Kinetic study on heterogeneous nucleation and incubation period during chemical vapor deposition.

The kinetics of heterogeneous nucleation during chemical vapor deposition (CVD) is still unclear despite its importance. Nucleation delay is often observed in many CVD processes, which is known as the incubation period (τi). In this study, the effects of concentration (C) and sticking probability (η) of film-forming species on τi were formulated based on our kinetic model. To discuss the kinetics, τi -1 with the rate dimension was used and formulated using C and η. Because η onto heterogeneous surfaces (ηhetero) is difficult to evaluate, the study was initiated with η onto homogeneous surfaces (ηhomo), followed by a discussion on its reasonability. The formulation was validated using the experimental dataset for SiC-CVD from CH3SiCl3/H2 onto BN underlayers because CVD involves multiple film-forming species with different ηhomo ranging from 10-6 to 10-2 and thus is a suitable system for studying the effect of ηhomo. High-aspect-ratio (1000:1) parallel-plate microchannels consisting of τi-involving BN and a τi-free Si surface were utilized to separate these film-forming species along the microchannel depth. τi was exceptionally long, up to several hours, depending on the CVD conditions. τi -1 was found to be proportional to Cn, where n is the reaction order. n was quantified as ≈1.6, suggesting the initial nucleation was triggered by the impingement of two adspecies in the second order and lowered possibly by the discrepancy between C in the gas-phase and that actually producing adspecies on the surface. τi -1 was also found to be proportional to ηhomo. The exceptionally long τi was likely originated from the significantly lower ηhetero than ηhomo and the higher activation energy for ηhetero than that for ηhomo.

Analysis of the Gas Phase Kinetics Active during GaN Deposition from NH3 and Ga(CH3)3.

The results of a systematic investigation aimed at determining the dominant gas phase chemistry active during GaN MOVPE are reported and discussed in this work. This study was performed developing a thermodynamic database including the most stable GaN gas phase species and a gas phase mechanism that could efficiently describe their interconversion kinetics. The thermodynamic data and the kinetic mechanism were calculated combining density functional theory and ab initio simulations. Structures and vibrational frequencies of reactants and transition states were determined at the M062X/6-311+G(d,p) level, while energies were computed at the ROCBS-QB3 level. Rate constants were calculated using transition state theory using the rigid rotor - harmonic oscillator approximation and considering the possible degeneration of internal motions in torsional rotations. The thermodynamic analysis indicated that the Ga gas phase species formed in the highest concentration at the standard GaN deposition temperature (1300 K) is GaNH2, followed by GaH and Ga. The diatomic GaN gas phase species, often considered to be the main precursor to the film growth, is predicted to be unstable with respect to GaNH2. Among the gas phase species containing two Ga atoms, the most stable are GaNHGaH(NH2)3, GaNHGaH2(NH2)2, and GaNHGa(NH2)4, thus indicating that the substitution of the methyl groups of the precursor with H or amino groups is thermodynamically favored. Several kinetic routes leading to the formation of these species were examined. It was found that the condensation of Ga(R1)x(R2)3-x species, with R1 and R2 being either CH3, NH2, or H, is a fast process, characterized by the formation of a precursor state whose decomposition to products requires overcoming submerged energy barriers. It is suggested that these species play a key role in the formation of the first GaN nuclei, whose successive growth leads to the formation of GaN powders. A kinetic analysis performed using a fluid dynamic model allowed us to identify the main reactive routes of this complex system.

Material design of plasma-enhanced chemical vapour deposition SiCH films for low-k cap layers in the further scaling of ultra-large-scale integrated devices-Cu interconnects.

