Electrostatic chucking process

A method for processing a substrate, comprising sequential operations of:

• (a) positioning the substrate on a surface of a pedestal within a process chamber, wherein the pedestal is at a first spacing from a showerhead;
• (b) applying a DC voltage at a first DC voltage level to an electrode disposed within the pedestal to chuck the substrate;
• (c) flowing one or more first process gases comprising helium into the process chamber;
• (d) applying an RF power at a first RF power level to the showerhead within the process chamber;
• (e) flowing one or more second process gases into the process chamber while removing the one or more first process gases from the process chamber;
• (f) increasing the DC voltage and the RF power to a second DC voltage level and a second RF power level at least one of prior to or during applying a plasma generated from at least one of the one or more first process gases and the one or more second process gases to the substrate;
• (g) flowing the one or more first process gases into the process chamber while removing the one or more second process gases from the process chamber;
• (h) decreasing the DC voltage and the RF power to a third DC voltage level and a third RF power level after the applying the plasma to the substrate;
• (i) moving the pedestal within the process chamber to a second spacing from the showerhead;
• (j) stopping the application of the RF power to the showerhead;
• (k) removing the one or more first process gases from the process chamber;
• and
• (l) stopping the application of the DC voltage to the electrode.

A method for processing a substrate, comprising:

• positioning the substrate on a surface of a pedestal, wherein the pedestal is at a first spacing from a showerhead within a process chamber;
• applying a DC voltage at a first DC voltage to an electrode disposed within the pedestal;
• flowing a first process gas comprising helium into the process chamber through the showerhead after the application of the DC voltage at a first DC voltage level;
• applying radio frequency (RF) power to the showerhead within the process chamber at a first RF power level;
• moving the pedestal to a second spacing from the showerhead, wherein the second spacing is closer to the showerhead than the first spacing;
• flowing a second process gas mixture comprising at least one of tungsten hexafluoride, diborane, or tungsten pentacarbonyl 1-methylbutylisonitrile into the process chamber through the showerhead while removing the first process gas from the process chamber;
• increasing the DC voltage and the RF power to a second DC voltage level and a second RF power level at least one of prior to or during applying a plasma generated from at least one of the first process gas and the second process gas mixture to the substrate;
• decreasing the DC voltage and the RF power to a third DC voltage level and a third RF power level after the applying the plasma to the substrate;
• flowing the first process gas into the process chamber through the showerhead while removing the second process gas mixture from the process chamber after the applying the plasma to the substrate;
• moving the pedestal within the process chamber to a third spacing from the showerhead;
• stopping the application of the RF power;
• removing the first process gas from the process chamber after stopping the application of the RF power;
• and
• stopping the application of the DC power after removing the first process gas from the process chamber and after stopping the application of the RF power.