Thermal and plasma enhanced atomic layer deposition of SiO2 using commercial silicon precursors

In this paper, we report ALD deposition of silicon dioxide using either thermal or plasma enhanced atomic layer deposition (PEALD). Several aminosilanes with differing structures and reactivity were used as silicon precursors in R&D single wafer ALD tools. One of the precursors was also tested on pilot scale batch ALD using O₃ as oxidant and with substrates measuring 150 × 400 mm. The SiO₂ film deposition rate was greatly dependent on the precursors used, highest values being 1.5-2.0 Å/cycle at 30-200°C for one precursor with an O₂ plasma. According to time-of-flight-elastic recoil detection analysis measurements carbon and nitrogen impurities were relatively low, but hydrogen content increased at low deposition temperatures.