Substrate Surface Silylation for Region-Selective ALD Film Growth
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing methods for region-selectively producing films on semiconductor substrates using atomic layer deposition (ALD) lack the ability to modify substrate surfaces with different materials, leading to inconsistent film thickness control and coverage.
Innovation Solution
A surface treatment method involving a silylation agent without nitrogen-containing heterocyclic compounds, forming a high molecular weight condensate of organomonosilane on the substrate surface, followed by baking, to create regions with varying modification degrees.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a surface treatment agent including a silylation agent and a nitrogen-containing heterocyclic compound is used to modify substrate regions, then the modification effect on the target region is enhanced, but the film formation is also promoted on the treated region, reducing region selectivity
Solution Approach 1:
The invention extracts and removes the nitrogen-containing heterocyclic compound from the surface treatment agent formulation. By eliminating this component that promotes film formation, the patent achieves region selectivity without sacrificing the modification effect on the target substrate regions.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention applies surface treatment selectively to specific regions of the substrate using a surface treatment agent that contains only the silylation agent. This creates local quality differences where treated regions have modified surfaces with different properties compared to untreated regions, enabling region-selective film formation.
2Manufacturing precision
If a surface treatment agent including a silylation agent and a nitrogen-containing heterocyclic compound is used to form a high molecular weight condensate, then the film thickness control at atomic layer level is improved, but the process complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The invention simplifies the surface treatment process by removing the nitrogen-containing heterocyclic compound from the treatment agent. This extraction reduces process complexity while maintaining the ability to form high molecular weight condensates and achieve atomic layer level film thickness control through the silylation agent alone.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention changes the chemical composition parameters of the surface treatment agent by eliminating the nitrogen-containing heterocyclic compound. This parameter change simplifies the treatment formulation while preserving the condensate formation capability and film thickness control precision.
3Adaptability or versatility
If adjacent regions on substrate surface have different materials, then region-selective film production is enabled, but the substrate surface treatment complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The invention creates local quality differences on the substrate surface by applying a simplified surface treatment agent containing only the silylation agent to specific regions. This approach enables region-selective film production by modifying only the target regions while leaving other regions unchanged, without requiring complex multi-component treatment formulations.
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
Enables region-selective film formation with controlled thickness and coverage, enhancing hydrophobicity or inhibiting film formation based on substrate material, improving ALD process efficiency.
Implementation Method 1
forming a film that is composed of a high molecular weight condensate of a silylation agent on the surface of the substrate
Implementation Method 2
a reaction between the silylation agent and the two or more regions causing contact angles of water to differ from each other on the adjacent regions
Implementation Method 3
baking the substrate without rinsing
Data Source
AI summary
A method for treating surface of substrate, the method including forming a film including a high molecular weight condensate of a silylation agent on the surface thereof to allow a substrate having a plurality of regions to be modified at modification degrees that are different depending on materials of the regions on a surface of the substrate. The method includes preparing a substrate having a surface including two or more regions having different materials; exposing the surface to a surface treatment agent; and baking the substrate, the method not including rinsing the surface with a liquid between the exposing and the baking, the surface treatment agent including a silylation agent and not a nitrogen-containing heterocyclic compound, the silylation agent including organomonosilane that has 2 to 4 nitrogen atoms bonded to a silicon atom.