Abstract:
An apparatus to perform semiconductor processing includes a process chamber; a plasma generator for generating a plasma in the process chamber, the plasma generator having a control input to control the generation of plasma, the plasma generator capable of providing a typical tune response time of less than one second for most plasma processes; and a controller coupled to the control input of the plasma generator to control the generation of the plasma.

Description:
BACKGROUND  
         [0001]    The present invention relates to pulsed plasma processing.  
           [0002]    The fabrication of modem semiconductor device structures has traditionally relied on plasma processing in a variety of operations such as etching, depositing or sputtering. Plasma etching involves using chemically active atoms or energetic ions to remove material from a substrate. Plasma Enhanced Chemical Vapor Deposition (PECVD) uses plasma to dissociate and activate chemical gas so that the substrate temperature can be reduced during deposition. Plasma sputtering also deposits materials onto substrates, where plasma ions such as argon impact a material surface and sputter the material that is then transported as neutral atoms to a substrate. Additional plasma processes include plasma surface cleaning and physical-vapor deposition (PVD) of various material layers.  
           [0003]    Conventionally, plasma is generated using a radio frequency powered plasma source. In a “typical” radio frequency powered plasma source, alternating current (AC) power is rectified and switched to provide current to an RF amplifier. The RF amplifier operates at a reference frequency (13.56 MHz, for example), drives current through an output-matching network, and then through a power measurement circuit to the output of the power supply. The output match is usually designed to be connected a generator that is optimized to drive particular impedance such as 50 ohms, in order to have the same characteristic impedance as the coaxial cables commonly used in the industry. Power flows through the matched cable sections, is measured by the match controller, and is transformed through the load match. The load match is usually a motorized automatic tuner, so the load match operation incurs a predetermined time delay before the system is properly configured. After passing through the load match, power is then channeled into a plasma excitation circuit that drives two electrodes in an evacuated processing chamber. A processing gas is introduced into the evacuated processing chamber, and when driven by the circuit, plasma is generated. Since the matching network or the load match is motorized, the response time from the matching network is typically in the order of one second or more.  
           [0004]    Conventionally, plasma is continuously generated in order to obtain the large amount of power necessary to deposit the layers at high speed and thereby to improve the shapes of stepped parts thereof (coverage). As noted in U.S. Pat. No. 5,468,341 entitled “Plasma-etching method and apparatus therefor”, the amount of ion energy reaching a surface of the object to be etched in conventional RF sources can be accomplished by controlling the power of RF waves, the controllable range of dissociation process in plasmas is narrow and, therefore, the extent of controllable etching reactions on the surface of the object wafer is narrowly limited. Also, since the magnetic fields are present in a plasma generation chamber for high-density plasmas, a magnetohydrodynamic plasma instability can exist due to, for example, drift waves generated in the plasmas, which leads to a problem wherein the ion temperature rises and the directions of ion motions become nonuniform. Further, the problems include a degradation of a gate oxide film and a distortion of etching profile due to the charges accumulated on the wafer.  
           [0005]    In a deposition technology known as atomic layer deposition (ALD), various gases are injected into the chamber for about 100-500 milliseconds in alternating sequences. For example, a first gas is delivered into the chamber for about 500 milliseconds and the substrate is heated, then the first gas (heat optional) is turned off. Another gas is delivered into the chamber for another 500 milliseconds (heat optional) before the gas is turned off. The next gas is delivered for about 500 milliseconds (and optionally heated) before it is turned off. This sequence is done for until all gases have been cycled through the chamber, each gas sequence forming a mono-layer which is highly conformal. ALD technology thus pulses gas injection and heating sequences that are between 100 and 500 milliseconds. This approach has a high dissociation energy requirement to break the bonds in the various precursor gases such as silane and oxygen and thus requires the substrate to be heated to a high temperature, for example in the order of 600-800 degree Celsius for silane and oxygen processes.  
