Semiconductor device and fabrication method thereof
View Patent ↗A semiconductor device fabrication method includes the steps of (a) forming a dielectric film on a semiconductor substrate; (b) etching the dielectric film by a dry process; and (c) supplying thermally decomposed atomic hydrogen onto the semiconductor substrate under a prescribed temperature condition, to remove a damaged layer produced in the semiconductor substrate due to the dry process.
1. A semiconductor device fabrication method comprising:
forming a dielectric film on a semiconductor substrate;
forming a conductive film on the dielectric film;
patterning the conductive film to form an electrode by a dry process; and
removing at least a portion of a damaged layer produced in the semiconductor substrate due to the dry process, after removing at least a part of the dielectric film, using thermally decomposed atomic hydrogen under a prescribed temperature condition,
wherein after the removal of the at least a portion of the damaged layer, the surface area of the semiconductor substrate has an inverted trapezoidal cross-sectional profile.
2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the thermally decomposed atomic hydrogen is generated by bringing molecules containing hydrogen in contact with a heated catalyst.
3. The method of claim 2 , wherein the heated catalyst is tungsten.
4. The method of claim 2 , wherein the heated catalyst includes a metal with silicidation activation energy at or below 1.8 eV, and the method further comprises:
introducing the metal in the semiconductor substrate from the heated catalyst.
5. The method of claim 2 , wherein the heated catalyst includes at least one of titanium (Ti), nickel (Ni), cobalt (Co), and platinum (pt), and the method further comprises:
introducing the metal in the semiconductor substrate from the heated catalyst simultaneously with or successively after the removal of the damaged layer.
6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the damaged layer is removed by the thermally decomposed atomic hydrogen while the temperature of a susceptor holding the semiconductor substrate is maintained at or above 170° C.
7. A semiconductor device fabrication method comprising:
forming a gate electrode on a semiconductor substrate via a dielectric film;
forming a sidewall for the gate electrode by dry etching; and
removing a damaged layer produced in the semiconductor substrate due to the dry etching, using thermally decomposed atomic hydrogen under a prescribed temperature condition,
wherein after the removal of the damaged layer, the surface area of the semiconductor substrate has an inverted trapezoidal cross-sectional profile.
8. A semiconductor device fabrication method comprising:
forming a dielectric film on a semiconductor substrate;
forming a conductive film on the dielectric film;
patterning an electrode by patterning the conductive film; and
removing at least a portion of a surface layer in the semiconductor substrate, using thermally decomposed atomic hydrogen under a prescribed temperature condition,
wherein after the removal of the at least a portion of the surface layer, the surface area of the semiconductor substrate has an inverted trapezoidal cross-sectional profile.
9. The method of claim 8 , wherein the surface layer is a damaged layer produced in the semiconductor substrate due to a dry process by the patterning.