IP Library Granted Patent US 12685048
Granted Patent B2
US 12685048 · App. 18/188,758 · Granted Jul 14, 2026

Substrate processing method and substrate processing apparatus

Inventors: Masami Oikawa (Iwate, JP); Yuya Takamura (Iwate, JP)
Assignee: Tokyo Electron Limited
H10P30/40C23C16/401C23C16/56H10P95/94H10D64/0134
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12685048
App. No.
18/188,758
Granted
Jul 14, 2026
Kind
B2
Abstract

A substrate processing method includes: preparing a substrate having a target film on a surface; forming a barrier film that covers the target film; supplying a deuterium gas and an oxygen gas to the target film covered with the barrier film, thereby implanting deuterium into the target film; and removing the barrier film after the deuterium is implanted into the target film.

Claims (38)

1 . A substrate processing method comprising:

preparing a substrate having a target film on a surface;

forming a barrier film that covers the target film;

supplying a deuterium gas and an oxygen gas to the target film covered with the barrier film, thereby implanting deuterium into the target film; and

removing the barrier film after the deuterium is implanted into the target film.

2 . The substrate processing method according to claim 1 , wherein the forming of the barrier film, the implanting of the deuterium, and the removing of the barrier film are performed in a same processing chamber.

3 . The substrate processing method according to claim 2 , wherein the target film is a film containing silicon and nitrogen.

4 . The substrate processing method according to claim 3 , wherein the target film is a silicon nitride film or a silicon oxynitride film.

5 . The substrate processing method according to claim 1 ,

wherein the implanting of the deuterium includes:

housing the substrate in a processing chamber that is depressurized to 1 Torr or less;

maintaining the substrate at a temperature of 300° C. or more and less than 900° C.; and

supplying the deuterium gas and the oxygen gas into the processing chamber.

6 . The substrate processing method according to claim 5 , wherein a ratio of a flow rate of the deuterium gas to a flow rate of the oxygen gas supplied into the processing chamber is 2 or more and 20 or less.

7 . The substrate processing method according to claim 6 , wherein the target film is a film containing silicon and nitrogen.

8 . The substrate processing method according to claim 7 , wherein the target film is a silicon nitride film or a silicon oxynitride film.

9 . The substrate processing method according to claim 5 , wherein the target film is a film containing silicon and nitrogen.

10 . The substrate processing method according to claim 9 , wherein the target film is a silicon nitride film or a silicon oxynitride film.

11 . The substrate processing method according to claim 1 , wherein the barrier film is a film in which an amount of passing the deuterium is larger than an amount of passing oxygen.

12 . The substrate processing method according to claim 11 , wherein the target film is a film containing silicon and nitrogen.

13 . The substrate processing method according to claim 12 , wherein the target film is a silicon nitride film or a silicon oxynitride film.

14 . The substrate processing method according to claim 1 , wherein the barrier film includes silicon oxide, aluminum oxide, or polysilicon.

15 . The substrate processing method according to claim 14 , wherein the target film is a film containing silicon and nitrogen.

16 . The substrate processing method according to claim 15 , wherein the target film is a silicon nitride film or a silicon oxynitride film.

17 . The substrate processing method according to claim 1 , wherein

the barrier film includes silicon oxide, and

the removing of the barrier film includes supplying a hydrogen fluoride gas and an ammonia gas to the substrate.

18 . The substrate processing method according to claim 1 , wherein the target film is a film containing silicon and nitrogen.

19 . The substrate processing method according to claim 18 , wherein the target film is a silicon nitride film or a silicon oxynitride film.

20 . A substrate processing apparatus comprising:

a processing chamber;

a gas supplier; and

a controller, wherein

the controller includes a processor, a memory, and a program stored in the memory, wherein the program, when executed, causes the substrate processing apparatus to:

house a substrate having a target film on a surface in the processing chamber;

form a barrier film that covers the target film in the processing chamber;

supply, from the gas supplier, a deuterium gas and an oxygen gas into the processing chamber, thereby implanting deuterium into the target film covered with the barrier film; and

remove the barrier film in the processing chamber after the deuterium is implanted into the target film.