         SUMMARY  
         [0006]    In one aspect, an apparatus to perform semiconductor processing includes a process chamber; a plasma generator for generating a plasma in the process chamber, the plasma generator having a control input to control the generation of plasma, the plasma generator capable of providing a typical tune response time of less than one second for most plasma processes; and a controller coupled to the control input of the plasma generator to control the generation of the plasma.  
           [0007]    Implementations of the above aspect may include one or more of the following. The typical tune response time of the plasma generator is less than one hundred milliseconds. The plasma generator is a radio frequency (RF) plasma generator. The plasma generator is a solid state plasma generator without any moving parts therefore capable of short tuning response time. The plasma generator is a solid state plasma generator employing frequency tuning to achieve output matching. The plasma generator is a solid state plasma generator, further comprising a switching power supply; an amplifier coupled to the power supply; a reference frequency generator coupled to the amplifier; a power measurement circuit providing feedback to a comparator and to the reference frequency generator; an output match section coupled to the power measurement circuit; and a plasma excitation circuit coupled to the output match section. The apparatus can include a plurality of precursor inlets. The precursor from the precursor inlets are excited by the plasma when the plasma generator is on. The controller is computer controlled. The controller turns on the plasma generator for a plasma-enhanced deposition of a layer in the process chamber. The controller turns on and off the plasma generator multiple times to perform pulsed plasma processing in the process chamber. The controller is computer controlled to deposit multiple layers in the process chamber. The multiple layers comprise plasma-assisted layers and non plasma-assisted layers.  
           [0008]    In another aspect, a method deposits a multi-layer semiconductor by introducing a gas into a processing chamber; and pulsing a plasma in the chamber with a response time of less than one second.  
           [0009]    Implementations of the above aspect may include one or more of the following. The method includes purging the chamber. The method can also include sequentially pulsing the plasma for each layer to be deposited.  
           [0010]    In another aspect, a multi-layer semiconductor processing chamber includes a gas source coupled to the chamber for introducing a processing gas into a reaction chamber having a sample disposed therein; a solid state RF plasma source coupled to the chamber to excite the processing gas; and a controller coupled to the solid state RF plasma source to pulse the solid state RF plasma source for each deposited layer.  
           [0011]    Implementations of the above aspect may include one or more of the following. The solid state RF plasma source can include a switching power supply; an RF amplifier coupled to the power supply; a reference frequency generator coupled to the RF amplifier; a power measurement circuit providing feedback to a comparator and to the reference frequency generator; an output match section coupled to the power measurement circuit; and a plasma excitation circuit coupled to the output match section. The chamber can include a means for purging the chamber. The controller can sequentially pulse the plasma for each layer to be deposited.  
           [0012]    Advantages of the system may include one or more of the following. The system enables high precision etching, deposition or sputtering performance. This is achieved using the pulse modulation of a radio frequency powered plasma source, which enables a tight control the radical production ratio in plasmas, the ion temperature and the charge accumulation. Also, since the time for accumulation of charges in a wafer is on the order of milli-seconds, the accumulation of charges to the wafer is suppressed by the pulse-modulated plasma on the order of micro-seconds, and this enables the suppression of damage to devices on the wafer caused by the charge accumulation and of notches caused during the electrode etching process. The system requires that the substrate be heated to a relatively low temperature such as 400 degrees Celsius.  
           [0013]    Other advantages may include one or more of the following. The system attains highly efficient plasma operation in a compact substrate process module that can attain excellent characteristics for etching, depositing or sputtering of semiconductor wafers as represented by high etch rate, high uniformity, high selectivity, high anisotropy, and low damage. The system achieves high density and highly uniform plasma operation at low pressure for etching substrates and for deposition of films on to substrates. Additionally, the system is capable of operating with a wide variety of gases and combinations of gases, including highly reactive and corrosive gases.  
       
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0014]    [0014]FIG. 1 shows an exemplary pulsed plasma processing system with a processing chamber.  
