CHEMICAL VAPOUR DEPOSITION

(CVD)

BASICS
INTRODUCTION :

 CVD is the condensation of a compound or compounds from the gas phase on to a substrate
where reaction occurs to produce a solid deposit.

 CVD is a chemical process used to produce high-purity, high-performance solid materials.

 This process is often used in semiconductor industry to produce thin films.

 In a typical CVD process, the wafer (subtrate) is exposed to one or more volatile precursors,
which react and/or decompose on the substrate surface to produce a desired deposite.
Frequently, volatile by-products are also produced, which are removed by gas flow through
the reaction chamber.
CHEMICAL VAPOUR DEPOSITION :

 CVD is the formation of a non-volatile solid film on a substrate by the

reaction of vapour phase chemicals (reactants) that contain the required
constituents.
 The reactant gases are introduced into a reaction chamber and are
decomposed and reacted at a heated surface to form the thin film .
 The key parameters are reaction rates, gas transport, diffusion .
 By varying the experimental conditions – Substrate material, Substrate
temperature, composition of the reaction gas mixture, total pressure gas
flows, etc…-- materials with different properties can be grown.
 CVD is an example for Solid-Vapour Reaction.
 MAIN COMPONENTS OF CVD EQUIPMENT

1. Chemical vapour precursor supply system

 The role of this component is to generate vapour precursors and then deliver to the
reactor.
 The design of the CVD reactor depends on wheather the starting materila is solid,
liquid or gas.
 The sublimation of a solid precursor depends on surface area of the solid and contact
time.
 Liquid sources often use a bubbler to vaporise the reactants and a carrier gas
(reactive gases such as H2 or inert gases such as Ar ) to transport the vapoursied
reactant into the reactor.
 MAIN COMPONENTS OF CVD EQUIPMENT (cont)

2. CVD Reactors
Hot-wall reactor :
• In this the substrate (wafer) and the walls of the reactor are heated, i.e., a
homogeneous temperature is maintained inside the reaction chamber.
Contamination is it’s main disadvantage.
Cold-wall reactor :
• This reactor uses heating systems that minimize the heating up of the reactor
walls while the wafer is being heated up. The temperature is not homogeneous
inside the reaction chamber. It is difficult to get a uniform layer of the film.
 MAIN COMPONENTS OF CVD EQUIPMENT (cont)

3. The Effluent gas handling system

 This component consist of a neutralizing part for the exhaust gases, and/or a vacuum

system to provide the required reduced pressure for the CVD process that performs at

low pressure or high pressure vacuum during deposition.

 The unreacted precursors and corrosive by-products such as HCl are neutralised or

trapped using a liquid nitrogen trap.

 Inflammable gases such as hydrogen are burned off.

 Unreacted expensive precursors may be collected at the outlet and recycled.

 TYPES OF CVD

╬ Hot-wall thermal CVD (Batch operation type)

╬ Plasma assisted CVD
╬ Atmospheric Pressure CVD (APCVD) – CVD process at atmospheric pressure.
╬ Low-Pressure CVD (LPCVD) – CVD process at sub-atmospheric pressures. Reduced
pressure tend to reduce unwanted gas-phase reactions and improve film uniformity
across the wafer.
╬ UltraHighVaccum CVD (UHVCVD) – CVD process at very low pressure, typically below
10-6 Pa (~10-8 torr).
╬ Aerosol Assisted CVD (AACVD).
╬ Direct Liquid Injection CVD (DLICVD).
 TYPES OF CVD

╬ Microwave Plasma-assisted CVD (MPCVD).

