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US 12,590,363 B2Granted
Apparatus for single chamber deposition and etch
AssigneeApplied Materials, Inc.
InventorsJoseph AuBuchon, Philip A. Kraus, Thai Cheng Chua, James Carducci, Hanhong Chen, Zhejun Zhang, Hao Zhang, Xiankai Yu
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Methods for filling a substrate feature with a seamless dielectric gap fill are described. Methods comprise sequentially depositing a film with a seam and partially etching the film in the same processing chamber. Methods and apparatus allow for the same hardware to be used for PEALD deposition of a film as well as plasma etch of the film.
Claims15
A processing method comprising:
- depositing a first film on a substrate surface in a first processing station of a processing chamber, the substrate surface having at least one feature thereon, the at least one feature extending a feature depth from the substrate surface to a bottom surface, the at least one feature having a width defined by a first sidewall and a second sidewall, wherein the first film is deposited on the substrate surface, the first sidewall, the second sidewall, and the bottom surface of the at least one feature, the first film forming conformally on the substrate surface;
- and
- etching the first film in a second processing station of the processing chamber to non-conformally etch a portion of the first film from the substrate surface, the non-conformal etch removing more of the first film on the first sidewall and the second sidewall near the substrate surface than on the bottom surface of the at least one feature, wherein depositing the first film comprises sequentially exposing the substrate surface to a thermal metal-containing precursor in the first processing station and a plasma in the second processing station, and etching the first film comprises exposing the first film to an etchant in the second processing station.
A processing method comprising:
- depositing a first film on a substrate surface in a first process station of a processing chamber, the substrate surface having at least one feature thereon, the at least one feature extending a feature depth from the substrate surface to a bottom surface, the at least one feature having a width defined by a first sidewall and a second sidewall, wherein the first film is deposited on the substrate surface, the first sidewall, the second sidewall, and the bottom surface of the at least one feature, the first film forming conformally on the substrate surface, the first sidewall, the second sidewall and the bottom surface;
- etching the first film in a second process station of the processing chamber to non-conformally etch a portion of the first film from the substrate surface, the non-conformal etch removing more of the first film on the first sidewall and the second sidewall near the substrate surface than on the bottom surface of the at least one feature, wherein depositing the first film comprises sequentially exposing the substrate surface to a thermal metal-containing precursor in the first processing station and a plasma in the second processing station, and etching the first film comprises exposing the first film to an etchant in the second processing station;
- and
- repeating at least depositing the first film until the at least one feature is full.
1 more element
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.