Plasma activated deposition of a conformal film on a substrate surface

Abstract

An apparatus deposits a film on a substrate including a reaction chamber arranged on a substrate support. An inlet port delivers gas phase reactants to the reaction chamber. A plasma generator provides plasma to the reaction chamber. A controller is configured to flow a silicon-containing reactant from a precursor group consisting of di-tert-butyl diazidosilane, tris(dimethylamido)silylazide, and bis(tert-butylhydrazido)diethyl silane. The silicon-containing reactant is introduced in vapor phase into the reaction chamber. The controller flows a second reactant in vapor phase into the reaction chamber.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . An apparatus for depositing a film on a substrate, comprising:
 a reaction chamber including a substrate arranged on a substrate support;   an inlet port that delivers gas phase reactants to the reaction chamber;   a plasma generator that provides plasma to the reaction chamber; and   a controller configured to:
 flow a silicon-containing reactant from a precursor group consisting of di-tert-butyl diazidosilane, tris(dimethylamido)silylazide, and bis(tert-butylhydrazido)diethylsilane, wherein the silicon-containing reactant is introduced in vapor phase into the reaction chamber; and 
 flow a second reactant in vapor phase into the reaction chamber. 
   
     
     
         2 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the controller is further configured to:
 introduce the silicon-containing reactant under conditions allowing the silicon-containing reactant to adsorb onto the substrate surface; and   expose the substrate surface to plasma to drive a reaction between the silicon-containing reactant and the second reactant on the substrate surface to form the film.   
     
     
         3 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the controller is further configured to introduce the second reactant into the reaction chamber while the silicon-containing reactant is adsorbed on the substrate surface and without first sweeping the silicon-containing reactant out of the reaction chamber. 
     
     
         4 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the controller is further configured to flow the second reactant to the substrate surface at one of a constant flow rate, a non-constant flow rate and an intermittent flow rate. 
     
     
         5 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein:
 the film comprises SiN;   the film forms a conformal structure; and   deposition of the film is performed at a temperature less than or equal to 400° C.   
     
     
         6 . An apparatus for depositing a film on a substrate, comprising:
 a reaction chamber including a substrate arranged on a substrate support;   an inlet port that delivers gas phase reactants to the reaction chamber;   a plasma generator that provides plasma to the reaction chamber; and   a controller configured to:
 (a) introduce a silicon-containing reactant in vapor phase into the reaction chamber under conditions allowing the silicon-containing reactant to adsorb onto a surface of a substrate, wherein the silicon-containing reactant is selected from a precursor group consisting of di-tert-butyl diazidosilane, bis(ethylmethylamido)silane, bis(diisopropylamino)silane, bis(tert-butylhydrazido)diethylsilane, tris(dimethylamido)silylazide, tris(dimethylamido)silylamide, ethylsilicon triazide, diisopropylaminosilane, and hexakis(dimethylamido)disilazane; 
 (b) introduce a second reactant in vapor phase into the reaction chamber while the silicon-containing reactant is adsorbed on the substrate surface, wherein the second reactant is introduced without first sweeping the silicon-containing reactant out of the reaction chamber; 
 (c) expose the substrate surface to plasma to drive a reaction between the silicon-containing reactant and the second reactant on the substrate surface to form the film; and 
 (d) sweep out the second reactant in vapor phase prior to (c). 
   
     
     
         7 . The apparatus of  claim 6 , wherein the controller is configured to ignite the plasma while at least one of the silicon-containing reactant and the second reactant is in a gas phase while being exposed to the substrate. 
     
     
         8 . The apparatus of  claim 6 , wherein the silicon-containing reactant and the second reactant do not react with one another in the vapor phase. 
     
     
         9 . The apparatus of  claim 6 , wherein:
 the film comprises SiN film; and   deposition of the film is performed at a temperature less than or equal to 400° C.   
     
     
         10 . The apparatus of  claim 6 , wherein the controller is configured to flow the second reactant to the substrate surface at a non-constant flow rate during (b). 
     
     
         11 . The apparatus of  claim 6 , wherein the silicon-containing reactant and the second reactant co-exist in vapor phase, and wherein the silicon-containing reactant and the second reactant do not appreciably react with one another until exposure to plasma in (c). 
     
     
         12 . The apparatus of  claim 6 , wherein the film formed in (c) forms a conformal structure. 
     
     
         13 . The apparatus of  claim 6 , wherein the controller is configured to, after (c), deposit additional film directly on a portion of the film by chemical vapor deposition. 
     
     
         14 . The apparatus of  claim 6 , wherein the controller is configured to flow the second reactant to the substrate surface at one of a constant flow rate, a non-constant flow rate and an intermittent flow rate. 
     
     
         15 . An apparatus for depositing a film on a substrate, comprising:
 a reaction chamber including a substrate arranged on a substrate support;   an inlet port that delivers gas phase reactants to the reaction chamber;   a plasma generator that provides plasma to the reaction chamber; and   a controller configured to:
 (a) introduce a silicon-containing reactant in vapor phase into the reaction chamber under conditions allowing the silicon-containing reactant to adsorb onto a surface of a substrate, wherein the silicon-containing reactant is selected from a precursor group consisting of di-tert-butyl diazidosilane, bis(ethylmethylamido)silane, bis(diisopropylamino)silane, bis(tert-butylhydrazido)diethylsilane, tris(dimethylamido)silylazide, tris(dimethylamido)silylamide, ethylsilicon triazide, diisopropylaminosilane, and hexakis(dimethylamido)disilazane; 
 (b) introduce a second reactant in vapor phase into the reaction chamber while the silicon-containing reactant is adsorbed on the substrate surface; 
 (c) exposing the substrate surface to plasma to drive a reaction between the silicon-containing reactant and the second reactant on the substrate surface to form the film; and 
 (d) exposing the substrate surface to the second reactant after sweeping the silicon-containing reactant out of the reaction chamber but prior to (c).