High-Pressure Anneal for Complete Oxide Conversion in FinFET Films
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Solution Overview
Problem
In semiconductor device manufacturing, high aspect ratio features such as shallow trench isolation (STI) regions and interlayer dielectric (ILD) layers often experience incomplete film conversion during oxygen diffusion, leading to high impurity levels and poor film quality, especially in FinFET devices, due to insufficient oxygen penetration.
Innovation Solution
Implementing a high pressure anneal process, either wet or dry, to create a pressurized environment that allows oxygen to diffuse more deeply and uniformly into the film, completing the conversion to a higher quality oxide and repairing dangling bonds, thereby improving film quality and reducing impurities.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Manufacturing precision
If atmospheric pressure anneal process is used, then the process is simple and equipment cost is low, but oxygen penetration depth is insufficient and film conversion is incomplete
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies parameter changes by transitioning from atmospheric pressure to high pressure (e.g., 10-100 atm) in the anneal process. This pressure parameter change enables oxygen to penetrate deeper into high aspect ratio features and achieve complete film conversion that is not possible at atmospheric pressure, directly resolving the contradiction between conversion completeness and equipment complexity
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces a pressure dimension to the anneal process, moving from a single-dimensional atmospheric pressure process to a multi-dimensional process that includes high pressure as an additional control parameter. This enables oxygen diffusion in the vertical dimension of high aspect ratio features, achieving complete conversion where atmospheric pressure fails
2Reliability
If high pressure anneal process is used, then oxygen penetration depth increases and film quality improves, but equipment complexity and process cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the pressure parameter from atmospheric to high pressure conditions, which fundamentally improves oxygen penetration and film quality. This parameter change enables the system to achieve reliable film conversion in high aspect ratio features, accepting the trade-off of increased equipment complexity as necessary for achieving the required film quality
Solution Approach 2:
The high pressure anneal process performs preliminary oxygen diffusion under pressure before final film formation, ensuring that oxygen penetrates to the required depth and completes conversion in advance. This preliminary action under high pressure ensures film quality is achieved before subsequent processing steps
3Manufacturing precision
If high pressure anneal is applied to high aspect ratio features, then film conversion completeness improves, but process time and energy consumption increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the pressure parameter to high pressure conditions, which accelerates oxygen diffusion kinetics and enables complete film conversion in high aspect ratio features. While pressure increase extends process time, it achieves completeness that would require multiple atmospheric pressure cycles, potentially reducing total process time when considering rework or additional steps
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
The high pressure anneal process enhances film conversion, reduces impurity levels, and improves the quality and reliability of semiconductor devices by ensuring complete conversion with lower temperatures and deeper oxygen penetration, thus achieving better results than atmospheric pressure anneal processes.
Implementation Method 1
allows oxygen to diffuse more deeply and uniformly into the film
Implementation Method 2
create a pressurized environment
Implementation Method 3
high pressure anneal process
Implementation Method 4
repairing dangling bonds
Data Source
AI summary
Embodiment methods for performing a high pressure anneal process during the formation of a semiconductor device, and embodiment devices therefor, are provided. The high pressure anneal process may be a dry high pressure anneal process in which a pressurized environment of the anneal includes one or more process gases. The high pressure anneal process may be a wet anneal process in which a pressurized environment of the anneal includes steam.