Applied Materials, Inc.

National University of Singapore

Vicknesh Sahmuganathan

John Leonard Sudijono

Abhijit Basu Mallick

Eswaranand Venkatasubramanian

Kian Ping Loh

Jiteng Gu

Sze Chieh Tan

Zhongxin Chen

Eric J Bergman

James S Papanu

Arvind Sundarrajan

Thai Cheng Chua

Guan Huei See

Prayudi Lianto

Jenn-Yue Wang

Christian Valencia

Wei Ying Doreen Yong

Jiecong Tang

Yuanxing Han

Yin Wei Lim

Nur Yasmeen Addina Mohamed Helmi Isik

Yi Kun Kelvin Goh

Masahiro Kawasaki

Haisen Xu

Methods and apparatus for processing a substrate are provided herein. For example, methods for enhancing surface hydrophilicity on a substrate comprise a) supplying, using a remote plasma source, water vapor plasma to a processing volume of a plasma processing chamber to treat a bonding surface of the substrate, b) supplying at least one of microwave power or RF power at a frequency from about 1 kHz to 10 GHz and a power from about 1 kW to 10 kW to the plasma processing chamber to maintain the water vapor plasma within the processing volume during operation, and c) continuing a) and b) until the bonding surface of the substrate has a hydrophilic contact angle of less than 10°.

Water vapor plasma to enhance surface hydrophilicity

Methods of depositing a nanocrystalline diamond film are described. The method may be used in the manufacture of integrated circuits. Methods include treating a substrate with a plasma to form a treated substrate surface, incubating the treated substrate with a carbon-rich plasma to nucleate diamond particles on the treated substrate surface, followed by treating the substrate with a plasma to form a nanocrystalline diamond film. The resulting nanocrystalline diamond films are formed on an interfacial oxide-rich amorphous layer between the nanocrystalline diamond film and a silicon substrate.

Nanocrystalline diamond with amorphous interfacial layer

Hard masks and methods of forming hard masks are described. The hard mask has an average roughness less than 10 nm and a modulus greater than or equal to 400 GPa. The method comprises exposing a substrate to a deposition gas comprising a dopant gas or a precursor (solid (e.g. Alkylborane compounds) or liquid (e.g. Borazine)), a carbon gas and argon at a temperature less than or equal to 550 C, and igniting a plasma from the deposition gas to form an ultrananocrystalline diamond film having an average roughness less than 10 nm and a modulus greater than or equal to 400 GPa.

Methods to reduce UNCD film roughness

Apparatuses and methods for forming a film on a substrate are described. The film is formed on the substrate by depositing an adamantane monomer and an initiator on the substrate to form a polymerizable seed layer and curing the polymerizable seed layer to form a polyadamantane layer.

Method of forming a diamond film

Methods of depositing a nanocrystalline diamond film are described. The method may be used in the manufacture of integrated circuits. Methods include treating a substrate with a mild plasma to form a treated substrate surface, incubating the treated substrate with a carbon-rich weak plasma to nucleate diamond particles on the treated substrate surface, followed by treating the substrate with a strong plasma to form a nanocrystalline diamond film.

In situ nucleation for nanocrystalline diamond film deposition

Methods to manufacture integrated circuits are described. Nanocrystalline diamond is used as a hard mask in place of amorphous carbon. Provided is a method of processing a substrate in which nanocrystalline diamond is used as a hard mask, wherein processing methods result in a smooth surface. The method involves two processing parts. Two separate nanocrystalline diamond recipes are combined—the first and second recipes are cycled to achieve a nanocrystalline diamond hard mask having high hardness, high modulus, and a smooth surface. In other embodiments, the first recipe is followed by an inert gas plasma smoothening process and then the first recipe is cycled to achieve a high hardness, a high modulus, and a smooth surface.

Tribological properties of diamond films

Methods to manufacture integrated circuits are described. Nanocrystalline diamond is used as a hard mask in place of amorphous carbon. Provided is a method of processing a substrate in which nanocrystalline diamond is used as a hard mask, wherein processing methods result in a smooth surface. The method involves two processing parts. Two separate nanocrystalline diamond recipes are combined&#x2014;the first and second recipes are cycled to achieve a nanocrystalline diamond hard mask having high hardness, high modulus, and a smooth surface. In other embodiments, the first recipe is followed by an inert gas plasma smoothening process and then the first recipe is cycled to achieve a high hardness, a high modulus, and a smooth surface.

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Singapore, Singapore

Vicknesh Sahmuganathan