Thin Film Deposition via a Spatially-Coordinated and Time-Synchronized Process

Abstract

A system and process for the formation of thin film materials. The process includes forming a plasma from a first material stream and allowing the plasma to evolve in space and/or time to extinguish species that are detrimental to the quality of the thin film material. After the plasma evolves to an optimum state, a second material stream is injected into the deposition chamber to form a composite plasma that contains a distribution of species more conducive to formation of a high quality thin film material. The system includes a deposition chamber having a plurality of delivery points for injecting two or more streams into a plasma region. The delivery points are staggered in space to permit an upstream plasma formed from a first material stream deposition source material to evolve before combining a downstream material stream with the plasma.

1 . A method of forming a thin film material comprising:
 providing a deposition chamber; said deposition chamber including a substrate, a cathode, an anode, a first delivery device, and a second delivery device; said deposition chamber having a first direction extending from said cathode to said anode and a second direction extending from said anode to said substrate; said first delivery device including a first delivery point positioned between said anode and cathode; said second delivery device including a second delivery point positioned between said anode and said substrate;   providing a first material stream to said first delivery device, said first delivery device injecting said first material stream between said cathode and said anode;   establishing an electric field between said cathode and said anode, said electric field forming a plasma region between said cathode and said anode, said plasma region comprising a plasma, said plasma including species derived from said first material stream; and   providing a second material stream to said second delivery device, said second delivery device injecting said second material stream between said anode and said substrate.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein said substrate is positioned outside of said plasma region. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 2 , further comprising transporting said species derived from said first material stream toward said substrate, said species exiting said plasma region and deactivating, said second material stream combining with said deactivated species. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 3 , wherein said first material stream comprises silicon. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 4 , wherein said second material stream comprises fluorine. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein said second delivery device is a remote plasma source. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein said deposition chamber further comprises a third delivery device having a third delivery point, said third delivery device staggered from said first delivery device in said first direction, said third delivery point being located between said anode and said cathode, said method further comprising: providing a third material stream to said third delivery device, said third delivery device injecting said third material stream into said plasma region, said plasma further comprising species derived from said third material stream. 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 7 , wherein said first material stream comprises silicon and said third material stream comprises germanium. 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 8 , wherein said second material stream comprises fluorine. 
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein said deposition chamber further comprises a third delivery device having a third delivery point, said third delivery device staggered from said second delivery device in said second direction, said third delivery point being located between said anode and said substrate, said method further comprising: providing a third material stream to said third delivery device, said third delivery device injecting said third material stream between said anode and said substrate. 
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 10 , wherein said first material stream comprises silicon and said third material stream comprises fluorine. 
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein said electric field oscillates at a microwave frequency, radiofrequency, ultrahigh frequency, or very high frequency. 
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein said first material stream comprises silicon or germanium. 
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 13 , wherein said first material stream comprises silane, disilane, or germane. 
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 13 , wherein said first material stream comprises the neutral radical SiH 3  or the neutral radical GeH 3 . 
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 13 , wherein said second material stream comprises silicon or germanium. 
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 13 , wherein said second material stream comprises fluorine. 
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein said first material stream comprises fluorine. 
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 18 , wherein said first material stream comprises a fluorinated form of silane. 
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein said first material stream comprises a first metastable species. 
     
     
         21 . The method of  claim 20 , wherein said second material stream comprises a second metastable species. 
     
     
         22 . The method of  claim 21 , wherein the lifetime of said second metastable species is shorter than the lifetime of said first metastable species. 
     
     
         23 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein said first material stream is injected intermittently. 
     
     
         24 . The method of  claim 23 , wherein said second material stream is injected intermittently. 
     
     
         25 . The method of  claim 23 , wherein said first material stream is pulsed periodically into said deposition chamber, said periodic pulsing including alternating on cycles and off cycles, said first material stream being delivered at a first flow rate during said on cycles, said first material stream being delivered at a second flow rate during said off cycles, said first flow rate exceeding said second flow rate. 
     
     
         26 . The method of  claim 25 , wherein said second material stream is injected during said off cycles and not during said on cycles.