Integrating atomic scale processes: ald (atomic layer deposition) and ale (atomic layer etch)

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2016203995-A1
Application number	US-201514696254-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Apr 24, 2015
Priority date	Jan 12, 2015
Publication date	Jul 14, 2016
Grant date	—

Abstract

Methods are provided for integrating atomic layer etch and atomic layer deposition by performing both processes in the same chamber or reactor. Methods involve sequentially alternating between atomic layer etch and atomic layer deposition processes to protect feature degradation during etch, improve selectivity, and encapsulate sensitive layers of a semiconductor substrate.

First claim

1 . A method of processing a substrate, the method comprising:
etching the substrate by atomic layer etch in a chamber; and depositing a film by atomic layer deposition in the chamber, wherein the etching and the depositing are performed without breaking vacuum.

2 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the etching is performed in cycles, a cycle comprising
exposing a substrate to an etching gas to modify the surface of the substrate; and exposing the substrate to a removal gas to remove at least some of the modified surface.

3 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the depositing is performed in cycles, a cycle comprising
exposing the substrate to a deposition precursor to modify the surface of the substrate; and exposing the substrate to a reducing agent to deposit the film.

4 . The method of claim 2 , wherein exposing the substrate to the etching gas further comprises igniting a plasma.

5 . The method of claim 2 , further comprising applying a bias to the substrate.

6 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the etching and the depositing are performed to deposit material on the substrate.

7 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the etching and the depositing are performed to etch material on the substrate.

8 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the etching further comprises directionally sputtering the substrate.

9 . The method of claim 3 , further comprising igniting a plasma.

10 . (canceled)

11 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the etching and the depositing is performed in the same chamber.

12 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the etching is performed nonconformally.

13 . (canceled)

14 . (canceled)

15 . (canceled)

16 . (canceled)

17 . The method of claim 1 , wherein at least one of the etching or the depositing is a self-limiting reaction.

18 . A method comprising:
(a) exposing a substrate housed in a chamber to alternating pulses of an etching gas and a removal gas to etch the substrate layer by layer; (b) exposing the substrate to alternating pulses of a first reactant and a second reactant to deposit a film over the substrate; and (c) repeating (a) and (b) in the same chamber.

19 . The method of claim 18 , wherein the removal gas is a carrier gas selected from the group consisting of N 2 , Ar, He, and Ne.

20 . The method of claim 18 , wherein (a) and (b) are performed in the same chamber and are performed sequentially.

21 . (canceled)

22 . The method of claim 18 , wherein (a) further comprises applying a bias to the substrate.

23 . (canceled)

24 . (canceled)

25 . (canceled)

26 . The method of claim 18 , wherein at least one of (a) or (b) is a self-limiting reaction.

27 . The method of claim 18 , wherein (a) and (b) are repeated to deposit material on the substrate.

28 . The method of claim 18 , wherein (a) and (b) are repeated to etch a film on the substrate.

29 . (canceled)

30 . An apparatus for processing substrates, the apparatus comprising:
one or more process chambers, each process chamber comprising a chuck; one or more gas inlets into the process chambers and associated flow-control hardware; and a controller having at least one processor and a memory, wherein
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 by:
etching the substrate by atomic layer etch in a chamber; and
depositing a film by atomic layer deposition in the chamber,
wherein the etching and the depositing are performed without breaking vacuum.

31 . (canceled)

Assignees

• Lam Res Corp

Inventors

• Kanarik Keren Jacobs
• Marks Jeffrey
• Singh Harmeet
• Tan Samantha
• Kabansky Alexander
• Yang Wenbing
• Kim Taeseung
• Hausmann Dennis M
• Lill Thorsten

Classifications

• H10P50/268

  of silicon-containing layers · CPC title

• H10P14/69215

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

• H10P14/6336

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

• H10P72/0468

  comprising a chamber adapted to a particular process · CPC title

• H10P72/0421

  for drying etching · CPC title