Asm America, Inc.

Glen Wilk

Steven Marcus

Eric James Shero

Jan Willem Maes

Kai-Erik Elers

Chang-Gong Wang

Petri Räisänen

Sebastian E Van Nooten

Dong Li

Brennan Milligan

Methods for forming metal silicate films are provided. The methods comprise contacting a substrate with alternating and sequential vapor phase pulses of a silicon source chemical, metal source chemical, and an oxidizing agent, wherein the metal source chemical is the next reactant provided after the silicon source chemical. Methods according to some embodiments can be used to form silicon-rich hafnium silicate and zirconium silicate films with substantially uniform film coverages on substrate surface.

ALD of metal silicate films

In one aspect, non-conformal layers are formed by variations of plasma enhanced atomic layer deposition, where one or more of pulse duration, separation, RF power on-time, reactant concentration, pressure and electrode spacing are varied from true self-saturating reactions to operate in a depletion-effect mode. Deposition thus takes place close to the substrate surface but is controlled to terminate after reaching a specified distance into openings (e.g., deep DRAM trenches, pores, etc.). Reactor configurations that are suited to such modulation include showerhead, in situ plasma reactors, particularly with adjustable electrode spacing. In another aspect, alternately and sequentially contacting a substrate, the substrate including openings, with at least two different reactants, wherein an under-saturated dose of at least one of the reactants has been predetermined and the under-saturated dose is provided uniformly across the substrate surface, deposits a film that less than fully covers surfaces of the openings, leading to depletion effects in less accessible regions on the substrate surface.

Method of forming non-conformal layers

Methods of forming a metal carbide film are provided. In some embodiments, methods for forming a metal carbide film in an atomic layer deposition (ALD) type process comprise alternately and sequentially contacting a substrate in a reaction space with vapor phase pulses of a metal compound and one or more plasma-excited species of a carbon-containing compound. In other embodiments, methods of forming a metal carbide film in a chemical vapor deposition (CVD) type process comprise simultaneously contacting a substrate in a reaction space with a metal compound and one or more plasma-excited species of a carbon-containing compound. The substrate is further exposed to a reducing agent. The reducing agent removes impurities, including halogen atoms and/or oxygen atoms.

Plasma-enhanced deposition of metal carbide films

Methods are provided for treating germanium surfaces in preparation for subsequent deposition, particularly gate dielectric deposition by atomic layer deposition (ALD). Prior to depositing, the germanium surface is treated with plasma products or thermally reacted with vapor reactants. Examples of surface treatments leave oxygen bridges, nitrogen bridges, &#x2014;OH, &#x2014;NH and/or &#x2014;NHterminations that more readily adsorb ALD reactants. The surface treatments avoid deep penetration of the reactants into the germanium bulk but improve nucleation.

Surface preparation prior to deposition on germanium

Methods for forming metal silicate films are provided. The methods comprise contacting a substrate with alternating and sequential vapor phase pulses of a metal source chemical, a silicon source chemical and an oxidizing agent. In preferred embodiments, an alkyl amide metal compound and a silicon halide compound are used. Methods according to preferred embodiments can be used to form hafnium silicate and zirconium silicate films with substantially uniform film coverages on substrate surfaces comprising high aspect ratio features (e.g., vias and/or trenches).

Methods of forming a metal carbide film are provided. In some embodiments, a substrate is exposed to alternating pulses of a transition metal species and plasma-excited argon. The transition metal species is reacted with a carbon species to deposit a metal carbide film. The substrate is exposed to the carbon species simultaneously with the transition metal species, or the substrate is exposed to the carbon species in pulses temporally separated from the pulses of the transition metal species. In some embodiments, the carbon species and the transition metal species form parts of the same precursor compound, e.g., a metal organic compound.

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Scottsdale, AZ, United States of America

Glen Wilk