Vacuum Thin Film Modifier for High-Temperature Step Coverage
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing thin film deposition processes struggle to achieve 100% step coverage and thickness uniformity on complex semiconductor substrates, particularly at high temperatures, leading to impurity contamination and reduced electrical properties.
Innovation Solution
A vacuum-based thin film modifier, comprising an aromatic compound with a hydrocarbon and halogen group, is used to control the growth and quality of thin films, combined with an organic solvent of low dielectric constant, to reduce growth rate and improve step coverage and uniformity.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Manufacturing precision
If deposition temperature is increased to reduce impurity contamination, then film quality is improved, but thin film growth rate increases sharply making it difficult to achieve step coverage
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies preliminary action by introducing a shielding agent before the deposition process to control and reduce the growth rate of the thin film. This preliminary intervention allows the film to grow more slowly and uniformly, achieving better step coverage while maintaining film quality at high temperatures.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent uses a shielding agent as an intermediary substance that mediates between the high temperature deposition process and the film growth rate. The shielding agent interacts with the deposition process to control growth kinetics, enabling simultaneous achievement of high film quality and good step coverage.
2Productivity
If conventional shielding agents are used to reduce growth rate at high temperatures, then growth rate is reduced by about 10% at 300°C, but growth rate increases by about 10% at temperatures above 360°C making step coverage difficult to achieve
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies parameter changes by modifying the chemical composition and structure of the shielding agent to change its interaction characteristics with the deposition process at different temperatures. This allows the shielding agent to effectively control growth rate across a wide temperature range, particularly maintaining effectiveness at high temperatures above 360°C where conventional agents fail.
3Manufacturing precision
If atomic layer deposition process is used to achieve 100% step coverage, then step coverage is improved, but deposition temperature must be controlled below 300°C limiting process flexibility
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces the shielding agent as a preliminary measure before deposition to enable high-temperature processing while maintaining excellent step coverage. This preliminary action removes the temperature constraint that normally limits ALD processes to below 300°C, allowing flexible temperature selection for different application requirements.
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 method significantly reduces thin film growth rate, minimizes impurity contamination, and enhances film quality, allowing for improved step coverage and thickness uniformity on complex substrates, even at high temperatures.
Implementation Method 1
a vacuum-based thin film modifier including an aromatic compound having a hydrocarbon group and a halogen group and controlling growth or film quality of a vacuum-based thin film formed from a precursor compound
Implementation Method 2
contamination by impurities such as may be carbon significantly reduced
Data Source
AI summary
The present invention relates to a vacuum-based thin film modifier, a thin film modification composition including the vacuum-based thin film modifier, a method of forming a thin film using the thin film modification composition, a semiconductor substrate including the thin film, and a semiconductor device including the semiconductor substrate. According to the present invention, by providing a compound having a predetermined structure as a vacuum-based thin film modifier, the growth rate of a deposition film may be appropriately reduced in a vacuum-based thin film process. Thus, even when forming a thin film on a substrate with a complex structure, step coverage and the thickness uniformity of a thin film may be greatly improved, the efficiency of etching a film may be improved, and contamination by impurities such as carbon may be significantly reduced.