Applied Materials, Inc.

Ruitong Xiong

Li-Qun Xia

Bo Xie

Yijun Liu

Kang Sub Yim

Sure Ngo

Xianmin Tang

Chengyu Liu

Xiaobo Li

Exemplary semiconductor processing methods may include providing a silicon-containing precursor to a processing region of a semiconductor processing chamber. A substrate may be disposed within the processing region of the semiconductor processing chamber. The methods may include forming a plasma of the silicon-containing precursor in the processing region. The plasma may be at least partially formed by an RF power operating at between about 50 W and 1,000 W, at a pulsing frequency below about 100,000 Hz, and at a duty cycle between about 5% and 95%. The methods may include forming a layer of material on the substrate. The layer of material may include a silicon-containing material.

RF pulsing assisted low-k film deposition with high mechanical strength

Method of forming low-k films with reduced dielectric constant, reduced CHx content, and increased hardness are described. A siloxane film is on a substrate surface using a siloxane precursor comprising O—Si—O bonds and cured using ultraviolet light.

Single precursor low-k film deposition and UV cure for advanced technology node

Exemplary methods of forming a silicon-and-carbon-containing material may include flowing a silicon-oxygen-and-carbon-containing precursor into a processing region of a semiconductor processing chamber. A substrate may be housed within the processing region of the semiconductor processing chamber. The methods may include forming a plasma within the processing region of the silicon-and-carbon-containing precursor. The plasma may be formed at a frequency less than 15 MHz (e.g., 13.56 MHz). The methods may include depositing a silicon-and-carbon-containing material on the substrate. The silicon-and-carbon-containing material as-deposited may be characterized by a dielectric constant below or about 3.5 and a hardness greater than about 3 Gpa.

Systems and methods for depositing low-k dielectric films

A method for dielectric filling of a feature on a substrate yields a seamless dielectric fill with high-k for narrow features. In some embodiments, the method may include depositing a metal material into the feature to fill the feature from a bottom of the feature wherein the feature has an opening ranging from less than 20 nm to approximately 150 nm at an upper surface of the substrate and wherein depositing the metal material is performed using a high ionization physical vapor deposition (PVD) process to form a seamless metal gap fill and treating the seamless metal gap fill by oxidizing/nitridizing the metal material of the seamless metal gap fill with an oxidation/nitridation process to form dielectric material wherein the seamless metal gap fill is converted into a seamless dielectric gap fill with high-k dielectric material.

Methods for seamless gap filling of dielectric material

Semiconductor processing methods are described for forming UV-treated, low-&#x3ba; dielectric films. The methods may include flowing deposition precursors into a substrate processing region of a semiconductor processing chamber. The deposition precursors may include a silicon-and-carbon-containing precursor. The methods may further include generating a deposition plasma from the deposition precursors within the substrate processing region, and depositing a silicon-and-carbon-containing material on the substrate from plasma effluents of the deposition plasma. The as-deposited silicon-and-carbon-containing material may be characterized by greater than or about 5% hydrocarbon groups. The methods may still further include exposing the deposited silicon-and-carbon-containing material to ultraviolet light. The exposed silicon-and-carbon-containing material may be characterized by less than or about 2% hydrocarbon groups.

Systems and methods for forming UV-cured low-&#x3ba; dielectric films

Embodiments of the semiconductor processing methods to form low-&#x3ba; films on semiconductor substrates are described. The processing methods may include flowing deposition precursors into a substrate processing region of a semiconductor processing chamber. The deposition precursors may include a silicon-containing precursor that has at least one vinyl group. The methods may further include generating a deposition plasma in the substrate processing region from the deposition precursors. A silicon-and-carbon-containing material, characterized by a dielectric constant (&#x3ba; value) less than or about 3.0, may be deposited on the substrate from plasma effluents of the deposition plasma.

Systems and methods for depositing low-&#x3ba;dielectric films

Exemplary semiconductor processing methods to clean a substrate processing chamber are described. The methods may include depositing a dielectric film on a first substrate in a substrate processing chamber, where the dielectric film may include a silicon-carbon-oxide. The first substrate having the dielectric film may be removed from the substrate processing chamber, and the dielectric film may be deposited on at least one more substrate in the substrate processing chamber. The at least one more substrate may be removed from the substrate processing chamber after the dielectric film is deposited on the substrate. Etch plasma effluents may flow into the substrate processing chamber after the removal of a last substrate having the dielectric film. The etch plasma effluents may include greater than or about 500 sccm of NFplasma effluents, and greater than or about 1000 sccm of Oplasma effluents.

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Santa Clara, CA, United States of America

Ruitong Xiong