Applied Materials, Inc.

Tian-Hoe Lim

Li-Qun Xia

Ellie Y Yieh

Frederic Gaillard

Shin-Puu Jeng

Yung-Cheng Lu

Wai-Fan Yau

Kuowei Liu

Keith Harvey

Dian Sugiarto

Huong Thanh Nguyen

Jen Shu

Frederick Gaillard

Himanshu Pokharrna

A method for processing a substrate including depositing a dielectric layer containing silicon, oxygen, and carbon on the substrate by chemical vapor deposition, wherein the dielectric layer has a carbon content of at least 1% by atomic weight and a dielectric constant of less than about 3, and depositing a silicon and carbon containing layer on the dielectric layer. The dielectric constant of a dielectric layer deposited by reaction of an organosilicon compound having three or more methyl groups is significantly reduced by further depositing an amorphous hydrogenated silicon carbide layer by reaction of an alkylsilane in a plasma of a relatively inert gas.

Method of decreasing the k value in sioc layer deposited by chemical vapor deposition

A method for processing a substrate comprising depositing a dielectric layer comprising silicon, oxygen, and carbon on the substrate by chemical vapor deposition, wherein the dielectric layer has a carbon content of at least 1% by atomic weight and a dielectric constant of less than about 3, and depositing a silicon and carbon containing layer on the dielectric layer. The dielectric constant of a dielectric layer deposited by reaction of an organosilicon compound having three or more methyl groups is significantly reduced by further depositing an amorphous hydrogenated silicon carbide layer by reaction of an alkylsilane in a plasma of a relatively inert gas.

Method of decreasing the K value in SIOC layer deposited by chemical vapor deposition

An embodiment of the present invention provides methods for forming a carbon-containing layer having a low dielectric constant and good gap-fill capabilities. A method includes depositing a carbon-containing layer on a substrate and transforming the carbon-containing layer to remove at least some of the carbon. The transforming step may include annealing the carbon-containing layer in a furnace containing a hydrogen atmosphere, for example. The carbon-containing layer may be a carbon-doped silicon oxide material, where the transforming step changes the carbon-doped silicon oxide. Additionally, the method may include subjecting the annealed layer to a hydrogen and/or low oxygen plasma treatment to further remove carbon from the layer. Additionally, a step of adding a capping layer to the annealed, plasma treated material is provided. Products made by the above methods are also included, such as a product including a low k carbon-containing layer where the low k carbon-containing layer has been transformed to remove some of the carbon from the layer. An additional product includes a transformed carbon-containing layer further subjected to a hydrogen plasma treatment to remove more carbon from the layer. Further, a capping layer deposited over the transformed and hydrogen plasma treated layer is provided.

Process for forming a low dielectric constant carbon-containing film

Method of decreasing the K value in SiOC layer deposited by chemical vapor deposition

A UV radiation source is tunable to optimize the process of densifying a carbon-doped silicon oxide film. The composition and relative concentration of stimulated gases stimulated within an airtight bulb is controlled to produce radiation optimized for absorption by undesirable chemical bonds of the carbon-doped silicon oxide film, leading to disruption of these bonds and their replacement by more desirable stable chemical bonds. The energy of radiation emitted by the source is determined by the identity of excited chemical species, and the intensity of the radiation emitted by the source is determined by the concentration of the excited chemical species. By exciting a specific mixture of gases, radiation is emitted at a combination of energies and intensities calculated to disrupt populations of unstable bonds in the carbon-doped silicon oxide film while leaving desirable bonds in the film unaffected.

UV radiation source for densification of CVD carbon-doped silicon oxide films

A method for forming an insulation layer over a substrate. The method forms a carbon-doped silicon oxide layer by thermal chemical vapor deposition using an organosilane. The carbon-doped silicon oxide layer is subsequently cured and densified. In one embodiment, the cured film is densified in a nitrogen-containing plasma. The method is particularly suitable for deposition of low dielectric constant films, i.e., where k is less than or equal to 3.0. Low-k, carbon-doped silicon oxide methylsilane or di-, tri-, tetra-, or phenylmethylsilane. and ozone. The above method can be carried out in a substrate processing system having a process chamber; a substrate holder, a heater, a gas delivery system, and a power supply, all of which are coupled to a controller. The controller contains a memory having a computer-readable medium with a program embodied for directing operation of the system in accordance with above method.

Surface treatment of c-doped SiO2 film to enhance film stability during O2 ashing

A method of forming an organosilicate layer is disclosed. The organosilicate layer is formed by applying an electric field to a gas mixture comprising a phenyl-based silane compound. The gas mixture may optionally include an oxidizing gas. The organosilicate layer is compatible with integrated circuit fabrication processes. In one integrated circuit fabrication process, the organosilicate layer is used as an anti-reflective coating (ARC). In another integrated circuit fabrication process, the organosilicate layer is incorporated into a damascene structure.

Method of depositing organosilicate layers

Carbon-doped silicon oxide films (SiC O ) produced by CVD of an organosilane gas containing at least one silicon carbon bond, are rapidly densified by exposure to ultraviolet radiation. UV radiation exposure disrupts undesirable chemical bonds (such as Si&mdash;OH) present in the carbon-doped silicon oxide following deposition, replacing these bonds with more desirable chemical bonds characteristic of an ordered silicon oxide lattice. As a result of radiation exposure and the chemical bond replacement, gases such as water vapor are evolved and removed, producing a densified and stable carbon-doped silicon oxide film. Densification utilizing ultraviolet radiation is particularly useful because softness and fragility of freshly-deposited (SiC O ) films may preclude insertion and removal of coated substrates from conventional batch loaded thermal annealing chambers.

Method for densification of CVD carbon-doped silicon oxide films through UV irradiation

Surface treatment of C-doped SiO2 film to enhance film stability during O2 ashing

The present invention provides a method of depositing a carbon doped silicon oxide film having a low dielectric constant (k). The concentration of oxygen is controlled to produce soft plasma conditions inside the chamber while a precursor gas is diverted through a bypass to stabilize the precursor gas flow prior to routing the precursor into the chamber and using a back to back plasma deposition scheme.

Method for using bypass lines to stabilize gas flow and maintain plasma inside a deposition chamber

A method of minimizing particle or residue accumulation within an exhaust line of a substrate processing chamber having a downstream plasma apparatus connected to the exhaust line. One embodiment of the method turns ON the downstream plasma apparatus during a substrate deposition step and a chamber clean operation, and switches the downstream plasma apparatus OFF at other times including the time during which purge gases are flowed into the chamber and various chamber set up or conditioning steps are performed. The method includes depositing a film over a substrate disposed in the substrate processing chamber by (i) flowing a deposition gas into the substrate processing chamber, exhausting at least some of the deposition gas from the processing chamber through an exhaust line and into the downstream plasma apparatus, and forming a plasma within the downstream plasma apparatus; and then (ii) stopping the flow of the deposition gas, turning the plasma OFF, and flowing a purge gas into the substrate processing chamber. After one or more film deposition steps, the chamber is cleaned to remove film deposition from the interior surfaces of the chamber by (i) flowing an etchant into the substrate processing chamber, exhausting the etchant from the substrate processing chamber through an exhaust line and into the downstream plasma apparatus, and forming a plasma within the downstream plasma apparatus; and then (ii) stopping the flow of the etchant, turning the plasma OFF, and flowing a purge gas into the substrate processing chamber.

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Santa Clara, CA, United States of America

Tian-Hoe Lim