Chemical Vapor Deposition

(CVD)

Oajdea Anda-Maria
 Overview

 Types of CVD  CVD applications

 What is CVD?
 PECVD
 APCVD  CVD Reactors Types
 CVD process
 LPCVD
 MOCVD
 Bibliography
 CVD: advantages & disadvantages  PHCVD
 LCVD
 CVD: sources and substrates
 What is CVD?

= process used in the formation of a non-volatile solid film on a substrate by the reaction of vapor phase
chemicals (reactants) that contain the required constituents

 In a typical CVD process, the wafer (substrate) is exposed to one or more volatile precursors, which react and/or
decompose on the substrate surface to produce the desired deposit.

 Frequently, volatile by-products are also produce, which are removed by gas flow through the reaction chamber.

 The reactant gases are introduced into a reaction chamber and are decomposed and reacted at a heated surface to
form the thin film
 CVD process

Steps 2-5 are the most important for growth rate.

Steps 3-5 are closely related and can be grouped together as ”surface reaction” processes.
 CVD process

1. Transport of reactants to the deposition region

2. Transport of reactants form the main gas stream through the boundary layer to the wafer surface
3. Adsorption of reactants on the wafer surface.
4. Surface reactions, including: chemical decomposition or reaction, surface migration to attachment sites
(kinks and ledges); site incorporation; and other surface reactions (emission and redeposition for example)
5. Desorption of byproducts
6. Transport of byproducts through boundary layer.
7. Transport of byproducts away from the deposition region.
 CVD
advantages & disadvantages

 High growth rates possible good reproducibility  High process temperatures

 Can deposit materials which are hard to evaporate  Complex processes

 Can grow epitaxial films. In this case also termed as  Toxic and corrosive gasses
”Vapor Phase Epitaxy”

 Film may not be pure (hydrogen incorporation)

 Generally better film quality, more conformal step
coverage
 CVD sources and substrates

 Types of sources o Source materials should be

• Stable at room temperature
• Gasses (easiest) • Sufficiently volatile
• Volatile liquids • High enough partial pressure to get good growth rates
• Sublimable solids
• Reaction temperature( melting point of substrate
• Produce desired element on substrate with easily removable
• Combination by-products
• Low toxicity
 Substrates
• Need to consider adsorption and surface
reactions

For example, WF6 deposits on Si, nut not on

SiO2
Types of CVD

 PECVD (Plasma Enhanced CVD)

= a process used to deposit thin films from a gas state (vapor) to a solid state on a substrate.

• Plasma helps to break up gas molecules: high reactivity, able to process at lower temperature and lower pressure
(good for electronics on plastics).
• Pressure higher than in sputter deposition: more collision in gas phase, less ion bombardment on substrate
• Can run in RF plasma mode: avoid change buildup for insulators
• Film quality is poorer than LPCVD
• Process temperature around 100 – 400oC.
Types of CVD

 APCVD (Atmospheric Pressure CVD)

• Mass transport limited growth rate, leading to non-uniform film thickness.

 LPCVD (Low-Pressure CVD )

• Low deposition rate limited by surface reaction, so uniform film thickness (many wafers stacked vertically facing
each other; in APCVD, wafers have to be laid horizontally side by side)
• Gas pressures around 1-1000 mTorr (lower P higher diffusivity of gas to substrate)
• Better film uniformity & step coverage and fewer defects
• Process temperature ≥ 500oC
 Types of CVD

 MOCVD (Metal-Organic CVD)

= a technique for growing thin layers of compound semiconductors in which metal organic compounds, having
the formula MRx, where M (a group III metal) and R (an organic radical) are decomposed near the surface of a
heated substrate wafer, in the presence of a hybrid of a group V element.

• Epitaxial growth for many optoelectronic devices with III-V compounds for solar cells, lasers, LEDs, photo-cathodes and
quantum wells
 Types of CVD

 PHCVD (Photo-Enhanced Chemical Vapor Deposition)

= a process based on activation of the reactants in the gas or vapor phase by em radiation, usually short-wave UV
radiation. Selective absorption of photon energy by the reactant molecules or atoms initiates the process by
forming reactive free-radical species that then interact to form a desired film product.
• Mercury vapor is usually added to the reactant gas mixture as a photosensitizer that can be activated with the radiation from a
high-intensity quartz mercury resonance lamp (253.7 nm wavelength).
• The excited Hg atoms transfer their energy kinetically by collision with the reactants to generate free radicals.
• Advantages: versatility, the low temperature (typically 150 oC) needed to form films such as SiO2 and Si3N4, and the greatly
minimized radiation damage (compared to PECVD).
• Limitations: unavailability of effective production equipment and the need (in most cases) for photoactivation with Hg to
achieve acceptable rates of TF deposition.
 Types of CVD

 LCVD (Laser-Induced Chemical Vapor Deposition)

= a process that utilizes a laser beam for highly localized heating of the substrate that then induces TF deposition
by CVD surface reactions.

• Another mode of utilizing laser (or electron radiation): to activate gaseous reactant atoms or molecules by their absorption of
the specific wavelength of the photon energy supplied. The resulting chemical gas phase reactions are very specific, leading to
highly pure TF deposits.
• Limitations: activation matching of the spectral properties with the reactant species limits the choice of reactions and hence
the film deposits that can be obtained.
• LCVD is still in its early development stages but promises many interesting and useful applications in the future.
 Types of CVD

Type Advantage Disadvantage Usage Pressure Temperature

(oC)

APCVD Poor step coverage Low temp oxides and 10-100 kPa 350 -1200
Simple, fast epitaxy Si

LPCVD High temp Polysilicon, nitride, oxide 100 Pa 550 – 600

Excellent cleanness, Low deposition rate
conformity and (can be high)
uniformity

PECVD Risk for particle and Low temp oxides, 200 – 600 300 - 400
Low temp chemical passivation nitrides Pa
contamination
 CVD applications

 Microfabrication processes widely use CVD to deposit materials

in various forms (monocrystalline, polycrystalline, amorphous
and epitaxial)  Dielectrics (silicon dioxide, silicon nitride...)

 tool technology: hard and wear-resistant coatings of materials
such as boron, diamond-like carbon, borides, carbides and
nitrides;
 metallurgy: corrosion resistant coatings, especially oxides and
nitrides, are used for metal protection.
 Metals (tungsten, aluminum, copper, titanium)
 Semiconductors
- Epitaxial (a single crystal layer grown on a single
crystal substrate) silicon, gallium arsenide, poly-
silicon, doped poly-silicon)

 It is used in the semiconductor industry to produce thin films

 CVD Reactors Types

 Chamber pressure:
• Atmospheric-pressure (APCVD)
• Low pressure (LPCVD, PECVD) o Reactor heating:
 Hot-wall
 Particle contamination
 Reaction Mechanism  Requires periodic cleanup

• Mass transport (when P and T are high)  Cold-wall

• Surface reaction (when P and T are low) + no reaction on the wall

• - Difficult to control the real T

Possible to switch form one to another by
changing P or T
Bibliography

 Microelectronics Processing Course - J. Salzman - Jan. 2002 . Microelectronics Processing Chemical Vapor
Deposition

 Microelectronics Processing Course - J. Salzman Fall 2006 . Microelectronics Processing . Ion

Implantation

 Wikipedia, CVD, PECVD, MOCVD