Utilization of SiH.sub.4 soak and purge in deposition processes

US5817576A · kind A · utility

Assignee

• Applied Materials, Inc. · US

Inventors

• Meng Chu Tseng · Saratoga, US
• Mei Chang · San Jose, US
• Ramanujapuram A. Srinivas · San Jose, US
• Klaus-Dieter Rinnen · Palo Alto, US
• Moshe Eizenberg · Haifa, IL
• Susan Telford · Löwenstein, DE

Key dates

• Filing date: Nov 5, 1996
• Grant date: Oct 6, 1998
• Expiry date: Nov 5, 2016

Classification

• Technology area (CPC Y): Emerging Cross-Sectional Technologies
• CPC primary: Y10S438/905
• WIPO field: Surface technology, coating
• WIPO sector: Chemistry

Abstract

A method of processing a substrate, such as a semiconductor wafer, in a vacuum processing chamber includes the steps of depositing a material on a surface of the substrate using a gas mixture, and purging the chamber of residual gases by flowing SiH.sub.4 into the chamber. Preferably, WSi.sub.x is deposited on a semiconductor wafer using a mixture comprising WF.sub.6, dichlorosilane and a noble gas, and the chamber is subsequently purged of residual WF.sub.6 and dichlorosilane by flowing SiH.sub.4 into the chamber. A further method of processing a substrate in a vacuum processing chamber includes the step of conditioning the chamber by flowing SiH.sub.4 into the chamber prior to depositing a material on the surface of the substrate. Semiconductor wafers processed according to the inventive method are characterized by more uniform sheet resistance values and reduced film stress. A vacuum processing apparatus is also provided for practicing methods of the invention and includes a chamber, means for depositing a material, such as WSi.sub.x, on a surface of a substrate disposed within the chamber, and means for purging the chamber with SiH.sub.4.