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Low-Temperature Plasma-Enhanced Atomic Layer Deposition of SiO2 Using Carbon Dioxide
Zhen Zhu1,2, Perttu Sippola3, Oili M E Ylivaara4
1Department of Electronics and Nanoengineering, Aalto University, Tietotie 3, FI-02150, Espoo, Finland. zhen.zhu@aalto.fi.
Nanoscale Research Letters
|February 13, 2019
Summary
High-quality silicon dioxide (SiO2) films were grown at low temperatures using plasma-enhanced atomic layer deposition. Carbon dioxide (CO2) proved a viable oxidant for moisture-sensitive materials.
Area of Science:
- Materials Science
- Thin Film Deposition
- Semiconductor Processing
Background:
- Atomic Layer Deposition (ALD) enables precise thin film growth.
- Low-temperature processing is crucial for moisture/oxygen sensitive substrates.
- Developing suitable oxidants for ALD is essential for advanced material applications.
Purpose of the Study:
- To report the successful growth of high-quality silicon dioxide (SiO2) films using a novel low-temperature plasma-enhanced ALD method.
- To evaluate the suitability of carbon dioxide (CO2) as an oxidant compatible with moisture/oxygen sensitive materials.
- To characterize the properties of the deposited SiO2 films.
Main Methods:
- Plasma-enhanced atomic layer deposition (PEALD) at 90°C.
- Utilized CO2 as the oxidant and Bis(tertiary-butylamino)silane as the silicon precursor.
- Characterization included growth rate, chemical composition, density, optical properties, and residual stress analysis.
Main Results:
- Achieved a saturated growth-per-cycle of ~1.15 Å/cycle.
- Deposited SiO2 films exhibited a density of ~2.1 g/cm³, a refractive index of ~1.46 (at 632 nm), and low tensile residual stress (~30 MPa).
- Films showed low impurity levels: ~2.4 at.% H, ~0.17 at.% N, and negligible carbon content.
Conclusions:
- Carbon dioxide (CO2) is a promising and effective oxidizing precursor for low-temperature PEALD.
- This method is suitable for depositing high-quality SiO2 films on moisture/oxygen sensitive materials.
- The developed process offers a viable route for fabricating advanced semiconductor devices and integrated circuits.
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