US20080050927A1 - Variable temperature and dose atomic layer deposition - Google Patents
Variable temperature and dose atomic layer deposition Download PDFInfo
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- US20080050927A1 US20080050927A1 US11/858,820 US85882007A US2008050927A1 US 20080050927 A1 US20080050927 A1 US 20080050927A1 US 85882007 A US85882007 A US 85882007A US 2008050927 A1 US2008050927 A1 US 2008050927A1
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- 238000000231 atomic layer deposition Methods 0.000 title claims abstract description 52
- 239000000376 reactant Substances 0.000 claims abstract description 65
- 238000000034 method Methods 0.000 claims abstract description 23
- 239000000463 material Substances 0.000 claims description 30
- 239000000758 substrate Substances 0.000 claims description 20
- 238000000151 deposition Methods 0.000 claims description 14
- 238000004519 manufacturing process Methods 0.000 claims description 7
- 239000000835 fiber Substances 0.000 claims description 5
- IJGRMHOSHXDMSA-UHFFFAOYSA-N nitrogen Substances N#N IJGRMHOSHXDMSA-UHFFFAOYSA-N 0.000 claims description 4
- 125000006850 spacer group Chemical group 0.000 claims description 3
- QVGXLLKOCUKJST-UHFFFAOYSA-N atomic oxygen Chemical group [O] QVGXLLKOCUKJST-UHFFFAOYSA-N 0.000 claims description 2
- 238000002955 isolation Methods 0.000 claims description 2
- 229910052757 nitrogen Inorganic materials 0.000 claims description 2
- 239000001301 oxygen Substances 0.000 claims description 2
- 229910052760 oxygen Inorganic materials 0.000 claims description 2
- 239000002356 single layer Substances 0.000 claims 18
- 239000010410 layer Substances 0.000 claims 6
- QJGQUHMNIGDVPM-UHFFFAOYSA-N nitrogen group Chemical group [N] QJGQUHMNIGDVPM-UHFFFAOYSA-N 0.000 claims 1
- 238000010926 purge Methods 0.000 description 31
- 239000007789 gas Substances 0.000 description 29
- 235000012431 wafers Nutrition 0.000 description 17
- 230000003287 optical effect Effects 0.000 description 14
- 239000002243 precursor Substances 0.000 description 11
- XUIMIQQOPSSXEZ-UHFFFAOYSA-N Silicon Chemical compound [Si] XUIMIQQOPSSXEZ-UHFFFAOYSA-N 0.000 description 7
- 229910052710 silicon Inorganic materials 0.000 description 7
- 239000010703 silicon Substances 0.000 description 7
- VYPSYNLAJGMNEJ-UHFFFAOYSA-N Silicium dioxide Chemical compound O=[Si]=O VYPSYNLAJGMNEJ-UHFFFAOYSA-N 0.000 description 5
- 230000008021 deposition Effects 0.000 description 5
- 229910052914 metal silicate Inorganic materials 0.000 description 5
- 239000013307 optical fiber Substances 0.000 description 5
- 229910052814 silicon oxide Inorganic materials 0.000 description 5
- PNEYBMLMFCGWSK-UHFFFAOYSA-N aluminium oxide Inorganic materials [O-2].[O-2].[O-2].[Al+3].[Al+3] PNEYBMLMFCGWSK-UHFFFAOYSA-N 0.000 description 4
- 238000010586 diagram Methods 0.000 description 4
- JLTRXTDYQLMHGR-UHFFFAOYSA-N trimethylaluminium Chemical compound C[Al](C)C JLTRXTDYQLMHGR-UHFFFAOYSA-N 0.000 description 4
- 239000007795 chemical reaction product Substances 0.000 description 3
- 238000005137 deposition process Methods 0.000 description 3
- 238000009413 insulation Methods 0.000 description 3
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- XKRFYHLGVUSROY-UHFFFAOYSA-N Argon Chemical compound [Ar] XKRFYHLGVUSROY-UHFFFAOYSA-N 0.000 description 2
- 229910052593 corundum Inorganic materials 0.000 description 2
- 239000003989 dielectric material Substances 0.000 description 2
- 229910052751 metal Inorganic materials 0.000 description 2
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- 238000012986 modification Methods 0.000 description 2
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- 239000004065 semiconductor Substances 0.000 description 2
- 238000003860 storage Methods 0.000 description 2
- 229910001845 yogo sapphire Inorganic materials 0.000 description 2
- 229910052691 Erbium Inorganic materials 0.000 description 1
- LFQSCWFLJHTTHZ-UHFFFAOYSA-N Ethanol Chemical compound CCO LFQSCWFLJHTTHZ-UHFFFAOYSA-N 0.000 description 1
- MHAJPDPJQMAIIY-UHFFFAOYSA-N Hydrogen peroxide Chemical compound OO MHAJPDPJQMAIIY-UHFFFAOYSA-N 0.000 description 1
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- 229910052779 Neodymium Inorganic materials 0.000 description 1
- 229910052777 Praseodymium Inorganic materials 0.000 description 1
- 229910052769 Ytterbium Inorganic materials 0.000 description 1
- 229910052782 aluminium Inorganic materials 0.000 description 1
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- 239000012876 carrier material Substances 0.000 description 1
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- -1 etc.) Chemical compound 0.000 description 1
- 229910052732 germanium Inorganic materials 0.000 description 1
- GNPVGFCGXDBREM-UHFFFAOYSA-N germanium atom Chemical compound [Ge] GNPVGFCGXDBREM-UHFFFAOYSA-N 0.000 description 1
- 238000010438 heat treatment Methods 0.000 description 1
- 239000001307 helium Substances 0.000 description 1
- 229910052734 helium Inorganic materials 0.000 description 1
- SWQJXJOGLNCZEY-UHFFFAOYSA-N helium atom Chemical compound [He] SWQJXJOGLNCZEY-UHFFFAOYSA-N 0.000 description 1
- 239000011261 inert gas Substances 0.000 description 1
- QEFYFXOXNSNQGX-UHFFFAOYSA-N neodymium atom Chemical compound [Nd] QEFYFXOXNSNQGX-UHFFFAOYSA-N 0.000 description 1
- 150000004767 nitrides Chemical class 0.000 description 1
- 229910021420 polycrystalline silicon Inorganic materials 0.000 description 1
- 229920005591 polysilicon Polymers 0.000 description 1
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- 230000000644 propagated effect Effects 0.000 description 1
- NAWDYIZEMPQZHO-UHFFFAOYSA-N ytterbium Chemical compound [Yb] NAWDYIZEMPQZHO-UHFFFAOYSA-N 0.000 description 1
Images
Classifications
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- H—ELECTRICITY
- H01—ELECTRIC ELEMENTS
- H01L—SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICES NOT COVERED BY CLASS H10
- H01L21/00—Processes or apparatus adapted for the manufacture or treatment of semiconductor or solid state devices or of parts thereof
- H01L21/02—Manufacture or treatment of semiconductor devices or of parts thereof
- H01L21/02104—Forming layers
- H01L21/02107—Forming insulating materials on a substrate
- H01L21/02225—Forming insulating materials on a substrate characterised by the process for the formation of the insulating layer
- H01L21/0226—Forming insulating materials on a substrate characterised by the process for the formation of the insulating layer formation by a deposition process
- H01L21/02263—Forming insulating materials on a substrate characterised by the process for the formation of the insulating layer formation by a deposition process deposition from the gas or vapour phase
- H01L21/02271—Forming insulating materials on a substrate characterised by the process for the formation of the insulating layer formation by a deposition process deposition from the gas or vapour phase deposition by decomposition or reaction of gaseous or vapour phase compounds, i.e. chemical vapour deposition