         [0015]    [0015]FIG. 2 shows a flowchart of one exemplary semiconductor manufacturing process using the system of FIG. 1.  
         [0016]    FIGS.  3 A- 3 B show exemplary pulse generator embodiments.  
         [0017]    [0017]FIG. 4 shows a multi-chamber semiconductor processing system.  
         [0018]    [0018]FIG. 5 shows an exemplary an apparatus for liquid and vapor precursor delivery.  
         [0019]    FIGS.  6 A- 6 B show two operating conditions of an embodiment to perform barrier pulsed plasma atomic layer deposition.  
     
    
     DESCRIPTION  
       [0020]    [0020]FIG. 1 shows an exemplary pulsed plasma processing system  100  with a processing chamber  102 . The process chamber  102  has a chamber body enclosing components of the process chamber such as a chuck  103  supporting a substrate  105 . The process chamber typically maintains vacuum and provides a sealed environment for process gases during substrate processing. On occasions, the process chamber needs to be periodically accessed to cleanse the chamber and to remove unwanted materials cumulating in the chamber. To support maintenance for the process chamber, an opening is typically provided at the top of the process chamber that is sufficiently large to provide access to the internal components of the process chamber.  
         [0021]    The chamber  102  includes a plasma excitation circuit  106  driven by a solid-state plasma generator  110  with fast ignition capability. One commercially available plasma source is the Litmas source, available from LITMAS Worldwide of Matthews, N.C. The generator  110  includes a switching power supply  112  that is connected to an alternating current (AC) line. The power supply  112  rectifies AC input and switches the AC input to drive an RF amplifier  116 . The RF amplifier  116  operates at a reference frequency (13.56 MHz, for example) provided by a reference frequency generator  104 . The RF amplifier  116  drives current through a power measurement circuit  118  that provides feedback signals to a comparator  120  and to the reference frequency generator  104 . In this embodiment, power is measured only once, and the information is used to control the RF amplifier  116  gain, as well as a tuning system if needed. Power is then delivered to an output match section  122 , which directly drives the plasma excitation circuit  106 . In one embodiment, the plasma excitation circuit  106  uses parallel plate electrodes in the chamber. However, other equivalent circuits can be used, including an external electrode of capacitance coupling or inductance coupling type, for example.  
         [0022]    A controller  130  generates a periodic pulse and drives one input of the frequency reference  104 . The pulse effectively turns on or off the plasma generation. One embodiment of the controller  130  generates a pulse with a frequency of ten hertz (10 Hz) or less. In another embodiment, the pulse generated has a pulse-width of approximately two hundred fifty (250) millisecond and the pulse is repeated approximately every fifty (50) microseconds.  
         [0023]    The characteristics of a film deposited by the above techniques are dependent upon the electron temperature in the plasma, the energy of ion incident on a substrate, and the ion and radical produced in the vicinity of an ion sheath. The electron temperature distribution in the plasma, the kind of each of the ion and radical produced in the plasma, and the ratio between the amount of the ion and the amount of the radical, can be controlled by modulating a high-frequency voltage in the same manner as having been explained with respect to the plasma etching. Accordingly, when conditions for depositing a film having excellent characteristics are known, the discharge plasma is controlled by a modulated signal according to the present invention so that the above conditions are satisfied. Thus, the processing characteristics with respect to the film deposition can be improved.  
