Method for the reduction of defectivity in vapor deposited films

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9328416-B2
Application number	US-201414158536-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jan 17, 2014
Priority date	Jan 17, 2014
Publication date	May 3, 2016
Grant date	May 3, 2016

Abstract

Methods for depositing film on substrates are described. In various cases, a high thermal conductivity gas such as helium is used to deposit a conditioning layer on surfaces of the reaction chamber before it is used to process substrates. The helium may be used to help atomize/vaporize a liquid reactant in a heated injection module before the reactant is delivered to the reaction chamber. In some embodiments, a purge gas including helium is used during a post-deposition purge during deposition on substrates. The disclosed embodiments allow for mixed recipe processing without having to clean the reaction chamber between recipes, and without forming a high number of particles/defects on the substrates. This allows for an improved throughput of high quality film, even where mixed recipes are used in a single reaction chamber.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method for preparing a reaction chamber for depositing film on substrates, comprising:
flowing a liquid reagent into a heated injection module;
atomizing the liquid reagent in the heated injection module in the presence of helium to create a source gas comprising the atomized liquid reagent and helium;
flowing the source gas from the heated injection module into the reaction chamber; and
exposing the reaction chamber to plasma to deposit a film from the source gas on surfaces of the reaction chamber while no substrate is present in the reaction chamber.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the liquid reagent is TEOS, and wherein the TEOS is flowed at a rate less than about 10 mL/min into the heated injection module.

3. The method of claim 2 , wherein the source gas further comprises oxygen.

4. The method of claim 2 , wherein flowing the source gas into the reaction chamber and exposing the reaction chamber to plasma are performed at least partially concurrently to thereby deposit the film through a chemical vapor deposition gas-phase reaction.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the source gas comprises between about 40-80% helium, by volume.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein flowing the source gas into the reaction chamber and exposing the reaction chamber to plasma are performed cyclically to deposit the film through an atomic layer deposition surface reaction.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the reaction chamber is exposed to plasma for a duration between about 30-90 seconds to form an undercoat film.

8. The method of claim 7 , further comprising repeating the method to form a pre-deposition coat film on the undercoat film, wherein during formation of the pre-deposition coat film, the reaction chamber is exposed to plasma for a duration between about 60-350 seconds, and wherein a deposition rate on surfaces of the reaction chamber is higher during formation of the undercoat film than during formation of the pre-deposition coat film.

9. The method of claim 1 , wherein a first iteration of the method results in formation of an undercoat film, and further comprising repeating the method a second iteration to form a pre-deposition coat film, wherein a deposition rate on surfaces of the reaction chamber is higher during formation of the undercoat film than during formation of the pre-deposition coat film.

10. A method for depositing film on a substrate, comprising:
flowing a first source gas comprising a first reagent and helium into a reaction chamber and exposing the reaction chamber to a first plasma to thereby deposit a first film on surfaces of the reaction chamber while no substrate is present in the reaction chamber, wherein the first reagent is liquid at room temperature, and wherein the first reagent is atomized in the presence of the helium before flowing into the reaction chamber;
providing the substrate to the reaction chamber;
flowing a second source gas into the reaction chamber and exposing the reaction chamber to a second plasma to thereby deposit a second film on the substrate, wherein the second source gas comprises a second reagent that is liquid at room temperature, and wherein the second source gas is substantially free of helium.

11. The method of claim 10 , wherein the first reagent comprises TEOS.

12. The method of claim 11 , wherein the flow rate of TEOS in the first source gas flowed into the reaction chamber is less than about 10 mL/min, as measured when the TEOS is in liquid form at room temperature.

13. The method of claim 10 , further comprising purging the reaction chamber for at least about 3 seconds with a purge gas comprising helium after the second film, or a portion thereof, is formed on the substrate.

14. The method of claim 13 , wherein the helium in the purge gas flows at a rate between about 10-20 SLM.

15. The method of claim 10 , wherein the second reagent comprises TEOS.

16. The method of claim 10 , further comprising before providing the substrate to the reaction chamber, flowing a third source gas comprising a third reagent and helium into the reaction chamber and exposing the reaction chamber to a third plasma to thereby deposit a third film on surfaces of the reaction chamber while no substrate is present in the reaction chamber, wherein the third reagent is liquid at room temperature, wherein the first plasma is exposed to the reaction chamber for a duration between about 30-90 seconds, wherein the third plasma is exposed to the reaction chamber for a duration between about 60-350 seconds, and wherein a deposition rate is higher during deposition of the first film than during deposition of the third film.

17. The method of claim 10 further comprising:
after depositing the second film on the substrate, removing the substrate from the reaction chamber;
flowing a fourth source gas into the reaction chamber and exposing the reaction chamber to a fourth plasma to thereby deposit a fourth film on surfaces of the reaction chamber, wherein the fourth source gas comprises helium;
receiving a second substrate in the reaction chamber; and
flowing a fifth source gas into the reaction chamber and exposing the reaction chamber to a fifth plasma to thereby deposit a fifth film on the second substrate, wherein at least one reaction parameter is different between depositing the second film on the substrate and depositing the fifth film on the second substrate, wherein the reaction parameter is selected from the group consisting of: a power used to generate plasma, a frequency used to generate plasma, plasma exposure time, reactants delivered to the reaction chamber, timing of delivery of reactants to the reaction chamber, flow rate of delivery of reactants to the reaction chamber, pressure, electrode gap and temperature.

18. The method of claim 17 , wherein the fourth film is deposited on surfaces of the reaction chamber without first cleaning the surfaces of the reaction chamber after the second film is deposited on the substrate.

19. The method of claim 18 , wherein the second film deposited on the substrate and the fifth film deposited on the second substrate have fewer than about 10 particles of about 0.04 μm or larger detectable thereon.

20. The method of claim 18 , wherein the fifth film is deposited on the substrate immediately after the fourth film is formed on surfaces of the reaction chamber, without any intervening deposition operations in the reaction chamber, and wherein the fifth film has fewer than about 20 particles of about 0.04 μm or larger detectable thereon.

21. The method of claim 10 , further comprising before providing the substrate to the reaction chamber, flowing a third source gas comprising a third reagent and helium into the reaction chamber and exposing the reaction chamber to a third plasma to thereby deposit a third film on surfaces of the reaction chamber while no substrate is present in the reaction chamber, wherein the third reagent is liquid at room temperature, wherein a deposition rate is higher during deposition of the first film than during deposition of the third film.

22. The method of claim 10 , wherein the second film deposited on the substrate has fewer than about 10 particles of about 0.04 μm or larger detectable thereon.

Assignees

• Lam Res Corp

Inventors

• Dhas Arul N
• Singhal Akhil
• Li Ming
• Boumatar Kareem

Classifications

• C23C16/45542

  Plasma being used non-continuously during the ALD reactions · CPC title

• C23C16/4404 Primary

  Coatings or surface treatment on the inside of the reaction chamber or on parts thereof · CPC title

• C23C16/401 Primary

  containing silicon · CPC title