- H01L21/0228—Forming insulating materials on a substrate characterised by the process for the formation of the insulating layer formation by a deposition process deposition from the gas or vapour phase deposition by decomposition or reaction of gaseous or vapour phase compounds, i.e. chemical vapour deposition deposition by cyclic CVD, e.g. ALD, ALE, pulsed CVD
-
- C—CHEMISTRY; METALLURGY
- C23—COATING METALLIC MATERIAL; COATING MATERIAL WITH METALLIC MATERIAL; CHEMICAL SURFACE TREATMENT; DIFFUSION TREATMENT OF METALLIC MATERIAL; COATING BY VACUUM EVAPORATION, BY SPUTTERING, BY ION IMPLANTATION OR BY CHEMICAL VAPOUR DEPOSITION, IN GENERAL; INHIBITING CORROSION OF METALLIC MATERIAL OR INCRUSTATION IN GENERAL
- C23C—COATING METALLIC MATERIAL; COATING MATERIAL WITH METALLIC MATERIAL; SURFACE TREATMENT OF METALLIC MATERIAL BY DIFFUSION INTO THE SURFACE, BY CHEMICAL CONVERSION OR SUBSTITUTION; COATING BY VACUUM EVAPORATION, BY SPUTTERING, BY ION IMPLANTATION OR BY CHEMICAL VAPOUR DEPOSITION, IN GENERAL
- C23C16/00—Chemical coating by decomposition of gaseous compounds, without leaving reaction products of surface material in the coating, i.e. chemical vapour deposition [CVD] processes
- C23C16/44—Chemical coating by decomposition of gaseous compounds, without leaving reaction products of surface material in the coating, i.e. chemical vapour deposition [CVD] processes characterised by the method of coating
- C23C16/455—Chemical coating by decomposition of gaseous compounds, without leaving reaction products of surface material in the coating, i.e. chemical vapour deposition [CVD] processes characterised by the method of coating characterised by the method used for introducing gases into reaction chamber or for modifying gas flows in reaction chamber
- C23C16/45523—Pulsed gas flow or change of composition over time
- C23C16/45525—Atomic layer deposition [ALD]
- C23C16/45527—Atomic layer deposition [ALD] characterized by the ALD cycle, e.g. different flows or temperatures during half-reactions, unusual pulsing sequence, use of precursor mixtures or auxiliary reactants or activations
- C23C16/45529—Atomic layer deposition [ALD] characterized by the ALD cycle, e.g. different flows or temperatures during half-reactions, unusual pulsing sequence, use of precursor mixtures or auxiliary reactants or activations specially adapted for making a layer stack of alternating different compositions or gradient compositions
-
- C—CHEMISTRY; METALLURGY
- C23—COATING METALLIC MATERIAL; COATING MATERIAL WITH METALLIC MATERIAL; CHEMICAL SURFACE TREATMENT; DIFFUSION TREATMENT OF METALLIC MATERIAL; COATING BY VACUUM EVAPORATION, BY SPUTTERING, BY ION IMPLANTATION OR BY CHEMICAL VAPOUR DEPOSITION, IN GENERAL; INHIBITING CORROSION OF METALLIC MATERIAL OR INCRUSTATION IN GENERAL
- C23C—COATING METALLIC MATERIAL; COATING MATERIAL WITH METALLIC MATERIAL; SURFACE TREATMENT OF METALLIC MATERIAL BY DIFFUSION INTO THE SURFACE, BY CHEMICAL CONVERSION OR SUBSTITUTION; COATING BY VACUUM EVAPORATION, BY SPUTTERING, BY ION IMPLANTATION OR BY CHEMICAL VAPOUR DEPOSITION, IN GENERAL
- C23C16/00—Chemical coating by decomposition of gaseous compounds, without leaving reaction products of surface material in the coating, i.e. chemical vapour deposition [CVD] processes
- C23C16/44—Chemical coating by decomposition of gaseous compounds, without leaving reaction products of surface material in the coating, i.e. chemical vapour deposition [CVD] processes characterised by the method of coating
- C23C16/52—Controlling or regulating the coating process
-
- H—ELECTRICITY
- H01—ELECTRIC ELEMENTS
- H01L—SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICES NOT COVERED BY CLASS H10
- H01L21/00—Processes or apparatus adapted for the manufacture or treatment of semiconductor or solid state devices or of parts thereof
- H01L21/02—Manufacture or treatment of semiconductor devices or of parts thereof
- H01L21/04—Manufacture or treatment of semiconductor devices or of parts thereof the devices having at least one potential-jump barrier or surface barrier, e.g. PN junction, depletion layer or carrier concentration layer
- H01L21/18—Manufacture or treatment of semiconductor devices or of parts thereof the devices having at least one potential-jump barrier or surface barrier, e.g. PN junction, depletion layer or carrier concentration layer the devices having semiconductor bodies comprising elements of Group IV of the Periodic System or AIIIBV compounds with or without impurities, e.g. doping materials
- H01L21/28—Manufacture of electrodes on semiconductor bodies using processes or apparatus not provided for in groups H01L21/20 - H01L21/268
- H01L21/283—Deposition of conductive or insulating materials for electrodes conducting electric current
- H01L21/285—Deposition of conductive or insulating materials for electrodes conducting electric current from a gas or vapour, e.g. condensation
- H01L21/28506—Deposition of conductive or insulating materials for electrodes conducting electric current from a gas or vapour, e.g. condensation of conductive layers
- H01L21/28512—Deposition of conductive or insulating materials for electrodes conducting electric current from a gas or vapour, e.g. condensation of conductive layers on semiconductor bodies comprising elements of Group IV of the Periodic System
- H01L21/28556—Deposition of conductive or insulating materials for electrodes conducting electric current from a gas or vapour, e.g. condensation of conductive layers on semiconductor bodies comprising elements of Group IV of the Periodic System by chemical means, e.g. CVD, LPCVD, PECVD, laser CVD
- H01L21/28562—Selective deposition
-
- H—ELECTRICITY
- H01—ELECTRIC ELEMENTS
- H01L—SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICES NOT COVERED BY CLASS H10
- H01L21/00—Processes or apparatus adapted for the manufacture or treatment of semiconductor or solid state devices or of parts thereof
- H01L21/02—Manufacture or treatment of semiconductor devices or of parts thereof
- H01L21/04—Manufacture or treatment of semiconductor devices or of parts thereof the devices having at least one potential-jump barrier or surface barrier, e.g. PN junction, depletion layer or carrier concentration layer
- H01L21/18—Manufacture or treatment of semiconductor devices or of parts thereof the devices having at least one potential-jump barrier or surface barrier, e.g. PN junction, depletion layer or carrier concentration layer the devices having semiconductor bodies comprising elements of Group IV of the Periodic System or AIIIBV compounds with or without impurities, e.g. doping materials
- H01L21/30—Treatment of semiconductor bodies using processes or apparatus not provided for in groups H01L21/20 - H01L21/26
- H01L21/31—Treatment of semiconductor bodies using processes or apparatus not provided for in groups H01L21/20 - H01L21/26 to form insulating layers thereon, e.g. for masking or by using photolithographic techniques; After treatment of these layers; Selection of materials for these layers
- H01L21/314—Inorganic layers
- H01L21/3141—Deposition using atomic layer deposition techniques [ALD]
Definitions
- Embodiments of the present invention relate to integrated circuits and, in particular, to integrated circuit fabrication processes.