         [0024]    [0024]FIG. 2 shows a flowchart of one exemplary semiconductor manufacturing process using the system  100  of FIG. 1. First, a wafer is positioned inside the chamber (step  200 ). Next, suitable processing gas is introduced into the chamber (step  202 ), and the controller  130  is periodically turned on in accordance with a process activation switch to drive the desired process (step  204 ). The particular type of process to be performed affects the process activation switch choice. The choice of activation switch for any device fabrication process, regardless of whether the process is a deposition or etch process, also may significantly affect the final semiconductor device properties. At the conclusion of the processing of one layer of material, the gas in the chamber is purged (step  206 ), and the chamber is ready to accept further processing. Thus, for the next layer of material, suitable processing gas is introduced into the chamber (step  208 ), and the controller  130  is periodically turned on to drive the desired process (step  210 ). At the conclusion of the processing of the second layer of material, the gas in the chamber is purged (step  212 ), and the chamber is ready to accept yet another layer of material. This process is repeated for each layer in the multi-layer wafer.  
         [0025]    [0025]FIG. 3A shows one exemplary controller  300 . The controller  300  includes a computer  302  driving a digital to analog converter (DAC)  306 . The DAC  306  generates shaped waveforms and is connected to a high-voltage isolation unit  308  such as a power transistor or a relay to drive the plasma generator  110 . The controller  300  can generate various waveforms such as a rectangular wave and a sinusoidal wave, and moreover can change the period and amplitude of such waveforms. Further, in the above explanation, the RF power supplied to a plasma is modulated with a rectangular wave. However, the modulation waveform is not limited to the rectangular wave. In other words, when a desired ion energy distribution, a desired electron temperature distribution, and a desired ratio between the amount of the desired ion and the amount of the desired radical, are known, the modulation waveform is determined in accordance with these factors. The use of a rectangular wave as the modulation waveform has an advantage that a processing condition can be readily set and the plasma processing can be readily controlled. It is to be noted that since the rectangular wave modulates the signal from the RF source in a discrete fashion, the rectangular wave can readily set the processing condition, as compared with the sinusoidal wave and the compound wave of it. Further, the pulse generator can also generate amplitude modulated signals in addition or in combination with the frequency modulated signals.  
         [0026]    [0026]FIG. 3B shows an exemplary embodiment that uses a timer chip such as a  555  timer, available from Signetics of Sunnyvale, Calif. The timer chip  555  is preconfigured through suitable resistive-capacitive (RC) network to generate pulses at specified intervals. The timer chip  555  generates shaped waveforms and is connected to a high-voltage isolation unit  308  such as a power transistor or a relay to drive the plasma generator  110 , as discussed above.  
         [0027]    Referring now to FIG. 4, a multi-chamber semiconductor processing system  800  is shown. The processing system  800  has a plurality of chambers  802 ,  804 ,  806 ,  808  and  810  adapted to receive and process wafers  842 . Controllers  822 ,  824 ,  826 ,  828  and  830  control each of the chambers  802 ,  804 ,  808  and  810 , respectively. Additionally, a controller  821  controls another chamber, which is not shown for illustrative purposes.  
         [0028]    Each of chambers  802 - 810  provides a lid  104  on the chamber body  102 . During maintenance operations, the lid  104  can be actuated into the open position so that components inside the chamber body  102  can be readily accessed for cleaning or replacement as needed.  
         [0029]    The chambers  802 - 810  are connected to a transfer chamber  840  that receives a wafer  842 . The wafer  842  rests on top of a robot blade or arm  846 . The robot blade  846  receives wafer  842  from an outside processing area.  
         [0030]    The transport of wafers  842  between processing areas entails passing the wafers through one or more doors separating the areas. The doors can be load lock chambers  860 - 862  for passing a wafer-containing container or wafer boat that can hold about twenty-five wafers in one embodiment. The wafers  842  are transported in the container through the chamber from one area to another area. The load lock can also provide an air circulation and filtration system that effectively flushes the ambient air surrounding the wafers.  
         [0031]    Each load lock chamber  860  or  862  is positioned between sealed opening  850  or  852 , and provides the ability to transfer semiconductor wafers between fabrication areas. The load locks  860 - 862  can include an air circulation and filtration system that effectively flushes the ambient air surrounding the wafers. The air within each load lock chamber  860  or  862  can also be purged during wafer transfer operations, significantly reducing the number of airborne contaminants transferred from one fabrication area into the other. The load lock chambers  860 - 862  can also include pressure sensors  870 - 872  that take air pressure measurements for control purposes.  
