(12) United States Patent (10) Patent No.: US 7,780,793 B2 Yang Et Al
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
USOO7780793B2 (12) United States Patent (10) Patent No.: US 7,780,793 B2 Yang et al. (45) Date of Patent: Aug. 24, 2010 (54) PASSIVATION LAYER FORMATION BY (56) References Cited PLASMA CLEAN PROCESS TO REDUCE U.S. PATENT DOCUMENTS NATIVE OXDE GROWTH 4,209,357 A 6, 1980 Gorin et al. (75) Inventors: Haichun Yang, Santa Clara, CA (US); (Continued) Xinliang Lu, Fremont, CA (US); Chien-Teh Kao, Sunnyvale, CA (US); FOREIGN PATENT DOCUMENTS Mei Chang, Saratoga, CA (US) CN 13755.75 10, 2002 (73) Assignee: Applied Materials, Inc., Santa Clara, (Continued) CA (US) OTHER PUBLICATIONS PCT International Search Report and Written Opinion dated Jun. 23. (*) Notice: Subject to any disclaimer, the term of this 2009 for International Application No. PCT/US2008/087436. patent is extended or adjusted under 35 (Continued) U.S.C. 154(b) by 140 days. Primary Examiner Michael Kornakov (21) Appl. No.: 11/962,791 Assistant Examiner—Ryan Coleman (74) Attorney, Agent, or Firm Patterson & Sheridan, LLP (22) Filed: Dec. 21, 2007 (57) ABSTRACT (65) Prior Publication Data Embodiments described herein provide methods for remov US 2008/O160210 A1 Jul. 3, 2008 ing native oxide Surfaces on Substrates while simultaneously passivating the underlying Substrate Surface. In one embodi Related U.S. Application Data ment, a method is provided which includes positioning a Substrate containing an oxide layer within a processing cham (60) Continuation-in-part of applic at1On No. 11 /622.437, ber, adjusting a first temperature of the substrate to about 80° filed on Jan. 11, 2007, which is a continuation-in-part C. or less, generating a cleaning plasma from a gas mixture of application No. 1 1/137,609, filed on May 24, 2005, within the processing chamber, Such that the gas mixture now Pat. No. 7,396,480, which is a division of appli- contains ammonia and nitrogen trifluoride having an NH/ cation No. 117063,645, filed on Feb. 22, 2005. NF molar ratio of about 10 or greater, and condensing the (60) Provisional application No. 60/547,839, filed on Feb. cleaning plasma onto the substrate. A thin film, containing ammonium hexafluorosilicate, is formed in part, from the 26, 2004. native oxide during a plasma clean process. The method further includes heating the Substrate to a second temperature (51) Int. Cl. of about 100° C. or greater within the processing chamber BOSB 6/00 (2006.01) while removing the thin film from the substrate and forming (52) U.S. Cl. ............................. 134/1.2: 134/19; 134/31 a passivation Surface thereon. (58) Field of Classification Search ....................... None See application file for complete search history. 24 Claims, 10 Drawing Sheets US 7,780,793 B2 Page 2 U.S. PATENT DOCUMENTS 6,638,810 B2 10/2003 Bakli et al. 6,645,301 B2 11/2003 Sainty et al. 4,565,601 A 1, 1986 Kakehi et al. 6,656,831 B1 12/2003 Lee et al. 4,579,618 A 4, 1986 Celestino et al. 6,670,278 B2 12/2003 Lietal. 4,585,920 A 4, 1986 Hoog et al. 6,679,981 B1 1/2004 Panet al. 4,807,016 A * 2/1989 Douglas ..................... 257/774 6,740,585 B2 5, 2004 Yoon et al. 4,872,947 A 10/1989 Wang et al. 6,800,830 B2 10/2004 Mahawili 4,886,570 A 12/1989 Davis et al. 6,808,564 B2 10/2004 Dietze 4,892,753. A 1/1990 Wang et al. 6,878,206 B2 4/2005 Tzu et al. 4,951,601 A 8/1990 Maydan et al. 6,879,981 B2 4/2005 Rothschild et al. 4,985,372 A 1/1991 Narita et al. 6,911.401 B2 6/2005 Khandan et al. 5,000, 113 A 3/1991 Wang et al. 6,958,286 B2 10/2005 Chen et al. 5,030,319 A 7/1991 Nishino et al. 6,960,781 B2 11/2005 Currie et al. 5,089,441 A 2f1992 Moslehi 7,049.200 B2 3/2006 Arghavani et al. 5,186,718 A 2/1993 Tepman et al. 7,122,949 B2 10/2006 Strikovski 5, 198,034 A 3/1993 deBoer et al. 7.253,123 B2 8/2007 Arghavani et al. 5,228,501 A 7/1993 Tepman et al. 7,256,370 B2 8, 2007 Guiver 5,231,690 A 7/1993 Soma et al. 7,396.480 B2 7/2008 Kao et al. 5,238,499 A 8, 1993 van de Venet al. 2001/0015261 A1 8/2001 Kobavashi etal 5,282,925 A * 2/1994 Jeng et al. ..................... 