US 12,125,898 B2
Semiconductor device and manufacturing method thereof
Sheng-Liang Pan, Hsinchu (TW); Yung-Tzu Chen, Hsinchu (TW); Chung-Chieh Lee, Taipei (TW); Yung-Chang Hsu, Hsinchu (TW); Chia-Yang Hung, Kaohsiung (TW); Po-Chuan Wang, Taipei (TW); Guan-Xuan Chen, Taoyuan (TW); and Huan-Just Lin, Hsinchu (TW)
Assigned to TAIWAN SEMICONDUCTOR MANUFACTURING COMPANY, LTD., Hsinchu (TW)
Filed by TAIWAN SEMICONDUCTOR MANUFACTURING COMPANY, LTD., Hsinchu (TW)
Filed on Jun. 25, 2021, as Appl. No. 17/358,606.
Claims priority of provisional application 63/167,939, filed on Mar. 30, 2021.
Prior Publication US 2022/0320311 A1, Oct. 6, 2022
Int. Cl. H01L 29/66 (2006.01); H01L 21/762 (2006.01); H01L 29/417 (2006.01); H01L 29/51 (2006.01)
CPC H01L 29/6656 (2013.01) [H01L 21/76224 (2013.01); H01L 29/41783 (2013.01); H01L 29/511 (2013.01); H01L 29/66795 (2013.01)] 20 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A method for forming a semiconductor device, comprising:
forming a gate structure on a substrate;
depositing a carbon-containing seal layer over the gate structure;
depositing a nitrogen-containing seal layer over the carbon-containing seal layer;
after depositing the nitrogen-containing seal layer over the carbon-containing seal layer, flowing an oxygen-containing precursor in a gaseous state into a process chamber, the process chamber having the substrate therein;
performing a heating treatment, by a heater, to anneal the oxygen-containing precursor to a temperature in a range from about 200 to 500° C. and under a pressure in a range from about from about 12 to 18 Torr, such that the oxygen-containing precursor is dissociated into an oxygen radical,
wherein during performing the heating treatment, the oxygen radical penetrates into the nitrogen-containing seal layer to react with the nitrogen-containing seal layer in a thickness range from an upper surface of the nitrogen-containing seal layer; and
etching the nitrogen-containing seal layer and the carbon-containing seal layer, such that a remainder of the nitrogen-containing seal layer and the carbon-containing seal layer remains on a sidewall of the gate structure as a gate spacer.