In situ XPS study of low temperature atomic layer deposition of B2O3 films on Si using BCl3 and H2O precursors

In this study, atomic layer deposition (ALD) of nanoscale boron oxide (B2O3) films on Si using BCl3/H2O precursors at room temperature was investigated using in situ x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). B2O3 thin films are of considerable interest in ultra-shallow Si doping applications, including high aspect ratio FinFET structures, where film conformality and precise thickness control are crucial. ALD is therefore of particular interest for such applications. XPS data demonstrate that initial BCl3 exposures on Si at room temperature are self-limiting and are accompanied by partial B-Cl dissociation and Cl-Si formation. H2O exposures >1.7 x 10(8) Langmuir at room temperature removed Cl from B sites, but failed to remove Cl from the Cl-Si species. ALD-type growth of B2O3 was observed with an average growth rate of similar to 2.5 angstrom/cycle and without further increase in the Cl content. The initial Cl contamination was due to Cl-Si bond formation at the interface, without Cl incorporation into the oxide film. The role of Cl in the inhibition of oxide film growth was further investigated by the reactions of BCl3/O-2 on SiO2 at room temperature and 650 K. BCl3/O-2 precursors exhibit negligible B2O3 growth at room temperature. At 650 K, B2O3 growth was observed with a decreasing growth rate per BCl3/O-2 cycle, corresponding to an increase in the Cl: B atomic ratio. These data indicate that room temperature ALD using BCl3/H2O precursors is a potential route toward the formation of uniform B2O3 films for shallow Si doping applications, but that Cl-Si formation significantly impacts initial oxide nucleation and growth. Published by the AVS.