ATOMIC LAYER DEPOSITION OF SILICON NITRIDE USING DUAL-SOURCE PRECURSOR AND INTERLEAVED PLASMA

摘要

Atomic layer deposition using precursor having both nitrogen and silicon components is described. Deposition precursor contains molecules which supply both nitrogen and silicon to growing film of silicon nitride. Silicon-nitrogen bonds may be present in precursor molecule, but hydrogen and/or halogens may also be present. Growth substrate may be terminated in a variety of ways and exposure to deposition precursor displaces species from outer layer of growth substrate, replacing them with an atomic-scale silicon-and-nitrogen-containing layer. The silicon-and-nitrogen-containing layer grows until one complete layer is produced and then stops (self-limiting growth kinetics). Subsequent exposure to a plasma excited gas modifies the chemical termination of the surface so growth step may be repeated. Presence of both silicon and nitrogen in deposition precursor molecule increases the deposition per cycle thereby reducing the number of precursor exposures to grow a film of same thickness.