Method and apparatus for depositing a silicon oxide film

Abstract

In a film deposition process wherein a plasma generation chamber is divided from a deposition chamber, radicals are extracted from the plasma generation chamber to the deposition chamber and caused to react with a process gas to form a silicon oxide film. The deposition apparatus has a host controller for dictating a pattern of control of the process gas flow to an MFC provided in a feed part for feeding the process gas into the deposition chamber. The host controller gives the MFC instructions for executing control to, in a first half side time constituting not more than half of the whole film deposition time, first make zero or limit and then gradually increase the process gas flow. The process gas flow in the first half side time can also be limited so that the thickness of film deposited in the first half side time is not greater than 10% of the overall thickness of the silicon oxide film. A silicon-hydrogen compound (Si n H 2n+2 (n=1,2,3, . . . )) is used as the process gas.

What is claimed is:  
     
         1 . A method for depositing a silicon oxide film in a deposition chamber divided from a plasma generation chamber, comprising: 
 a process gas supply step of supplying to said deposition chamber a process gas including silicon atoms;    a step of extracting radicals from said plasma generation chamber to said deposition chamber; and    a step of depositing a silicon oxide film on a substrate by causing said process gas and said radicals to react,    wherein in said process gas supplying step the supply rate at which said process gas is supplied is, in a first half side time constituting not more than half of whole film deposition time, first made zero or limited and then gradually increased.    
     
     
         2 . A method for depositing a silicon oxide film according to  claim 1 , wherein the process gas supply rate in said first half side time is limited so that the thickness of film deposited in said first half side time is not greater than 10% of the overall thickness of said silicon oxide film.  
     
     
         3 . A method for depositing a silicon oxide film according to  claim 1 , wherein a silicon-hydrogen compound (Si n H 2n+2 (n=1,2,3, . . . )) is used as said process gas.  
     
     
         4 . A method for depositing a silicon oxide film according to  claim 3 , wherein an inert gas is introduced as a diluting gas along with said silicon-hydrogen compound process gas.  
     
     
         5 . A method for depositing a silicon oxide film according to any one of claims  1  through  4 , wherein the rate of increase of said process gas supply rate is controlled with respect to time.  
     
     
         6 . A method for depositing a silicon oxide film according to any one of claims  1  through  4 , wherein the rate of increase of said process gas supply rate is controlled in correspondence with a linear function.  
     
     
         7 . A method for depositing a silicon oxide film according to any one of claims  1  through  4 , wherein the rate of increase of said process gas supply rate is controlled in correspondence with a second-order function.  
     
     
         8 . A method for depositing a silicon oxide film according to any one of claims  1  through  4 , wherein the rate of increase of said process gas supply rate is controlled in correspondence with an exponential function.  
     
     
         9 . A method for depositing a silicon oxide film according to any one of claims  1  through  4 , wherein the rate of increase of said process gas supply rate is controlled in correspondence with a step function .  
     
     
         10 . A method for depositing a silicon oxide film according to  claim 1 , wherein the deposition rate of the silicon oxide film in said first half side time constituting not more than half of the whole film deposition time is not greater than 0.13 nm/sec.  
     
     
         11 . A method for depositing a silicon oxide film according to  claim 1 , wherein any gas from among O 2 , O 3 , N 2 O, CO, CO 2  and nitrogen oxide gases is used as a gas for making said radicals.  
     
     
         12 . An apparatus for depositing a silicon oxide film, having a structure wherein a plasma generation chamber is divided from a deposition chamber, constructed to deposit a silicon oxide film on a substrate by extracting radicals from said plasma generation chamber to said deposition chamber and causing said radicals and a process gas including silicon atoms supplied to said deposition chamber to react, comprising: 
 a feed part provided between said deposition chamber and a process gas supply apparatus for feeding said process gas to said deposition chamber;    a controller provided in the feed part for regulating the flow of said process gas; and    a host controller for dictating to said controller the pattern of the regulation of said process gas flow,    wherein said host controller commands said controller to, in a first half side time constituting not more than half of whole film deposition time, first make zero or limit and then gradually increase said the process gas flow.    
     
     
         13 . An apparatus for depositing a silicon oxide film according to  claim 12 , wherein said host controller issues commands to said controller limiting said process gas flow in said first half side time so that the thickness of film deposited in said first half side time is not greater than 10% of the overall thickness of the silicon oxide film.  
     
     
         14 . An apparatus for depositing a silicon oxide film according to  claim 12  or  13 , wherein a silicon-hydrogen compound (Si n H 2n+2 (n=1,2,3, . . . )) is used as said process gas.  
     
     
         15 . An apparatus for depositing a silicon oxide film according to  claim 14 , wherein an inert gas is introduced as a diluting gas along with said silicon-hydrogen compound process gas.