Novellus Systems Incorporated

Lam Research Corporation

Ajay Saproo

Vikram Singh

Paul K Shufflebotham

Dean R Denison

David T Hodul

Joe Laia

Jim Stimmell

Robert J Whiting

The present invention provides plasma processing systems and methods for providing a set-point temperature for substrates during plasma processing by controlling clamping force or RF power. The plasma processing system includes a plasma chamber, a controller, and an electrostatic power supply. The plasma chamber is arranged to receive an RF power and a source gas for producing plasma. The plasma chamber includes an electrostatic chuck for clamping a substrate in place during plasma processing. The electrostatic chuck includes an electrode and a sensor, which is arranged to monitor temperature of the substrate being processed. The controller is coupled to the sensor to receive the substrate temperature and is configured to generate a control signal for driving the substrate temperature to the set-point temperature. The electrostatic power supply is coupled between the controller and the electrode in the electrostatic chuck. The electrostatic power supply receives the control signal from the controller and generates a voltage adapted to clamp the substrate with a clamping force. In this configuration, the electrostatic power supply provides the voltage to the electrode to clamp the substrate such that the substrate temperature is driven to the set-point temperature.

Predictive wafer temperature control system and method

Dielectric films in integrated circuits are annealed in the presence of water to improve their thermal stability and their resistance to damage from ultraviolet radiation.

Annealing process for low-k dielectric film

A process of preparing a moisture-resistant fluorine containing SiO.sub.x film includes steps of supplying reactant gases containing silicon, oxygen and fluorine into a process chamber and generating plasma in the process chamber, supporting a substrate on a substrate support in the process chamber, depositing a fluorine-containing SiO.sub.x film on the substrate by contacting the substrate with the plasma while maintaining temperature of the film above 300.degree. C., and nitriding an exposed surface of the film with a high density plasma. The silicon and fluorine reactants can be supplied by separate gases such as SiH.sub.4 and SiF.sub.4 or as a single SiF.sub.4 gas and the oxygen reactant can be supplied by a pure oxygen gas. The SiH.sub.4 and SiF.sub.4 can be supplied in a ratio of SiH.sub.4 /(SiH.sub.4 +SiF.sub.4) of no greater than 0.5. The process can provide a film with a fluorine content of 2 to 12 atomic percent and argon can be included in the plasma to assist in gap filling. The plasma can be a high density plasma produced in an ECR, TCP.TM. or ICP reactor and the substrate can be a silicon wafer including one or more metal layers over which the fluorine-containing SiO.sub.x film is deposited. The substrate support can include a gas passage which supplies a temperature control gas into a space between opposed surfaces of the substrate and the substrate support for maintaining the substrate at a desired temperature. The nitriding step can be carried out in less than 1 minute without applying an rf bias to the substrate. The nitriding gas can be N.sub.2, N.sub.2 O and/or NH.sub.3, the nitrogen ion energy can be 20 to 50 eV, the nitrogen flux can be at least 1 mA/cm.sup.2 and the nitrogen gas flow rate can be at least 50 sccm.

Method for preparing nitrogen surface treated fluorine doped silicon

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Mountain View, CA, United States of America

Ajay Saproo