Patent ID: 6821566
Filing Date: 2004-11-23
Classification: C23C

Abstract:
A method of forming an insulating film containing silicon oxy-nitride, comprising:a loading step of loading a target substrate into a process chamber, the substrate having an exposed silicon layer surface, the loading step being started from a state where an atmosphere in the process chamber is set at an initial temperature of 200 to 600Â° C.; a temperature raising step, after the loading step, of raising the atmosphere in the process chamber from the initial temperature to a first heating temperature of 700 to 950Â° C., while supplying nitrogen gas and oxygen gas at a supply ratio of 100:1 to 1000:1 into the process chamber to form the atmosphere in the process chamber, thereby using the oxygen gas to prevent the silicon layer surface from being nitrided by the nitrogen gas; an oxidation step, after the temperature raising step, of setting the atmosphere in the process chamber at the first heating temperature and a first pressure for a first processing time, and supplying a first processing gas for oxidation into the process chamber to oxidize the silicon layer surface, thereby forming a silicon oxide film, the first processing gas containing 1 to 5 vol % of water vapor and 95 to 99 vol % of nitrogen gas; a cycle purge step, after the oxidation step, of performing a purge operation of the process chamber a plurality of number of times to prevent the water vapor from remaining; and an annealing step, after the cycle purge step, of setting the atmosphere in the process chamber at a second heating temperature and a second pressure for a second processing time, and supplying a second processing gas for nitriding into the process chamber to convert at least a portion of the silicon oxide film into silicon oxy-nitride, the second heating temperature being 800 to 950Â° C., and the second processing gas containing 10 to 100 vol % of nitrogen monoxide gas.