Method of forming a metal oxide film
View Patent ↗A method of forming a dielectric film composed of metal oxide under an atmosphere of activated vapor containing oxygen. In the method of forming the dielectric film, a metal oxide film is formed on a semiconductor substrate using a metal organic precursor and O 2 gas while the semiconductor substrate is exposed under activated vapor atmosphere containing oxygen, and then, the metal oxide film is annealed while the semiconductor substrate is exposed under activated vapor containing oxygen. The annealing may take place in situ with the formation of the metal oxide film, at the same or substantially the same temperature as the metal oxide forming, and/or at least one of a different pressure, oxygen concentration, or oxygen flow rate as the metal oxide forming.
1. A method of forming a tantalum pentoxide film comprising:
forming an amorphous tantalum pentoxide film on a substrate in a chamber in which an activated vapor atmosphere containing oxygen is maintained, using a Ta source and O 2 gas at a deposition temperature of at least 380° C.;
purging the chamber; and
annealing the amorphous tantalum pentoxide film in the chamber in-situ with the formation of the amorphous pentoxide film in an oxygen atmosphere at an annealing temperature that is equal to or greater than the deposition temperature and below a crystallization temperature of tantalum pentoxide.
2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the activated vapor atmosphere containing oxygen includes at least one of O 3 , UV—O 3 , O 2 plasma, O 3 plasma and N 2 O plasma.
3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the Ta source includes at least one of Ta(OC 2 H 5 ) 5 and Ta(OC 2 H 5 ) 4 OCHCH 2 N(CH 3 ) 2 .
4. The method of claim 1 , wherein during the annealing, the oxygen atmosphere includes at least one of O 3 , UV—O 3 , O 2 plasma, O 3 plasma and N 2 O plasma.
5. The method of claim 4 , wherein a concentration of the oxygen atmosphere during the annealing is the same or larger than a concentration of the activated vapor atmosphere containing oxygen used when the amorphous tantalum pentoxide film is formed.
6. The method of claim 4 , wherein during the annealing, O 2 gas and the oxygen atmosphere are supplied to the chamber.
7. The method of claim 4 , wherein the annealing temperature is 380–520° C.
8. The method of claim 1 , wherein the deposition temperature during the formation of the amorphous tantalum pentoxide film and the annealing temperature are substantially the same temperature.
9. The method of claim 1 , wherein the annealing is performed while maintaining a vacuum state of the chamber after the amorphous tantalum pentoxide film is formed.
10. The method of claim 1 , wherein a pressure during the annealing is higher than a pressure during the forming of the amorphous tantalum pentoxide film.
11. The method of claim 1 , wherein the formation of the amorphous tantalum pentoxide film is performed at a pressure of 0.1–10 Torr.
12. The method of claim 1 , wherein the annealing is performed at a pressure of 0.1–50 Torr.
13. The method of claim 1 , wherein during the purging of the chamber, O 2 gas is supplied to the chamber.
14. A method of forming a dielectric film comprising:
forming a metal oxide film on a substrate while the substrate is exposed to a mixture including a first activated vapor containing oxygen, a metal organic precursor and O 2 gas; and
annealing the metal oxide film in-situ with the formation of the metal oxide film while the substrate is exposed to a second activated vapor containing oxygen.
15. The method of claim 14 , wherein:
during the annealing, the second activated vapor containing oxygen and O 2 gas are supplied to the substrate.
16. The method of claim 14 , wherein:
the annealing is performed at a temperature of 380–520° C.
17. The method of claim 14 , wherein:
the formation of the metal oxide film and the annealing are performed at substantially the same temperature.
18. The method of claim 14 , wherein:
the formation of the metal oxide film and the annealing are performed in the same chamber while maintaining a vacuum state within the chamber.
19. The method of claim 14 , wherein:
the annealing is performed at a higher pressure greater than a pressure at which the metal oxide film is formed.
20. The method of claim 14 , wherein:
during the annealing, a concentration of the activated vapor is greater than a concentration of the activated vapor used when the metal oxide film was formed.
21. A method of forming a dielectric film comprising:
forming a metal oxide film on a substrate in a chamber by supplying at least a metal organic precursor and an activated vapor at a formation temperature;
purging the chamber; and
annealing the metal oxide film in the chamber at substantially the same temperature as the formation temperature used when forming the metal oxide film.
22. A method of forming a dielectric film comprising:
forming a metal oxide film on a substrate in a chamber by supplying at least a metal organic precursor and an activated vapor, under a first pressure, a first vapor concentration, and a first vapor flow rate;
purging the chamber; and
annealing the metal oxide film in the chamber under a second pressure, a second vapor concentration, and a second vapor flow rate, wherein at least one of the second pressure, second vapor concentration, and second vapor flow rate is different from the first pressure, the first vapor concentration, and the first vapor flow rate used to form the metal oxide film.