Applied Materials, Inc.

Ping Xu

Li-Qun Xia

Srinivas D Nemani

Ellie Y Yieh

Louis Yang

Jia Lee

Dian Sugiarto

Francimar Campana-Schmitt

Mehul B Naik

Shankar Venkataraman

Ashok K Sinha

Farhad K Moghadam

Judy H Huang

Yi Zheng

Ju-Hyung Lee

Fei Han

Kangsub Yim

Larry A Dworkin

Christopher Dennis Bencher

Chi-I Lang

Wai-Fan Yau

Thomas E Nowak

Tsutomu Tanaka

Martin Jay Seamons

Kaushal Kishore Singh

Sudha S Rathi

Kegang Huang

Tzu-Fang Huang

Mario Dave Silvetti

Ian Scot Latchford

Stuardo A Robles

Wen H Zhu

Kuo-Shih Liu

Zhi Xu

Jason K Foster

Bok Heon Kim

Ishing Lou

Gang Chen

Heath B DeShong

Ramana Veerasingam

A method is provided for processing a substrate surface by delivering a first gas mixture comprising a first organosilicon compound, a first oxidizing gas, and one or more hydrocarbon compounds into a chamber at deposition conditions sufficient to deposit a first low dielectric constant film on the substrate surface. A second gas mixture having a second organosilicon compound and a second oxidizing gas is delivered into the chamber at deposition conditions sufficient to deposit a second low dielectric constant film on the first low dielectric constant film. The flow rate of the second oxidizing gas into the chamber is increased, and the flow rate of the second organosilicon compound into the chamber is decreased to deposit an oxide rich cap on the second low dielectric constant film.

Bi-layer capping of low-K dielectric films

A method is provided for processing a substrate including providing a processing gas comprising an organosilicon compound comprising a phenyl group to the processing chamber, and reacting the processing gas to deposit a low k silicon carbide barrier layer useful as a barrier layer in damascene or dual damascene applications with low k dielectric materials.

Method of depositing low k barrier layers

Methods are provided for depositing an oxygen-doped dielectric layer. The oxygen-doped dielectric layer may be used for a barrier layer or a hardmask. In one aspect, a method is provided for processing a substrate including positioning the substrate in a processing chamber, introducing a processing gas comprising an oxygen-containing organosilicon compound, carbon dioxide, or combinations thereof, and an oxygen-free organosilicon compound to the processing chamber, and reacting the processing gas to deposit an oxygen-doped dielectric material on the substrate, wherein the dielectric material has an oxygen content of about 15 atomic percent or less. The oxygen-doped dielectric material may be used as a barrier layer in damascene or dual damascene applications.

Method of depositing dielectric materials including oxygen-doped silicon carbide in damascene applications

Method of depositing low K barrier layers

A method of forming a silicon carbide layer for use in integrated circuit fabrication processes is provided. The silicon carbide layer is formed by reacting a gas mixture comprising a silicon source, a carbon source, and a dopant in the presence of an electric field. The as-deposited silicon carbide layer has a compressibility that varies as a function of the amount of dopant present in the gas mixture during later formation.

Method of depositing dielectric films

A method is provided for processing a substrate including treating a surface of a dielectric layer comprising silicon and carbon by exposing the dielectric layer comprising silicon and carbon to a plasma of an inert gas, and depositing a photoresist on the dielectric layer comprising silicon and carbon. The dielectric layer may comprise a first dielectric layer comprising silicon, carbon, and nitrogen, and a second layer of nitrogen-free silicon and carbon containing material in situ on the first dielectric layer, and a third dielectric layer comprising silicon, oxygen, and carbon on the second dielectric layer.

Method of eliminating photoresist poisoning in damascene applications

Method of depositing dielectric materials in damascene applications

Methods and apparatus for cleaning semiconductor processing equipment. The apparatus include both local and remote gas dissociators coupled to a semiconductor processing chamber to be cleaned. The methods include introducing a precursor gas into the remote dissociator where the gas is dissociated and introducing a portion of the dissociated gas into the chamber. Another portion of the dissociated gas which re-associates before introduction into the chamber is also introduced into the chamber where it is again dissociated. The dissociated gas combines with contaminants in the chamber and is exhausted from the chamber along with the contaminants.

Enhanced remote plasma cleaning

A method for depositing a low k dielectric film comprising silicon, carbon, and nitrogen is provided. The low k dielectric film is formed by a gas mixture comprising a silicon source, a carbon source, and NRRR, wherein R, R, and Rare selected from the group consisting of alkyl and phenyl groups. The low k dielectric film may be used as a barrier layer, an etch stop, an anti-reflective coating, or a hard mask.

Method of depositing a low k dielectric barrier film for copper damascene application

Methods and apparatus for depositing low dielectric constant layers that are resistant to oxygen diffusion and have low oxygen contents are provided. The layers may be formed by exposing a low dielectric constant layer to a plasma of an inert gas to densify the low dielectric constant layer, by exposing the low dielectric constant layer to a nitrating plasma to form a passivating nitride surface on the layer, or by depositing a thin passivating layer on the low dielectric constant layer to reduce oxygen diffusion therein. The low dielectric constant layer may be deposited and treated in situ.

Method and apparatus for treating low k dielectric layers to reduce diffusion

A method of forming a silicon carbide layer, a silicon nitride layer, an organosilicate layer is disclosed. The silicon carbide layer is formed by reacting a gas mixture comprising a silicon source, a carbon source, and a fluorine source in the presence of an electric field. The silicon nitride layer is formed by reacting a gas mixture comprising a silicon source, a nitrogen source, and a fluorine source in the presence of an electric field. The organosilicate layer is formed by reacting a gas mixture comprising a silicon source, a carbon source, an oxygen source and a fluorine source in the presence of an electric field. The silicon carbide layer, the silicon nitride layer and the organosilicate layer are all compatible with integrated circuit fabrication processes.

Fluorine-containing layers for damascene structures

The present invention provides an in situ plasma reducing process to reduce oxides or other contaminants, using a compound of nitrogen and hydrogen, typically ammonia, at relatively low temperatures prior to depositing a subsequent layer thereon. The adhesion characteristics of the layers are improved and oxygen presence is reduced compared to the typical physical sputter cleaning process of an oxide layer. This process may be particularly useful for the complex requirements of a dual damascene structure, especially with copper applications.

Plasma treatment for copper oxide reduction

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Fremont, CA, United States of America

Ping Xu