Method and apparatus for single step selective nitridation

US8748259B2 · kind B2 · utility

Assignee

• Applied Materials, Inc. · US

Inventors

• Udayan Ganguly · San Jose, US
• Theresa Kramer Guarini · San Jose, US
• Matthew S. Rogers · Mountain View, US
• Yoshitaka Yokota · San Jose, US
• Johanes S. Swenberg · Los Gatos, US
• Malcolm J. Bevan · Dallas, US

Key dates

• Filing date: Feb 23, 2011
• Grant date: Jun 10, 2014
• Expiry date: Jul 24, 2031

Classification

• Technology area (CPC H): Electricity
• CPC primary: H10D30/6891
• WIPO field: Semiconductors
• WIPO sector: Electrical engineering

Abstract

Methods and apparatus for selective one-step nitridation of semiconductor substrates is provided. Nitrogen is selectively incorporated in silicon regions of a semiconductor substrate having silicon regions and silicon oxide regions by use of a selective nitridation process. Nitrogen containing radicals may be directed toward the substrate by forming a nitrogen containing plasma and filtering or removing ions from the plasma, or a thermal nitridation process using selective precursors may be performed. A remote plasma generator may be coupled to a processing chamber, optionally including one or more ion filters, showerheads, and radical distributors, or an in situ plasma may be generated and one or more ion filters or shields disposed in the chamber between the plasma generation zone and the substrate support.