Oxide Film Surface Control Agent for Uniform ALD Step Coverage
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current methods struggle to achieve 100% step coverage and uniform thickness in thin film deposition on complex semiconductor substrates, especially at high temperatures, leading to issues with residual impurities and electrical characteristics.
Innovation Solution
An oxide film reaction surface control agent with specific cyclic or linear compounds is used to control the adsorption distribution on the substrate, reducing the thin film growth rate and improving step coverage and thickness uniformity, even on substrates with high aspect ratios.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If deposition temperature is increased to reduce residual impurities, then film quality and oxidation fraction improve, but thin film growth rate increases sharply and step coverage deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces an oxide film reaction surface control agent as an intermediary substance that mediates between the precursor and the substrate surface. This agent adsorbs onto the substrate first, creating controlled reaction sites that enable low-temperature deposition while maintaining film quality and preventing excessive growth rate
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the chemical parameters of the deposition system by introducing a control agent with specific molecular structure (cyclic or linear compound containing three or more elements with unshared electron pairs). This parameter change enables the deposition process to proceed at lower temperatures with controlled growth rate while maintaining film quality
2Reliability
If deposition temperature is increased to improve oxidation fraction, then dielectric properties improve, but step coverage decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The control agent serves as a mediator that enables complete surface coverage at lower temperatures by controlling the adsorption and reaction process, thereby maintaining step coverage while still achieving sufficient oxidation fraction through the controlled reaction
Solution Approach 2:
The control agent performs preliminary action by adsorbing onto the substrate surface before the precursor is introduced. This preliminary coverage ensures that subsequent reactions occur uniformly across the entire surface including high-aspect-ratio structures, maintaining step coverage while enabling lower temperature processing
3Productivity
If conventional shielding agents are used to reduce thin film growth rate, then deposition rate decreases, but growth rate still increases by about 10% at 300°C and becomes ineffective at 360°C or higher
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the chemical parameters by using a specifically designed control agent with three or more elements having unshared electron pairs, which provides stronger and more temperature-stable adsorption compared to conventional shielding agents. This enables effective growth rate control even at high temperatures of 360°C and above
Solution Approach 2:
The control agent acts as a composite functional material that combines multiple elements (containing three or more elements with unshared electron pairs) to achieve synergistic effects: strong adsorption for shielding, temperature stability for high-temperature processing, and controlled reaction sites for uniform deposition
4Productivity
If ALD process is performed at 300°C to inhibit increase in growth rate, then growth rate is controlled, but deposition temperature increases during the process making it ineffective
Solution Approach 1:
The control agent as an intermediary enables the deposition to proceed at lower temperatures by facilitating the reaction through its adsorbed state, preventing the temperature rise that would otherwise occur during the process while maintaining controlled growth rate
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 solution effectively reduces thin film growth rate, minimizes residual impurities, and enhances step coverage and thickness uniformity, improving the electrical properties and reliability of semiconductor devices.
Implementation Method 1
by providing a compound having a predetermined structure as an oxide film reaction surface control agent to form a deposition layer having a uniform thickness due to a difference in adsorption distribution as a shielding area on a substrate
Implementation Method 2
an atomic layer deposition (ALD) process using a surface reaction
Implementation Method 3
When deposition temperature is increased for the purpose of realizing 100% step coverage, an increase in deposition temperature during a deposition process involving two components of a precursor and a reactant results in a sharp increase in thin film growth rate
Data Source
AI summary
The present invention relates to an oxide film reaction surface control agent, a method of forming an oxide film using the oxide film reaction surface control agent, a semiconductor substrate including the oxide film, and a semiconductor device including the semiconductor substrate. According to the present invention, by providing a compound having a predetermined structure as an oxide film reaction surface control agent, a deposition layer having a uniform thickness due to a difference in the adsorption distribution of the oxide film reaction surface control agent is formed as a shielding area on a substrate, thereby reducing thin film deposition rate and appropriately reducing thin film growth rate. Accordingly, even when a thin film is formed on a substrate having a complex structure, step coverage and the thickness uniformity of the thin film may be greatly improved, and impurities may be reduced.