         [0032]    During operation, a wafer cassette on a wafer boat is loaded at openings  850 - 852  in front of the system to a load lock through the load lock doors. The doors are closed, and the system is evacuated to a pressure as measured by the pressure sensors  870 - 872 . A slit valve (not shown) is opened to allow the wafer to be transported from the load lock into the transfer chamber. The robot blade takes the wafer and delivers the wafer to an appropriate chamber. A second slit valve opens between the transfer chamber and process chamber, and wafer is brought inside the process chamber.  
         [0033]    Containers thus remain within their respective fabrication areas during wafer transfer operations, and any contaminants clinging to containers are not transferred with the wafers from one fabrication area into the other. In addition, the air within the transfer chamber can be purged during wafer transfer operations, significantly reducing the number of airborne contaminants transferred from one fabrication area into the other. Thus during operation, the transfer chamber provides a high level of isolation between fabrication stations.  
         [0034]    [0034]FIG. 5 shows an exemplary an apparatus  40  for liquid and vapor precursor delivery using either the system  100  or the system  300 . The apparatus  40  includes a chamber  44  such as a CVD chamber. The chamber  40  includes a chamber body that defines an evacuable enclosure for carrying out substrate processing. The chamber body has a plurality of ports including at least a substrate entry port that is selectively sealed by a slit valve and a side port through which a substrate support member can move. The apparatus  40  also includes a vapor precursor injector  46  connected to the chamber  44  and a liquid precursor injector  42  connected to the chamber  40 .  
         [0035]    In the liquid precursor injector  42 , a precursor  60  is placed in a sealed container  61 . An inert gas  62 , such as argon, is injected into the container  61  through a tube  63  to increase the pressure in the container  61  to cause the copper precursor  60  to flow through a tube  64  when a valve  65  is opened. The liquid precursor  60  is metered by a liquid mass flow controller  66  and flows into a tube  67  and into a vaporizer  68 , which is attached to the CVD chamber  71 . The vaporizer  68  heats the liquid causing the precursor  60  to vaporize into a gas  69  and flow over a substrate  70 , which is heated to an appropriate temperature by a susceptor to cause the copper precursor  60  to decompose and deposit a copper layer on the substrate  70 . The CVD chamber  71  is sealed from the atmosphere with exhaust pumping  72  and allows the deposition to occur in a controlled partial vacuum.  
         [0036]    In the vapor precursor injector  46 , a liquid precursor  88  is contained in a sealed container  89  which is surrounded by a temperature controlled jacket  100  and allows the precursor temperature to be controlled to within 0.1° C. A thermocouple (not shown) is immersed in the precursor  88  and an electronic control circuit (not shown) controls the temperature of the jacket  100 , which controls the temperature of the liquid precursor and thereby controls the precursor vapor pressure. The liquid precursor can be either heated or cooled to provide the proper vapor pressure required for a particular deposition process. A carrier gas  80  is allowed to flow through a gas mass flow controller  82  when valve  83  and either valve  92  or valve  95  but not both are opened. Also shown is one or more additional gas mass flow controllers  86  to allow additional gases  84  to also flow when valve  87  is opened, if desired. Additional gases  97  can also be injected into the vaporizer  68  through an inlet tube attached to valve  79 , which is attached to a gas mass flow controller  99 . Depending on its vapor pressure, a certain amount of precursor  88  will be carried by the carrier gases  80  and  84 , and exhausted through tube  93  when valve  92  is open.  
