US4894352A
Expired / Lapsed
US
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Deposition of silicon-containing films using organosilicon compounds and nitrogen trifluoride
Assignee: Texas Instruments Inc
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Filing: 1988-10-26
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Granted: 1990-01-16
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Expires: 2008-10-26
Abstract
Abstract In a low-pressure reactor, the addition of nitrogen trifluoride to a gaseous organosilicon compound such as tetraethoxysilane (TEOS) or tetramethylcyclotetroxysilane (TMCTS) results in surprisingly enhanced silicon dioxide deposition rates. The oxide deposited using this process also has the capability of filling features having aspects ratios up to at least 1.0, and may exhibit low mobile ion concentrations. The process is also applicable for depositing other silicon-containing films such as polysilicon and silicon nitride.
Inventors
- 👤 Andrew P. Lane
- 👤 Douglas A. Webb
- 👤 Gene R. Frederick
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-31 12:00
CPC Classifications
C; C23; C23C; C23C16/00; C23C16/22; C23C16/30; C23C16/40; C23C16/401; C23C16/402; Y; Y10; Y10S; Y10S148/00; Y10S148/114; Y10S148/118
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 44
Claim 1
Independent Claim
45 words
A composition for depositing a layer of silicon-containing compound on a substrate within a low-pressure reactor, comprising: between about four and about seventy percent by volume of an organosilicon gas compound; and between about two percent and about seventy percent by volume of nitrogen trifluoride.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
45 words
A composition for depositing a layer of silicon-containing compound on a substrate within a low-pressure reactor, comprising: between about four and about seventy percent by volume of an organosilicon gas compound; and between about two percent and about seventy percent by volume of nitrogen trifluoride.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
13 words
The composition of claim 1, wherein said organosilicon gas compound comprises an organosiloxane.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
10 words
The composition of claim 2, wherein said organosiloxane comprises tetraethoxysilane.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
20 words
The composition of claim 3, wherein the molar ratio of nitrogen trifluoride to tetraethoxysilane is at least four to one.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
13 words
The composition of claim 2, wherein said organosilicon gas compound comprises an alkylcyclosiloxane.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
11 words
The composition of claim 5, wherein said alkylcyclosiloxane comprises a tetraethylcyclotetrasiloxane.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
11 words
The composition of claim 5, wherein said alkylcyclosiloxane comprises a tetramethylcyclotetrasiloxane.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
21 words
The composition of claim 7, wherein the molar ratio of nitrogen trifluoride to tetramethylcyclotetrasiloxane is at least about five to one.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
13 words
The composition of claim 1, wherein said layer of silicon-containing compound comprises polysilicon.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
14 words
The composition of claim 1, wherein said layer of silicon-containing compound comprises silicon nitride.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
16 words
The composition of claim 10, and further comprising a third gas having a formula including nitrogen.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
19 words
The composition of claim 10, wherein said third gas is selected from the group consisting of ammonia and nitrogen.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
17 words
The composition of claim 1, and further comprising between about 25% and 85% by volume of oxygen.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
94 words
A process for depositing a layer of a silicon-containing compound on a wafer, comprising the steps of: disposing the wafer in a chamber evacuated to a low pressure; introducing a gaseous organosilicon compound into the chamber; introducing nitrogen trifluoride into the chamber; responsive to said steps of introducing the organic compound and nitrogen trifluoride into the chamber, reacting the gaseous organosilicon compound and the nitrogen trifluoride; and responsive to said step of reacting, depositing the silicon-containing compound on the wafer at a rate greater than a corresponding deposition rate obtained without using nitrogen trifluoride.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
94 words
A process for depositing a layer of a silicon-containing compound on a wafer, comprising the steps of: disposing the wafer in a chamber evacuated to a low pressure; introducing a gaseous organosilicon compound into the chamber; introducing nitrogen trifluoride into the chamber; responsive to said steps of introducing the organic compound and nitrogen trifluoride into the chamber, reacting the gaseous organosilicon compound and the nitrogen trifluoride; and responsive to said step of reacting, depositing the silicon-containing compound on the wafer at a rate greater than a corresponding deposition rate obtained without using nitrogen trifluoride.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
25 words
The process of claim 14, and further comprising the step of regulating the pressure inside the chamber to be no more than about four torr.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
24 words
The process of claim 15, and further comprising the step of regulating the pressure inside the chamber to be less than about 1.0 torr.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim
25 words
The process of claim 14, and further comprising the step of depositing the silicon-containing compound at a rate of more than 5000 Angstroms per minute.
Claim 20
Dependent Claim
16 words
The process of claim 14, and further comprising the step of introducing oxygen into the chamber.
Claim 21
Dependent Claim
44 words
The process of claim 18, and further comprising the steps of: bubbling oxygen through a liquid organosilicon compound; vaporizing the organic liquid compound into the oxygen to yield the gaseous organosilicon compound; and carrying the gaseous organosilicon compound into the chamber with the oxygen.
Claim 22
Dependent Claim
19 words
The process of claim 14, wherein the silicon-containing compound comprises silicon dioxide, the organic gaseous compound comprising an organosiloxane.
