Process And Apparatus For Forming Oxide Film, And Electronic Device Material

Abstract

An oxide film-forming apparatus, comprising: a process chamber for disposing an electronic device substrate at a predetermined position; water vapor supply means for supplying water vapor into the process chamber; and plasma exciting means for activating the water vapor with plasma, whereby the surface of the electronic device substrate can be irradiated with the plasma based on the water vapor.

1 - 5 . (canceled) 
     
     
         6 . A process for forming an oxide film onto a surface of a substrate having at least one groove on the surface thereof, comprising:
 disposing the substrate in a process chamber;   heating the substrate;   generating plasma based on Ar gas and water vapor (H 2 O) by using an antenna in the chamber; and   oxidizing the surface of the groove with the plasma based on the Ar gas and water vapor (H 2 O), to thereby form an oxide film onto the surface of the groove.   
     
     
         7 . A plasma processing process according to  claim 6 , wherein the substrate is a silicon substrate having a crystal plane orientation. 
     
     
         8 . A plasma processing process according to  claim 6 , wherein a bottom of the at least one groove has a first crystal plane orientation, and a side of the at least one groove has a second crystal plane orientation. 
     
     
         9 . A plasma processing process according to  claim 8 , wherein the oxide film is formed on the at least one groove, so as to provide a ratio (T 100 /T 110 ) of the thickness T 100  of the oxide film disposed on a first surface of the electronic device substrate, to the thickness T 110  of the oxide film disposed on a second surface of the electronic device substrate is 1. 
     
     
         10 . A plasma processing process according to  claim 6 , wherein the H 2 O is generated by using a water vapor generator from H 2  and O 2 , or by converting pure water into water vapor. 
     
     
         11 . A plasma processing process according to  claim 6 , wherein the H 2 O is generated by introducing H 2  gas and O 2  gas into the process chamber. 
     
     
         12 . A plasma processing process according to  claim 10 , wherein the H 2 O is 0.2-2 volume % with respect to the Ar gas. 
     
     
         13 . A plasma processing process according to  claim 6 , wherein the plasma has an electron temperature of 1.0 eV or less. 
     
     
         14 . A plasma processing process according to  claim 6 , wherein the plasma is generated on the basis of microwave irradiation through a plane antenna member having a plurality of slits. 
     
     
         15 . A plasma processing process according to  claim 6 , wherein the substrate is preheated before the ignition of the plasma. 
     
     
         16 . A plasma processing process according to  claim 15 , wherein the preheating is effected for 30 seconds or more. 
     
     
         17 . A plasma processing process according to  claim 6 , wherein the groove is an STI groove. 
     
     
         18 . A plasma processing process according to  claim 6 , wherein the pressure in the process chamber is 6.67-266 Pa. 
     
     
         19 . A plasma processing process according to  claim 6  which further comprises a step of heating the substrate while increasing the pressure in the chamber. 
     
     
         20 . A process for forming an oxide film onto a surface of a substrate having at least one groove on the surface thereof; comprising:
 disposing the substrate in a chamber;   introducing Ar gas and water vapor (H 2 O) into the chamber heating the substrate while increasing the pressure in the chamber;   generating plasma based on the Ar gas and water vapor (H 2 O) by using an antenna in the chamber; and   oxidizing the surface of the groove with the plasma based on the Ar gas and water vapor (H 2 O), to thereby form an oxide film onto the surface of the groove.   
     
     
         21 . A plasma processing process according to  claim 20 , wherein the pressure in the process chamber is 6.67-266 Pa. 
     
     
         22 . A plasma processing process according to  claim 20 , wherein the H 2 O is generated by using a water vapor generator from H 2  and O 2 , or by converting pure water into water vapor. 
     
     
         23 . A plasma processing process according to  claim 20 , wherein the preheating is effected for 30 seconds or more. 
     
     
         24 . A plasma processing process according to  claim 22 , wherein the plasma based on H 2 O contains plasma based on the Ar gas, and the amount of the water vapor is 0.2-2 volume % with respect to the Ar gas.