US2005130448A1PendingUtilityA1

Method of forming a silicon oxynitride layer

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Assignee: APPLIED MATERIALS INCPriority: Dec 15, 2003Filed: Dec 15, 2003Published: Jun 16, 2005
Est. expiryDec 15, 2023(expired)· nominal 20-yr term from priority
Inventors:Christopher S. OlsenFaran NouriThai Cheng Chua
H10P 14/6532H10P 14/6526H10D 64/01344H10D 64/0134H10P 14/6927H10P 10/00H10D 64/68H10D 64/693
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Claims

Abstract

A SiO x N y gate dielectric and a method for forming a SiO x N y gate dielectric by heating a structure comprising a silicon oxide film on a silicon substrate in an atmosphere comprising NH 3 and then exposing the structure to a plasma comprising a nitrogen source are provided. In one aspect, the structure is annealed after it is exposed to a plasma comprising a nitrogen source. In another aspect, a SiO x N y gate dielectric is formed in an integrated processing system by heating a structure comprising a silicon oxide film on a silicon substrate in an atmosphere comprising NH 3 in one chamber of the integrated processing system and then exposing the structure to a plasma comprising a nitrogen source in another chamber of the integrated processing system.

Claims

exact text as granted — not AI-modified
1 . A method of forming a SiO x N y  gate dielectric, comprising: 
 providing a structure comprising a silicon oxide film formed on a silicon substrate;    heating the structure in an atmosphere comprising NH 3  to incorporate nitrogen into the silicon oxide film; and then    exposing the structure to a plasma comprising a nitrogen source to form a SiO x N y  gate dielectric on the substrate.    
   
   
       2 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising annealing the structure after the exposing the structure to the plasma.  
   
   
       3 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein the annealing is performed in an atmosphere comprising O 2 .  
   
   
       4 . The method of  claim 3 , wherein the annealing further comprises annealing the structure in an inert or reducing atmosphere before the annealing in an atmosphere comprising O 2 .  
   
   
       5 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the nitrogen source is selected from the group consisting of N 2 , NH 3 , and combinations thereof.  
   
   
       6 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein heating the structure comprises heating the structure to a temperature of at least about 700° C. at a pressure of less than about 100 Torr.  
   
   
       7 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein exposing the structure to a plasma is performed at a pressure of between about 1 mTorr and about 30 mTorr.  
   
   
       8 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising forming the silicon oxide film by oxidizing a top surface of the silicon substrate.  
   
   
       9 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein substantially no oxygen is incorporated into the structure while heating the structure in an atmosphere comprising NH 3 .  
   
   
       10 . A method of forming a SiO x N y  gate dielectric in an integrated processing system, comprising: 
 heating a structure comprising a silicon oxide film formed on a silicon substrate in an atmosphere comprising NH 3  in a first processing chamber of the integrated processing system to incorporate nitrogen into the silicon oxide film;    transferring the structure to a second processing chamber of the integrated processing system; and then    exposing the structure to a plasma comprising a nitrogen source in the second processing chamber to form a SiO x N y  gate dielectric on the substrate.    
   
   
       11 . The method of  claim 10 , further comprising: 
 transferring the structure to a third processing chamber of the integrated processing system; and    annealing the substrate in the third processing chamber.    
   
   
       12 . The method of  claim 11 , further comprising: 
 introducing the silicon substrate into the integrated processing system; and    forming the silicon oxide film on the substrate in the third processing chamber of the integrated processing system to form the structure comprising a silicon oxide film on a silicon substrate.    
   
   
       13 . The method of  claim 12 , further comprising: 
 transferring the structure to a fourth processing chamber of the integrated processing system after the annealing the substrate; and    depositing a polysilicon layer on the SiO x N y  gate dielectric in the fifth processing chamber.    
   
   
       14 . The method of  claim 11 , further comprising: 
 introducing the silicon substrate into the integrated processing system; and    forming the silicon oxide film on the substrate in a fourth processing chamber of the integrated processing system to form the structure comprising a silicon oxide film on a silicon substrate.    
   
   
       15 . The method of  claim 14 , further comprising: 
 transferring the structure to a fifth processing chamber external to the integrated processing system after the exposing the structure to the plasma; and    depositing a polysilicon layer on the SiO x N y  gate dielectric in the fifth processing chamber.    
   
   
       16 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein the annealing is performed in an atmosphere comprising O 2 .  
   
   
       17 . The method of  claim 16 , wherein the annealing further comprises annealing the structure in an inert or reducing atmosphere before the annealing in an atmosphere comprising O 2 .  
   
   
       18 . The method of  claim 10 , further comprising transferring the structure to a cool down chamber after the heating and before the transferring the structure to a second processing chamber.  
   
   
       19 . A SiO x N y  gate dielectric, formed by a method comprising: 
 heating a structure comprising a silicon oxide film formed on a silicon substrate in an atmosphere comprising NH 3  to incorporate nitrogen into the silicon oxide film; and then    exposing the structure to a plasma comprising a nitrogen source to form a SiO x N y  gate dielectric on the substrate.    
   
   
       20 . The SiO x N y  gate dielectric of  claim 19 , wherein the gate dielectric comprises at least 5% nitrogen.  
   
   
       21 . The SiO x N y  gate dielectric of  claim 19 , wherein the method further comprises annealing the structure after the exposing the structure to a plasma.  
   
   
       22 . The SiO x N y  gate dielectric of  claim 19 , wherein substantially no oxygen is incorporated into the structure while heating the structure in an atmosphere comprising NH 3 .  
   
   
       23 . The SiO x N y  gate dielectric of  claim 19 , wherein the nitrogen source is selected from the group consisting of N 2 , NH 3 , and combinations thereof.  
   
   
       24 . The SiO x N y  gate dielectric of  claim 19 , wherein the method further comprises forming the silicon oxide film by oxidizing a top surface of the silicon substrate.  
   
   
       25 . The SiO x N y  gate dielectric of  claim 19 , wherein the method further comprises placing the silicon substrate in an integrated processing system and not removing the structure from the integrated processing system until after the gate dielectric is formed.  
   
   
       26 . The SiO x N y  gate dielectric of  claim 25 , wherein the method further comprises depositing a polysilicon layer on the substrate, wherein the structure is not removed from the integrated processing system until after the polysilicon layer is deposited.

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