US 12,270,103 B2
Plasma-enhanced atomic layer deposition with radio-frequency power ramping
Jeremy David Fields, Portland, OR (US); and Frank Loren Pasquale, Tigard, OR (US)
Assigned to Lam Research Corporation, Fremont, CA (US)
Appl. No. 17/755,630
Filed by Lam Research Corporation, Fremont, CA (US)
PCT Filed Nov. 5, 2020, PCT No. PCT/US2020/059140
§ 371(c)(1), (2) Date May 4, 2022,
PCT Pub. No. WO2021/092197, PCT Pub. Date May 14, 2021.
Claims priority of provisional application 62/933,227, filed on Nov. 8, 2019.
Prior Publication US 2022/0351940 A1, Nov. 3, 2022
Int. Cl. C23C 16/40 (2006.01); C23C 16/455 (2006.01); C23C 16/505 (2006.01); H01J 37/32 (2006.01)
CPC C23C 16/45529 (2013.01) [C23C 16/401 (2013.01); C23C 16/45536 (2013.01); C23C 16/45542 (2013.01); C23C 16/505 (2013.01); H01J 37/32137 (2013.01); H01J 37/32146 (2013.01)] 18 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A method of depositing a film, the method comprising:
providing a substrate to a process chamber;
depositing a first amount of a material over the substrate in a first plasma-enhanced atomic layer deposition (PEALD) cycle, the first PEALD cycle comprising:
exposing the substrate to a precursor under conditions allowing the precursor to adsorb onto a surface of the substrate, thereby forming a first adsorbed layer of the precursor; and
exposing the first adsorbed layer of the precursor to a first plasma generated using a first plasma power level;
depositing a second amount of the material over the substrate in a second PEALD cycle, the second PEALD cycle comprising:
exposing the substrate to the precursor under conditions allowing the precursor to adsorb onto the first amount of the material, thereby forming a second adsorbed layer of the precursor; and
exposing the second adsorbed layer of the precursor to a second plasma generated using a second plasma power level, wherein the second plasma power level is greater than the first plasma power level and wherein the second PEALD cycle is performed after the first PEALD cycle; and
depositing a third amount of the material over the substrate in a third PEALD cycle, the third PEALD cycle comprising:
exposing the substrate to the precursor under conditions allowing the precursor to adsorb onto the second amount of the material, thereby forming a third adsorbed layer of the precursor; and
exposing the third adsorbed layer of the precursor to a third plasma generated using a third plasma power level, wherein the third plasma power level is greater than the second plasma power level and wherein the third PEALD cycle is performed after the second PEALD cycle,
wherein the first amount of material and the second amount of the material comprise screening layers configured to block damage from deposition of the third amount of material, and wherein at least one of the second plasma power level or the third pasma power level is determined based at least in part on a damage threshold and are determined based on properties of the screening layers, the damage threshold being a per-cycle damage threshold determined based on a cumulative damage threshold indicating a maximum amount of one or more underlying layers that can be removed, wherein the per-cycle damage threshold accounts for a larger number of underlying layers removed during deposition of the first amount of material compared to the second amount of material.