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US 11,028,477 B2Granted
Bottom-up gap-fill by surface poisoning treatment
AssigneeApplied Materials, Inc.
InventorsMark Saly, Keiichi Tanaka, Eswaranand Venkatasubramanian, Mandyam Sriram, Bhaskar Jyoti Bhuyan, Pramit Manna, David Thompson, Andrew Short
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Abstract
Methods for depositing film comprising exposing a substrate surface to an organic-based poisoning agent to preferentially inhibit film growth at the top of a feature relative to the bottom of the feature and depositing a film. The substrate can be exposed to the poisoning agent any number of times to promote bottom-up growth of the film in the feature.
Claims15
A processing method comprising:
- exposing a substrate surface having at least one feature thereon to a plasma comprising an organic-based poisoning agent to preferentially poison a top of the at least one feature relative to a bottom of the at least one feature, the organic-based poisoning agent selected from the group consisting of ethanolamine (ETA), hexane, and toluene, the plasma generated in an environment having a pressure in a range of from 0 Torr to 15 Torr via at least one source with a power in a range of from 50 W to 1000 W, the at least one feature having an aspect ratio greater than or equal to 10:1;
- and
- depositing a film comprising silicon in the at least one feature in a bottom-up manner, such that growth on the top of the at least one feature is less than about 25% of the growth that occurs at the bottom of the feature after exposure to the organic-based poisoning agent and such that there are no voids or seams present in the at least one feature.
A processing method comprising:
- positioning a substrate surface in a processing chamber, the substrate surface having at least one feature thereon, the at least one feature creating a gap with a bottom, top and sidewalls, and having an aspect ratio greater than or equal to 10:1;
- exposing the substrate surface to a plasma comprising an organic-based poisoning agent to preferentially inhibit film growth at the top of the at least one feature relative to a bottom of the at least one feature, the organic-based poisoning agent selected from the group consisting of ethanolamine (ETA), hexane, and toluene, the plasma generated in an environment having a pressure in a range of from 0 Torr to 15 Torr via at least one source with a power in a range of from 50 W to 1000 W;
- sequentially exposing the substrate surface to a precursor and a reactant to deposit a layer in the gap;
- and
- repeating exposure to the precursor and reactant to fill the gap of the at least one feature in a bottom-up manner, such that growth on the top of the at least one feature is less than about 25% of the growth that occurs at the bottom of the feature after exposure to the organic-based poisoning agent and such that there are no voids or seams present in the at least one feature.
2 more elements
A processing method comprising:
- placing a substrate having a substrate surface into a processing chamber comprising a plurality of sections, each section separated from adjacent sections by a gas curtain, the substrate surface having at least one feature with a top, bottom and sides and an aspect ratio greater than or equal to 10:1;
- exposing at least a portion of the substrate surface to a first process condition in a first section of the processing chamber, the first process condition comprising a plasma comprising an organic-based poisoning agent to preferentially inhibit film growth at the top of the at least one feature relative to the bottom of the at least one feature, such that growth on the top of the at least one feature is less than about 25% of the growth that occurs at the bottom of the feature after exposure to the organic-based poisoning agent and such that there are no voids or seams present in the at least one feature, the organic-based poisoning agent selected from the group consisting of ethanolamine (ETA), hexane, and toluene, the plasma generated in an environment having a pressure in a range of from 0 Torr to 15 Torr via at least one source with a power in a range of from 50 W to 1000 W;
- laterally moving the substrate surface through a gas curtain to a second section of the processing chamber;
- exposing the substrate surface to a second process condition in the second section of the processing chamber, the second process condition comprising silicon precursor;
- laterally moving the substrate surface through a gas curtain to a third section of the processing chamber;
- exposing the substrate surface to a third process condition in the third section of the processing chamber, the third process condition comprising an oxygen-containing reactant to form a SiO2 film;
- and
- repeating exposure to the first section, second section and third section including lateral movement of the substrate surface to fill the at least one feature.
5 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.