Cap layers for Cu interconnects in ultra-large-scale integrated devices (ULSIs), with a low dielectric constant (k-value) and strong barrier properties against Cu and moisture diffusion, are required for the future further scaling of ULSIs. There is a trade-off, however, between reducing the k-value and maintaining strong barrier properties. Using quantum mechanical simulations and other theoretical computations, we have designed ideal dielectrics: SiCH films with Si-C2H4-Si networks. Such films were estimated to have low porosity and low k; thus they are the key to realizing a cap layer with a low k and strong barrier properties against diffusion. For fabricating these ideal SiCH films, we designed four novel precursors: isobutyl trimethylsilane, diisobutyl dimethylsilane, 1, 1-divinylsilacyclopentane and 5-silaspiro [4,4] noname, based on quantum chemical calculations, because such fabrication is difficult by controlling only the process conditions in plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposition (PECVD) using conventional precursors. We demonstrated that SiCH films prepared using these newly designed precursors had large amounts of Si-C2H4-Si networks and strong barrier properties. The pore structure of these films was then analyzed by positron annihilation spectroscopy, revealing that these SiCH films actually had low porosity, as we designed. These results validate our material and precursor design concepts for developing a PECVD process capable of fabricating a low-k cap layer.

Conformal and Stoichiometric Chemical Vapor Deposition of Silicon Carbide onto Ultradeep Heterogeneous Micropores by Controlling the Initial Nucleation Stage.

Conformal chemical vapor deposition (CVD) of silicon carbide (SiC) from methyltrichlorosilane (MTS) and hydrogen (H2) onto high-aspect-ratio (HAR; typically >100:1) three-dimensional features has been a challenge in the fabrication of ceramic matrix composites. In this study, the impact of heterogeneous underlayers on the initial nucleation of SiC-CVD was studied using HAR (1000:1) microchannels with a tailored wetting underlayer of Si(100) and dewetting underlayers of thermally formed amorphous silicon dioxide (a-SiO2) and turbostratic boron nitride (t-BN). Incubation periods were distributed in the microchannels on a-SiO2 and t-BN underlayers, with the longest period of 70 min found at the feature-bottom due to a decreased concentration (C) of film-forming species. The longer incubation periods with more dewetting underlayers arose due to demoted initial nucleation. Prolonged incubation at the feature bottom led to poor conformality because thick films had already formed at the inlet when film formation began at the feature bottom. The incubation periods were eliminated by increasing the supply of MTS/H2, in accordance with classical heterogeneous nucleation theory. In the meantime, carbon-rich SiC films formed in the vicinity of dewetting a-SiO2 and t-BN underlayers at the feature bottoms, with greater carbon segregation on more dewetting underlayers. This was probably due to the deposition of pyrocarbons (CH4, C2H2, and/or C2H4) generated from MTS/H2 in the gas phase. Decreasing the temperature (T) from 1000 to 900 °C prevented carbon-rich film formation, and the expected deposition rate of pyrocarbon decreased to 0.6% for the case of CH4. A higher C of MTS/H2 combined with a lower T enabled conformal and stoichiometric film formation on the heterogeneous HAR features.

Porous Membranes as Sacrificial Layers Enabling Conformal Chemical Vapor Deposition Involving Multiple Film-Forming Species.

We propose a new, concise method for conformal chemical vapor deposition (CVD) using sacrificial layers (SLs) to fill three-dimensional features with microscopic pores. SLs are porous membranes (e.g., ceramic felts) that filter film-forming species having high sticking-probability (η). CVD processes with multiple film-forming species generally suffer from poor conformality due to preferential film deposition at the inlets of features by the high-η species, such as reactive intermediates. An SL traps such high-η species before they reach the target features and selectively supplies film-forming species with lower η (e.g., source precursors or stable intermediates) that enables conformal film deposition. Here the trapping efficiency of an SL was predicted and a procedure for designing an optimal SL was established. The procedure was demonstrated by CVD of silicon carbide (SiC) with multiple film-forming species of high-η species (η = 8.0 × 10-3) and lower-η species (η = 5.9 × 10-5 and 2.2 × 10-7). The trapping of 99.2% of incident high-η species was achieved with an optimized SL, wherein the deposition rate (m/s) contribution by high-η species declined from 0.546 at the SL inlet to 0.014 at its outlet. Finally, using these optimized SLs, SiC-CVD filling of micron-scale trenches was demonstrated with an aspect-ratio of 16:1.