KR20150073427A

KR20150073427A - Method of an atomic layer deposition process and apparatus for processing an atomic layer deposition process

Info

Publication number: KR20150073427A
Application number: KR1020130161108A
Authority: KR
Inventors: 이정현; 신원호
Original assignee: 신화일렉트론 주식회사
Priority date: 2013-12-23
Filing date: 2013-12-23
Publication date: 2015-07-01

Abstract

According to a method for depositing an atomic layer, a first reaction gas is supplied in a first horizontal direction with respect to a stage on a substrate mounted on the stage in the form of a circle, thereby a first reactant is chemically adsorbed on the substrate. Moreover, a purge gas is supplied in a second horizontal direction crossing the first horizontal direction with respect to the stage, thereby a residue remaining to be adjacent to the stage is removed. Moreover, a second reaction gas is supplied in a second horizontal direction on the substrate, and the first reactant and the second reaction gas are reacted, thereby a second reactant is formed on the substrate.

Description

[0001] METHOD OF ATOMIC LAYER DEPOSITION PROCESS AND APPARATUS FOR PROCESSING AN ATOMIC LAYER DEPOSITION PROCESS [0002]

The present invention relates to an atomic layer deposition process and an atomic layer deposition apparatus. More particularly, the present invention relates to a method for performing an atomic layer deposition process and an atomic layer deposition apparatus for implementing the method.

In general, an atomic layer deposition process is a technique for forming a predetermined film by depositing a thin film material in a gaseous phase on a substrate, and an atomic layer deposition process is emphasized. The atomic layer deposition process may alternatively deposit a thin film of a monolayer by introducing a gas pulsing method. Particularly, it is possible to cope with a demand for thin film formation having a high aspect ratio according to an increase in the degree of integration of semiconductor devices, thin film uniformity in unevenness, and excellent electrical and physical properties.

However, the atomic layer deposition process has not been widely commercialized due to the low deposition rate and the disadvantage of depositing on a single substrate. In order to compensate for these disadvantages, it is possible to raise the activation energy of the gases to increase the deposition rate, but it is difficult to control the atomic layer, which causes problems such as good film quality and thin film uniformity in the unevenness.

It is an object of the present invention to solve the above problems and to provide an atomic layer deposition method capable of forming an improved deposition rate and a uniform thin film.

It is an object of the present invention to provide an atomic layer deposition apparatus capable of forming an improved deposition rate and a uniform thin film.

According to an aspect of the present invention, there is provided an atomic layer deposition method comprising: supplying a first reaction gas in a first horizontal direction to a substrate placed on a circular stage, After chemically adsorbing the first reactant on the substrate (step a), a purge gas is supplied to the stage in a second horizontal direction that intersects the first horizontal direction to remove residual residues adjacent to the stage (Step b). Next, a second reactant gas is supplied to the substrate in the second horizontal direction to react the first reactant and the second reactant gas to form a second reactant on the substrate (step c). Here, the first horizontal direction and the second horizontal direction may be orthogonal to each other.

In one embodiment of the present invention, after forming the second reactant, purge gas is supplied in the first horizontal direction to remove residual residues adjacent to the stage. Thereafter, if the atomic layer thin film is less than a specific thickness, steps a) to c) may be additionally performed.

An apparatus for depositing an atomic layer according to an embodiment of the present invention includes a stage having a circular shape for supporting a substrate, a processing space disposed above the stage for processing the substrate, A first gas supply unit disposed on one side of the stage and configured to supply a first reaction gas and a purge gas in a first horizontal direction into the processing space, and a second gas supply unit disposed on the other side of the stage And a second gas supply unit configured to supply a second reaction gas and a purge gas into the processing space in a second horizontal direction intersecting with the first direction. Here, the first horizontal direction and the second horizontal direction may be orthogonal to each other.

In the atomic layer deposition method and the atomic layer deposition apparatus according to the preferred embodiment of the present invention, the purge gas and the second reaction gas are both provided in the same second horizontal direction, So that the flow of the second reaction gas can be uniform. Accordingly, the atomic layer thin film using the second reaction gas can be uniformly formed on the substrate with a constant thickness. Furthermore, the first horizontal direction and the second horizontal direction may be orthogonal to each other. As a result, the supply region and the discharge region of the first reaction gas facing each other in the first horizontal direction and the supply region and the discharge region of the second reaction gas facing each other in the second horizontal direction can be formed relatively wide Accordingly, the atomic layer deposition process can have uniform thin film formation and improved process speed.

1 is a flowchart illustrating an atomic layer deposition process according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention.
2 is a cross-sectional view illustrating an atomic layer deposition apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 3 is a plan view for explaining the stage of FIG. 2 and the flow of reaction gases. FIG.

Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. The present invention is capable of various modifications and various forms, and specific embodiments are illustrated in the drawings and described in detail in the text. It should be understood, however, that the invention is not intended to be limited to the particular forms disclosed, but includes all modifications, equivalents, and alternatives falling within the spirit and scope of the invention. In the accompanying drawings, the sizes and the quantities of objects are shown enlarged or reduced from the actual size for the sake of clarity of the present invention.