         [0037]    After the substrate has been placed into the CVD chamber  71 , it is heated by a heater  100  or  300 , as discussed above. After the substrate has reached an appropriate temperature, valve  92  is closed and valve  95  is opened allowing the carrier gases  80  and  84  and the precursor vapor to enter the vaporizer  68  through the attached tube  96  attached tube  96 . Such a valve arrangement prevents a burst of vapor into the chamber  71 . The precursor  88  is already a vapor and the vaporizer is only used as a showerhead to evenly distribute the precursor vapor over the substrate  70 . After a predetermined time, depending on the deposition rate of the copper and the thickness required for the initial copper deposition, valve  95  is closed and valve  92  is opened. The flow rate of the carrier gas can be accurately controlled to as little as 1 sccm per minute and the vapor pressure of the precursor can be reduced to a fraction of an atmosphere by cooling the precursor  88 . Such an arrangement allows for accurately controlling the copper deposition rate to less than 10 angstroms per minute if so desired. Upon completion of the deposition of the initial copper layer, the liquid source delivery system can be activated and further deposition can proceed at a more rapid rate.  
         [0038]    FIGS.  6 A- 6 B show two operating conditions of an embodiment  600  to perform barrier pulsed plasma atomic layer deposition. FIG. 6A shows the embodiment  600  in a deposition condition, while FIG. 6B shows the embodiment  600  in a rest condition. Referring now to FIGS.  6 A- 6 B, a chamber  602  receives gases through one or more gas inlets  604 . A solid state plasma generator  605  is mounted on top of the chamber  602  and one or more plasma excitation coils  607  are positioned near the gas inlets  604 . A liquid precursor system  606  introduces precursor gases through a vaporizer  609  into the chamber  602  using a precursor distribution ring  630 .  
         [0039]    A chuck  608  movably supports a substrate  610 . In FIG. 6A, the chuck  608  and the substrate  610  are elevated and ready for deposition. The substrate  610  is positioned inside the chamber. Suitable processing gas is introduced into the chamber through the inlets  604 , and a pulsed plasma controller  605  is periodically turned on in accordance with a process activation switch to drive the desired process. The particular type of process to be performed affects the process activation switch choice. The choice of activation switch for any device fabrication process, regardless of whether the process is a deposition or etch process, also may significantly affect the final semiconductor device properties. At the conclusion of the processing of one layer of material, the gas in the chamber  602  is purged, and the chamber  602  is ready to accept further processing. This process is repeated for each layer in the multi-layer wafer. At the conclusion of deposition of all layers, the chuck  608  is lowered and the substrate  610  can be removed through an opening  611 .  
         [0040]    The system allows the substrates to have temperature uniformity through reliable real-time, multi-point temperature measurements in a closed-loop temperature control. The control portion is implemented in a computer program executed on a programmable computer having a processor, a data storage system, volatile and non-volatile memory and/or storage elements, at least one input device and at least one output device.  
         [0041]    Each computer program is tangibly stored in a machine-readable storage medium or device (e.g., program memory  522  or magnetic disk) readable by a general or special purpose programmable computer, for configuring and controlling operation of a computer when the storage media or device is read by the computer to perform the processes described herein. The invention may also be considered to be embodied in a computer-readable storage medium, configured with a computer program, where the storage medium so configured causes a computer to operate in a specific and predefined manner to perform the functions described herein.  
         [0042]    It should be realized that the above examples represent a few of a virtually unlimited number of applications of the plasma processing techniques embodied within the scope of the present invention. Furthermore, although the invention has been described with reference to the above specific embodiments, this description is not to be construed in a limiting sense. For example, the duty ratio, cycle time and other parameter/condition may be changed in order to obtain a desired characteristic for the wafer.  
         [0043]    Various modifications of the disclosed embodiment, as well as alternative embodiments of the invention will become apparent to persons skilled in the art upon reference to the above description. The invention, however, is not limited to the embodiment depicted and described. For instance, the radiation source can be a radio frequency heater rather than a lamp. Hence, the scope of the invention is defined by the appended claims. It is further contemplated that the appended claims will cover such modifications that fall within the true scope of the invention.