Integrated wet clean for gate stack development

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12575357-B2
Application number	US-202217859777-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 7, 2022
Priority date	Jul 7, 2021
Publication date	Mar 10, 2026
Grant date	Mar 10, 2026

Abstract

Exemplary integrated cluster tools may include a factory interface including a first transfer robot. The tools may include a wet clean system coupled with the factory interface at a first side of the wet clean system. The tools may include a load lock chamber coupled with the wet clean system at a second side of the wet clean system opposite the first side of the wet clean system. The tools may include a first transfer chamber coupled with the load lock chamber. The first transfer chamber may include a second transfer robot. The tools may include a thermal treatment chamber coupled with the first transfer chamber. The tools may include a second transfer chamber coupled with the first transfer chamber. The second transfer chamber may include a third transfer robot. The tools may include a metal deposition chamber coupled with the second transfer chamber.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1 . An integrated cluster tool comprising:
a factory interface including a first transfer robot; a wet clean system coupled with the factory interface at a first side of the wet clean system; a load lock chamber coupled with the wet clean system at a second side of the wet clean system opposite the first side of the wet clean system; a first transfer chamber coupled with the load lock chamber, wherein the first transfer chamber includes a second transfer robot; a thermal treatment chamber coupled with the first transfer chamber; a second transfer chamber coupled with the first transfer chamber, wherein the second transfer chamber includes a third transfer robot; a metal deposition chamber coupled with the second transfer chamber; and a controller configured to perform:
processing a substrate in a wet clean chamber of the wet clean system to remove residual organics and particles from a surface of an oxide formed on the substrate, wherein the substrate comprises a silicon layer, and wherein processing the substrate in the wet clean chamber maintains an amount of moisture on the surface of the oxide until gate formation processing; and
performing the gate formation processing on the substrate directly after processing the substrate in the wet clean chamber, and performing the gate formation processing comprises forming a high-k dielectric material on the surface of the oxide.

2 . The integrated cluster tool of claim 1 , further comprising:
a dry etch chamber accessible to the first transfer chamber or the second transfer chamber.

3 . The integrated cluster tool of claim 1 , wherein the wet clean chamber comprises:
a single-wafer wet clean chamber operably maintained at atmospheric pressure, wherein the first transfer chamber is maintained at vacuum conditions.

4 . The integrated cluster tool of claim 3 , wherein the single-wafer wet clean chamber is fluidly coupled with multiple chemistry delivery systems.

5 . The integrated cluster tool of claim 3 , wherein the single-wafer wet clean chamber is accessible to the first transfer robot of the factory interface.

6 . The integrated cluster tool of claim 3 , wherein the wet clean system further comprises:
a fourth transfer robot disposed in the wet clean system, wherein the fourth transfer robot is operable to transfer substrates between the single-wafer wet clean chamber and the load lock chamber.

7 . The integrated cluster tool of claim 3 , wherein the wet clean system further comprises:
a plurality of single-wafer wet clean chambers stacked on one another.

8 . The integrated cluster tool of claim 7 , wherein each single-wafer wet clean chamber is fluidly coupled with multiple chemistry delivery systems.

9 . The integrated cluster tool of claim 1 , wherein a track on which the first transfer robot operates extends into the wet clean system.

10 . The integrated cluster tool of claim 1 :
wherein the controller is further configured to cause the integrated cluster tool to:
deliver the substrate from the factory interface to the wet clean system;
process the substrate in a wet clean chamber of the wet clean system to remove oxide from a surface of the substrate, wherein the substrate comprises a silicon layer;
deliver the substrate from the wet clean system to the load lock chamber;
deliver the substrate from the load lock chamber to the metal deposition chamber;
form a high-k dielectric material;
treat the high-k dielectric material with a nitrogen-containing precursor; and
anneal the high-k dielectric material.

11 . The integrated cluster tool of claim 10 , wherein:
the controller is further configured to cause the integrated cluster tool to, prior to forming the high-k dielectric material, oxidize at least a portion of the silicon layer, forming the oxide.

12 . The integrated cluster tool of claim 11 , wherein:
the controller is further configured to cause the integrated cluster tool to, subsequent to oxidizing at least a portion of the silicon layer, perform the wet clean chamber processing with a solution of ammonium hydroxide and hydrogen peroxide.

13 . The integrated cluster tool of claim 10 , wherein:
the controller is further configured to cause the integrated cluster tool to, prior to treating the high-k dielectric material with a nitrogen-containing precursor, anneal the high-k dielectric material.

14 . The integrated cluster tool of claim 10 , wherein processing the substrate in the wet clean chamber comprises:
cleaning the substrate with a first chemistry including hydrofluoric acid; cleaning the substrate with a second chemistry comprising ammonium hydroxide; and cleaning the substrate with a third chemistry comprising hydrochloric acid.

15 . The integrated cluster tool of claim 14 , wherein:
the controller is further configured to cause the integrated cluster tool to clean the substrate with a fourth chemistry comprising ozone-infused deionized water.

16 . An integrated cluster tool comprising:
a factory interface including a first transfer robot, wherein the factory interface comprises one or more access locations for front-opening unified pods on a first surface of the factory interface; a wet clean system coupled at a first side of the wet clean system with a second surface of the factory interface opposite the first surface of the factory interface; a load lock chamber coupled with the wet clean system at a second side of the wet clean system opposite the first side of the wet clean system; a transfer chamber coupled with the load lock chamber, wherein the transfer chamber includes a second transfer robot; a metal deposition chamber coupled with the transfer chamber; and a controller configured to perform:
processing a substrate in a wet clean chamber of the wet clean system to remove residual organics and particles from a surface of an oxide formed on the substrate, wherein the substrate comprises a silicon layer, and wherein processing the substrate in the wet clean chamber maintains an amount of moisture on the surface of the oxide until gate formation processing; and
performing the gate formation processing on the substrate directly after processing the substrate in the wet clean chamber, wherein performing the gate formation processing comprises forming a high-k dielectric material on the surface of the oxide.

17 . The integrated cluster tool of claim 16 , wherein the transfer chamber is a second transfer chamber, the integrated cluster tool further comprising:
a first transfer chamber coupled between the load lock chamber and the second transfer chamber.

18 . The integrated cluster tool of claim 17 , further comprising:
a dry etch chamber coupled with the first transfer chamber.

19 . The integrated cluster tool of claim 16 , wherein the wet clean chamber comprises:
a single-wafer wet clean chamber operably maintained at atmospheric pressure, wherein the transfer chamber is maintained at vacuum conditions.

20 . The integrated cluster tool of claim 19 , wherein the single-wafer wet clean chamber is accessible to the first transfer robot of the factory interface.

21 . The integrated cluster tool of claim 19 , wherein the wet clean system further comprises:
a fourth transfer robot disposed in the wet clean system, wherein the fourth transfer robot is operable to transfer substrates between the single-wafer wet clean chamber and the load lock chamber.

22 . The integrated clus

Assignees

• Applied Materials Inc

Inventors

• Kirkpatrick Brian K
• Hung Steven C H
• Bevan Malcolm J

Classifications

• H10P72/7602

  the wafers being placed on a robot blade or gripped by a gripper for conveyance · CPC title

• H10P72/0468

  comprising a chamber adapted to a particular process · CPC title

• H10P72/0466

  characterised by the construction of the load-lock chamber · CPC title

• H10P72/0464

  characterised by the construction of the transfer chamber · CPC title

• H10D64/0134

  with a treatment, e.g. annealing, after the formation of the insulator and before the formation of the conductor · CPC title