Patent ID: 11955331
Assignee: APPLIED MATERIALS, INC.
Field: Surface technology, coating (Chemistry)
Classification: CPC H  C | IPC C  H

Claim 9:
10. A method for forming a silicon nitride film on a substrate in a deposition chamber, wherein the substrate is sequentially exposed to a sequence of processing gases comprising:
(a) a first silicon halide precursor, wherein the silicon halide absorbs onto a surface of the substrate to form an absorbed layer of the silicon halide;
(b) an inert purge gas comprising a gas selected from the group consisting nitrogen gas, argon gas and helium gas;
(c) a first reacting gas comprising N2 and a hydrogen-containing gas and one or both of Ar and He, wherein the hydrogen-containing gas includes HN3 (hydrogen azide), wherein the first reacting gas is activated using a plasma source; and
(d) a second silicon halide precursor, wherein the silicon halide absorbs onto a growth surface of the substrate to form an absorbed layer of the silicon halide, and wherein the first and second silicon halide precursor comprises SiHYX4-Y, wherein Y is one of 1, 3 or 4, and wherein X is Cl; and
(e) a second reacting gas comprising N2 and one or both of Ar and He, wherein the second reacting gas is activated using a plasma source, wherein the substrate is sequentially exposed to the first reacting gas and then to the second reacting gas without being exposed to an intervening reacting gas; and
repeating the sequence (a) to (e) until a desired thickness of the silicon nitride film is obtained.