Novellus Systems Incorporated

Intermolecular, Inc.

Wenxian Zhu

Chi-I Lang

Judy H Huang

Frank Greer

Minh Anh Nguyen

Ratsamee Limdulpaiboon

Waikit Fung

Siswanto Sutanto

Sunil Shanker

George D Papasouliotis

Jengyi Yu

M Ziaul Karim

Tze Wing Poon

Vishal Gauri

Jason L Tian

J Watanabe

Andy Steinbach

Mayasari Lim

Pingsheng Sun

Jeffrey Chih-Hou Lowe

Cong Do

Sean Cox

Ken Vo

Methods and apparatus for processing using a remote plasma source are disclosed. The apparatus includes an outer chamber enclosing a substrate support, a remote plasma source, and a showerhead. A substrate heater can be mounted in the substrate support. A transport system moves the substrate support and is capable of positioning the substrate. The plasma system may be used to generate activated species. The activated species can be used to treat the surfaces of low-k and/or ultra low-k dielectric materials to facilitate improved deposition of diffusion barrier materials.

Plasma treatment of low-K surface to improve barrier deposition

Defects in hydrogenated amorphous silicon are reduced by low-energy ion treatments and optional annealing. The treatments leave strongly-bonded hydrogen and other passivants in place, but increase the mobility of loosely-bonded and interstitially trapped hydrogen that would otherwise form unwanted two-level systems (TLS). The mobilized hydrogen atoms may be attracted to unused passivation sites or recombined into Hgas and diffuse out of the deposited layer. The treatments also increase the density of the material. The optional anneal may partially crystallize the layer, further densify the layer, or both. The reduced number of defects and the increased crystallinity reduce the loss tangent of amorphous silicon dielectrics for superconducting microwave devices.

Plasma densification of dielectrics for improved dielectric loss tangent

Plasma etch processes incorporating H/Noble gas etch chemistries. In particular, high density plasma chemical vapor etch-enhanced (deposition-etch-deposition) gap fill processes incorporating etch chemistries which incorporate hydrogen and one or more Noble gases as the etchant that can effectively fill high aspect ratio gaps while reducing or eliminating dielectric contamination by etchant chemical species.

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Plasma etch processes incorporating helium-based etch chemistries can remove dielectric a semiconductor applications. In particular, high density plasma chemical vapor etch-enhanced (deposition-etch-deposition) gap fill processes incorporating etch chemistries which incorporate helium as the etchant that can effectively fill high aspect ratio gaps while reducing or eliminating dielectric contamination by etchant chemical species.

Helium-based etch process in deposition-etch-deposition gap fill

Methods of filling gaps on semiconductor substrates with dielectric film are described. The methods reduce or eliminate sidewall deposition and top-hat formation. The methods also reduce or eliminate the need for etch steps during dielectric film deposition. The methods include treating a semiconductor substrate with a hydrogen plasma before depositing dielectric film on the substrate. In some embodiments, the hydrogen treatment is used is conjunction with a high rate deposition process.

Hydrogen treatment enhanced gap fill

Biased plasma etch processes incorporating Hetch chemistries. In particular, high density plasma chemical vapor etch-enhanced (deposition-etch-deposition) gap fill processes incorporating etch chemistries which incorporate hydrogen as the etchant that can effectively fill high aspect ratio gaps while reducing or eliminating dielectric contamination by etchant chemical species.

Plasma etch processes incorporating etch chemistries which include hydrogen. In particular, high density plasma chemical vapor deposition-etch-deposition processes incorporating etch chemistries which include hydrogen that can effectively fill high aspect ratio (typically at least 3:1, for example 6:1, and up to 10:1 or higher), narrow width (typically sub 0.13 micron, for example 0.1 micron or less) gaps while reducing or eliminating chamber loading and redeposition and improving wafer-to-wafer uniformity relative to conventional deposition-etch-deposition processes which do not incorporate hydrogen in their etch chemistries.

Method for controlling etch process repeatability

A fluorine-doped silica glass (FSG) dielectric layer includes a number of sublayers. Each sublayer is doped with fluorine in such a way that the doping concentration of fluorine in the sublayer decreases as one moves from an interior region of the sublayer towards one or both of the interfaces between the sublayer and adjacent sublayers. This structure reduces the generation of HF when the layer is exposed to moisture and thereby improves the stability and adhesion properties of the layer. The principles of this invention can also be applied to dielectric layers doped with such other dopants as boron, phosphorus or carbon.

Low dielectric constant fluorine-doped silica glass film for use in integrated circuit chips and method of forming the same

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Palo Alto, CA, United States of America

Wenxian Zhu