- ALD atomic layer deposition
- the semiconductor (e.g., silicon, germanium) wafer is placed in a reactor.
- a precursor material is pulsed into the reactor.
- the precursor material subsequently adsorbs and reacts on the wafer surface.
- the precursor material may be any one of hundreds of possible materials, depending on the reaction product (i.e., metal oxide film, metal nitride film, etc.) desired.
- the reactor is then purged with an inert gas to remove the precursor material.
- a second reactant material is pulsed into the reactor.
- the second reactant material reacts with the precursor material on the wafer surface. Selection of the second reactant material depends on the reaction product desired and on which precursor material was selected.
- the reactor is purged again.
- This process of precursor pulsing, reactor purging, reactant pulsing, and reactor purging is called a “cycle.”
- the thickness of the deposited film is controlled by the number of cycles.
- using one discrete set of preset conditions may produce a film that has good insulation against current leakage but also causes silicon oxide or metal silicate at the interface between the silicon wafer surface and the metal oxide film to be formed. Interfacial silicon oxide or metal silicate can be problematic because these materials have relatively low permittivity, which reduces the effective dielectric constant of a transistor's gate stack.
- a reduced effective dielectric constant results in reduced capacitance, which reduces transistor drive current for a given dielectric film thickness.
- transistor drive current is reduced the speed performance of the device degrades.
- Using another discrete set of preset conditions may produce a film having very little to essentially no interfacial silicon oxide or metal silicate but produces a film with poor insulation against current leakage.
- FIG. 1 is a high-level block diagram of a system suitable for depositing a film on a substrate according to an embodiment of the present invention
- FIG. 2 is a flowchart illustrating an approach to depositing a film on a substrate according to an embodiment of the present invention
- FIG. 3 is a cross-section view illustrating a metallic film deposited on a substrate according to an embodiment of the present invention
- FIG. 4 is a cross-section view illustrating a transistor fabricated according to embodiments of the present invention.
- FIG. 5 is a high-level block diagram of an optical system according to an embodiment of the present invention.
- FIG. 1 is high-level block diagram of a variable temperature and dose atomic layer deposition (VTD-ALD) system 100 suitable for implementing embodiments of the present invention.
- the system 100 includes a reactor 102 for receiving a water 104 during deposition of films (e.g., metallic films).
- films e.g., metallic films.
- the VTD-ALD system 100 also includes a reactant 106 coupled to the reactor 102 via a valve 130 , a reactant 108 coupled to the reactor 102 via a valve 132 , a carrier/purge gas 110 coupled to the reactor 102 via a valve 134 , and a carrier/purge gas 112 coupled to the reactor 102 via a valve 136 .
- a controller 120 may be coupled to the valves 130 , 132 , 134 , and 136 to control the flow of reactant 106 , the reactant 108 , the carrier/purge gas 110 , the carrier/ purge gas 112 , respectively into the reactor 102 .
- the reactor 102 may include a heater 114 .
- the controller 120 may be coupled to the heater 114 to control the operation the heater 114 to modulate the temperature of the reactor 102 during the film deposition process.
- the VTD-ALD system 100 may include a vacuum pump 122 , which may be coupled to the reactor 102 .
- the controller 120 may be coupled to the vacuum pump 122 to control the operation of the vacuum pump 122 .
- the reactor 102 may be any suitable ALD reactor.
- ALD reactors suitable for implementing the reactor 102 are well known.
- the wafer 104 may be any suitable wafer or substrate.
- the wafer 104 may be a silicon wafer.
- Other suitable materials may be used to implement the wafer 104 and after reading the description herein persons of ordinary skill in the relevant art will readily recognize how to implement embodiments of the present invention for other materials.
- the reactant 106 may be aluminum-based (e.g., Al(CH 3 ) 3 ), Ti-based, Zr-based, Hf-based, Ta-based, etc.
- the reactant 106 depends on the film to be deposited and after reading the description herein a person of ordinary skill in the relevant art will readily recognize how to implement embodiments of the present invention using various reactants or precursors.
- the reactant 108 may be oxygen-based (e.g., H 2 O, O 2 , O 3 , H 2 O 2 , CH 3 OH, C 2 H 5 OH, etc.), nitrogen-based (e.g., NH 3 , etc.), or other suitable precursor material.
- oxygen-based e.g., H 2 O, O 2 , O 3 , H 2 O 2 , CH 3 OH, C 2 H 5 OH, etc.
- nitrogen-based e.g., NH 3 , etc.
- the reactant 108 depends on the film to be deposited and after reading the description herein a person of ordinary skill in the relevant art will readily recognize how to implement embodiments of the present invention using various reactants.
- the carrier/purge gas 110 may be any gas that does not react with the reactant 106 .
- the carrier/purge gas 110 may be argon (Ar), nitrogen (N 2 ), and helium (He).
- Suitable carrier materials are well known and after reading the description herein a person of ordinary skill in the relevant art will readily recognize how to implement embodiments of the present invention using various carrier/purge materials.
- the carrier/purge gas 112 may be any gas that does not react with the reactant 106 or reaction products (e.g., metal films). In one embodiment, the carrier/purge gas 112 is the same as the carrier/purge gas 110 . In other embodiments, the carrier/purge gas 112 is different from the carrier/purge gas 110 . Suitable carrier/purge materials are well known and after reading the description herein a person of ordinary skill in the relevant art will readily recognize how to implement embodiments of the present invention using various carrier/purge materials.
- the heater 114 may be any capable of heating the reactor 102 to a specified temperature. Heaters used in film deposition equipment are well known.
- the controller 120 may be any suitable analog, digital, software, hardware, firmware, etc., (e.g., a microprocessor, a microcontroller) controller that performs VTD-ALD processes according to embodiments of the present invention.
- the controller 120 may control operation of the valve 130 , the valve 132 , the valve 134 , and the valve 136 to modulate the flow rate of materials into the reactor 102 during the film deposition process.
- the vacuum pump 122 may be any suitable pump capable of removing exhaust gases from the reactor 102 .
- Vacuum pumps used in film deposition equipment are well known.
