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Concept
Chemical vapor deposition
Summary
Chemical vapor deposition (CVD) is a vacuum deposition method used to produce high-quality, and high-performance, solid materials. The process is often used in the semiconductor industry to produce thin films.
In typical CVD, the wafer (substrate) is exposed to one or more volatile precursors, which react and/or decompose on the substrate surface to produce the desired deposit. Frequently, volatile by-products are also produced, which are removed by gas flow through the reaction chamber.
Microfabrication processes widely use CVD to deposit materials in various forms, including: monocrystalline, polycrystalline, amorphous, and epitaxial. These materials include: silicon (dioxide, carbide, nitride, oxynitride), carbon (fiber, nanofibers, nanotubes, diamond and graphene), fluorocarbons, filaments, tungsten, titanium nitride and various high-κ dielectrics.
The term chemical vapour deposition was coined 1960 by John M. Blocher, Jr. who intended to differentiate chemical from physical vapour deposition (PVD).
CVD is practiced in a variety of formats. These processes generally differ in the means by which chemical reactions are initiated.
Classified by operating conditions:
Atmospheric pressure CVD (APCVD) – CVD at atmospheric pressure.
Low-pressure CVD (LPCVD) – CVD at sub-atmospheric pressures. Reduced pressures tend to reduce unwanted gas-phase reactions and improve film uniformity across the wafer.
Ultrahigh vacuum CVD (UHVCVD) – CVD at very low pressure, typically below 10−6 Pa (≈ 10−8 torr). Note that in other fields, a lower division between high and ultra-high vacuum is common, often 10−7 Pa.
Sub-atmospheric CVD (SACVD) – CVD at sub-atmospheric pressures. Uses tetraethyl orthosilicate (TEOS) and ozone to fill high aspect ratio Si structures with silicon dioxide (SiO2).
Most modern CVD is either LPCVD or UHVCVD.
Classified by physical characteristics of vapor:
Aerosol assisted CVD (AACVD) – CVD in which the precursors are transported to the substrate by means of a liquid/gas aerosol, which can be generated ultrasonically.
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