Reactive curing process for semiconductor substrates

US9431238B2 · kind B2 · utility

Assignee

• ASM IP Holding B.V. · NL

Inventors

• Bert Jongbloed · Oud-Heverlee, BE
• Dieter Pierreux · Dilbeek, BE
• Cornelius A. van der Jeugd · Heverlee, BE
• Herbert Terhorst · Amersfoort, NL
• Lucian Jdira · Nieuw-Vennep, NL
• Radko G. Bankras · Almere, NL
• Theodorus G.M. Oosterlaken · Oudewater, NL

Key dates

• Filing date: May 21, 2015
• Grant date: Aug 30, 2016
• Expiry date: May 21, 2035

Classification

• Technology area (CPC H): Electricity
• CPC primary: H01L21/02274
• WIPO field: Semiconductors
• WIPO sector: Electrical engineering

Abstract

In some embodiments, a reactive curing process may be performed by exposing a semiconductor substrate in a process chamber to an ambient containing hydrogen peroxide, with the pressure in the process chamber at about 300 Torr or less. In some embodiments, the residence time of hydrogen peroxide molecules in the process chamber is about five minutes or less. The curing process temperature may be set at about 500° C. or less. The curing process may be applied to cure flowable dielectric materials and may provide highly uniform curing results, such as across a batch of semiconductor substrates cured in a batch process chamber.