cycles where dopant gas is supplied intermittently rather than continuously. This allows high dopant concentration to be achieved during dopant supply phases while maintaining high deposition rates during group 14 element gas supply phases, thus resolving the contradiction between adequate doping and high productivity
Solution Approach 2:
The continuity of useful action principle is implemented by ensuring that during each cycle, both dopant incorporation and film deposition proceed efficiently without idle time. The cyclic alternation between dopant gas and group 14 element gas supply maintains continuous productive action, achieving sufficient doping while preserving high deposition rates throughout the overall process
3Quantity of substance
If halide of group 13 or 15 element is used as dopant source, then effective doping is achieved, but surface roughness increases and dopant desorption occurs
Solution Approach 1:
The group 14 element-containing gas acts as an intermediary substance that mediates between the dopant gas and the forming film. During the cyclic process, this intermediary gas helps stabilize the film surface, suppress dopant desorption, and reduce surface roughness while allowing effective dopant incorporation during the dopant gas supply phases
Solution Approach 2:
The patent applies parameter changes by controlling the timing, temperature, and flow conditions during the cyclic gas supply. These parameter adjustments optimize the balance between dopant incorporation and suppression of harmful effects like desorption and surface roughness increase, achieving effective doping while minimizing adverse effects
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 approach effectively suppresses surface roughness and dopant desorption, enabling the formation of films with small surface roughness and improved deposition rates, while ensuring the incorporation of group 14 elements as the primary component.
Implementation Method 1
supplying a group 14 element-containing gas to a substrate
Implementation Method 2
supplying a first reducing gas to the substrate
Data Source
AI summary
There is provided a technique that includes: (a) supplying a group 14 element-containing gas to a substrate; and (e) performing a cycle a predetermined number of times after (a). The cycle includes: (b) supplying a dopant gas containing a halide of a group 13 element or a group 15 element to the substrate; (c) supplying a first reducing gas to the substrate; and (d) supplying the group 14 element-containing gas to the substrate in this order.