- FIG. 2 is a flowchart illustrating a VTD-ALD process 200 according to an embodiment of the present invention.
- the process 200 is only an example process and other processes may be used. Additionally, the order in which operations are described should not be construed to imply that the operations are necessarily order-dependent or that the operations be performed in the order in which they are presented.
- a machine-accessible medium with machine-accessible instructions thereon may be used to cause the controller 120 or other machine to perform the process 200 or portions thereof.
- a first set of ALD conditions are established.
- a first set of material i.e., the reactant 106 , the reactant 108 , the carrier/purge gas 110 , and the carrier/purge gas 112
- flow rates are established, a first reactor 102 temperature is established, a first reactor 102 pressure is established, and a first number of cycles to be run is established.
- the first reactant 106 flow rate may be established at around approximately 100-300 standard cubic centimeters per minute (SCCM). However, the actual flow rate will depend on the materials to be deposited, the size of the reactor, and other factors. In one embodiment, the first reactant 108 flow rate may be established at around 5-50 SCCM.
- SCCM standard cubic centimeters per minute
- the first flow rate of the carrier/ purge gas 110 may be established at around approximately 500-700 SCCM and the first flow rate of the carrier/purge gas 112 at around approximately 500-700 SCCM.
- the individual flow rates for the reactant 106 , the reactant 108 , the carrier/purge gas 110 , and/or the carrier/purge gas 112 may range from very small (erg., around approximately one SCCM) to very large (e.g., in excess of approximately ten thousand SCCM).
- Optimal flow rates for ALD materials depend on the size of the reactor used, the particular precursor, the particular reactant, the desired deposition rate, and desired film properties.
- the first temperature of the reactor 102 may be established at 200 degrees Centigrade (200 C.).
- the particular first temperature may be established at anywhere from approximately room temperature to the decomposition temperature of the particular materials used.
- the first reactor 102 pressure may be established at less than or equal to approximately ten torr.
- the particular first pressure depends on the size of the reactor used, the particular precursor, the particular reactant, the desired deposition rate, and desired film properties.
- the first number of cycles to be run is established at twenty. Because the first number of cycles run determines the first depth, greater or fewer cycles may be used depending on the desired depth for the first set of properties.
- the first set of cycles is run using the first set of ALD conditions.
- the carrier/purge gas 110 flow is started.
- the reactor 102 is pulsed with the reactant 106 .
- the reactant 106 reacts with the surface of the wafer 104 .
- the reactor 102 is then purged with the carrier/purge gas 112 to remove any chemically active reactant 106 .
- the reactor 102 is pulsed with the reactant 108 , which reacts with the reactant 106 and the wafer 104 .
- the reactor 102 again is purged with the carrier/purge gas 112 to remove any chemically active reactant 108 .
- the first depth is grown in a layer-by-layer manner such that running the first set of cycles yields twenty monolayers of growth.
- the process 200 determines whether to modulate the film properties. If it is not appropriate to modulate the properties of the film, the reactor 102 is cooled in a block 208 and a film is produced having a depth corresponding to the number of cycles run and the properties corresponding to the first set of ALP conditions. If it is appropriate to modulate the properties of the film, the process 200 proceeds to a block 210 .
- the reactant 106 is trimethyl aluminum (Al(CH 3 ) 3 )
- the reactant 108 is water (H 2 O)
- the temperature of the reactor 102 is 200 C
- twenty cycles are run. This is because the interface between the silicon (Si) wafer and the beginning growth of an alumina (Al 2 O 3 ) film produced by the trimethyl aluminum (Al(CH 3 ) 3 ) and the silicon (Si) may be substantially free from silicon oxide or metal silicate, however, under these same ALD conditions, the first set of monolayers in the film have reduced insulating capabilities as a result of contaminants introduced by unreacted reactant 106 /reactant 108 materials. The reduced insulation results in inappropriately high current leakage in devices.
- a new set of ALD conditions are established For example, a new set of material (i.e., the reactant 106 , the reactant 108 , the carrier/purge gas 110 , and the carrier/purge gas 112 ) flow rates may be established, a new reactor 102 temperature may be established, a new reactor 102 pressure may be established, and/or a new number of cycles to be run may be established.
- establishing the first and new sets of conditions may be continuous, incremental, increasing, decreasing, reversing, etc.
- the carrier/purge gas 110 and the carrier/purge gas 112 flow rates remain constant.
- the reactor 102 pressure may remain constant.
- changing the reactant 106 flow rate, the reactant 108 flow rate, and/or the reactor 102 temperature each may have a different effect on the properties of the next set of monolayers.
- the new reactant 106 flow rate is established at closer to around approximately 250 SCCM
- the new reactant 108 flow rate is established at closer to around approximately twenty SCCM
- the new temperature of the reactor 102 is established at approximately 300 C.
- the new number of cycles to be run is established to be forty.
- the new number of cycles is run using the new set of ALD conditions. In one embodiment, forty cycles are run using the new set of conditions.
- the reactor 102 is pulsed with the reactant 106 .
- the reactant 106 reacts with the surface of the wafer 104 .
- the reactor 102 is then purged with the carrier/purge gas 112 to remove any chemically active reactant 106 .
- the reactor 102 is pulsed with the reactant 108 , which reacts with the reactant 106 and the wafer 104 .
- the reactor 102 again is purged with the carrier/purge gas 112 to remove any chemically active reactant 108 .
- the next depth is grown in a layer-by-layer manner such that running the next set of cycles yields forty monolayers of growth.
- the reactant 106 is trimethyl aluminum (Al(CH 3 ) 3 )
- the reactant 108 is water (H 2 O)
- the temperature of the reactor 102 is 300 C, and forty cycles are run. Because the interface between the silicon (Si) wafer and the beginning growth of an alumina (Al 2 O 3 ) film is substantially free from silicon oxide or metal silicate, and the new set of monolayers in the film have good insulating capabilities (i.e., at the higher reactor temperature there are fewer unreacted reactant 106 /reactant 108 materials).
- the films produced according to this embodiment of the present invention also may have low flatband voltage shifts.
- metallic films produced according to embodiments of the present invention can be tailored for a particular application. Films having unique properties produced according to embodiments of the present invention also can be duplicated.
- the process 200 may return to block 206 and be run iteratively to obtain another set of properties at particular depths for the film. Subsequent sets of ALD conditions may be used to modulate the properties of subsequent sets of film monolayers.
- FIG. 3 is a cross-section view of a device 300 having a metallic film 302 deposited on a substrate 304 according to an embodiment of the present invention.
- the metallic film 302 includes a first set of monolayers 306 and a second set of monolayers 308 .
- the first set of monolayers 306 has a depth 310 .
- the second set of monolayers 308 has a depth 312 .
- the metallic layer 302 has a depth 314 .
- the ALD conditions used to deposit the first set of monolayers 306 are different from the ALD conditions used to deposit the second set of monolayers 308 .
- the electrical properties of the first set of monolayers 306 are different from the electrical properties of the second set of monolayers 308 .
- the metallic layer 302 has different electrical properties throughout its depth 314 .
