Applied Materials, Inc.

Sudhakar Subrahmanyam

Anand Gupta

Mohan K Bhan

Amrita Verma

Virendra V Rana

Virendra V S Rana

Viren V Rana

Tsutomu Tanaka

Mukul Kelkar

A method and apparatus for depositing a layer having improved film quality at an interface. The method includes the steps of introducing an inert gas into a processing chamber and forming a plasma from the inert gas by applying RF power to the chamber at a selected rate of increase. After RF power has reached full power, a process gas including a reactant gas is introduced to deposit the layer. In a preferred embodiment, the reactant gas is tetraethoxysilane. In another preferred embodiment, the process gas further includes fluorine.

Method and apparatus for improving the film quality of plasma enhanced CVD films at the interface

An improved method of reducing the level of contaminants (e.g., fluorine) absorbed in films deposited within a substrate processing chamber. A seasoning layer is deposited within the substrate processing chamber to cover contaminants that may be absorbed within walls or insulation areas of the chamber interior. The deposited seasoning layer is more stable than prior art seasoning layers and is thus less likely to release the absorbed contaminants into the substrate processing chamber during the subsequent deposition of films. In a preferred embodiment, the seasoning layer is formed from a mixed frequency PECVD process in which the low frequency RF signal is supplied at a high power level to increase ion bombardment and enhance film stability. The increased bombardment favors the formation of stable SiF bonds between silicon and fluorine atoms in the lattice structure of the film rather than unstable SiF,or other bonds. When residual fluorine atoms (e.g., fluorine atoms absorbed within the chamber walls) are incorporated into the deposited seasoning layer, fewer loosely bonded fluorine atoms are incorporated into the layer than in prior art silicon oxide seasoning layers. Fewer loosely bonded fluorine atoms in the seasoning film results in fewer contaminants being incorporated into films deposited over substrates in subsequent processing steps.

Film to tie up loose fluorine in the chamber after a clean process

Method and apparatus for improving the film quality of plasma enhanced

A method and apparatus for improving film stability of a halogen-doped silicon oxide layer. The method includes the step of introducing helium along with the process gas that includes silicon, oxygen and a halogen element. Helium is introduced at an increased rate to stabilize the deposited layer. In a preferred embodiment, the halogen-doped film is a fluorosilicate glass film and TEOS is employed as a source of silicon in the process gas. In still another preferred embodiment, SiF.sub.4 is employed as the fluorine source for the FSG film.

Method and apparatus for improving film stability of halogen-doped

Apparatus and methods are disclosed for utilizing a plasma cleaning operation of a CVD system incorporating cleaning process endpoint detection. In one embodiment, the cleaning process is performed at a constant exhaust capacity and the endpoint detection is in response to a specified rate of change of chamber pressure. In another embodiment, a servo-controlled exhaust system maintains a controlled chamber pressure and the endpoint detection is in response to a specified control signal. In a preferred embodiment, nitrogen trifluoride is converted into a plasma containing free fluorine radicals in a magnetron-powered remote microwave plasma generator. The remotely produced free fluorine radicals are used to remove silicon nitride deposits from a substrate processing chamber. The use of such a remote plasma system provides an efficient cleaning process that takes as little as half the time compared to similar in situ plasma cleaning processes. The incorporation of endpoint detection provides optimal cleaning time for the remote plasma cleaning process.

Method and apparatus for determining the endpoint in a plasma cleaning

An improved method of reducing the level of contaminants (e.g., fluorine) absorbed in films deposited within a substrate processing chamber. A seasoning layer is deposited within the substrate processing chamber to cover contaminants that may be absorbed within walls or insulation areas of the chamber interior. The deposited seasoning layer is more stable than prior art seasoning layers and is thus less likely to release the absorbed contaminants into the substrate processing chamber during the subsequent deposition of films. In a preferred embodiment, the seasoning layer is formed from a mixed frequency PECVD process in which the low frequency RF signal is supplied at a high power level to increase ion bombardment and enhance film stability. The increased bombardment favors the formation of stable SiF bonds between silicon and fluorine atoms in the lattice structure of the film rather than unstable SiF.sub.2 or other bonds. When residual fluorine atoms (e.g., fluorine atoms absorbed within the chamber walls) are incorporated into the deposited seasoning layer, fewer loosely bonded fluorine atoms are incorporated into the layer than in prior art silicon oxide seasoning layers. Fewer loosely bonded fluorine atoms in the seasoning film results in fewer contaminants being incorporated into films deposited over substrates in subsequent processing steps.

A method and apparatus for improving film stability of a halogen-doped silicon oxide layer. The method includes the step of introducing a process gas including a first halogen source and a second halogen source, different from the first halogen source, into a deposition chamber along with silicon and oxygen sources. A plasma is then formed from the process gas to deposit a halogen-doped layer over a substrate disposed in the chamber. It is believed that the introduction of the additional halogen source enhances the etching effect of the film. The enhanced etching component of the film deposition improves the film's gap-fill capabilities and helps stabilizes the film. In a preferred embodiment, the halogen-doped film is a fluorosilicate glass film, SiF.sub.4 is employed as the first halogen source, TEOS is employed as a source of silicon and the second halogen source is either F.sub.2 or NF.sub.3.

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Sunnyvale, CA, United States of America

Sudhakar Subrahmanyam