EE143 – Fall 2016
Microfabrication Technologies
Lecture 6: Thin Film Deposition
Reading: Jaeger Chapter 6
Prof. Ming C. Wu [email protected]
511 Sutardja Dai Hall (SDH)
1
Vacuum Basics
• Units
– 1 atmosphere = 760 torr = 1.013x105 Pa – 1 bar = 105 Pa = 750 torr – 1 torr = 1 mm Hg – 1 mtorr = 1 micron Hg – 1 Pa = 7.5 mtorr = 1 newton/m2 – 1 torr = 133.3 Pa
• Ideal as Law: PV = NkT
– k = 1.38E-23 Joules/K
= 1.37E-22 atm cm3/K
– N = # of molecules (note the typo in your book) – T = absolute temperature in K
2
1
Dalton’s Law of Partial Pressure
• For mixture of non-reactive gases in a common vessel, each gas exerts its pressure independent of others
• ꢀꢁꢂꢁꢃꢄ = ꢀꢅ + ꢀꢆ + ⋯ . +ꢀꢇ
– Total pressure = Sum of partial pressures
• ꢇꢁꢂꢁꢃꢄ = ꢇꢅ + ꢇꢆ + ⋯ . +ꢇꢇ
– Total number of molecules = sum of individual molecules
• Ideal gas law observed by each gas, as well as all gases
– ꢀꢅꢈ = ꢇꢅꢉꢊ – ꢀꢆꢈ = ꢇꢆꢉꢊ – ꢀꢇꢈ = ꢇꢇꢉꢊ
3
Average Molecular Velocity
• Assumes Maxwell- Boltzman Velocity Distribution
ꢌꢉꢊ
3ꢋ =
ꢍꢎ
• where m = molecular weight of gas molecule
4
2
Mean Free Path between collisions
ꢉꢊ
ꢏ =
ꢆꢍꢐꢆꢀ
• where
– K = Boltzmann constant – T = temperature in Kelvin – d = molecular diameter – P = pressure
• For air at 300K
- ꢓ. ꢓ
- ꢔ. ꢔꢕ
- ꢏ(ꢑꢒ ꢎꢎ) =
- =
ꢀ (ꢑꢒ ꢀꢃ) ꢀ (ꢑꢒ ꢁꢂꢖꢖ)
5
Impingement Rate
• ꢗ = number of molecules striking a surface per unit area per unit time 1/cm2-sec]
ꢀ
ꢗ = ꢘ. ꢕ×ꢅꢔꢆꢆ
ꢙꢊ
• where
– P = pressure in torr – M = molecular weight
6
3
Question
• How long does it take to form a monolayer of gas on the surface of a substrate?
7
Vacuum Basics (Cont.)
At 25oC
P
I
M
1 µm/min
Plasma Processing
Residual Vacuum
CVD
Pressure (Torr)
8
4
Thin Film Deposition
Physical Methods
Chemical Methods
Evaporation Sputtering
Chemical Vapor Deposition (CVD) Atomic Layer Deposition (ALD)
Film substrate
• Applications
– Metalization (e.g., Al, TiN, W, Silicide) – Polysilicon – Dielectric layers (SiO2, Si3N4)
9
Evaporation
wafer wafer
Al vapor
Al
Al vapor
deposited
Al fill
deposited Al fill
ecrucible is water cooled heating hot boat (e.g. W) electron
source
- Thermal Evaporation
- Electron Beam Evaporation
as Pressure: 10-5 Torr
10
5
Evaporation: Filament & Electron
Beam
(a) Filament evaporation with loops of wire hanging from a heated filament
(b) Electron beam is focused on metal charge by a magnetic field
11
Sputtering
Negative Bias ( kV)
I
Al target
Ar+ Ar+
Al
Al
Ar plasma
Al
Deposited Al film
wafer
heat substrate to ~ 00oC (optional)
•
as pressure 1 to 10 mTorr
• Deposition rate = constant × ꢚ × ꢛ
– Where ꢚ = ion current
–
ꢛ = sputtering yield
12
6
Plasma Basics
13
Basic Properties of Plasma
• The bulk of plasma contains equal concentrations of ions and electrons.
»
• Electric potential is constant inside bulk of plasma. The voltage drop is mostly across the sheath regions
• Plasma used in IC processing is a “weak” plasma, containing mostly neutral atoms/molecules.
– Degree of ionization is
»
10-3 to 10-6
14
7
Outcomes of Plasma bombardment
15
Sputtering Yield
Al
Ar
Al
Al
Sputtering ieel S
# f jej e cj e c rgjc c om
S º
in e oing i n n
- 0.1
- S
- 0
16
8
Sputtering of Compound Targets
AxBy
Ar+
Aflux Bflux
Target
¹
Because SA SB, target surface will acquire a composition Ax’By’ at steady state.
17
Reactive Sputtering
Sputtering deposition
Ti Target
while introducing a reactive gas into the plasma.
N2 plasma
Example: • Formation of TiN
+
– Sputter a Ti target with a nitrogen plasma
Ti, N2
TiN
Substrate
18
9
Step Coverage Problem with PVD
• Both evaporation and sputtering have directional fluxes
“geometrical shadowing”
Flux film
step film
wafer
19
Step Coverage concerns in contacts
20
10
Methods to Minimize Step Coverage
Problems
• Rotate + Tilt substrate during deposition • Elevate substrate temperature (why?) • Use large-area deposition source
Sputtering Target
21
Advantages of Sputtering over
Evaporation
• For multi-component thin films, sputtering gives better composition control using compound targets.
