Lam Research Corporation

Dean R Denison

Randall S Mundt

James E Tappan

Mark Weise

Arthur K Yasuda

Felix Leib Kozakevich

Anwar Husain

William Reid Harshbarger

Paul K Shufflebotham

David Trussell

David R Pirkle

Larry D Hartsough

C Robert Koemtzopoulos

David T Hodul

Ajay Saproo

Alain Harrus

James Lam

A process for reducing intrinsic stress and/or hydrogen content of a SiO,film grown by chemical vapor deposition. The process is applicable to plasma-enhanced and electron cyclotron resonance chemical vapor deposition of silicon dioxide wherein a vapor phase etchant is introduced while growing the silicon dioxide film. The presence of the etchant during the plasma deposition process allows for selective removal of high energy silicon dioxide molecules in the growing film thus reducing intrinsic stress within the film. The use of halogen etchants further reduces the amount of hydrogen present as hydroxyl within the film.

Process for depositing a SiOx film having reduced intrinsic stress and/or reduced hydrogen content

A process of preparing a moisture-resistant fluorine containing silicon oxide 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 and growing a fluorine-containing silicon oxide film on the substrate by contacting the substrate with the plasma while maintaining temperature of the film above 300.degree. C. 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 gas flow 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 2-12 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 silicon oxide 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.

Method for depositing fluorine doped silicon dioxide films

A method for in-situ cleaning of a chuck that bears a semiconductor wafer in a semiconductor manufacturing machine maintains a processing chamber in a sealed condition with the chuck inside the chamber. A wafer bearing surface of the chuck is exposed upon determining that the chuck requires a cleaning. A cleaning gas is then injected into the chamber and RF power is applied to the chamber to create a plasma that cleans the wafer bearing surface. Since the processing chamber is maintained in a sealed condition during the in-situ cleaning of the chuck, the time required to clean the chuck and prepare the chamber for continued production runs is greatly reduced.

Method of in-situ cleaning of a chuck within a plasma chamber

A method and an apparatus for depositing a dielectric film on a substrate in a plasma process chamber wherein the uniformity of the refractive index of the film is improved. The method involves introducing an oxygen reactant and a silicon reactant into the process chamber and generating a plasma, contacting the substrate with the plasma and depositing a SiO.sub.x film thereon. To control uniformity of the refractive index of the film, a second oxygen reactant is injected locally at a position at which it is desired to lower the refractive index. The second oxygen reactant can be O.sub.2 which is injected at the periphery of the substrate. The gas injection apparatus includes a substrate support below the substrate and a deposition shield surrounding the substrate. The shield contains gas injection outlets directed toward the periphery of the substrate for supplying the O.sub.2 to a region above the outer periphery of the substrate.

Method and apparatus for improving refractive index of dielectric films

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

A chuck for processing a substrate includes a chuck body having a dielectric layer, the dielectric layer including a substrate receiving surface, the substrate receiving surface being at least as large as a substrate to be processed on the chuck. The chuck further includes an electrode buried in the chuck body, the electrode being larger than the substrate receiving surface such that edges of a radio frequency field generated by the electrode are all disposed beyond the substrate receiving surface. A method for depositing a film in a radio frequency biased plasma chemical deposition system is also disclosed.

Chuck for substrate processing and method for depositing a film in a

A process for reducing intrinsic stress and/or hydrogen content of a SiO.sub.x film grown by ECR chemical vapor deposition, wherein a vapor phase etchant is introduced while growing the silicon dioxide film. The presence of the etchant during the plasma deposition process allows for selective removal of high energy silicon dioxide molecules in the growing film thus reducing intrinsic stress within the film. The use of halogen etchants further reduces the amount of hydrogen present as hydroxyl within the film.

Process for depositing a SiO.sub.x film having reduced intrinsic stress

A method and apparatus for removing extraneous deposits from particle control surfaces in a microwave plasma generating device. An annular magnetron plasma is formed in contact with a particle control surface having a shape which intersects 200-500 G lines of magnetic induction. The magnetron plasma is scanned across particle control surfaces on a horn and chuck by increasing the current to the main coil and/or mirror coil of the apparatus. As the magnetron plasma moves across the particle control surfaces, the plasma reacts with the extraneous deposits and etches the deposits off of the particle control surfaces.

Apparatus and method for magnetron in-situ cleaning of plasma reaction

A method of controlling deposition quality of line-of-sight and target surfaces in a plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposition apparatus. Adhesion and integrity of deposited film on the surfaces is improved by one or more of (1) avoiding differential thermal expansion of the film and the underlying surfaces, (2) controlling geometry of the surfaces to eliminate edges which generate stress in the deposited film, and (3) using material for the surfaces which provides strong adhesion of the deposited film. For instance, differential thermal expansion can be avoided by maintaining the surfaces at a substantially constant temperature such as ambient temperature. Apparatus for controlling deposition quality of line-of-sight and target surfaces in a plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposition apparatus. The apparatus includes a plasma shield having a line-of-sight surface and a plasma target having a target surface. The line-of-sight surface defines a bore through the plasma shield and is located out of direct contact with a plasma stream, such as oxygen, which passes from a plasma chamber, through the bore, and into a reaction chamber. A semiconductor specimen is mounted on a support in the reaction chamber. The target surface surrounds the specimen. The line-of-sight and target surfaces are maintained at a substantially constant temperature by circulating a fluid medium through fluid passages in the plasma shield and plasma target. The plasma target can include a removable plate having the target surface on one side thereof. The plasma shield can include a removable gas ring for ejecting gas, such as SiH.sub.4, into the bore.

Reaction chamber design to minimize particle generation in chemical

A method of controlling deposition quality of line-of-sight and specimen surrounding surfaces in a plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposition apparatus. Adhesion and integrity of deposited film on the surfaces is improved by one or more of (1) avoiding differential thermal expansion of the film and the underlying surfaces, (2) controlling geometry of the surfaces to eliminate edges which generate stress in the deposited film, and (3) using material for the surface which provides strong adhesion of the deposited film. For instance, differential thermal expansion can be avoided by maintaining the surfaces at a substantially constant temperature such as ambient temperature.

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San Jose, CA, United States of America

Dean R Denison