- embodiments of the present invention have been described with respect to depositing only two sets of monolayers, embodiments of the present invention are not so limited.
- an individual reaction condition temperature, reactant, reactant flow rate, etc.
- may be modulated each subsequent cycle e.g., there may be one hundred different ALD cycles run each with different ALD conditions resulting in a film having one hundred monolayers each having a different set of properties).
- FIG. 4 is a cross-section view illustrating a transistor 400 fabricated according to embodiments of the present invention.
- the example transistor 400 includes a substrate 402 and a gate dielectric layer 404 formed on the substrate 402 .
- the gate dielectric layer 404 may be a metallic film deposited on the substrate 402 according to embodiments of the present invention.
- the illustrated transistor 400 also includes a gate electrode 406 formed on the gate dielectric layer 404 , two vertical sidewall dielectric spacers 408 formed on the sides of the gate dielectric layer 404 and the gate electrode 406 , and shallow trench isolation (STI) regions 410 formed in the substrate 402 .
- a gate electrode 406 formed on the gate dielectric layer 404
- two vertical sidewall dielectric spacers 408 formed on the sides of the gate dielectric layer 404 and the gate electrode 406
- STI shallow trench isolation
- the gate dielectric layer 404 may be any suitable material to insulate the gate electrode 406 from the substrate 402 .
- the gate electrode 406 may be polysilicon or other suitable material.
- the two vertical sidewall spacers 408 may be any suitable dielectric material.
- the STI regions 410 may be dielectric material and separate the transistor 400 from other transistors formed on the substrate 400 .
- FIG. 5 is a high-level block diagram of an optical system 500 according to an embodiment of the present invention.
- the system 500 includes a transponder 502 coupled to an optical amplifier 504 via an optical fiber 506 .
- the optical amplifier 504 is coupled to a multiplexer 508 via an optical fiber 510 .
- the multiplexer 508 is coupled to a transponder 512 via an optical fiber 514 .
- the transponder 502 includes the device 300 and/or the transistor 400 .
- transponder 502 Although only one transponder 502 , optical amplifier 504 , optical fiber set 506 , 510 , and 514 , multiplexer 508 , and transponder 512 are shown, it is common to have numerous transponders, optical amplifiers, optical fiber sets, and multiplexers in optical communication systems. Single units are shown for simplicity.
- the transponder 502 may transmit optical beams to the receiver 512 . Although not shown for purposes of simplicity, the transponder 502 also may receive optical beams from the transponder 510 .
- the optical amplifier 506 may be an erbium (Er) doped fiber amplifier (EDFA).
- the optical amplifier 506 may be an ytterbium (Yb) doped fiber amplifier, a praseodymium (Pr) doped fiber amplifier, a neodymium (Nd) doped fiber amplifier, or other suitable optical amplifier.
- the multiplexer 508 may be a DWDM multiplexer. Alternatively, the multiplexer 508 may be an add-drop multiplexer.
- Embodiments of the present invention may be implemented using hardware, software, or a combination thereof.
- the software may be stored on a machine-accessible medium.
- a machine-accessible medium includes any mechanism that provides (i.e., stores and/or transmits) information in a form accessible by a machine (e.g., a computer, network device, personal digital assistant, manufacturing tool, any device with a set of one or more processors, etc.).
- a machine-accessible medium includes recordable and non-recordable media (e.g., read only memory [ROM], random access memory [RAM], magnetic disk storage media, optical storage media, flash memory devices, etc.), as well as electrical, optical, acoustic, or other form of propagated signals (e.g., carrier waves, infrared signals, digital signals, etc.).
- recordable and non-recordable media e.g., read only memory [ROM], random access memory [RAM], magnetic disk storage media, optical storage media, flash memory devices, etc.
- electrical, optical, acoustic, or other form of propagated signals e.g., carrier waves, infrared signals, digital signals, etc.
Abstract
A variable temperature and/or reactant dose atomic layer deposition (VTD-ALD) process modulates ALD reactor conditions (e.g., temperature, flow rates, etc.) during growth of a film (e.g., metallic) on a wafer to produce different film properties a different film depths.
Description
- This application is a division of application Ser. No. 10/674,883, filed Sep. 30, 2003.
- 1. Field
- Embodiments of the present invention relate to integrated circuits and, in particular, to integrated circuit fabrication processes.
- 2. Discussion of Related Art
- It is common to use a process known as atomic layer deposition (ALD) to deposit films on semiconductor wafers to fabricate transistors, for example. In ALD,the semiconductor (e.g., silicon, germanium) wafer is placed in a reactor. A precursor material is pulsed into the reactor. The precursor material subsequently adsorbs and reacts on the wafer surface. The precursor material may be any one of hundreds of possible materials, depending on the reaction product (i.e., metal oxide film, metal nitride film, etc.) desired. The reactor is then purged with an inert gas to remove the precursor material. A second reactant material is pulsed into the reactor. The second reactant material reacts with the precursor material on the wafer surface. Selection of the second reactant material depends on the reaction product desired and on which precursor material was selected. The reactor is purged again.
- This process of precursor pulsing, reactor purging, reactant pulsing, and reactor purging is called a “cycle.” In ALD, the thickness of the deposited film is controlled by the number of cycles.
- In current ALD processes, where metal oxide films are to be deposited on silicon wafers, the films are deposited using preset conditions for the reactor and materials used that remain constant throughout the deposition process. There are drawbacks to using preset conditions, however.
- For example, using one discrete set of preset conditions may produce a film that has good insulation against current leakage but also causes silicon oxide or metal silicate at the interface between the silicon wafer surface and the metal oxide film to be formed. Interfacial silicon oxide or metal silicate can be problematic because these materials have relatively low permittivity, which reduces the effective dielectric constant of a transistor's gate stack.
- A reduced effective dielectric constant results in reduced capacitance, which reduces transistor drive current for a given dielectric film thickness. When the transistor drive current is reduced the speed performance of the device degrades. Using another discrete set of preset conditions may produce a film having very little to essentially no interfacial silicon oxide or metal silicate but produces a film with poor insulation against current leakage.
