Molecular layer deposition carbon masks for direct selective deposition of silicon-containing materials

A semiconductor processing method comprising:

• providing a structured semiconductor substrate comprising a trench having a bottom surface, top surfaces, and sidewall surfaces adjacent to the bottom surface and top surfaces;
• depositing a first portion of a silicon-containing layer on the trench, wherein the first portion of the silicon-containing layer is characterized by a bottom thickness on the bottom surface of the trench that is greater than a sidewall thickness on the sidewall surfaces of the trench;
• treating the first portion of the silicon-containing layer with ions of one or more of argon, helium, and hydrogen, wherein the ions are accelerated in a direction orthogonal to the structured semiconductor substrate;
• subsequent to treating the first portion of the silicon-containing layer, forming a carbon-containing mask layer on the first portion of the silicon-containing layer on the bottom surface of the trench;
• removing at least some of the first portion of the silicon-containing layer from the top surfaces and the sidewall surfaces of the trench, wherein the carbon-containing mask layer prevents the removal of the first portion of the silicon-containing layer from the bottom surface of the trench;
• removing the carbon-containing mask layer from the bottom surface of the trench;
• and
• forming a second portion of the silicon-containing layer on the trench.