216.59 y 5,328,558 A 7, 1994 Kawamura et al. 2002fOO1121.0 A1 1/2002 Satoh et al. 5,345,999 A 9, 1994 Hosokawa 2002fOO29747 A1 3, 2002 Powell et al. 2002fOO33233 A1 3, 2002 SavaS S; 9. EAR al. 2003, OO19428 A1 1/2003 Ku et al. 5,382.311 A 1/1995 Ishikawa et al. 2003.0029566 A1 2/2003 Roth 5,403.434 A 4/1995 Moslehi 2003/00381,27 A1 2/2003 Liu et al. 5,451,259 A 9/1995 Krogh 2003/OO72639 A1 4/2003 White et al. 5,500,249 A 3, 1996 Telford et al. 2003, OO79686 A1 5.2003 Chen et al. 5,505,816 A 4, 1996 Barnes et al. 2003/00981.25 A1 5.2003 An 5,516,367 A 5, 1996 Lei et al. 2003/01 16087 A1 6/2003 Nguyen et al. 5,531,835 A 7, 1996 Fodor et al. 2003/0129106 A1 7/2003 Sorensen et al. 5,549,780 A 8, 1996 Koinuma et al. 2003/01323 19 A1 7/2003 Hytros et al. 5,560,779 A 10, 1996 Knowles et al. 2003/0173347 A1 9, 2003 Guiver A ck g Eyshi et al. 118.723 E 2003/0221780 A1 12/2003 Lei et al. ww- all . 2003/0227013 A1 12/2003 Currie et al. 5,716,500 A 2, 1998 Bardos et al. 2004/0005726 A1 1/2004 Huang 5,716,506 A 2, 1998 Maclay et al. 2004/0069225 A1 4/2004 Fairbairn et al. 5,800,686 A 9, 1998 Littau et al. 2004f0070346 A1 4, 2004 Choi 5,812.403 A 9/1998 Fong et al. 5.844,195 A 12/1998 Fairbairn et al. 2004/01823 15 A1 9, 2004 Laflamme et al. 5,846,332 A 2, 1998 Zhao et al. 2004/O194799 A1 10, 2004 Kim et al. 5,846,375 A 12/1998 Gilchrist et al. 38. A. 3. Stal 5,855.681 A 1/1999 Mavdan et al. aO C. a. 5.856,340 A 1, 1999 SE 2005.0218507 A1 10, 2005 Kao et al. 5,885.404 A 3, 1999 Kim et al. 2005/0221552 A1 10, 2005 Kao et al. 5,899,752 A 5/1999 Hey et al. 2005/0230350 A1 10, 2005 Kao et al. 5,942,075 A 8/1999 Nagahata et al. 2006/0051968 A1 3, 2006 Joshi et al. 5,951,601 A 9, 1999 Lesinski et al. 2006/0130971 A1 6/2006 Chang et al. 5,951,776 A 9/1999 Selyutin et al. 2006, O185592 A1 8, 2006 Matsuura 5,993,916 A 1 1/1999 Zhao et al. 2007/0087573 A1 4/2007 Chiang et al. 6,035,101 A 3/2000 Sajoto et al. 2008/0160210 A1 7/2008 Yang et al. 6,083,344 A 7/2000 Hanawa et al. 6,086,677 A 7/2000 Umotoy et al. 6,176, 198 B1 1/2001 Kao et al. FOREIGN PATENT DOCUMENTS 6,179,924 B1 1/2001 Zhao et al. EP O 376 252 7, 1990 6,197.116 B1* 3/2001 Kosugi ....................... 118,712 EP O 658 928 10, 1994 6,238,513 B1 5/2001 Arnold et al. EP 1099776 A1 11, 2000 6,241.845 B1 6/2001 Gadgil et al. EP 1107288 6, 2001 6,284,048 B1* 9/2001 Van Bilsen et al. .......... 118,666 6.350,320 B1 2/2002 Sherstinsky et al. EP 1568 797 8, 2005 6,364,949 B1 4/2002 Or et al. JP O2256235 10, 1990 6,364,954 B2 4/2002 Umotoy et al. JP 10 154699 6, 1998 6,364,957 B1 4/2002 Schneider et al. JP 2000-208498 T 2000 6,372,657 B1 4/2002 Hineman et al. JP 2001-053055 2, 2001 6,446,572 B1 9, 2002 Bircka JP 200210.0578 4/2002 6,448,537 B1 9/2002 Nering JP 2003O19433 1, 2003 6,494.959 B1 12/2002 Samoilov et al. JP 2003059914 2, 2003 6,500,728 B1 12/2002 Wang et al. JP 2003-133284 5, 2003 6,506,291 B2 1/2003 Tsai et al. JP 2003217898 T 2003 6,544,340 B2 4/2003 Yudovsky KR 10-0.593740 6, 2006 6,603.269 B1 8/2003 Voet al. WO WO-2004OO6303 1, 2004 6,635,185 B2 10/2003 Demmin et al. WO WO-2004O74932 9, 2004 US 7,780,793 B2 Page 3 OTHER PUBLICATIONS Wang et al.; Ultra High-selectivity silicon nitride etch process using an inductively coupled plasma Source; J. Vac. Sci. Technol. A 16(3), May/Jun. 1998, pp. 1582-1587. Prosecution History for U.S. Appl. No. 1 1/622,437. Hashim et al.; Characterization of thin oxide removal by RTA Treat Notification of First Office Action dated Mar. 20, 2009 for Chinese ment; ICSE 1998 Proc. Nov. 1998, Rangi, Malaysia, pp. 213-216. Patent Application No. 2008100007537. Wolfetal.; Silicon Processing for the VLSI Era: vol.