Plasma assisted atomic layer deposition of multi-layer films for patterning applications

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2016336178-A1
Application number	US-201615224347-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Jul 29, 2016
Priority date	Apr 15, 2010
Publication date	Nov 17, 2016
Grant date	—

Abstract

Methods and apparatus for depositing nanolaminate films are provided. In various embodiments, the nanolaminate film may be deposited over a core layer, which may be patterned. The nanolaminate film may act as a spacer while performing a double or quadruple patterning process. The nanolaminate film may include at least two different types of film. In some cases, the two different types of film have different compositions. In some cases, the two different types of film may be deposited under different deposition conditions, and may or may not have the same composition. After the nanolaminate film is deposited, the substrate may be etched to expose the core layer. Some portions of the nanolaminate film (e.g., portions that form on sidewalls of features patterned in the core layer) may remain after etching, and may serve as a mask during later processing steps in a double or quadruple patterning process.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A method of patterning a substrate, the method comprising:
providing a substrate comprising a core layer, wherein the core layer is patterned; forming a nanolaminate film on the core layer, the nanolaminate film comprising a stack comprising at least at least one layer of a first film and at least one layer of a second film,
wherein (i) the first film and the second film have different compositions, and/or (ii) the layer of the first film and the layer of the second film are formed using different reaction conditions,
wherein the layer of the first film has a thickness between about 0.5-50 Å, wherein the layer of the second film has a thickness between about 0.5-50 Å, and wherein the nanolaminate film has a thickness between about 50-300 Å; and
etching the nanolaminate film to expose the core layer, wherein portions of the nanolaminate film remain on the substrate after etching.

2 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the thickness of the layer of the first film is between about 0.5-2 Å.

3 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the stack comprises at least about 50 layers of the first film interleaved with at least about 50 layers of the second film, wherein the thicknesses of the layers of the first film are between about 0.5-2 Å, and wherein the thicknesses of the layers of the second film are between about 0.5-2 Å.

4 . The method of claim 3 , wherein the layers of the first film and the layers of the second film are each formed through a single deposition cycle comprising:
exposing the substrate to a first reactant in vapor phase and allowing the first reactant to adsorb onto the substrate; exposing the substrate to a second reactant in vapor phase and allowing the second reactant to adsorb onto the substrate; and exposing the substrate to plasma to drive a surface reaction between the first reactant and the second reactant.

5 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the first film has a different composition than the second film.

6 . The method of claim 5 , wherein the first film comprises silicon oxide and the second film comprises metal oxide.

7 . The method of claim 6 , further comprising forming metal silicates at an interface between the layer of the first film and the layer of the second film.

8 . The method of claim 5 , wherein the first film comprises a first metal oxide and the second film comprises a second metal oxide, the first and second metal oxides comprising different metals.

9 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the first film and second film each comprise silicon oxide, and wherein the layer of the first film is deposited under different conditions than the layer of the second film.

10 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the first film and second film each comprise metal oxide, and wherein the layer of the first film is deposited under different conditions than the layer of the second film.

11 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the layer of the first film is deposited under different conditions than the layer of the second film, the conditions that are different relating to one or more parameters selected from the group consisting of: identity of reactants, duration of reactant exposure, RF power, duration of RF exposure, RF frequency, substrate temperature, and pressure.

12 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the first film comprises a metal oxide selected from the group consisting of: scandium oxide, yttrium oxide, lanthanum oxide, titanium oxide, zirconium oxide, hafnium oxide, vanadium oxide, niobium oxide, tantalum oxide, tin oxide, and manganese oxide.

13 . The method of claim 1 , wherein all layers in the nanolaminate film are deposited through atomic layer deposition or conformal film deposition mechanisms.

14 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the layer of the first film is formed by exposing the substrate to a plasma generated at an RF power between about 700-1770 W/m 2 , wherein each time the substrate is exposed to the plasma while forming the layer of the first film, a duration of plasma exposure is between about 0.1-0.5 seconds.

15 . The method of claim 14 , wherein during formation of the layer of the first film, the substrate is maintained at a temperature of about 300° C. or less.

16 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the core layer is patterned to include a plurality of raised features, wherein after etching, the nanolaminate film (i) is removed from areas above the raised features, and (ii) remains in sidewalls that abut the raised features.

17 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the nanolaminate film is formed as a spacer layer while performing a double patterning scheme or a quadruple patterning scheme.

18 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the method is repeated at least once such that the nanolaminate film forms over the core layer and a second nanolaminate film forms over a second core layer, wherein the method is performed while performing a quadruple patterning scheme.

19 . An apparatus for depositing a nanolaminate film on a substrate, the apparatus comprising:
a reaction chamber; an inlet for providing gas phase reactants to the reaction chamber; an outlet for removing gas phase reactants and byproducts from the reaction chamber; a substrate support; a plasma generator; and a controller comprising computer executable instructions for:
forming a nanolaminate film on the substrate, the nanolaminate film comprising a stack comprising at least at least one layer of a first film and at least one layer of a second film,
wherein (i) the first film and the second film have different compositions, and/or (ii) the layer of the first film and the layer of the second film are formed using different reaction conditions,
wherein the layer of the first film has a thickness between about 0.5-50 Å, wherein the layer of the second film has a thickness between about 0.5-50 Å, and wherein the nanolaminate film has a thickness between about 50-300 Å.

Assignees

• Lam Res Corp

Inventors

• Swaminathan Shankar
• Pasquale Frank L
• Lavoie Adrien

Classifications

• H10P14/69391

  the material containing aluminium, e.g. Al2O3 · CPC title

• H10P14/69215

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

• H10P14/6339

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

• H10P14/6336

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

• H10P76/408

  characterised by their sizes, orientations, dispositions, behaviours or shapes · CPC title