The terms first, second, etc. may be used to describe various components, but the components should not be limited by the terms. The terms are used only for the purpose of distinguishing one component from another. For example, without departing from the scope of the present invention, the first component may be referred to as a second component, and similarly, the second component may also be referred to as a first component.

The terminology used in this application is used only to describe a specific embodiment and is not intended to limit the invention. The singular expressions include plural expressions unless the context clearly dictates otherwise. In the present application, the terms "comprise", "comprising" and the like are intended to specify that there is a stated feature, step, function, element, or combination thereof, Quot; or " an " or < / RTI > combinations thereof.

On the other hand, unless otherwise defined, all terms used herein, including technical or scientific terms, have the same meaning as commonly understood by one of ordinary skill in the art to which this invention belongs. Terms such as those defined in commonly used dictionaries are to be interpreted as having a meaning consistent with the contextual meaning of the related art and are to be interpreted as either ideal or overly formal in the sense of the present application Do not.

Atomic Layer Deposition Process Method

1 is a flowchart illustrating an atomic layer deposition process according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention.

Referring to FIG. 1, in an atomic layer deposition process according to an embodiment of the present invention, a substrate is first loaded on a stage, and then a substrate is placed on a stage. A reactive gas is supplied to chemically adsorb the reactant on the substrate (S110). The stage may have a circular shape, i.e., a hopper shape. Thus, when the upper surface of the stage has a circular shape, thermal expansion can occur uniformly in all directions when the thermal expansion occurs.

The first reaction gas may include, for example, an aluminum precursor such as trimethyl aluminum. At this time, the first reaction gas may be injected for a time sufficient to cover the surface of the substrate, for example, 1 m second to 10 seconds.

Subsequently, purge gas is supplied to the stage in a second horizontal direction crossing the first horizontal direction (S120). The purge gas is supplied with an inert gas, such as argon gas, to perform a purging process. The purging process may be performed for 0.1 to 100 seconds. As a result, the metal precursor physically adsorbed on the substrate and the residue remaining adjacent to the stage are removed.

Next, a second reaction gas is supplied on the substrate in the second horizontal direction (S130). For example, the second reaction gas may include an oxidant. In this case, a metal oxide may be formed on the substrate by reacting with the metal reactant chemically adsorbed on the substrate.

Examples of the oxidizing agent may include a gas containing a lycal produced by an oxygen (O ₂ ) plasma, ozone (O ₃ ), nitrous oxide (N ₂ O), or an inductive coupling plasma thereof.

And the second horizontal direction corresponds to a direction crossing the first horizontal direction.

If the purge gas is supplied in the first horizontal direction and the second reaction gas is supplied in the second horizontal direction, the flow of the fluid of the second reaction gas is not continuous with respect to the purge gas supply. Therefore, the hunting phenomenon of the second reaction gas may occur when the second reaction gas is supplied. On the other hand, when the purge gas and the second reaction gas are provided in the same second horizontal direction as in the present invention, the second reaction gas is continuously supplied to the flow of the purge gas, Can be uniform. Accordingly, the atomic layer thin film using the second reaction gas can be uniformly formed on the substrate with a constant thickness.

In one embodiment of the present invention, the first horizontal direction and the second horizontal direction may be orthogonal to each other. As a result, the supply region and the discharge region of the first reaction gas facing each other in the first horizontal direction and the supply region and the discharge region of the second reaction gas facing each other in the second horizontal direction can be formed relatively wide Accordingly, the atomic layer deposition process can have uniform thin film formation and improved process speed.

In one embodiment of the present invention, residual gas adjacent to the stage may be removed by additionally supplying a purge gas in the first horizontal direction (S140). The purge gas may include an inert gas such as argon. The purge gas may be supplied for 0.1 to 100 seconds.

After the purging step to remove the residue, it is checked whether the thickness of the atomic layer thin film is an appropriate thickness (S150). If necessary, the steps S110 to S140 are repeatedly performed to form an atomic layer A thin film can be formed. When the step S110 is performed, the first reaction gas is supplied in the same direction as the first horizontal direction, which is the flow direction of the previous purge gas. Therefore, the flow of the first reaction gas can be uniform by continuously supplying the first reaction gas to the flow of the purge gas. Accordingly, the atomic layer thin film using the first reaction gas can be uniformly formed on the substrate to a constant thickness.

Atomic layer deposition apparatus

2 is a cross-sectional view illustrating an atomic layer deposition apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 3 is a plan view for explaining the stage of FIG. 2 and the flow of reaction gases. FIG.

2 and 3, an atomic layer deposition apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention includes a stage 110, a cover 120, a first gas supply unit 130, and a second gas supply unit 141 and 146 ). The stage 110 and the cover 120 may include a processing space that is opened and closed by relatively lifting and lowering. When the processing space is opened, the substrate may be loaded or unloaded therein, while when the processing space is closed, an atomic layer deposition process may be performed on the substrate disposed therein.

