Method of forming a dielectric layer

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2016093489-A1
Application number	US-201414499268-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Sep 29, 2014
Priority date	Sep 29, 2014
Publication date	Mar 31, 2016
Grant date	—

Abstract

A method of forming a dielectric layer includes the following steps. First of all, a high-k dielectric layer is formed on a substrate. Next, a nitridation process is performed on the high-k dielectric layer immediately after the high-k dielectric layer is formed. Then, a post-nitridation process is performed on the high-k dielectric layer after the nitridation process is performed.

First claim

1 . A method of forming a dielectric layer comprising:
forming a high-k dielectric layer on a substrate; performing a nitridation process on the high-k dielectric layer immediately after forming the high-k dielectric layer, wherein the whole nitridation process is performed at room temperature; and performing a post-nitridation process after performing the nitridation process, wherein the post-nitridation process is performed under oxygen diluted with inert gas.

2 . The method of forming the dielectric layer according to claim 1 , wherein the nitridation process is performed in an oxygen free environment.

3 . (canceled)

4 . The method of forming the dielectric layer according to claim 1 , wherein the nitridation process is performed substantially between 20° C. and 25° C.

5 . The method of forming a dielectric layer according to claim 1 , wherein the nitridation process is a decoupled plasma nitridation process.

6 . (canceled)

7 . The method of forming the dielectric layer according to claim 1 , wherein the post-nitridation process is performed under oxygen diluted with nitrogen conditions.

8 . The method of forming the dielectric layer according to claim 1 , wherein the post-nitridation process is performed under oxygen diluted with argon conditions.

9 . The method of forming the dielectric layer according to claim 1 , wherein the post-nitridation process is performed with less than 10% oxygen.

10 . The method of forming the dielectric layer according to claim 9 , wherein the post-nitridation process is performed with less than 1% oxygen in nitrogen.

11 . The method of forming the dielectric layer according to claim 1 , wherein the post-nitridation process is a post nitridation annealing process.

12 . The method of forming the dielectric layer according to claim 1 , wherein the post nitridation annealing process is carried out at 900° C.

13 . The method of forming the dielectric layer according to claim 1 , further comprising:
forming an interfacial layer on the substrate, between the high-k dielectric layer and the substrate.

Assignees

• United Microelectronics Corp

Inventors

• Liu Yu-Feng
• Yang Chih-Wei
• Ke Jian-Cun
• Hsu Chia-Fu

Classifications

• H10P95/00

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

• H10P14/6939

  characterised by the metal · CPC title

• H10P14/6526

  introduced into an oxide material, e.g. changing SiO to SiON · 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

• H10D64/021

  using multiple gate spacer layers, e.g. bilayered sidewall spacers · CPC title