Abstract: Disclosed is a patterning method including: forming a first film on a substrate; forming a multi-layered film including a resist film on the first film; forming a patterned resist film having a preset pattern by patterning the resist film by photolithography; forming a silicon oxide film different from the first film on the patterned resist film and the first film by alternately supplying a first gas containing organic silicon and a second gas containing an activated oxygen species to the substrate; etching the silicon oxide film to thereby form a sidewall spacer on a sidewall of the patterned resist film; removing the patterned resist film; and processing the first film by using the sidewall spacer as a mask.

Abstract: An oxide film is formed on a target substrate by CVD, in a process field to be selectively supplied with a first process gas including a source gas containing a film source element and no amino group, a second process gas including an oxidizing gas, and a third process gas including a preliminary treatment gas. A first step includes an excitation period of supplying the third process gas excited by an exciting mechanism, thereby performing a preliminary treatment on the target substrate by preliminary treatment gas radicals. A second step performs supply of the first process gas, thereby adsorbing the film source element on the target substrate. A third step includes an excitation period of supplying the second process gas excited by an exciting mechanism, thereby oxidizing the film source element adsorbed on the target substrate by oxidizing gas radicals.

Abstract: An oxidation method includes supplying oxidizing and deoxidizing gases to a process field by spouting the gases in lateral directions respectively from first and second groups of gas spouting holes. Each group of holes is disposed adjacent to target substrates on one side of the process field and arrayed over a length corresponding to the process field in a vertical direction. Gases are exhausted through an exhaust port disposed opposite to the first and second groups of gas spouting holes with the process field interposed therebetween and present over a length corresponding to the process field in the vertical direction. This causes the gases to flow along the surfaces of the target substrates, thus forming gas flows parallel with the target substrates. The process field is heated by a heater disposed around the process container to generate oxygen radicals and hydroxyl group radicals within the process field.

Abstract: A film formation process is performed to form a silicon nitride film on a target substrate within a process field configured to be selectively supplied with a first process gas containing a silane family gas and a second process gas containing a nitriding gas. The method is preset to compose the film formation process of a main stage with an auxiliary stage set at one or both of beginning and ending of the film formation process. The main stage includes an excitation period of supplying the second process gas to the process field while exciting the second process gas by an exciting mechanism. The auxiliary stage includes no excitation period of supplying the second process gas to the process field while exciting the second process gas by the exciting mechanism.

Abstract: A method of filling a trench comprises heating a semiconductor substrate having a trench formed therein and an oxide film formed at least on the sidewall of the trench and supplying an aminosilane gas to the surface of the substrate so as to form a seed layer on the semiconductor substrate, heating the semiconductor substrate having the seed layer formed thereon and supplying a monosilane gas to the surface of the seed layer so as to form a silicon film on the seed layer, filling the trench of the semiconductor substrate, which has the silicon film formed thereon, with a filling material that shrinks by burning, and burning the semiconductor substrate coated by the filling material filling the trench in an atmosphere containing water and/or a hydroxy group while changing the filling material into a silicon oxide and changing the silicon film and the seed layer into a silicon oxide.

Abstract: A film formation method of forming a silicon oxide film on a surface of an object to be processed in a process chamber includes absorbing a seed gas comprising a silane-based gas on the surface of the object to be processed by supplying the seed gas into the process chamber, forming a silicon film having an impurity by supplying a silicon-containing gas as a material gas, and an addition gas including the impurity into the process chamber, and oxidizing the silicon film to convert the silicon film into the silicon oxide film. Accordingly, the silicon oxide film having the high density and the high stress is formed on the surface of the object to be processed.

Abstract: A film formation method is used for forming a silicon nitride film on a target substrate by repeating a plasma cycle and a non-plasma cycle a plurality of times, in a process field configured to be selectively supplied with a first process gas containing a silane family gas and a second process gas containing a nitriding gas and communicating with an exciting mechanism for exciting the second process gas to be supplied. The method includes obtaining a relation formula or relation table that represents relationship of a cycle mixture manner of the plasma cycle and the non-plasma cycle relative to a film quality factor of the silicon nitride film; determining a specific manner of the cycle mixture manner based on a target value of the film quality factor with reference to the relation formula or relation table; and arranging the film formation process in accordance with the specific manner.

Abstract: A method for using a film formation apparatus for a semiconductor process to form a thin film on a target substrate inside a reaction chamber includes performing a cleaning process to remove a by-product film deposited on a predetermined region in a gas route from a film formation gas supply system, which supplies a film formation gas contributory to film formation, through the reaction chamber to an exhaust system, by alternately repeating an etching step and an exhaust step a plurality of times in a state where the reaction chamber does not accommodate the target substrate. The etching step includes supplying a cleaning gas in an activated state for etching the by-product film onto the predetermined region, thereby etching the by-product film. The exhaust step includes stopping supply of the cleaning gas and exhausting gas by the exhaust system from a space in which the predetermined region is present.

Abstract: A silicon film formation method includes a first film formation operation, an etching operation, and a second film formation operation. In the first film formation operation, a first silicon film is formed to fill the groove of the object to be processed. In the etching operation, an opening of the groove is widened by etching the first silicon film formed in the first film formation operation. In the second film formation operation, a second silicon film is formed on the groove having the opening widened in the etching operation to fill the groove. Accordingly, a silicon film is formed on a groove of an object to be processed having the groove provided thereon.

Abstract: A thin film formation method to form a silicon film containing an impurity on a surface of an object to be processed in a process chamber that allows vacuum exhaust includes alternately and repeatedly performing a first gas supply process in which a silane-based gas composed of silicon and hydrogen is supplied into the process chamber in a state that the silane-based gas is adsorbed onto the surface of the object to be processed and a second gas supply process in which an impurity-containing gas is supplied into the process chamber, to form an amorphous silicon film containing an impurity. Accordingly, an amorphous silicon film containing an impurity having good filling characteristics can be formed even at a relatively low temperature.

