US2023146981A1PendingUtilityA1

Hydrogen management in plasma deposited films

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Assignee: APPLIED MATERIALS INCPriority: Jul 19, 2020Filed: Jan 5, 2023Published: May 11, 2023
Est. expiryJul 19, 2040(~14 yrs left)· nominal 20-yr term from priority
Inventors:Rui ChengDiwakar KedlayaKarthik JanakiramanGautam K. HemaniKrishna NittalaAlicia J. LustgraafZubin HuangBrett SpauldingShashank SharmaKelvin Chan
H10P 14/3454H10P 14/3411H10P 14/38H10P 14/24H10P 72/7618H01J 37/32449H01J 37/32146C23C 16/56C23C 16/24C23C 16/515C23C 16/50H01L 21/02592H01L 21/0262H01L 21/02664H01L 21/02532
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Claims

Abstract

Exemplary methods of semiconductor processing may include flowing a silicon-containing precursor into a processing region of a semiconductor processing chamber. A substrate may be housed within the processing region, and the substrate may be maintained at a temperature below or about 450° C. The methods may include striking a plasma of the silicon-containing precursor. The methods may include forming a layer of amorphous silicon on a semiconductor substrate. The layer of amorphous silicon as-deposited may be characterized by less than or about 3% hydrogen incorporation.

Claims

exact text as granted — not AI-modified
1 . A semiconductor processing method comprising:
 flowing a silicon-containing precursor into a processing region of a semiconductor processing chamber, wherein a substrate is housed within the processing region, and wherein the substrate is maintained at a temperature below or about 450° C.;   striking a plasma of the silicon-containing precursor; and   forming a layer of amorphous silicon on a semiconductor substrate, wherein the layer of amorphous silicon as-deposited is characterized by less than or about 3% hydrogen incorporation.   
     
     
         2 . The semiconductor processing method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 flowing hydrogen into the processing region of the semiconductor processing chamber with the silicon-containing precursor.   
     
     
         3 . The semiconductor processing method of  claim 2 , wherein the hydrogen is flowed at a flow rate of at least twice the flow rate of the silicon-containing precursor. 
     
     
         4 . The semiconductor processing method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 flowing a boron-containing precursor or a phosphorus-containing precursor into the processing region of the semiconductor processing chamber with the silicon-containing precursor.   
     
     
         5 . The semiconductor processing method of  claim 1 , wherein the plasma is pulsed at a frequency of less than or about 10 kHz during the semiconductor processing method, and wherein a duty cycle of plasma pulsing is less than or about 50%. 
     
     
         6 . The semiconductor processing method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 performing an energy treatment on the layer of amorphous silicon, wherein the energy treatment further reduces the hydrogen incorporation.   
     
     
         7 . The semiconductor processing method of  claim 6 , wherein the energy treatment comprises exposing the layer of amorphous silicon to UV, microwave, or in situ plasma. 
     
     
         8 . The semiconductor processing method of  claim 6 , wherein the energy treatment is performed without breaking vacuum conditions during the semiconductor processing method. 
     
     
         9 . A semiconductor processing method comprising:
 flowing a silicon-containing precursor into a processing region of a semiconductor processing chamber, wherein a substrate is housed within the processing region, and wherein the substrate is maintained at a temperature below or about 450° C.;   flowing a catalytic precursor into the processing region of the semiconductor processing chamber;   striking a plasma of the silicon-containing precursor and the catalytic precursor; and   forming a layer of amorphous silicon on a semiconductor substrate, wherein the layer of amorphous silicon as-deposited is characterized by less than or about 3% hydrogen incorporation.   
     
     
         10 . The semiconductor processing method of  claim 9 , wherein the catalytic precursor comprises a boron-containing precursor, a phosphorus-containing precursor, or a silicon-and-halogen-containing precursor. 
     
     
         11 . The semiconductor processing method of  claim 10 , wherein the halogen comprises fluorine, chlorine, or iodine. 
     
     
         12 . The semiconductor processing method of  claim 9 , wherein the plasma is pulsed at a frequency of less than or about 10 kHz during the semiconductor processing method, and wherein a duty cycle of plasma pulsing is less than or about 50%. 
     
     
         13 . The semiconductor processing method of  claim 9 , further comprising:
 performing an energy treatment on the layer of amorphous silicon, wherein the energy treatment further reduces the hydrogen incorporation.   
     
     
         14 . The semiconductor processing method of  claim 13 , wherein the energy treatment comprises exposing the layer of amorphous silicon to UV, microwave, or in situ plasma. 
     
     
         15 . A semiconductor processing method comprising:
 flowing a silicon-containing precursor into a processing region of a semiconductor processing chamber, wherein a substrate is housed within the processing region, and wherein the substrate is maintained at a temperature below or about 450° C.;   striking a plasma of the silicon-containing precursor;   forming a layer of amorphous silicon on a semiconductor substrate, wherein the layer of amorphous silicon as-deposited is characterized by a first amount of hydrogen incorporation of less than or about 3 at. %; and   performing an energy treatment on the layer of amorphous silicon, wherein the energy treatment reduces an amount of hydrogen from the layer of amorphous silicon to a second amount of hydrogen incorporation less than the first amount of hydrogen incorporation.   
     
     
         16 . The semiconductor processing method of  claim 15 , wherein the energy treatment comprises exposing the layer of amorphous silicon to UV, microwave, or in situ plasma. 
     
     
         17 . The semiconductor processing method of  claim 15 , wherein the energy treatment comprises exposing the amorphous silicon to in situ plasma, and wherein the in situ plasma is formed at less than or about 2,000 W. 
     
     
         18 . The semiconductor processing method of  claim 15 , wherein the second amount of hydrogen incorporation is less than or about 2 at. %. 
     
     
         19 . The semiconductor processing method of  claim 15 , further comprising:
 flowing hydrogen into the processing region of the semiconductor processing chamber with the silicon-containing precursor.   
     
     
         20 . The semiconductor processing method of  claim 15 , wherein the plasma is pulsed at a frequency of less than or about 10 kHz during the semiconductor processing method, and wherein a duty cycle of plasma pulsing is less than or about 50%.

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