- In the drawings, like reference numbers generally indicate identical functionally similar, and/or structurally equivalent elements. The drawing in which an element first appears is indicated by the leftmost digit(s) in the reference number, in which:
-
FIG. 1 is a high-level block diagram of a system suitable for depositing a film on a substrate according to an embodiment of the present invention; -
FIG. 2 is a flowchart illustrating an approach to depositing a film on a substrate according to an embodiment of the present invention; -
FIG. 3 is a cross-section view illustrating a metallic film deposited on a substrate according to an embodiment of the present invention; -
FIG. 4 is a cross-section view illustrating a transistor fabricated according to embodiments of the present invention; and -
FIG. 5 is a high-level block diagram of an optical system according to an embodiment of the present invention. -
FIG. 1 is high-level block diagram of a variable temperature and dose atomic layer deposition (VTD-ALD)system 100 suitable for implementing embodiments of the present invention. Thesystem 100 includes areactor 102 for receiving awater 104 during deposition of films (e.g., metallic films). - The VTD-
ALD system 100 also includes areactant 106 coupled to thereactor 102 via avalve 130, areactant 108 coupled to thereactor 102 via avalve 132, a carrier/purge gas 110 coupled to thereactor 102 via avalve 134, and a carrier/purge gas 112 coupled to thereactor 102 via avalve 136. Acontroller 120 may be coupled to thevalves reactant 106, thereactant 108, the carrier/purge gas 110, the carrier/purge gas 112, respectively into thereactor 102. - The
reactor 102 may include aheater 114. Thecontroller 120 may be coupled to theheater 114 to control the operation theheater 114 to modulate the temperature of thereactor 102 during the film deposition process. - The VTD-
ALD system 100 may include avacuum pump 122, which may be coupled to thereactor 102. Thecontroller 120 may be coupled to thevacuum pump 122 to control the operation of thevacuum pump 122. - The
reactor 102 may be any suitable ALD reactor. ALD reactors suitable for implementing thereactor 102 are well known. - The
wafer 104 may be any suitable wafer or substrate. Thewafer 104 may be a silicon wafer. Other suitable materials may be used to implement thewafer 104 and after reading the description herein persons of ordinary skill in the relevant art will readily recognize how to implement embodiments of the present invention for other materials. - In one embodiment, the
reactant 106 may be aluminum-based (e.g., Al(CH3)3), Ti-based, Zr-based, Hf-based, Ta-based, etc. Of course, thereactant 106 depends on the film to be deposited and after reading the description herein a person of ordinary skill in the relevant art will readily recognize how to implement embodiments of the present invention using various reactants or precursors. - In one embodiment, the
reactant 108 may be oxygen-based (e.g., H2O, O2, O3, H2O2, CH3OH, C2H5OH, etc.), nitrogen-based (e.g., NH3, etc.), or other suitable precursor material. Of course, thereactant 108 depends on the film to be deposited and after reading the description herein a person of ordinary skill in the relevant art will readily recognize how to implement embodiments of the present invention using various reactants. - The carrier/
purge gas 110 may be any gas that does not react with thereactant 106. In embodiments of the present invention, the carrier/purge gas 110 may be argon (Ar), nitrogen (N2), and helium (He). Suitable carrier materials are well known and after reading the description herein a person of ordinary skill in the relevant art will readily recognize how to implement embodiments of the present invention using various carrier/purge materials. - The carrier/
purge gas 112 may be any gas that does not react with the reactant 106 or reaction products (e.g., metal films). In one embodiment, the carrier/purge gas 112 is the same as the carrier/purge gas 110. In other embodiments, the carrier/purge gas 112 is different from the carrier/purge gas 110. Suitable carrier/purge materials are well known and after reading the description herein a person of ordinary skill in the relevant art will readily recognize how to implement embodiments of the present invention using various carrier/purge materials. - The
heater 114 may be any capable of heating thereactor 102 to a specified temperature. Heaters used in film deposition equipment are well known. - The
controller 120 may be any suitable analog, digital, software, hardware, firmware, etc., (e.g., a microprocessor, a microcontroller) controller that performs VTD-ALD processes according to embodiments of the present invention. For example, thecontroller 120 may control operation of thevalve 130, thevalve 132, thevalve 134, and thevalve 136 to modulate the flow rate of materials into thereactor 102 during the film deposition process. - The
vacuum pump 122 may be any suitable pump capable of removing exhaust gases from thereactor 102. Vacuum pumps used in film deposition equipment are well known. -
FIG. 2 is a flowchart illustrating a VTD-ALD process 200 according to an embodiment of the present invention. Theprocess 200 is only an example process and other processes may be used. Additionally, the order in which operations are described should not be construed to imply that the operations are necessarily order-dependent or that the operations be performed in the order in which they are presented. A machine-accessible medium with machine-accessible instructions thereon may be used to cause thecontroller 120 or other machine to perform theprocess 200 or portions thereof. - In a
block 202, a first set of ALD conditions are established. For example, a first set of material (i.e., thereactant 106, thereactant 108, the carrier/purge gas 110, and the carrier/purge gas 112) flow rates are established, afirst reactor 102 temperature is established, afirst reactor 102 pressure is established, and a first number of cycles to be run is established. - In one embodiment, the
first reactant 106 flow rate may be established at around approximately 100-300 standard cubic centimeters per minute (SCCM). However, the actual flow rate will depend on the materials to be deposited, the size of the reactor, and other factors. In one embodiment, thefirst reactant 108 flow rate may be established at around 5-50 SCCM. - In one embodiment, the first flow rate of the carrier/
purge gas 110 may be established at around approximately 500-700 SCCM and the first flow rate of the carrier/purge gas 112 at around approximately 500-700 SCCM. - Of course, the individual flow rates for the
reactant 106, thereactant 108, the carrier/purge gas 110, and/or the carrier/purge gas 112 may range from very small (erg., around approximately one SCCM) to very large (e.g., in excess of approximately ten thousand SCCM). Optimal flow rates for ALD materials depend on the size of the reactor used, the particular precursor, the particular reactant, the desired deposition rate, and desired film properties. After reading the description herein a person of ordinary skill in the relevant art will readily recognize how to implement embodiments of the present invention for various first flow rates. - In one embodiment, the first temperature of the
reactor 102 may be established at 200 degrees Centigrade (200 C.). Of course, the particular first temperature may be established at anywhere from approximately room temperature to the decomposition temperature of the particular materials used. After reading the description herein a person of ordinary skill in the relevant art will readily recognize how to implement embodiments of the present invention for various first temperatures. - In one embodiment, the
first reactor 102 pressure may be established at less than or equal to approximately ten torr. Of course, the particular first pressure depends on the size of the reactor used, the particular precursor, the particular reactant, the desired deposition rate, and desired film properties. After reading the description herein a person of ordinary skill in the relevant art will readily recognize how to implement embodiments of the present invention for various first temperatures. - In one embodiment, the first number of cycles to be run is established at twenty. Because the first number of cycles run determines the first depth, greater or fewer cycles may be used depending on the desired depth for the first set of properties.
