IP Library Granted Patent US 11,035,039
Granted Patent B2
US 11,035,039 · App. 15/745,275 · Granted Jun 15, 2021

Compositions and methods for depositing silicon nitride films

Inventors: Xinjian Lei (Vista, CA); Moo-Sung Kim (Gyunggi-Do, KR); Manchao Xiao (San Diego, CA)
Assignee: VERSUM MATERIALS US, LLC
C23C16/45553C23C16/345C23C16/45542H01L21/0217H01L21/0228H01L21/02222H01L21/02274
View Patent ↗
Loading inventors, assignments & file history…
Monitor This Case
Get email alerts when status or documents change.
Order Certified Copies
Most orders are placed with the USPTO same day — all within 24 business hours.
Order via The Patent Place →
Pre-filled with this patent's details
Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 11,035,039
App. No.
15/745,275
Granted
Jun 15, 2021
Kind
B2
Abstract

Described herein are compositions, silicon nitride films and methods for forming silicon nitride films using at least on cyclodisilazane precursor. In one aspect, there is provided a method of forming a silicon nitride film comprising the steps of: providing a substrate in a reactor; introducing into the reactor an at least one cyclodisilazane comprising a hydrocarbon leaving group and two Si—H groups wherein the at least one cyclodisilazane reacts on at least a portion of the surface of the substrate to provide a chemisorbed layer; purging the reactor with a purge gas; introducing a plasma comprising nitrogen and an inert gas into the reactor to react with at least a portion of the chemisorbed layer and provide at least one reactive site wherein the plasma is generated at a power density ranging from about 0.01 to about 1.5 W/cm 2 .

Claims (41)

1. A method of forming a silicon nitride film onto at least a surface of a substrate, the method comprising

a. providing a substrate in a reactor;

b. introducing into the reactor a cyclodisilazane precursor comprising a leaving hydrocarbon group and at least two Si—H groups and selected from the group consisting of 1,3-bis(tert-butyl)cyclodisilazane, 1,3-bis(tert-butyl)-2-methylcyclodisilazane, 1,3-bis(tert-butyl)-2,4-dimethylcyclodisilazane, 1,3-bis(tert-amyl)cyclodisilazane, 1,3-bis(tert-amyl)-2-methylcyclodisilazane, 1,3-bis(tert-amyl)-2,4-dimethylcyclodisilazane, 1,3-bis(tert-butyl)-2-chloroclodisilazane, 1,3-bis(tert-butyl)-2,4-dichlorocyclodisilazane, 1,3-bis(tert-amyl)-2-chloroclodisilazane, 1,3-bis(tert-amyl)-2,4-dichlorocyclodisilazane, 1,3-bis(tert-butyl)-2,4,4-trilchlorocyclodisilazane, 1,3-bis(tert-butyl)-2-dimethylcyclodisilazane, 1,3-bis(tert-butyl)-2-chloro-2-methylcyclodisilazane, 1,3-bis(tert-amyl)-2-dimethylcyclodisilazane, 1,3-bis(tert-amyl)-2-chloro-2-methyl-cyclodisilazane, 1,3-bis(tert-butyl)-2-vinylcyclodisilazane, 1,3-bis(tert-butyl)-2-ethynylcyclodisilazane and combinations thereof, wherein the at least one cyclodisilazane reacts on at least a portion of the surface of the substrate to provide a chemisorbed layer;

c. purging the reactor with a purge gas;

d. introducing a plasma containing source and an inert gas into the reactor to react with at least a portion of the chemisorbed layer and provide at least one reactive site wherein the plasma is generated at a power density ranging from about 0.01 to about 1.5 W/cm 2 ; and

e. optionally purging the reactor with an inert gas; and wherein the steps b through e are repeated until a desired thickness of the silicon nitride film is obtained.

