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Title: Redeposition in plasma-assisted atomic layer deposition: Silicon nitride film quality ruled by the gas residence time

Abstract

The requirements on the material properties and growth control of silicon nitride (SiN{sub x}) spacer films in transistors are becoming ever more stringent as scaling of transistor structures continues. One method to deposit high-quality films with excellent control is atomic layer deposition (ALD). However, depositing SiN{sub x} by ALD has turned out to be very challenging. In this work, it is shown that the plasma gas residence time τ is a key parameter for the deposition of SiN{sub x} by plasma-assisted ALD and that this parameter can be linked to a so-called “redeposition effect”. This previously ignored effect, which takes place during the plasma step, is the dissociation of reaction products in the plasma and the subsequent redeposition of reaction-product fragments on the surface. For SiN{sub x} ALD using SiH{sub 2}(NH{sup t}Bu){sub 2} as precursor and N{sub 2} plasma as reactant, the gas residence time τ was found to determine both SiN{sub x} film quality and the resulting growth per cycle. It is shown that redeposition can be minimized by using a short residence time resulting in high-quality films with a high wet-etch resistance (i.e., a wet-etch rate of 0.5 nm/min in buffered HF solution). Due to the fundamental nature ofmore » the redeposition effect, it is expected to play a role in many more plasma-assisted ALD processes.« less

Authors:
 [1]; ;  [1]
  1. Department of Applied Physics, Eindhoven University of Technology, P.O. Box 513, 5600 MB Eindhoven (Netherlands)
Publication Date:
OSTI Identifier:
22483169
Resource Type:
Journal Article
Journal Name:
Applied Physics Letters
Additional Journal Information:
Journal Volume: 107; Journal Issue: 1; Other Information: (c) 2015 AIP Publishing LLC; Country of input: International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA); Journal ID: ISSN 0003-6951
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English
Subject:
71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS, GENERAL PHYSICS; BUFFERS; CONTROL; DEPOSITION; DEPOSITS; DISSOCIATION; FILMS; PLASMA; PRECURSOR; SILICON NITRIDES; SPACERS; SURFACES; TRANSISTORS

Citation Formats

Knoops, Harm C. M.,, Oxford Instruments Plasma Technology, North End, Bristol BS49 4AP, Peuter, K. de, and Kessels, W. M. M.,. Redeposition in plasma-assisted atomic layer deposition: Silicon nitride film quality ruled by the gas residence time. United States: N. p., 2015. Web. doi:10.1063/1.4926366.
Knoops, Harm C. M.,, Oxford Instruments Plasma Technology, North End, Bristol BS49 4AP, Peuter, K. de, & Kessels, W. M. M.,. Redeposition in plasma-assisted atomic layer deposition: Silicon nitride film quality ruled by the gas residence time. United States. https://doi.org/10.1063/1.4926366
Knoops, Harm C. M.,, Oxford Instruments Plasma Technology, North End, Bristol BS49 4AP, Peuter, K. de, and Kessels, W. M. M.,. 2015. "Redeposition in plasma-assisted atomic layer deposition: Silicon nitride film quality ruled by the gas residence time". United States. https://doi.org/10.1063/1.4926366.
@article{osti_22483169,
title = {Redeposition in plasma-assisted atomic layer deposition: Silicon nitride film quality ruled by the gas residence time},
author = {Knoops, Harm C. M., and Oxford Instruments Plasma Technology, North End, Bristol BS49 4AP and Peuter, K. de and Kessels, W. M. M.,},
abstractNote = {The requirements on the material properties and growth control of silicon nitride (SiN{sub x}) spacer films in transistors are becoming ever more stringent as scaling of transistor structures continues. One method to deposit high-quality films with excellent control is atomic layer deposition (ALD). However, depositing SiN{sub x} by ALD has turned out to be very challenging. In this work, it is shown that the plasma gas residence time τ is a key parameter for the deposition of SiN{sub x} by plasma-assisted ALD and that this parameter can be linked to a so-called “redeposition effect”. This previously ignored effect, which takes place during the plasma step, is the dissociation of reaction products in the plasma and the subsequent redeposition of reaction-product fragments on the surface. For SiN{sub x} ALD using SiH{sub 2}(NH{sup t}Bu){sub 2} as precursor and N{sub 2} plasma as reactant, the gas residence time τ was found to determine both SiN{sub x} film quality and the resulting growth per cycle. It is shown that redeposition can be minimized by using a short residence time resulting in high-quality films with a high wet-etch resistance (i.e., a wet-etch rate of 0.5 nm/min in buffered HF solution). Due to the fundamental nature of the redeposition effect, it is expected to play a role in many more plasma-assisted ALD processes.},
doi = {10.1063/1.4926366},
url = {https://www.osti.gov/biblio/22483169}, journal = {Applied Physics Letters},
issn = {0003-6951},
number = 1,
volume = 107,
place = {United States},
year = {Mon Jul 06 00:00:00 EDT 2015},
month = {Mon Jul 06 00:00:00 EDT 2015}
}