╬ Plasma-Enhanced CVD (PECVD).
╬ Remote Plasma-Enhanced CVD (RPECVD).
╬ Atomic Layer CVD (ALCVD).
╬ Combustion Chemical Vapor Deposition (CCVD).
╬ Hot Wire CVD (HWCVD).
╬ Metalorganic CVD (MOCVD).
╬ Rapid Thermal CVD (RTCVD).
╬ Hybrid Physical-Chemical Vapor Deposition (HPCVD).
 CVD APPARATUS

 Gas delivery system – For the supply of precursors to the reactor chamber.
 Reactor chamber – Chamber within which deposition take place.
 Substrate loading mechanism – A system for introducing and removing substrates,
mandrels etc.
 Energy source – Provide the energy/heat that is required to get the precursors to
react/decompose .
 Vacuum system – A system for removal of all other gaseous species other than those
required for the reaction/decomposition.
 CVD APPARATUS

 Exhaust system – System for removal of volatile by-products from the reaction
chamber.
 Exhaust treatment systems – In some instances, exhaust gases may not be suitable
for release into the atmosphere and may require treatment or conversion to
safe/harmless compounds.
 Process control equipment – Gauges, controls etc.. To monitor the process
parameters such as pressure, temperature and time. Alarms and safety devices would
also be included in this category.
 Steps involved in a CVD Process

1) Transport of reactant by forced convection to the deposition region .

2) Transport of reactant by diffusion from the main gas stream through the

boundary layer to the wafer surface .

3) Absorption of reactants on the wafer surface .

4) Surface processes, including chemical decomposition or reaction, surface

migration to the attachment sites (such as atomic-level ledges and kinks), site

incorporation and other surface reactions.

 Steps involved in a CVD Process (cont)

5) Desorption of Byproducts by diffusion through the boundary layer and back to

the main gas stream.

6) Transport of Byproducts by diffusion thrugh the boundary layer and back to the

main gas stream.

7) Transport of Byproducts by forced convection away from the deposition region.

Steps involved in a CVD Process (cont)
Choice of chemical reaction
 CVD Reaction Types

1. Pyrolysis .

2. Reduction .

3. Oxidation .

4. Compound Formation .

5. Disproportionation .

6. Reversible Transfer .
CVD Reaction Types
CVD Reaction Types
CVD Reaction Types
 ADVANTAGES OF CVD

 CVD films are generally quite conformal, i.e., the ability of a film to uniformly

coat a topographically complex substrate.

 Versatile – any element or compound can be deposited.

 High purity can be obtained.

 High density – nearly 100% of theoretical value.

 ADVANTAGES OF CVD

 CVD films are harder than similar materials produced using conventional

ceramic fabrication processes.

 Material formation well below the melting point.

 Economical in production, since many parts can be coated at the same time.

 High growth rate.

 Good reproducibility and can grow epitaxial films.

 DISADVANTAGES OF CVD

 Chemical and safety hazards caused by the use of toxic, corrosive, flammable and/or

explosive precursor. Therefore extra steps have to be taken in the handling of the

precursors and in the treatment of the reactor exhaust.

 High deposition temperatures (often greater than 600 degree celsious) are often

suitable for structures already fabricated on the substrates.

 Restrictions on the kind of substances that can be coated.

 It leads to stresses in films deposited on materials with different thermal expansion

coefficients, which can cause mechanical instabilities in the deposited films.

 APPLICATIONS

 COATINGS -

 Such as wear resistance.

 Corrosive resistance.

 High temperature protection.

 Erosion protection.

 SEMICONDUCTOR AND RELATED DEVICES –

 Integrated circuits.

 Sensors.

 Optoelectronic devices.
 APPLICATIONS

 DENSE STRUCTURAL PARTS –

CVD can be used to produce componnts that are difficult or uneconomical to produce

using conventional fabrication techniques.

Dense parts produced via CVD are generally thin walled and maybe deposited onto a

mandrel or former.

 OPTICAL FIBERS – Telecommunication.

 MICROELECTRONICS INDUSTRY – To make films serving as dielectrics, conductors,

passivation layers , oxidation barriers and epitaxial layers.

 APPLICATIONS

 COMPOSITES –

Preforms can be infiltered using CVD techniques to produce ceramic matrix composites

such as carbon-carbon, carbon-silicon carbide and silicon carbide-silicon carbide

composites. This process is sometimes called Chemical vapor infiltration or CVI.

 POWDER PRODUCTION – Production of novel powders and fibres.

 NANO MACHINES.
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