Modulated atomic layer deposition

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12451346-B2
Application number	US-202418737855-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 7, 2024
Priority date	May 1, 2019
Publication date	Oct 21, 2025
Grant date	Oct 21, 2025

Abstract

Methods and apparatuses for depositing thin films using long and short conversion times during alternating cycles of atomic layer deposition (ALD) are provided herein. Embodiments involve alternating conversion duration of an ALD cycle in one or more cycles of a multi-cycle ALD process. Some embodiments involve modulation of dose, purge, pressure, plasma power or plasma energy in two or more ALD cycles.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An apparatus for processing substrates, the apparatus comprising:
one or more process chambers;
one or more gas inlets into the one or more process chambers and associated flow control hardware; and
a controller having at least one processor and a memory, whereby the at least one processor and the memory are communicatively connected with one another, the at least one processor is at least operatively connected with the flow control hardware, and the memory stores computer-executable instructions configured to control the at least one processor to at least control the flow control hardware to:
cause insertion of a substrate to at least one of the one or more process chambers;
cause introduction of a first set of alternating flows of a precursor and a reactant into the at least one of the one or more process chambers via the one or more gas inlets for a first duration; and
subsequent to the first duration, cause introduction of a second set of alternating flows the precursor and the reactant into the at least one of the one or more process chambers via the one or more gas inlets for a second duration; and
wherein the second duration is at least 1.1 times longer than the first duration.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising a plasma generator.

3. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the at least one of the one or more process chambers comprises a powered showerhead and a grounded pedestal to hold the substrate.

4. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the at least one of the one or more process chambers comprises a powered pedestal to hold the substrate and a grounded showerhead.

5. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the computer-executable instructions are further configured to control the at least one processor to at least control the flow control hardware to: ignite a plasma to generate the reactant.

6. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the precursor comprises an aminosilane.

7. The apparatus of claim 6 , wherein the aminosilane comprises di-isopropylaminosilane (DIPAS).

8. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the second duration is up to about 10 times longer than the first duration.

9. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the second duration is up to about 5 times longer than the first duration.

10. An apparatus for processing substrates, the apparatus comprising:
one or more process chambers;
one or more gas inlets into the one or more process chambers and associated flow control hardware;
a plasma generator; and
a controller having at least one processor and a memory, whereby the at least one processor and the memory are communicatively connected with one another, the at least one processor is at least operatively connected with the flow control hardware, and the memory stores computer-executable instructions for controlling the at least one processor to at least control the flow control hardware to:
cause insertion of a substrate to at least one of the one or more process chambers;
cause introduction of a first set of alternating flows of a precursor and a reactant into the at least one of the one or more process chambers via the one or more gas inlets;
cause generation of a plasma having a first plasma energy when causing introduction of the reactant during the first set to form a conformal material; and
subsequent to the introduction of the first set of alternating flows, cause introduction of a second set of alternating flows of the precursor and the reactant into the at least one of the one or more process chambers via the one or more gas inlets; and
causing generation of a plasma having a second plasma energy at least 1.1 times greater than the first plasma energy when introducing the reactant during the second set to form a conformal material.

11. The apparatus of claim 10 , wherein the at least one of the one or more process chambers comprises a powered showerhead and a grounded pedestal to hold the substrate.

12. The apparatus of claim 10 , wherein the at least one of the one or more process chambers comprises a powered pedestal to hold the substrate and a grounded showerhead.

13. The apparatus of claim 10 , wherein the first plasma energy is between about 200 J and about 500 J per substrate.

14. The apparatus of claim 10 , wherein the second plasma is generated using a plasma power between about 125 W to about 1625 W per substrate.

15. The apparatus of claim 10 , wherein the precursor comprises an aminosilane.

16. The apparatus of claim 15 , wherein the aminosilane comprises di-isopropylaminosilane (DIPAS).

17. An apparatus for processing substrates, the apparatus comprising:
one or more process chambers;
one or more gas inlets into the one or more process chambers and associated flow control hardware; and
a controller having at least one processor and a memory, whereby the at least one processor and the memory are communicatively connected with one another, the at least one processor is at least operatively connected with the flow control hardware, and the memory stores computer-executable instructions configured to control the at least one processor to at least control the flow control hardware to:
provide a substrate to a process chamber;
deposit a first amount of a material over the substrate in a first atomic layer deposition (ALD) cycle, the first ALD cycle comprising:
exposing the substrate to a precursor under conditions allowing the precursor to adsorb onto a surface of the substrate, thereby forming a first adsorbed layer of the precursor; and
exposing the first adsorbed layer of the precursor to reactive species for a first duration to form the first amount of the material; and

subsequent to the first ALD cycle, deposit a second amount of the material on the first amount of the material using a second ALD cycle, the second ALD cycle comprising:
exposing the substrate to the precursor under conditions allowing the precursor to adsorb onto a surface of the substrate, thereby forming a second adsorbed layer of the precursor; and
exposing the second adsorbed layer of the precursor to reactive species for a second duration to form the second amount of the material;

wherein the second duration is longer than the first duration.

18. The apparatus of claim 17 , wherein the second duration is up to 10 times longer than the first duration.

19. The apparatus of claim 17 , wherein the computer-executable instructions are further configured to control the at least one processor to at least control the flow control hardware to:
repeat the first ALD cycle two or more times before depositing the second amount of the material,
repeat the second ALD cycle two or more times, or
a combination thereof.

20. The apparatus of claim 17 , wherein the computer-executable instructions are further configured to control the at least one processor to at least control the flow control hardware to: cause alternation between the first and second ALD cycles.

Assignees

• Lam Res Corp

Inventors

• Soe Chan Myae Myae
• Baldasseroni Chloe
• Bhandari Shiva Sharan
• Agarwal Pulkit
• Lavoie Adrien
• Van Schravendijk Bart J

Classifications

• H10P14/69215

  the material being a silicon oxide, e.g. SiO2 · CPC title

• H10P14/6682

  the compound being a silane, e.g. disilane, methylsilane or chlorosilane · CPC title

• H10P14/6336

  in the presence of a plasma [PECVD] · CPC title

• H10P14/6339 Primary

  deposition by cyclic CVD, e.g. ALD, ALE or pulsed CVD · CPC title

• H10P50/283

  by chemical means · CPC title