Texas Instruments Corporation

Dean W Freeman

Cecil J Davis

James B Burris

Lee M Loewenstein

Robert T Matthews

Rhett B Jucha

Joel T Tomlin

Patricia Beauregard Smith

Joseph D Luttmer

John I Jones

Randall C Hildenbrand

Lee M Lowenstein

The disclosure relates to a method of forming in situ phosphorous doped polysilicon wherein a surface upon which phosphorous doped polysilicon is to be deposited is placed in a vacuum furnace and, after low pressure HCl cleaning of the surface and furnace, a predetermined ratio of silane and a gaseous phosphorous containing compound taken from the class consisting of phosphorous trichloride, tertiary butyl phosphine, isobutyl phosphine, trimethyl phosphate and tetramethyl phosphate are simultaneously passed through the furnace at predetermined pressure and temperature to provide a uniformly phosphorous doped layer of polysilicon on the surface.

In-situ doped silicon using tertiary butyl phosphine

A semiconductor device is disclosed in which a deposited non-oxide layer (44) overlies and physically contacts another non-oxide layer (38) so that no intervening oxide layer is present. The device is fabricated by performing an insitu etch and deposition process. In one embodiment, the device (36) is sealed in a LPCVD chamber (10) and etched using gaseous anhydrous hydrofluoric acid to remove an oxide (40) from one non-oxide layer (38). Then, without exposing the device to a water rinse or to the atmosphere, a chemical vapor deposition process applies the deposited layer (44) upon the other layer (38).

Semiconductor device with adjacent non-oxide layers and the fabrication

A processing apparatus and method for depositing a silicon oxide layer on a temperature sensitive wafer utilizing a single process chamber provide nitrous oxide gas to the chamber with the excitation energy being provided by a remotely generated plasma while supplying silane gas in combination with illuminating the wafer with an in situ generated ultraviolet energy to produce the silicon oxide layer.

Method for deposition of silicon oxide on a wafer

A processing apparatus and method utilizing a single process chamber to deposit a layer of doped or undoped silicon dioxide utilizing a silicon source and a dopant gas and a remote plasma from an oxygen source and a source of additional ultraviolet light.

Plasma and plasma UV deposition of SiO.sub.2

A process module which is compatible with a system using primarily vacuum wafer transport, but which permits processing multiple slices in parallel in a single module. This is accomplished by using notched quartz arms in the module, so that the transfer arm can place each of several wafers into one set of notches in the quartz arms. Optionally, a vertical degree of movement in the arm may be used to accomplish this, and the quartz arms may be immovable. This means that the port from the multi-wafer module into the wafer transfer system must be high enough to accommodate the necessary vertical movement of the transfer arm. After the transfer arm has placed the wafer on the quartz arms, the process module can be elevated to close around the set of wafers and made a seal. If the wafer transport arm is already configured to access wafers directly out of a multi-wafer vacuum wafer carrier, the necessary degree of freedom will necessarily already be present in the transfer arm, and at least one port of the necessary vertical dimensions will necessarily also be already present (between the loadlock and the transfer chamber). This is particularly useful in combination with relatively slow processes, such as thick field oxidation, long anneals, or long furnace heating steps used to drive in diffusions.

Processing apparatus and method

A processing apparatus and method utilizing a single process chamber for deposition of silicon nitride with a silicon source, a remote plasma including a nitrogen source, additional ultraviolet energy coupled into the process chamber to provide additional molecular excitation of the silicon source.

A processing apparatus and method utilizing a single process chamber to remove organics and metallic contaminates, remove native oxides, oxidize by heat and a oxidizing source, depositing a layer over the oxide formed with the capability of providing an source of additional ultraviolet light.

Method for wafer treating

A processing apparatus and method for depositing doped or undoped polysilicon on a wafer utilizing a single process chamber to heat the wafer, provide a silicon comtaining gas, and if desired, an appropriate dopant gas to the chamber with the excitation energy being provided by either or both of a remotely generated plasma form and illumination of the wafer with an in situ generated ultraviolet energy.

Deposition of polysilicon using a remote plasma and in situ generation

In situ doped polysilicon using tertiary butyl phosphine

The described embodiment of the present invention provides a method and device for cleaning the surface of a silicon wafer using dry gases. At least one of the gases provided is excited by passing the gas through a microwave plasma generator or by heating the wafer thereby exciting the gases near the surface of the wafer. The excitation of the gases causes chemical reactions similar to those induced by ionization of the nongaseous cleaning materials in water. After a suitable etching period, the etching chamber is purged using an insert gas, such as nitrogen, which helps carry away the remaining reacted contaminants.

Method and apparatus for cleaning integrated circuit wafers

A high pressure processing apparatus and method which is compatible with a system wherein wafers are largely transported and processed under vacuum. The pressure vessel can be extremely small, i.e. has a total pressurized volume of which almost all interior points are within one or two centimeters of one of the workpieces which may be loaded into the chamber.

Processing apparatus for wafers

A processing apparatus and method compatible with a vacuum process system for wafers, wherein an in situ source of ultraviolet light is provided to enhance chemical activity at the wafer surface, and a remote plasma source is provided in the process gas flow upstream of the wafer, to provide activated species to the wafer face, and a radiatively coupled heat source is also provided so that the wafer can be rapidly thermally cycled.

Silicon dioxide is deposited by low pressure chemical vapor deposition (LPCVD) from dichlorosilane plus nitrous oxide, using a larger concentration of dichlorosilane than of nitrous oxide.

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Garland, TX, United States of America

Dean W Freeman