- In a
block 204, the first set of cycles is run using the first set of ALD conditions. In one embodiment, the carrier/purge gas 110 flow is started. For each cycle, thereactor 102 is pulsed with thereactant 106. Thereactant 106 reacts with the surface of thewafer 104. Thereactor 102 is then purged with the carrier/purge gas 112 to remove any chemicallyactive reactant 106. Thereactor 102 is pulsed with thereactant 108, which reacts with thereactant 106 and thewafer 104. Thereactor 102 again is purged with the carrier/purge gas 112 to remove any chemicallyactive reactant 108. The first depth is grown in a layer-by-layer manner such that running the first set of cycles yields twenty monolayers of growth. - In a
block 206, theprocess 200 determines whether to modulate the film properties. If it is not appropriate to modulate the properties of the film, thereactor 102 is cooled in ablock 208 and a film is produced having a depth corresponding to the number of cycles run and the properties corresponding to the first set of ALP conditions. If it is appropriate to modulate the properties of the film, theprocess 200 proceeds to ablock 210. - It may be appropriate to modulate the properties of the film when the
reactant 106 is trimethyl aluminum (Al(CH3)3), thereactant 108 is water (H2O), the temperature of thereactor 102 is 200C, and twenty cycles are run. This is because the interface between the silicon (Si) wafer and the beginning growth of an alumina (Al2O3) film produced by the trimethyl aluminum (Al(CH3)3) and the silicon (Si) may be substantially free from silicon oxide or metal silicate, however, under these same ALD conditions, the first set of monolayers in the film have reduced insulating capabilities as a result of contaminants introduced byunreacted reactant 106/reactant 108 materials. The reduced insulation results in inappropriately high current leakage in devices. - If it is decided to modulate the properties of the film, in a
block 210, a new set of ALD conditions are established For example, a new set of material (i.e., thereactant 106, thereactant 108, the carrier/purge gas 110, and the carrier/purge gas 112) flow rates may be established, anew reactor 102 temperature may be established, anew reactor 102 pressure may be established, and/or a new number of cycles to be run may be established. In embodiments of the present invention, establishing the first and new sets of conditions may be continuous, incremental, increasing, decreasing, reversing, etc. - Typically, the carrier/
purge gas 110 and the carrier/purge gas 112 flow rates remain constant. Also, thereactor 102 pressure may remain constant. However, changing thereactant 106 flow rate, thereactant 108 flow rate, and/or thereactor 102 temperature each may have a different effect on the properties of the next set of monolayers. - In one embodiment, the
new reactant 106 flow rate is established at closer to around approximately 250 SCCM, thenew reactant 108 flow rate is established at closer to around approximately twenty SCCM, the new temperature of thereactor 102 is established at approximately 300 C., and the new number of cycles to be run is established to be forty. - In a
block 212, the new number of cycles is run using the new set of ALD conditions. In one embodiment, forty cycles are run using the new set of conditions. For each cycle, thereactor 102 is pulsed with thereactant 106. Thereactant 106 reacts with the surface of thewafer 104. Thereactor 102 is then purged with the carrier/purge gas 112 to remove any chemicallyactive reactant 106. Thereactor 102 is pulsed with thereactant 108, which reacts with thereactant 106 and thewafer 104. Thereactor 102 again is purged with the carrier/purge gas 112 to remove any chemicallyactive reactant 108. The next depth is grown in a layer-by-layer manner such that running the next set of cycles yields forty monolayers of growth. - It may be appropriate to stop the
process 200 at this point when thereactant 106 is trimethyl aluminum (Al(CH3)3), thereactant 108 is water (H2O), the temperature of thereactor 102 is 300 C, and forty cycles are run. Because the interface between the silicon (Si) wafer and the beginning growth of an alumina (Al2O3) film is substantially free from silicon oxide or metal silicate, and the new set of monolayers in the film have good insulating capabilities (i.e., at the higher reactor temperature there are fewerunreacted reactant 106/reactant 108 materials). The films produced according to this embodiment of the present invention also may have low flatband voltage shifts. - Note that metallic films produced according to embodiments of the present invention can be tailored for a particular application. Films having unique properties produced according to embodiments of the present invention also can be duplicated.
- After the
block 212, theprocess 200 may return to block 206 and be run iteratively to obtain another set of properties at particular depths for the film. Subsequent sets of ALD conditions may be used to modulate the properties of subsequent sets of film monolayers. -
FIG. 3 is a cross-section view of adevice 300 having ametallic film 302 deposited on asubstrate 304 according to an embodiment of the present invention. Themetallic film 302 includes a first set ofmonolayers 306 and a second set ofmonolayers 308. - The first set of
monolayers 306 has adepth 310. The second set ofmonolayers 308 has adepth 312. Themetallic layer 302 has adepth 314. - In one embodiment, the ALD conditions used to deposit the first set of
monolayers 306 are different from the ALD conditions used to deposit the second set ofmonolayers 308. As a result, the electrical properties of the first set ofmonolayers 306 are different from the electrical properties of the second set ofmonolayers 308. Thus, themetallic layer 302 has different electrical properties throughout itsdepth 314. - Although embodiments of the present invention have been described with respect to depositing only two sets of monolayers, embodiments of the present invention are not so limited. For example, it may be appropriate to have a film whose properties gradually change from top to bottom. In this embodiment, an individual reaction condition (temperature, reactant, reactant flow rate, etc.) may be modulated each subsequent cycle (e.g., there may be one hundred different ALD cycles run each with different ALD conditions resulting in a film having one hundred monolayers each having a different set of properties).
-
FIG. 4 is a cross-section view illustrating atransistor 400 fabricated according to embodiments of the present invention. Theexample transistor 400 includes asubstrate 402 and agate dielectric layer 404 formed on thesubstrate 402. Thegate dielectric layer 404 may be a metallic film deposited on thesubstrate 402 according to embodiments of the present invention. - The illustrated
transistor 400 also includes agate electrode 406 formed on thegate dielectric layer 404, two vertical sidewalldielectric spacers 408 formed on the sides of thegate dielectric layer 404 and thegate electrode 406, and shallow trench isolation (STI)regions 410 formed in thesubstrate 402. - The
gate dielectric layer 404 may be any suitable material to insulate thegate electrode 406 from thesubstrate 402. Thegate electrode 406 may be polysilicon or other suitable material. The twovertical sidewall spacers 408 may be any suitable dielectric material. TheSTI regions 410 may be dielectric material and separate thetransistor 400 from other transistors formed on thesubstrate 400. -
FIG. 5 is a high-level block diagram of anoptical system 500 according to an embodiment of the present invention. Thesystem 500 includes atransponder 502 coupled to anoptical amplifier 504 via anoptical fiber 506. Theoptical amplifier 504 is coupled to amultiplexer 508 via anoptical fiber 510. Themultiplexer 508 is coupled to atransponder 512 via anoptical fiber 514. Thetransponder 502 includes thedevice 300 and/or thetransistor 400. - Although only one
transponder 502,optical amplifier 504, optical fiber set 506, 510, and 514,multiplexer 508, andtransponder 512 are shown, it is common to have numerous transponders, optical amplifiers, optical fiber sets, and multiplexers in optical communication systems. Single units are shown for simplicity. Thetransponder 502 may transmit optical beams to thereceiver 512. Although not shown for purposes of simplicity, thetransponder 502 also may receive optical beams from thetransponder 510. - The
optical amplifier 506 may be an erbium (Er) doped fiber amplifier (EDFA). Alternatively, theoptical amplifier 506 may be an ytterbium (Yb) doped fiber amplifier, a praseodymium (Pr) doped fiber amplifier, a neodymium (Nd) doped fiber amplifier, or other suitable optical amplifier. - The
multiplexer 508 may be a DWDM multiplexer. Alternatively, themultiplexer 508 may be an add-drop multiplexer. - Embodiments of the present invention may be implemented using hardware, software, or a combination thereof. In implementations using software, the software may be stored on a machine-accessible medium. A machine-accessible medium includes any mechanism that provides (i.e., stores and/or transmits) information in a form accessible by a machine (e.g., a computer, network device, personal digital assistant, manufacturing tool, any device with a set of one or more processors, etc.).