2. The method of claim 1 the plasma containing source is selected from the group consisting of a nitrogen/argon plasma, ammonia plasma, nitrogen/ammonia plasma, ammonia/helium plasma, ammonia/argon plasma, ammonia/nitrogen plasma, NF 3 plasma, organoamine plasma, and mixtures thereof.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein the silicon nitride film has a density of 2.2 g/cc or greater.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein the method is a vapor deposition process and is selected from the group consisting of at least one selected from plasma enhanced chemical vapor deposition and plasma enhanced cyclic chemical vapor deposition.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein the method is conducted at one or more temperatures of about 400° C. or less.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein the method is conducted at one or more temperatures of about 300° C. or less.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein step b further comprises introducing a noble gas into the reactor.

8. A method of forming a silicon nitride film onto at least a surface of a substrate, the method comprising the steps of:

a. providing a substrate in a reactor;

b. introducing into the reactor at least one cyclodisilazane precursor selected from the group consisting of 1,3-bis(tert-butyl)cyclodisilazane, 1,3-bis(tert-butyl)-2-methylcyclodisilazane, 1,3-bis(tert-butyl)-2,4-dimethylcyclodisilazane, 1,3-bis(tert-amyl)cyclodisilazane, 1,3-bis(tert-amyl)-2-methylcyclodisilazane, 1,3-bis(tert-amyl)-2,4-dimethylcyclodisilazane, 1,3-bis(tert-butyl)-2-chloroclodisilazane, 1,3-bis(tert-butyl)-2,4-dichlorocyclodisilazane, 1,3-bis(tert-amyl)-2-chloroclodisilazane, 1,3-bis(tert-amyl)-2,4-dichlorocyclodisilazane, 1,3-bis(tert-butyl)-2,4,4-trilchlorocyclodisilazane, 1,3-bis(tert-butyl)-2-dimethylcyclodisilazane, 1,3-bis(tert-butyl)-2-chloro-2-methylcyclodisilazane, 1,3-bis(tert-amyl)-2-dimethylcyclodisilazane, 1,3-bis(tert-amyl)-2-chloro-2-methyl-cyclodisilazane, 1,3-bis(tert-butyl)-2-vinylcyclodisilazane, 1,3-bis(tert-butyl)-2-ethynylcyclodisilazane and combinations thereof wherein the at least one cyclodisilazane reacts on at least a portion of the surface of the substrate to provide a chemisorbed layer;

c. purging the reactor with a purge gas comprising at least one selected from nitrogen, a noble gas, and combinations thereof;

d. introducing a plasma containing source into the reactor to react with at least a portion of the chemisorbed layer and provide an at least one reactive site wherein the plasma is generated at a power density ranging from about 0.01 to about 1.5 W/cm 2 ; and

e. optionally purge the reactor with an inert gas; and wherein the steps b through e are repeated until a desired thickness of the silicon nitride film is obtained.

9. The method of claim 8 wherein the silicon nitride film has a density of 2.2 g/cc or greater.

10. The method of claim 8 wherein method is a vapor deposition process selected from the group consisting of plasma enhanced chemical vapor deposition and plasma enhanced cyclic chemical vapor deposition.

11. The method of claim 8 wherein the method is conducted at a temperature of 400° C. or less.

12. The method of claim 8 wherein the method is conducted at a temperature of 300° C. or less.

13. The method of claim 8 where the plasma containing source is selected from the group consisting of a nitrogen/argon plasma, ammonia plasma, nitrogen/ammonia plasma, ammonia/helium plasma, ammonia/argon plasma, ammonia/nitrogen plasma, NF 3 plasma, organoamine plasma, and mixtures thereof.

14. The method of claim 8 wherein step b further comprises introducing a noble gas into the reactor.

15. The method of claim 8 wherein a plasma comprising hydrogen can be inserted before step d to help remove hydrocarbon generated from the reaction between the cyclodisilazane and the surface.

16. The method of claim 15 wherein the plasma comprising hydrogen is selected from the group consisting of hydrogen plasma, hydrogen/helium, hydrogen/argon plasma, hydrogen/neon plasma and mixtures thereof.

