Silicon Precursor for High-Temperature ALD Step Coverage
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional silicon precursors fail to produce high-quality silicon-containing thin films at high process temperatures, particularly due to issues with step coverage, thickness control, and impurity contamination, limiting their application in advanced semiconductor devices.
Innovation Solution
A novel silicon precursor compound, represented by specific chemical formulas, is introduced for use in vapor deposition methods like ALD and CVD, which is thermally stable at 600 °C or more, ensuring low impurity concentration and excellent step coverage, and can be used to manufacture thin films with precise thickness control and uniform deposition rates.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Manufacturing precision
If conventional silicon precursors are used for deposition, then the deposition process can be performed, but the step coverage and thickness control are poor and impurities are contained in the thin film
Solution Approach 1:
The patent modifies the chemical structure of silicon precursor molecules by changing parameters such as the type and position of substituent groups (e.g., using specific aminosilane structures with controlled steric hindrance and reactivity). This allows optimization of deposition characteristics to achieve better thickness control and reduced impurity incorporation in the resulting thin films
Solution Approach 2:
The invention employs composite molecular structures combining silicon centers with specifically designed organic ligands and substituent groups. These composite precursor molecules exhibit synergistic properties that enable simultaneous improvement of step coverage, thickness uniformity, and film purity during deposition processes
2Manufacturing precision
If conventional silicon precursors are used, then deposition can proceed, but excellent step coverage and surface characteristics cannot be ensured
Solution Approach 1:
The patent optimizes molecular parameters of silicon precursors including steric hindrance, reactivity, and volatility to achieve excellent step coverage. By carefully selecting substituent groups and their positions on the silicon molecule, the precursors deposit uniformly on complex three-dimensional structures with high aspect ratios, providing conformal coverage without requiring complex process modifications
3Productivity
If high process temperature is used for deposition, then deposition rate increases, but impurity concentration increases and film quality deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent designs silicon precursor molecules with specific thermal stability characteristics by selecting appropriate substituent groups and molecular architectures. These modified precursors maintain structural integrity at elevated deposition temperatures, enabling high deposition rates while preventing thermal decomposition that would otherwise introduce impurities and degrade film quality
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 novel silicon precursor enables the production of high-quality silicon-containing thin films with low impurity levels and excellent surface characteristics, suitable for applications in 3D-NAND memory devices, semiconductors, displays, and solar cells, with expected improvements in interface characteristics and corrosion resistance.
Implementation Method 1
a vapor deposition precursor which comprises any one or more compounds selected from the group consisting of a compound represented by Formula 1
Implementation Method 2
chemical vapor deposition (CVD)
Implementation Method 3
atomic layer deposition (ALD)
Data Source
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AI summary
The present invention relates to a vapor deposition compound capable of thin film deposition through vapor deposition, and particularly to a silicon precursor capable of being applied to ALD or CVD, and specifically, enabling high temperature deposition, and a method of manufacturing a silicon-containing thin film.