US2007218668A1PendingUtilityA1

Controlled growth of highly uniform, oxide layers, especially ultrathin layers

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Individually held — no corporate assignee on recordPriority: Jul 31, 2003Filed: May 15, 2007Published: Sep 20, 2007
Est. expiryJul 31, 2023(expired)· nominal 20-yr term from priority
Inventors:Thomas J. Wagener
H10P 14/6322H10P 14/6309H10P 50/287H10P 50/283H10D 64/0134H10D 64/691H10D 64/685H10D 64/693
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Claims

Abstract

The present invention relates to methods of making oxide layers, preferably ultrathin oxide layers, with a high level of uniformity. One such method includes the steps of forming a substantially saturated or saturated oxide layer directly or indirectly on a semiconductor surface of a semiconductor substrate, and etchingly reducing the thickness of the substantially saturated or saturated oxide layer by an amount such that the etched oxide layer has a thickness less than the substantially saturated or saturated oxide layer. In certain embodiments, methods of the present invention provide etched oxide layers with a uniformity of less than about +/−10%. The present invention also relates to microelectronic devices including made by methods of the present invention and manufacturing systems for carrying out methods of the present invention.

Claims

exact text as granted — not AI-modified
1 . A method of making an oxide layer, comprising the steps of: 
 cleaning a semiconductor substrate to provide a bare semiconductor surface;    forming a substantially saturated or saturated oxide layer directly or indirectly on the bare semiconductor surface of a semiconductor substrate such that the substantially saturated or saturated oxide layer has a thickness in the range of from about 8 angstroms to about 20 angstroms, wherein the forming step comprises chemically growing a saturated or substantially saturated oxide layer on the bare semiconductor surface; and    precision etching the thickness of the substantially saturated or saturated oxide layer in a uniform manner and by an amount in the range of from 0.5 angstrom to about 18 angstroms.    
   
   
       2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the etched oxide layer has a uniformity of less than about +/−10%.  
   
   
       3 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the etched oxide layer has a uniformity of less than about +/−5%.  
   
   
       4 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the etched oxide layer has a thickness in the range of from about 0.5 angstroms to about 19 angstroms.  
   
   
       5 . The method of  claim 4 , wherein the etched oxide layer has a thickness in the range of from about 0.5 to about 9 angstroms.  
   
   
       6 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the substantially saturated or saturated oxide layer has a thickness in the range of from about 8 angstroms to about 11 angstroms and the etched oxide layer has a thickness in the range from 2 angstroms to 8 angstroms.  
   
   
       7 . The method of  claim 6 , wherein the etched oxide layer has a uniformity in the range from +/−1 angstrom.  
   
   
       8 . The method of  claim 6 , wherein the etched oxide layer has a uniformity in the range from +/−0.5 angstrom.  
   
   
       9 . The method of  claim 6 , wherein the etched oxide layer has a uniformity in the range from +/−0.3 angstrom.  
   
   
       10 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the precision etching step comprises precision etching the thickness of the chemically grown oxide to provide an oxide layer having a thickness of about 10 angstroms or less.  
   
   
       11 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising the steps of, after the precision etching step: 
 rinsing the semiconductor substrate; and    drying the semiconductor substrate.    
   
   
       12 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the substantially saturated or saturated oxide layer is precision etched by an amount in the range of from 1 angstrom to 15 angstroms.  
   
   
       13 . The method of  claim 12 , wherein the substantially saturated or saturated oxide layer is precision etched by an amount in the range of from 1 angstrom to 9 angstroms.  
   
   
       14 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising the steps of: 
 positioning the semiconductor substrate in a processing chamber; and    performing the cleaning and forming steps while the semiconductor substrate is positioned in the processing chamber.    
   
   
       15 . The method of  claim 14 , wherein the precision etching step is performed while the semiconductor substrate is positioned in the processing chamber.  
   
   
       16 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein chemically growing a saturated or substantially saturated oxide on the semiconductor surface comprises using ozonated water to chemically grow the saturated or substantially saturated oxide.  
   
   
       17 . The method of  claim 16 , wherein precision etching the thickness of the substantially saturated or saturated oxide layer comprises using a fluorine-containing species in an aqueous medium to precisely etch the thickness of the substantially saturated or saturated oxide layer.  
   
   
       18 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein cleaning the semiconductor substrate to provide a bare semiconductor surface comprises etching and rinsing steps to provide a bare semiconductor surface.  
   
   
       19 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein cleaning the semiconductor substrate to provide a bare semiconductor surface comprises etching, rinsing, and drying steps to provide a bare semiconductor surface.  
   
   
       20 . A method of making an oxide layer, comprising the steps of: 
 cleaning a semiconductor substrate to provide a bare semiconductor surface;    forming a substantially saturated or saturated oxide layer directly or indirectly on the bare semiconductor surface of a semiconductor substrate such that the substantially saturated or saturated oxide layer has a thickness in the range of from about 8 angstroms to about 20 angstroms, wherein the forming step comprises chemically growing a saturated or substantially saturated oxide on the semiconductor surface;    precision etching the thickness of the substantially saturated or saturated oxide layer in a uniform manner and by an amount in the range of from 0.5 angstrom to about 18 angstroms; and    depositing one or more high k dielectric materials directly or indirectly onto the etched oxide layer.    
   
   
       21 . The method of  claim 20 , wherein at least a portion of a dielectric buffer layer is formed from the precision etching step.  
   
   
       22 . The method of  claim 21 , further comprising the step of depositing one or more high k dielectric material(s) directly or indirectly onto the dielectric buffer layer to provide the gate dielectric layers of a gate dielectric component of a microelectronic device.  
   
   
       23 . The method of  claim 21 , wherein the dielectric buffer layer has a thickness in the range of from about 1 angstrom to about 10 angstroms.

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