Selectively lateral growth of silicon oxide thin film

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2016233084-A1
Application number	US-201514984599-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Dec 30, 2015
Priority date	Feb 9, 2015
Publication date	Aug 11, 2016
Grant date	—

Abstract

Implementations disclosed herein generally relate to methods of forming silicon oxide films. The methods can include performing silylation on the surface of the substrate having terminal hydroxyl groups. The hydroxyl groups on the surface of the substrate are then regenerated using a plasma and H 2 O soak in order to perform an additional silylation. Further methods include catalyzing the exposed surfaces using a Lewis acid, directionally inactivating the exposed first and second surfaces and deposition of a silicon containing layer on the sidewall surfaces. Multiple plasma treatments may be performed to deposit a layer having a desired thickness.

First claim

1 . A method of depositing a silicon oxide film, sequentially comprising:
positioning a substrate in a process chamber, the substrate having:
a first layer; and
a second layer disposed over the first layer, the second layer having an exposed second surface and one or more features formed therein, the features creating one or more sidewall surfaces and an exposed first surface;
treating the substrate with a catalyst, the catalyst comprising a Lewis acid, the catalyst forming terminal reactive groups on the exposed first surface, the one or more sidewall surfaces and the exposed second surface; delivering a catalyst deactivator to the substrate, the catalyst deactivator being activated by a plasma, the substrate being biased such that the catalyst deactivator is received by the exposed first surface and the exposed second surface, the terminal reactive groups being maintained on the one or more sidewall surfaces; and delivering a silanol to the substrate, the silanol depositing a silicon-containing layer on the one or more sidewall surfaces.

2 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the terminal reactive group is CH 3 .

3 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the silanol is a compound having the general formula Si(OR) 3 OH, the R group being a hydrocarbon.

4 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the silanol is tris-(tert-butoxy)silanol, tris-(tert-pentoxy)silanol, or derivatives thereof.

5 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the Lewis acid is an organoaluminum compound, an organoiron compound, an organotitanium compound, an organozinc compound, or combinations thereof.

6 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the Lewis acid is trimethylaluminum (TMA).

7 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the Lewis acid is AlCl 3 , FeCl 3 , TiCl 4 , ZnCl 4 or combinations thereof.

8 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the catalyst deactivator comprises O 2 , N 2 , NH 3 , H 2 , H 2 O, He, Ar, or combinations thereof.

9 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the treating the substrate with the catalyst, the delivering of the catalyst deactivator to the substrate and the delivering of the silanol to the substrate are sequentially repeated one or more times.

10 - 17 . (canceled)

18 . A method of depositing a silicon oxide film, sequentially comprising:
positioning a substrate in a process chamber, the substrate having:
a metal layer comprising copper; and
a dielectric layer disposed over the metal layer, the dielectric layer having an exposed dielectric surface and one or more features formed therein, the features creating one or more sidewall surfaces and an exposed metal surface;
treating the substrate with a catalyst, the catalyst comprising a tetramethyl aluminum, the catalyst forming a terminal CH 3 group on the exposed metal surface, the one or more sidewall surfaces and the exposed dielectric surface; forming a capacitively coupled plasma comprising a catalyst deactivator;
delivering the capacitively coupled plasma to the substrate, the substrate being biased such that the catalyst deactivator is received by the exposed metal surface and the exposed dielectric surface, the terminal CH 3 groups being maintained on the one or more sidewall surfaces; and
delivering a silanol to the substrate, the silanol depositing a silicon oxide layer on the one or more sidewall surfaces.

19 . The method of claim 18 , wherein the silanol is tris-(tert-butoxy)silanol, tris-(tert-pentoxy)silanol, or derivatives thereof.

20 . The method of claim 18 , wherein the catalyst deactivator comprises O 2 , N 2 , NH 3 , H 2 , H 2 O, He, Ar, or combinations thereof.

21 . A method of processing a substrate, comprising:
(a) conformally forming a catalyst layer on an exposed surface of a layer formed over a substrate, wherein the catalyst layer comprises trimethylaluminum (TMA); (b) exposing the substrate to a plasma formed from a catalyst deactivator gas, wherein the catalyst deactivator gas comprises O 2 , N 2 , NH 3 , H 2 , H 2 O, He, Ar, or any combination thereof; (c) exposing the substrate to a silanol to form a material layer on the substrate; and (d) repeating (a) to (c) until a desired thickness of the material layer is achieved.

22 . The method of claim 21 , wherein the silanol is a compound having the general formula Si(OR) 3 OH, the R group being a hydrocarbon.

23 . The method of claim 22 , wherein the silanol is tris-(tert-butoxy)silanol, tris-(tert-pentoxy)silanol, or derivatives thereof.

24 . The method of claim 21 , wherein the material layer is silicon oxide.

25 . The method of claim 21 , wherein the catalyst deactivator gas is O 2 or H 2 O.

26 . The method of claim 21 , wherein the substrate is biased during the process.

27 . The method of claim 21 , wherein the layer is a dielectric layer.

28 . The method of claim 21 , wherein the material layer is formed on sidewalls of a patterned feature formed in the layer.

Assignees

• Applied Materials Inc

Inventors

• Chen Yihong
• Chan Kelvin
• Mukherjee Shaunak
• Mallick Abhijit Basu

Classifications

• H10P95/00

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

• H10P76/4085

  characterised by the processes involved to create the masks · CPC title

• H10P14/69215 Primary

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

• H10P14/6922

  the material containing Si, O and at least one of H, N, C, F or other non-metal elements, e.g. SiOC, SiOC:H or SiONC · CPC title

• H10P14/6687

  the compound comprising silicon and nitrogen · CPC title