Method for forming and using stress-tuned silicon oxide films in semiconductor device patterning

A method for processing a substrate, the method comprising:

• receiving a substrate containing a base layer having a mandrel pattern formed thereon comprising a number of features;
• conformally depositing a silicon oxide film over the mandrel pattern by:
• coating surfaces of the substrate with a metal-containing catalyst layer, and
• in the absence of any oxidizing and hydrolyzing agent, exposing the substrate to a process gas containing a silanol gas at a substrate temperature that is selected to yield a preferred level of stress in the silicon oxide film;
• conformally depositing a metal oxide film on the silicon oxide film;
• thereafter, removing the metal oxide film and the silicon oxide film from upper surfaces of the mandrel pattern and lower surfaces adjacent the mandrel pattern to leave behind metal oxide sidewall spacers and silicon oxide sidewall spacers on sidewalls of the mandrel pattern;
• and
• removing the mandrel pattern from the substrate to leave behind the metal oxide sidewall spacers and the silicon oxide sidewall spacers that form a new pattern having double the number of features of the removed mandrel pattern.

A method for processing a substrate, the method comprising:

• receiving a substrate containing a base layer having a mandrel pattern formed thereon containing a number of features;
• conformally depositing a silicon oxide film over the mandrel pattern by
• coating surfaces of the substrate with a metal-containing catalyst layer, and
• in the absence of any oxidizing and hydrolyzing agent, exposing the substrate to a process gas containing a silanol gas at a substrate temperature that is selected to yield a preferred level of stress in the silicon oxide film;
• removing the silicon oxide film from upper surfaces of the mandrel pattern and lower surfaces adjacent the mandrel pattern to leave behind silicon oxide sidewall spacers on sidewalls of the mandrel pattern;
• removing the mandrel pattern from the substrate to leave behind the silicon oxide sidewall spacers that form a new pattern having double the number of features of the removed mandrel pattern;
• conformally depositing a metal oxide film on the new pattern;
• removing the metal oxide film from upper surfaces of the new pattern and lower surfaces adjacent the new pattern to leave behind metal oxide sidewall spacers on sidewalls of the new pattern;
• and
• removing the silicon oxide sidewall spacers from the substrate to leave behind the metal oxide sidewall spacers that form a second new pattern having double the number of features of the removed new pattern.