Bottom-Up PEALD Process

A plasma enhanced atomic layer deposition (PEALD) system, comprising:

• a precursor gas source coupled to a processing chamber configured to house a semiconductor workpiece by way of a first conduit;
• an ionization element configured to ionize a precursor gas to form a plurality of ionized precursor molecules within the processing chamber;
• a bias element configured to apply a bias voltage to the semiconductor workpiece, wherein the bias voltage attracts the ionized precursor molecules to the semiconductor workpiece;
• a reactant gas source coupled to the processing chamber by way of a second conduit;
• a plasma generator configured to ignite a plasma within the processing chamber, wherein the plasma causes a reaction between the ionized precursor molecules on the semiconductor workpiece and the reactant gas;
• and
• a control unit configured to operate the bias element and the ionization element during a first operating period and to operate the plasma generator during a second operating period after the first operating period.

A plasma enhanced atomic layer deposition (PEALD) system, comprising:

• an ioniziation element configured to ionize a precursor gas within a processing chamber to form a plurality of ionized precursor molecules;
• a bias element configured to apply a bias voltage to the semiconductor workpiece that attracts the ionized precursor molecules to a semiconductor workpiece within the processing chamber;
• a plasma generator configured to ignite a plasma from a reactant gas;
• and
• a control unit configured to operate the bias element and the ionization element during a first operating period during which the bias voltage causes ionized precursor molecules to accumulate to a greater thickness on a bottom surface of the semiconductor workpiece than on sidewalls of the semiconductor workpiece, and to operate the plasma generator during a second operating period after the first operating period.