17. A method of forming a silicon aluminum nitride film onto at least a surface of a substrate, the method comprising the steps of:

a. providing a substrate in a reactor;

b. introducing into the reactor at least one cyclodisilazane precursor selected from the group consisting of 1,3-bis(tert-butyl)cyclodisilazane, 1,3-bis(tert-butyl)-2-methylcyclodisilazane, 1,3-bis(tert-butyl)-2,4-dimethylcyclodisilazane, 1,3-bis(tert-amyl)cyclodisilazane, 1,3-bis(tert-amyl)-2-methylcyclodisilazane, 1,3-bis(tert-amyl)-2,4-dimethylcyclodisilazane, 1,3-bis(tert-butyl)-2-chloroclodisilazane, 1,3-bis(tert-butyl)-2,4-dichlorocyclodisilazane, 1,3-bis(tert-amyl)-2-chloroclodisilazane, 1,3-bis(tert-amyl)-2,4-dichlorocyclodisilazane, 1,3-bis(tert-butyl)-2,4,4-trilchlorocyclodisilazane, 1,3-bis(tert-butyl)-2-dimethylcyclodisilazane, 1,3-bis(tert-butyl)-2-chloro-2-methylcyclodisilazane, 1,3-bis(tert-amyl)-2-dimethylcyclodisilazane, 1,3-bis(tert-amyl)-2-chloro-2-methyl-cyclodisilazane, 1,3-bis(tert-butyl)-2-vinylcyclodisilazane, 1,3-bis(tert-butyl)-2-ethynyl cyclodisilazane and combinations thereof wherein the at least one cyclodisilazane reacts on at least a portion of the surface of the substrate to provide a chemisorbed layer;

c. purging the reactor with a purge gas comprising at least one selected from nitrogen, a noble gas, and combinations thereof;

d. introducing a first plasma containing source into the reactor to react with at least a portion of the chemisorbed layer and provide an at least one reactive site wherein the plasma is generated at a power density ranging from about 0.01 to about 1.5 W/cm 2 ; and

e. optionally purging the reactor with an inert gas;

f) introducing into the reactor at least one aluminum precursor selected from the group consisting of AlCl 3 , trimethylaluminum, triethylaluminum, and tris(dimethylamino)aluminum,

g) purging the reactor using inert gas,

h) introducing a second plasma containing source into the reactor wherein the plasma is generated at a power density ranging from about 0.01 to about 1.5 W/cm 2 , and

i) optionally purging the reactor using inert gas,

wherein the steps b through i are repeated until a desired thickness of the silicon aluminum nitride film is obtained.

18. The method of claim 17 wherein the silicon aluminum nitride film has a density of 2.2 g/cc or greater.

19. The method of claim 17 wherein method is a vapor deposition process selected from the group consisting of at least one selected from plasma enhanced chemical vapor deposition and plasma enhanced cyclic chemical vapor deposition.

20. The method of claim 17 wherein the method is conducted at a temperature of 400° C. or less.

21. The method of claim 17 wherein each of the plasma containing sources is individually selected from the group consisting of a nitrogen/argon plasma, ammonia plasma, nitrogen/ammonia plasma, ammonia/helium plasma, ammonia/argon plasma, ammonia/nitrogen plasma, NF 3 plasma, organoamine plasma, and mixtures thereof.

Assignments (2)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Jan 20, 2018
From: LEI, XINJIAN; KIM, MOO-SUNG; XIAO, MANCHAO
To: AIR PRODUCTS AND CHEMICALS, INC.
Reel/Frame 044682/0573 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Jan 20, 2018
From: AIR PRODUCTS AND CHEMICALS, INC.
To: VERSUM MATERIALS US, LLC
Reel/Frame 045096/0484 →
Continuity (2)
Provisional Application 62199593 · Jul 31, 2015
Related Publication 20190085451A1 · Mar 21, 2019