Area selective deposition of silicon by plasma enhanced chemical vapor deposition using a fluorinated precursor

An Area Selective Deposition (ASD) process using Plasma-Enhanced Chemical Vapour Deposition (PECVD) is demonstrated. Using a plasma chemistry containing a fluorinated silicon precursor (SiF4), no deposition is observed on an aluminum oxide (AlOX) surface area, whereas a thin film of silicon is deposited on a silicon nitride (SiNX) surface area, while both areas are located on the same crystalline silicon substrate. The thin film deposition is characterized using spectroscopic ellipsometry, scanning electron microscopy, and atomic force microscopy, showing that 10 nm of silicon is deposited on the SiNx in 4 min. The growth on the SiNX is characterized by small grains and a rough surface, consistent with microcrystalline silicon, while no deposition or etching is observed for the AlOX surface.