Abstract: The amorphous silicon film formation method includes forming a seed layer on the surface of a base by heating the base and flowing aminosilane-based gas onto the heated base; and forming an amorphous silicon film on the seed layer by heating the base, supplying silane-based gas containing no amino group onto the seed layer on the surface of the heated base, and thermally decomposing the silane-based gas containing no amino group.

Abstract: A film formation method for a semiconductor process performs a film formation process to form a silicon-containing insulating film doped with a metal on a target substrate, in a process field inside a process container configured to be selectively supplied with a silicon source gas and a metal source gas. The method includes forming a first insulating thin layer by use of a chemical reaction of the silicon source gas, while maintaining a shut-off state of supply of the metal source gas; then, forming a first metal thin layer by use of a chemical reaction of the metal source gas, while maintaining a shut-off state of supply of the silicon source gas; and then, forming a second insulating thin layer by use of the chemical reaction of the silicon source gas, while maintaining a shut-off state of supply of the metal source gas.

Abstract: There is provided a micro pattern forming method including forming a thin film on a substrate; forming a film serving as a mask when processing the thin film; processing the film serving as a mask into a pattern including lines having a preset pitch; trimming the pattern including the lines; and forming an oxide film on the pattern including the lines and on the thin film by alternately supplying a source gas and an activated oxygen species. Here, the process of trimming the pattern and the process of forming an oxide film are consecutively performed in a film forming apparatus configured to form the oxide film.

Abstract: A method for using a film formation apparatus performs a first film formation process, while supplying a first film formation gas into a process field inside a process container, thereby forming a first thin film on a first target substrate inside the process field. After unloading the first target substrate from the process container, the method performs a cleaning process of an interior of the process container, while supplying a cleaning gas into the process field, and generating plasma of the cleaning gas by an exciting mechanism. Then, the method performs a second film formation process, while supplying a second film formation gas into the process field, thereby forming a second thin film on a target substrate inside the process field. The second film formation process is a plasma film formation process that generates plasma of the second film formation gas by the exciting mechanism.

Abstract: An insulting film is modified by subjecting the insulting film to a modification treatment comprising a combination of a plasma treatment and a thermal annealing treatment. There is provided a method of enhancing the characteristic of an insulating film by improving deterioration in the characteristic of the insulating film due to carbon, a suboxide, a dangling bond or the like contained in the insulating film.

Abstract: A method for using a film formation apparatus includes performing film formation of a product film selected from the group consisting of a silicon nitride film and a silicon oxynitride film on a target substrate within a reaction chamber of the film formation apparatus; and unloading the target substrate from the reaction chamber. Thereafter, the method includes first heating an inner surface of the reaction chamber at a post process temperature while supplying a post process gas for nitridation into the reaction chamber, thereby performing nitridation of a by-product film deposited on the inner surface of the reaction chamber; then rapidly cooling the inner surface of the reaction chamber, thereby cracking the by-product film by a thermal stress; and then forcibly exhausting gas from inside the reaction chamber to carry the by-product film, thus peeled off from the inner surface.

Abstract: Disclosed is a patterning method including: forming a first film on a substrate; forming a first resist film on the first film; processing the first resist film into a first resist pattern having a preset pitch by photolithography; forming a silicon oxide film on the first resist pattern and the first film by alternately supplying a first gas containing organic silicon and a second gas containing an activated oxygen species to the substrate; forming a second resist film on the silicon oxide film; processing the second resist film into a second resist pattern having a preset pitch by the photolithography; and processing the first film by using the first resist pattern and the second resist pattern as a mask.

Abstract: A silicon-containing insulating film is formed on a target substrate by CVD, in a process field to be selectively supplied with a first process gas including di-iso-propylaminosilane gas and a second process gas including an oxidizing gas or nitriding gas. The film is formed by performing a plurality of times a cycle alternately including first and second steps. The first step performs supply of the first process gas, thereby forming an adsorption layer containing silicon on a surface of the target substrate. The second performs supply of the second process gas, thereby oxidizing or nitriding the adsorption layer on the surface of the target substrate. The second step includes an excitation period of supplying the second process gas to the process field while exciting the second process gas by an exciting mechanism.

Abstract: An insulating film is formed on a target substrate by CVD, in a process field to be selectively supplied with a first process gas containing a silane family gas, a second process gas containing a nitriding gas or oxynitriding gas, a third process gas containing a boron-containing gas, and a fourth process gas containing a carbon hydride gas. A first step performs supply of the first process gas and a preceding gas, which is one of the third and fourth process gases, while stopping supply of the second process gas and a succeeding gas, which is the other of the third and fourth process gases. A second step performs supply of the succeeding gas, while stopping supply of the second process gas and the preceding gas. A third step performs supply of the second process gas while stopping supply of the first process gas.

Abstract: A film formation apparatus for a semiconductor process includes a source gas supply circuit to supply into a process container a source gas for depositing a thin film on target substrates, and a mixture gas supply circuit to supply into the process container a mixture gas containing a doping gas for doping the thin film with an impurity and a dilution gas for diluting the doping gas. The mixture gas supply circuit includes a gas mixture tank disposed outside the process container to mix the doping gas with the dilution gas to form the mixture gas, a mixture gas supply line to supply the mixture gas from the gas mixture tank into the process container, a doping gas supply circuit to supply the doping gas into the gas mixture tank, and a dilution gas supply circuit to supply the dilution gas into the gas mixture tank.