IP Library › Granted Patent US 12,322,592
Granted Patent B2
US 12,322,592 · App. 17/667,700 · Granted Jun 3, 2025

Deposition of silicon-based dielectric films

Inventors: Geetika Bajaj (New Delhi, IN); Prerna Sonthalia Goradia (Mumbai, IN); Seshadri Ganguli (Sunnyvale, CA); Srinivas Gandikota (Santa Clara, CA); Robert Jan Visser (Menlo Park, CA); Suraj Rengarajan (Bangalore, IN)
Assignee: Applied Materials, Inc.
H01L21/0228H01L21/02164H01L21/02211H01L21/0234
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12,322,592
App. No.
17/667,700
Granted
Jun 3, 2025
Kind
B2
Abstract

A processing method comprises positioning a substrate in a processing chamber and setting a temperature of the substrate to a range of 50° C. to 500° C.; conducting an atomic layer deposition (ALD) cycle on the substrate; and repeating the ALD cycle to form a silicon oxide film. The ALD cycle comprises: exposing the substrate to an aminosilane precursor in the processing chamber by pulsing a flow of the aminosilane precursor; purging the processing chamber of the aminosilane precursor; exposing the substrate to an oxidizing agent by pulsing a flow of the oxidizing agent for a duration in a range of greater than or equal to 100 milliseconds to less than or equal to 3 seconds; and purging the processing chamber of the oxidizing agent.

Claims (39)

1. A processing method comprising:

conducting an atomic layer deposition (ALD) cycle on a substrate at a temperature in a range of from 50° C. to 500° C., the ALD cycle comprising:

exposing the substrate to an aminosilane precursor in the processing chamber by pulsing a flow of the aminosilane precursor;

purging the processing chamber of the aminosilane precursor;

conducting a nitrogen treatment including a nitrogen-containing plasma or a hydrazine-containing base on the substrate;

exposing the substrate to an oxidizing agent by pulsing a flow of the oxidizing agent; and

purging the processing chamber of the oxidizing agent; and

repeating the ALD cycle to form a silicon oxide (SiO 2 ) film.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the aminosilane precursor is an aminodisilane or a mono-substituted aminosilane.

3. The method of claim 2 , wherein the aminodisilane has a general formula of Si 2 X 4 (N(R 1 R 2 ))(N(R 3 R 4 )) where each X is independently selected from the group consisting of: hydrogen (H) and a halide, the halide being selected from the group consisting of: fluorine (F), chlorine (Cl), bromine (Br), and iodine (I); and each of R 1 to R 4 is independently selected from a linear or branched C1-C10 alkyl groups, or the mono-substituted aminosilane has a general formula of H 3 Si:NY 3 , wherein each Y is independently a linear or branched C1-C10 alkyl group.

4. The method of claim 2 , wherein the aminosilane precursor is the aminodisilane, comprising 1,2-bis(diisopropylamino)aminodisilane (BDIPADS).

5. The method of claim 2 , wherein the aminosilane precursor is the mono-substituted aminosilane comprising di(sec-butylamino) silane (DSBAS).

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the oxidizing agent comprises ozone (O 3 ), hydrogen peroxide (H 2 O 2 ), or oxygen-containing plasma.

7. The method of claim 1 , further comprising conducting an oxygen plasma treatment after conducting a plurality of ALD cycles.

8. The method of claim 1 , further comprising conducting a thermal annealing treatment of the silicon dioxide film in an oxygen-containing environment after conducting a plurality of ALD cycles.

9. The method of claim 1 , further comprising conducting a microwave plasma treatment of the silicon dioxide film in an oxygen-containing environment after conducting a plurality of ALD cycles.

10. The method of claim 1 , wherein the pulsing of the flow of the aminosilane precursor is for a duration of greater than or equal to 100 milliseconds to less than or equal to 1 second.

11. A processing method comprising:

conducting an atomic layer deposition (ALD) cycle on a substrate at a temperature in a range of from 75° C. to 350° C., the substrate having a substrate surface having at least one feature thereon, the ALD cycle comprising:

exposing the substrate surface to an aminodisilane precursor in the processing chamber by pulsing a flow of the aminodisilane precursor;

purging the processing chamber of the aminodisilane precursor;

conducting a nitrogen treatment including a nitrogen-containing plasma or a hydrazine-containing base on the substrate;

exposing the substrate surface to an oxidizing agent by pulsing a flow of the oxidizing agent; and

purging the processing chamber of the oxidizing agent; and

repeating the ALD cycle to form a conformal silicon oxide (SiO 2 ) film in the feature.

12. The method of claim 11 , wherein the feature has an aspect ratio of greater than or equal to 5:1.

13. The method of claim 11 , wherein the aminodisilane precursor comprises 1,2-bis(diisopropylamino)aminodisilane (BDIPADS).

14. The method of claim 11 , wherein the pulsing of the flow of the aminodisilane precursor is for a duration of greater than or equal to 100 milliseconds to less than or equal to 1 second.

15. The method of claim 11 , wherein the oxidizing agent comprises ozone (O 3 ), hydrogen peroxide (H 2 O 2 ), or oxygen-containing plasma.

16. The method of claim 11 , further comprising conducting an oxygen plasma treatment after conducting a plurality of ALD cycles.

17. The method of claim 11 , further comprising after conducting a plurality of ALD cycles, conducting a thermal annealing treatment of the silicon dioxide film in an oxygen-containing environment, or comprising conducting a microwave plasma treatment of the silicon dioxide film in an oxygen-containing environment.

18. A non-transitory computer readable medium including instructions, that, when executed by a controller of a processing chamber, causes the processing chamber to perform operations of:

conducting an atomic layer deposition (ALD) cycle on a substrate at a temperature in a range of from 50° C. to 500° C., the ALD cycle comprising:

exposing the substrate to an aminosilane precursor in the processing chamber by pulsing a flow of the aminosilane precursor;

purging the processing chamber of the aminosilane precursor;

conducting a nitrogen treatment including a nitrogen-containing plasma or a hydrazine-containing base on the substrate;

exposing the substrate to an oxidizing agent by pulsing a flow of the oxidizing agent; and

purging the processing chamber of the oxidizing agent; and

repeating the ALD cycle to form a silicon oxide (SiO 2 ) film.

Assignments (1)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded May 18, 2022
From: BAJAJ, GEETIKA; GORADIA, PRERNA SONTHALIA; GANGULI, SESHADRI; GANDIKOTA, SRINIVAS; VISSER, ROBERT JAN; RENGARAJAN, SURAJ
To: APPLIED MATERIALS, INC.
Reel/Frame 059944/0652 →
Continuity (2)
Provisional Application 63148964 · Feb 12, 2021
Related Publication 20220270870A1 · Aug 25, 2022
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