Low cost flowable dielectric films

Abstract

A method of forming a dielectric layer is described. The method deposits a silicon-containing film by chemical vapor deposition using a local plasma. The silicon-containing film is flowable during deposition at low substrate temperature. A silicon precursor (e.g. a silylamine, higher order silane or halogenated silane) is delivered to the substrate processing region and excited in a local plasma. A second plasma vapor or gas is combined with the silicon precursor in the substrate processing region and may include ammonia, nitrogen (N), argon, hydrogen (H) and/or oxygen (O). The equipment configurations disclosed herein in combination with these vapor/gas combinations have been found to result in flowable deposition at substrate temperatures below or about 200° C. when a local plasma is excited using relatively low power.