The stage 110 supports the substrate. The surface of the stage 110 includes a first supply region 111 for contacting the first gas supply unit to supply a first reaction gas and a first exhaust region 112 for exhausting the first reaction gas. The surface of the stage 110 also includes a second supply region 116 for contacting the second reaction gas supply unit to supply a second reaction gas and a second exhaust region 117 for exhausting the second reaction gas .

That is, the first gas supply unit 131 and the first gas exhaust unit 136 included in the first gas supply unit 130 are connected to the first supply region 111 and the first exhaust region 112, respectively . The second gas supply unit 141 and the second gas exhaust unit 146 included in the second gas supply unit may be connected to the second supply region 116 and the second exhaust region 117, respectively.

The cover 120 is disposed at an upper portion of the stage 110. The cover 120 may be combined with the stage 110 to form a processing space. The cover 120 is provided to be movable up and down with respect to the stage 110 to open and close each of the processing spaces. Therefore, when the cover 120 is lifted, the processing space is opened. Alternatively, when the cover 120 is lowered, the processing space is closed.

The first gas supply unit 130 supplies the first reaction gas into the process space through a gas supply hole formed in the cover. The first gas supply unit 130 supplies the first reaction gas in the first horizontal direction on the substrate inside the processing vessels. Also, the first gas supply unit 130 can supply the purge gas. In this case, the supply of the source gas and the purge gas may be alternately performed.

The first gas supply unit 130 includes a first gas supply unit 131 and a first gas discharge unit 136 arranged to face each other in the first horizontal direction.

The first gas supply unit 131 includes a first main supply line 132, a first supply line 132, a first gas supply valve 133 disposed in the first supply line, And a first flow controller 134 disposed therein.

The first gas exhaust 136 is connected to a first exhaust line 137, a second gas exhaust valve 133 disposed in the first exhaust line, and a second gas exhaust valve 133 disposed in the second exhaust line 137. [ (139).

The second gas supply unit (141, 146) supplies the second reaction gas into the processing space through a gas supply hole formed in the cover (120). The second gas supply unit includes a second gas supply unit 141 and a second gas discharge unit 146 facing each other in the second horizontal direction. For example, the first and second gas supply units may be disposed at an angle of 90 ° with respect to the center of the stage 110. The second gas supply unit 141 supplies the gas to the substrate in the second horizontal direction. Further, the second gas supply unit 141 can supply the purge gas. In this case, the supply of the second reaction gas and the purge gas may be alternately performed.

In an embodiment of the present invention, the guide member may be disposed in each of the first supply region, the first exhaust region, the second supply region, and the second exhaust region formed on the stage. The guide member may guide the reaction gas supplied through the gas supply hole formed in the cover in a point manner. In addition, the guide member may have a wave pattern end to guide the reaction gas toward the center of the substrate. Further, the guide member may exhaust the reaction gas through a gas exhaust hole formed in the cover. In addition, the guide member may have a wave pattern end.

According to embodiments of the present invention, when the purge gas and the second reaction gas are both provided in the same second horizontal direction, the second reaction gas is continuously supplied to the flow of the purge gas, The flow of the gas can be uniform. Accordingly, the atomic layer thin film using the second reaction gas can be uniformly formed on the substrate with a constant thickness.

Furthermore, the first horizontal direction and the second horizontal direction may be orthogonal to each other. As a result, the supply region and the discharge region of the first reaction gas facing each other in the first horizontal direction and the supply region and the discharge region of the second reaction gas facing each other in the second horizontal direction can be formed relatively wide Accordingly, the atomic layer deposition process can have uniform thin film formation and improved process speed.

110: stage 120: cover
130: first gas supply unit 131: first gas supply unit
136: first gas discharging part 141: second gas supplying part
146: second gas discharge portion

Claims

a) chemically adsorbing a first reactant on the substrate by placing a first reaction gas in a first horizontal direction with respect to the stage on a substrate placed on a stage of a circular shape;
b) supplying a purge gas in a second horizontal direction crossing the first horizontal direction with respect to the stage to remove residual residues adjacent to the stage; And
and c) forming a second reactant on the substrate by reacting the first reactant and the second reactant gas by supplying a second reactant gas in the second horizontal direction on the substrate, .

The method of claim 1, wherein the first horizontal direction and the second horizontal direction are orthogonal to each other.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising: after forming the second reactant, removing purge gas in the first horizontal direction to remove residues adjacent to the stage; And
Wherein the step a) to step c) are performed when the atomic layer thin film is less than a specific thickness.

A stage having a circular shape for supporting the substrate;
A cover disposed at an upper portion of the stage to form a processing space for processing the substrate and movable up and down with respect to the stage to open and close the processing space;
A first gas supply unit disposed at one side of the stage and configured to supply a first reaction gas and a purge gas in a first horizontal direction into the processing space; And
And a second gas supply unit disposed on the other side of the stage and adapted to supply a second reaction gas and a purge gas into the processing space in a second horizontal direction intersecting with the first direction, Layer deposition apparatus.

The atomic layer deposition apparatus of claim 4, wherein the first horizontal direction and the second horizontal direction are orthogonal to each other.