- For example, a machine-accessible medium includes recordable and non-recordable media (e.g., read only memory [ROM], random access memory [RAM], magnetic disk storage media, optical storage media, flash memory devices, etc.), as well as electrical, optical, acoustic, or other form of propagated signals (e.g., carrier waves, infrared signals, digital signals, etc.).
- The above description of illustrated embodiments of the invention is not intended to be exhaustive or to limit the invention to the precise forms disclosed. While specific embodiments of, and examples for, the invention are described herein for illustrative purposes, various equivalent modifications are possible within the scope of the embodiments of the invention, as those skilled in the relevant art will recognize. These modifications can be made to embodiments of the invention in light of the above detailed description.
- In the above description, numerous specific details, such as particular processes, materials, devices, and so forth, are presented to provide a thorough understanding of embodiments of the invention. One skilled in the relevant art will recognize, however, that the embodiments of the present invention can be practiced without one or more of the specific details, or with other methods, components, etc. In other instances, well-known structures or operations are not shown or described in detail to avoid obscuring the understanding of this description.
- Reference throughout this specification to “one embodiment” or “an embodiment” means that a particular feature, structure, process, block, or characteristic described in connection with an embodiment is included in at least one embodiment of the present invention. Thus, the appearance of the phrases “in one embodiment” or “in an embodiment” in various places throughout this specification does not necessarily mean that the phrases all refer to the same embodiment. The particular features, structures, or characteristics may be combined in any suitable manner in one or more embodiments.
- The terms used in the following claims should not be construed to limit embodiments of the present invention to the specific embodiments disclosed in the specification and the claims. Rather, the scope of embodiments of the invention is to be determined entirely by the following claims, which are to be construed in accordance with established doctrines of claim interpretation.
Claims (24)
1. A method, comprising:
establishing first atomic layer deposition (ALD) conditions for depositing a film on a substrate;
growing at least one first monolayer of the film using the first ALD conditions, the first monolayer having first properties;
establishing subsequent ALD conditions for depositing the film; and
growing at least one subsequent monolayer of the film on the first monolayers using the subsequent ALD conditions.
2. The method of claim 1 , wherein establishing first ALD conditions comprises establishing a first ALD reactor temperature.
3. The method of claim 2 , wherein establishing subsequent ALD conditions comprises establishing at least one subsequent ALD reactor temperature different from the first ALD reactor temperature.
4. The method of claim 1 , wherein establishing first ALD conditions comprises establishing a first reactant flow rate.
5. The method of claim 4 , wherein establishing subsequent ALD conditions comprises establishing at least one subsequent reactant flow rate different from the first reactant flow rate.
6. An article of manufacture, comprising:
a machine-accessible including data that, when accessed by a machine, cause the machine to perform the operations comprising:
establishing first atomic layer deposition (ALD) conditions for depositing a film on a substrate;
growing at least one first monolayer of the film using the first ALD conditions, the first monolayer having first properties;
establishing subsequent ALD conditions for depositing the film; and
growing at least one subsequent monolayer of the film on the first monolayer using the subsequent ALD conditions.
7. The article of manufacture of claim 6 , wherein the machine accessible medium further includes data that cause the machine to perform operations comprising establishing a first ALD reactor temperature.
8. The article of manufacture of claim 7 , wherein the machine-accessible medium further includes data that cause the machine to perform operations comprising establishing at least one subsequent ALD reactor temperature different from the first ALD reactor temperature.
9. The article of manufacture of claim 6 , wherein the machine-accessible medium further includes data that cause the machine to perform operations comprising establishing a first reactant flow rate.
10. The article of manufacture of claim 9 , wherein the machine-accessible medium further includes data that cause the machine to perform operations comprising establishing at least one subsequent reactant flow rate different from the first reactant flow rate.
11. An apparatus, comprising:
an atomic layer deposition (ALD) reactor; and
a controller coupled to the ALD reactor to establish first atomic layer deposition (ALD) conditions for depositing a film on a substrate, to grow at least one first monolayer of the film on the substrate using the first ALD conditions, to establish at least one subsequent ALD condition for depositing the film, and to grow at least one subsequent monolayer of the film on the first monolayers using the subsequent ALD conditions.
12. The apparatus of claim 11 , wherein the controller is further coupled to establish first and subsequent ALD conditions in an incremental manner.
13. The apparatus of claim 11 , wherein the controller is further coupled to establish first and subsequent ALD conditions in a continuous manner.
14. The apparatus of claim 11 , wherein the controller is coupled to control the flow rate of a first reactant and a second reactant into the reactor.
15. The apparatus of claim 14 , wherein the first reactant is an oxygen-based reactant.
16. The apparatus of claim 14 , wherein the first reactant is a nitrogen-based reactant.
17. The apparatus of claim 11 , wherein the controller is coupled to control the temperature the reactor.
18. An apparatus, comprising:
a substrate;
monolayer having at least one first electrical property, the layer having at least one subsequent monolayer disposed on the at least one first monolayer, the at least one subsequent monolayer having at least one subsequent electrical property different from the at least one subsequent first electrical property.
19. The apparatus of claim 18 , further comprising a gate electrode disposed on the layer.
20. The apparatus of claim 19 , further comprising first and second vertical sidewall dielectric spacers formed on first and second sides of the layer and first and second sides of the gate electrode, respectively.
21. The apparatus of claim 20 , further comprising first and second shallow trench isolation (STI) regions formed in the substrate.
22. A system, comprising:
a transponder comprising a substrate and a layer of material disposed on the substrate, the layer having at least one first monolayer in contact with the substrate, the at least one first monolayer having first electrical property, the layer having at least one subsequent monolayer disposed on the at least one first monolayer, the at least one subsequent monolayer having at least one subsequent electrical property different from the at least one first electrical property; and
an erbium-doped fiber amplifier (EDFA) coupled to the transponder.
23. The system of claim 22 , further comprising a multiplexer coupled to the EDFA.
24. The system of claim 23 , further comprising an add-drop multiplexer coupled to the EDFA.
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US6974862B2 (en) * | 2003-06-20 | 2005-12-13 | Kensey Nash Corporation | High density fibrous polymers suitable for implant |
KR20060054387A (en) | 2003-08-04 | 2006-05-22 | 에이에스엠 아메리카, 인코포레이티드 | Surface preparation prior to deposition on germanium |
US7704896B2 (en) * | 2005-01-21 | 2010-04-27 | Asm International, N.V. | Atomic layer deposition of thin films on germanium |
US7524765B2 (en) * | 2005-11-02 | 2009-04-28 | Intel Corporation | Direct tailoring of the composition and density of ALD films |
KR100819002B1 (en) * | 2006-10-20 | 2008-04-02 | 삼성전자주식회사 | Method for fabricating non-volatile memory device |
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Also Published As
Publication number | Publication date |
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US20050070121A1 (en) | 2005-03-31 |
JP4227580B2 (en) | 2009-02-18 |
US7306956B2 (en) | 2007-12-11 |
JP2005142538A (en) | 2005-06-02 |
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