– Evaporation depends on vapor pressure of various vapor components and is difficult to control.
• Better lateral thickness uniformity
– Superposition of multiple point sources
Sputtering Target Superposition of all small-area sources
Profile due to one small-area source
22
11
Chemical Vapor Deposition (CVD)
source chemical reaction film substrate
More conformal deposition than PVD
t
Shown here is 100%
t
conformal deposition
step
23
LPCVD Examples
• SiO2
ꢛꢑꢜꢝ + ꢞꢆ ꢘꢕꢔ~ꢕꢔꢔꢟ ꢛꢑꢞꢆ + ꢆꢜꢆ ↑
• PS (phosphosilicate glass): doped glass
– (~ ꢕꢠ ꢀꢆꢞꢕ + ꢡꢕꢠ ꢛꢑꢞꢆ) – The film “reflows” at 900ꢟ
ꢝꢀꢜꢘ + ꢕꢞꢆ ꢘꢕꢔ~ꢕꢔꢔꢟ ꢆꢀꢆꢞꢕ + ꢓꢜꢆ ↑
ꢛꢑꢜꢝ + ꢞꢆ ꢘꢕꢔ~ꢕꢔꢔꢟ ꢛꢑꢞꢆ + ꢆꢜꢆ ↑
24
12
LPCVD Examples
• TEOS (Tetraethylorthosilicate) Si(OC2H5)4
ꢛꢑ(ꢞꢢꢆꢜꢕ)ꢝ→ ꢛꢑꢞꢆ + ꢢꢣꢜꢤꢞꢥ ↑
– The liquid chemical TEOS is a safer alternative to gases silane or dichlorosilane
Molecular structure of TEOS
25
LPCVD Examples
• Si3N4
ꢘꢛꢑꢜꢝ + ꢝꢇꢜꢘ → ꢛꢑꢘꢇꢝ + ꢅꢆꢜꢆ ↑
• Polysilicon
Vꢦꢦ°Y
- ꢛꢑꢜꢝ
- ꢛꢑ + ꢆꢜꢆ ↑
• Tungsten
ꢧꢨꢓ + ꢘꢜꢆ → ꢧ + ꢓꢜꢨ ↑
26
13
CVD Mechanisms
reactant
- 5
- stagnant
gas layer
12surface diffusion
4
Substrate
1 = Diffusion of reactant to surface 2 = Absorption of reactant to surface 3 = Chemical reaction 4 = Desorption of gas by-products 5 = Out-diffusion of by-product gas
27
CVD Deposition Rate [ rove Model]
film
ꢩ
= ꢬꢪ
ꢫ
Si
ꢮꢯ ꢉꢊ
ꢉꢛ = ꢉꢔꢭb
F1
F
d
= thickness of stagnant layer
d
ꢢꢪ − ꢢꢛ
ꢨꢅ = ꢩ
ꢫ
ꢨꢘ = ꢉꢛꢢꢛ
At steady state, ꢨꢅ = ꢨꢘ
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14
rove model of CVD (cont’d)
ꢢꢪ − ꢢꢛ
- ꢨꢅ = ꢩ
- = ꢬꢪ ꢢꢪ − ꢢꢛ = ꢉꢛꢢꢛ = ꢨꢘ
ꢬꢪ
ꢫ
ꢢꢛ =
ꢢꢪ
ꢉꢛ + ꢬꢪ
ꢉꢛꢬꢪ
ꢅ
ꢨꢘ =
ꢢꢪ
=
ꢢꢪ
- ꢅ
- ꢅ
ꢉꢛ + ꢬꢪ
+
ꢬꢪ ꢉꢛ
Film growth rate is constant with time:
ꢐꢰ ꢐꢁ
ꢨꢘ
ꢇ
=
where ꢇ = atomic density of deposited film
Note: This result is exactly the same as the Deal- rove model for thermal oxidation with oxide thickness = 0
29
Deposition Rate vs. Temperature
ꢘꢆ
gas transport
ꢱ ∝ ꢊ
limited surface-reaction limited
1 / T
0
- high T
- low T
30
15
rowth Rate Dependence on Flow
Velocity
31
CVD Features
1. More conformal deposition if T is uniform
Wafer topography
2. Inter-wafer and intra-wafer thickness uniformity less sensitive to gas flow patterns. (i.e. wafer placement).
32
16
Comments about CVD
(1) Sensitivity to gas flow pattern
Furnace tube
in
wafers
(2) Mass depletion problem
- more
- less
in out
33
Plasma Enhanced CVD (PECVD)
• Ionized chemical species allows a lower process temperature to be used
– Plasma helps dissociate the precursor molecules at lower temperatures).
• Film properties (e.g. mechanical stress) can be tailored by controlling ion bombardment with substrate bias voltage.
34
17
Atomic Layer Deposition (ALD)
• The process involves two self-limiting half reactions that are repeated in cycles
• Unlike CVD, in ALD pulses of precursors are introduced in each cycle
• ALD is highly conformal and enables excellent thickness uniformity and control down to nm-scale
35
ALD for High-k ate Dielectric
36
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