Wafer treatment for achieving defect-free self-assembled monolayers

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11735420-B2
Application number	US-202017014975-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 8, 2020
Priority date	Jun 14, 2017
Publication date	Aug 22, 2023
Grant date	Aug 22, 2023

Abstract

Methods of depositing a film selectively onto a first material relative to a second material are described. The substrate is pre-cleaned by heating the substrate to a first temperature, cleaning contaminants from the substrate and activating the first surface to promote formation of a self-assembled monolayer (SAM) on the first material. A SAM is formed on the first material by repeated cycles of SAM molecule exposure, heating and reactivation of the first material. A final exposure to the SAM molecules is performed prior to selectively depositing a film on the second material. Apparatus to perform the selective deposition are also described.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A processing chamber comprising:
a pedestal positioned within the processing chamber and comprising a heater, the pedestal configured to hold a substrate;
an inlet configured to input one or more process gases to the processing chamber; and
a control system coupled to the processing chamber, the control system comprising: a first configuration to heat the substrate to a first temperature, a second configuration to expose the substrate to one or more of a plasma from a plasma source or radicals from a radical source, a third configuration to control a flow of an activating agent to the substrate to form hydroxyl terminations thereon, and a fourth configuration to expose the substrate to multiple cycles of exposure to a SAM molecule, heating the substrate and exposure to the activating agent.

2. The processing chamber of claim 1 , wherein the activating agent comprises water vapor provided by a remote plasma source.

3. The processing chamber of claim 1 , wherein the pedestal comprises an electrostatic chuck and cooling/heating base.

4. The processing chamber of claim 3 , wherein the electrostatic chuck comprises an Al 2 O 3 , Y 2 O 3 or a ceramic material.

5. The processing chamber of claim 3 , wherein the pedestal further comprises a DC electrode and the processing chamber further comprising a DC power supply connected to the DC electrode.

6. The processing chamber of claim 1 , further comprising a plasma source comprising a showerhead, wherein the plasma source is coupled to the processing chamber.

7. The processing chamber of claim 6 , wherein the plasma source is coupled to an RF power source and the pedestal is coupled to a first plasma bias power.

8. The processing chamber of claim 7 , wherein the pedestal is coupled to a second plasma bias power.

9. The processing chamber of claim 1 , wherein the control system comprises one or more of a processor, a temperature controller coupled to the processor, a memory coupled to the processor, and/or input/output devices coupled to the processor.

10. The processing chamber of claim 9 , wherein the memory comprises one or more of transitory memory or non-transitory memory.

11. A system comprising:
a central transfer station comprising a robot configured to move a substrate between chambers connected to the central transfer station;
a pre-cleaning chamber connected to the central transfer station, the pre-cleaning chamber comprising one or more of a heater, and one or more of a radical source or a plasma source, the pre-cleaning chamber in fluid communication with an activating agent; and
a control system coupled to the central transfer station and the pre-cleaning chamber, the control system comprising a first configuration to control heating a substrate to a first temperature, a second configuration to control cleaning contaminants from the substrate, a third configuration to control activating a first surface of the substrate to promote formation of a self-assembled monolayer (SAM) on the first surface by exposing the substrate to an activating agent that generates hydroxyl terminations on the first surface, and a fourth configuration to control movement of the substrate from the central transfer station to and from the pre-cleaning chamber using the robot.

12. The system of claim 11 , wherein the first temperature is in a range of about 200° C. to about 350° C.

13. The system of claim 12 , wherein water vapor is provided by a remote plasma source.

14. The system of claim 11 , wherein cleaning contaminants from the substrate comprises exposing the substrate to one or more of plasma or radicals.

15. The system of claim 11 , wherein the activating agent comprises water vapor.

16. The system of claim 15 , wherein forming the SAM comprises a plurality of cycles of a SAM formation process followed by a final exposure to a SAM molecule, each cycle of the SAM formation process comprising exposing the substrate to the SAM molecule at a second temperature followed by heating the substrate to the first temperature and reactivation of the first surface.

17. The system of claim 16 , wherein the SAM molecule comprises an amino-substituted silane with a non-polar tail.

18. The system of claim 11 , further comprising:
a SAM deposition chamber connected to the central transfer station, the SAM deposition chamber in fluid communication with one or more reactive gas sources to provide one or more flows of reactive gases comprising a SAM molecule to the SAM deposition chamber, and

wherein the control system is coupled to the SAM deposition chamber and further comprises a configuration to control formation of a SAM.

19. The system of claim 18 , further comprising:
a deposition chamber connected to the central transfer station, and wherein the control system is coupled to the deposition chamber and further comprises a configuration to selectively deposit a film on the substrate.

20. A non-transitory computer readable medium comprising instructions, that when executed by a control system of a processing chamber, cause the processing chamber to perform operations of:
heating a substrate to a first temperature;
cleaning contaminants from the substrate;
generating hydroxyl terminations on a first surface of the substrate; and
exposing the substrate to a SAM molecule at a second temperature.

Assignees

• Applied Materials Inc

Inventors

• Ke Chang
• Zhou Lei
• Liu Biao
• Pan Cheng
• Guo Yuanhong
• Wu Liqi
• Jackson Michael S
• Godet Ludovic
• Kaufman-Osborn Tobin
• Chen Erica
• Ma Paul F

Classifications

• H10P72/72

  using electrostatic chucks · CPC title

• H10P14/61

  using masks · CPC title

• H10P95/00

  Generic processes or apparatus for manufacture or treatments not covered by the other groups of this subclass · CPC title

• H10P72/0468

  comprising a chamber adapted to a particular process · CPC title

• H10P70/23

  during, before or after processing of insulating materials · CPC title