Surface Cleaning and Modification of Oxide Films by Atomic Hydrogen Annealing

Abstract

To suppress degradation of the electrical property of field-effect transistors, the removal of C contamination without damaging oxide films is important in the semiconductor industry. In addition, to reduce bonding failure, it is necessary to remove native oxide films from metal films. To achieve this, atomic hydrogen was generated by the decomposition of H2 gas on a heated tungsten mesh. This surface treatment is referred to as atomic hydrogen annealing (AHA). The reaction of atomic hydrogen with various oxide films, such as AlOx, TiOx, CrOx, NiOx, CuOx, and SiOx, was investigated. The O concentrations in Al, Ti, and Cr slightly decreased by AHA. The thermal oxide films prepared at 400 ℃ were not changed by AHA, except for CuOx. The reduction in the reactivity of the oxide film due to atomic hydrogen depends on the metal–oxygen bond strength. In addition, although the thermal oxide film of the Si substrate prepared at 1000 ℃ was not etched, AHA resulted in the etching of the Si-rich SiOx. These findings are useful for the removal of C contamination and native oxide films and for controlling the surface properties of oxide films.