Claim 23
Dependent Claim
10 words
The process of claim 20, wherein the organosiloxane comprises tetraethoxysilane.
Claim 24
Dependent Claim
11 words
The process of claim 20, wherein the organosiloxane comprises an alkylcyclosiloxane.
Claim 25
Dependent Claim
10 words
The process of claim 22, wherein the alkylcyclosiloxane comprises tetraethylcyclotetrasiloxane.
Claim 26
Dependent Claim
10 words
The process of claim 23, wherein the alkylcyclosiloxane comprises tetramethylcyclotetrasiloxane.
Claim 27
Dependent Claim
21 words
The process of claim 14, and further comprising the step of creating a plasma in order to react the introduced gases.
Claim 28
Dependent Claim
18 words
The process of claim 25, and further comprising the step of generating the plasma with radio frequency energy.
Claim 29
Dependent Claim
17 words
The process of claim 26, and further comprising the step of generating the plasma with microwave energy.
Claim 30
Dependent Claim
16 words
The process of claim 25, and further comprising the step of generating a magnetically enhanced plasma.
Claim 31
Dependent Claim
21 words
The process of claim 14, and further comprising the step of depositing the silicon-containing compound using low pressure chemical vapor deposition.
Claim 32
Dependent Claim
49 words
The process of claim 14, and further comprising the steps of: introducing the nitrogen trifluoride into the chamber in amounts ranging from four to seventy percent by volume; and introducing the gaseous organosilicon compound into the chamber in amounts ranging from about two to about seventy percent by volume.
Claim 33
Dependent Claim
30 words
The process of claim 14, and further comprising the steps of: introducing a second nitrogen-containing gas into the chamber; and depositing the layer on the wafer to include silicon nitride.
Claim 34
Dependent Claim
99 words
A process for depositing a silicon-containing compound on a wafer, comprising the steps of: disposing the wafer in a chamber evacuated to a low pressure; introducing a gaseous organosilicon compound into the chamber; introducing nitrogen trifluoride into the chamber; responsive to said steps of introducing the organosilicon compound and the nitrogen trifluoride into the chamber, reacting the organosilicon compound and the nitrogen trifluoride to deposit the silicon containing compound on the wafer, such that the mobile ion concentration and the surface-state charge density of the layer will be lower than corresponding layers formed without the use of nitrogen trifluoride.
Claim 35
Dependent Claim
99 words
A process for depositing a silicon-containing compound on a wafer, comprising the steps of: disposing the wafer in a chamber evacuated to a low pressure; introducing a gaseous organosilicon compound into the chamber; introducing nitrogen trifluoride into the chamber; responsive to said steps of introducing the organosilicon compound and the nitrogen trifluoride into the chamber, reacting the organosilicon compound and the nitrogen trifluoride to deposit the silicon containing compound on the wafer, such that the mobile ion concentration and the surface-state charge density of the layer will be lower than corresponding layers formed without the use of nitrogen trifluoride.
Claim 36
Dependent Claim
22 words
The process of claim 32, wherein said step of reacting comprises reacting an organosiloxane with the nitrogen trifluoride to deposit silicon dioxide.
Claim 37
Dependent Claim
81 words
A process for depositing a layer of silicon-containing compound on a wafer surface having topographical features of high aspect ratio, comprising the steps of: disposing the wafer in a chamber evacuated to a pressure below about one torr; introducing a gaseous organosilicon compound into the chamber; introducing nitrogen trifluoride into the chamber; and reacting the organo silicon compound with the nitrogen trifluoride to deposit the layer of silicon-containing compound on the surface such that voids in the layer are not formed.
Claim 38
Dependent Claim
81 words
A process for depositing a layer of silicon-containing compound on a wafer surface having topographical features of high aspect ratio, comprising the steps of: disposing the wafer in a chamber evacuated to a pressure below about one torr; introducing a gaseous organosilicon compound into the chamber; introducing nitrogen trifluoride into the chamber; and reacting the organo silicon compound with the nitrogen trifluoride to deposit the layer of silicon-containing compound on the surface such that voids in the layer are not formed.
Claim 39
Dependent Claim
27 words
The process of claim 34, and further comprising the step of filling topographical features on the wafer having an aspect ratio greater than or equal to 1.0.
Claim 40
Dependent Claim
19 words
The process of claim 34, wherein said gaseous organosilicon compound comprises an organosiloxane, said silicon-containing compound comprising silicon dioxide.
Claim 41
Dependent Claim
12 words
The process of claim 36, wherein said gaseous organosilicon compound comprises tetraethoxysilane.
Claim 42
Dependent Claim
12 words
The process of claim 36, wherein said organosilicon compound comprises an alkylcyclosiloxane.
Claim 43
Dependent Claim
16 words
The process of claim 34, and further comprising the step of introducing oxygen into the chamber.
Claim 44
Dependent Claim
31 words
The process of claim 39, and further comprising the step of introducing the oxygen and the nitrogen trifluoride into the chamber in a volumetric ratio not exceeding about six to one.
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USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1993-01-15 | 1993-07-17 | 1994-01-16 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1997-01-15 | 1997-07-17 | 1998-01-16 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 2001-01-15 | 2001-07-17 | 2002-01-16 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |