Titanium Nitride Film Formation via Dual-Stage Gas Flow Control
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Solution Overview
Problem
The existing methods for forming titanium nitride films on substrates, such as CVD and ALD, face challenges including high resistivity due to chlorine permeation in CVD and slow film growth rate and thermal budget issues in ALD, which affect the quality and efficiency of the film formation process.
Innovation Solution
A method involving a substrate processing apparatus that simultaneously supplies titanium-containing and nitriding gases at varying flow rates in a sequential manner to form titanium nitride films, optimizing the film growth rate and reducing impurity permeation by controlling the flow rates of TiCl4 and NH3, allowing for rapid formation of conductive films with low resistivity and dense structure.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If CVD method is used to form titanium nitride film, then film formation speed is high, but film resistivity increases due to chlorine permeation
Solution Approach 1:
The film formation process is divided into multiple stages with different gas flow rates. The first stage uses high flow rates for rapid film formation, while the second stage uses reduced flow rates to improve film quality and reduce chlorine permeation, thus resolving the contradiction between formation speed and resistivity.
Solution Approach 2:
The gas flow rates are dynamically adjusted during the film formation process. By changing the flow rates of TiCl4 and NH3 gases between different stages, the process optimizes both productivity and film quality, achieving high formation speed in the first stage and low resistivity in the second stage.
2Manufacturing precision
If ALD method is used to form titanium nitride film, then film resistivity is low and surface is smooth, but film growth rate is slow and thermal budget increases
Solution Approach 1:
The invention changes the process parameters by using different gas flow rates in different stages. The first stage uses parameters similar to CVD for high growth rate, while the second stage uses parameters closer to ALD for improved film quality, thus achieving both low resistivity and acceptable growth rate without excessive thermal budget.
3Productivity
If high gas flow rates are used for rapid film formation, then productivity increases, but impurity permeation into the film increases
Solution Approach 1:
The gas supply process is segmented into two stages: first stage with high flow rates for rapid formation, and second stage with reduced flow rates to minimize impurity permeation. This segmentation allows the film to achieve both high formation speed and low impurity content.
Solution Approach 2:
The first stage of high flow rate gas supply performs the preliminary action of rapid film formation, while the second stage with reduced flow rates performs the corrective action of reducing impurity permeation. This sequential approach ensures both productivity and 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
This approach enables the rapid formation of titanium nitride films with low resistivity and reduced impurity concentration, achieving a balance between high growth rate and film quality, similar to ALD methods while minimizing thermal budget constraints.
Implementation Method 1
A method involving a substrate processing apparatus that simultaneously supplies titanium-containing and nitriding gases at varying flow rates in a sequential manner to form titanium nitride films
Implementation Method 2
two or more sources are caused to react with each other in a gaseous state or on the surface of a substrate to form a film including elements of source molecules on the substrate
Data Source
AI summary
There are provided a method of manufacturing a semiconductor device, a substrate processing apparatus, and a semiconductor device. The method allows rapid formation of a conductive film, which has a low concentration of impurities permeated from a source owing to its dense structure, and a low resistivity. The method is performed by simultaneously supplying two or more kinds of sources into a processing chamber to form a film on a substrate placed in the processing chamber. The method comprises: performing a first source supply process by supplying at least one kind of source into the processing chamber at a first supply flow rate; and performing a second source supply process by supplying the at least one kind of source into the processing chamber at a second supply flow rate different from the first supply flow rate.