Systems and Methods for UV-Based Suppression of Plasma Instability

A method for in-situ treatment of film surface defects during a plasma-based film deposition process, comprising:

• a) positioning a substrate in exposure to a plasma generation region within a plasma processing chamber;
• b) generating a plasma within the plasma generation region, the plasma configured to cause deposition of a film on the substrate, wherein the plasma is generated until the film deposited on the substrate reaches a threshold film thickness;
• c) upon the film deposited on the substrate reaching the threshold film thickness, stopping generation of the plasma and operating an ultraviolet irradiation device in exposure to the plasma generation region to transmit ultraviolet radiation through the plasma generation region with the substrate and film deposited on the substrate being exposed to the ultraviolet radiation, wherein the ultraviolet radiation incident upon the substrate induces a reaction on the substrate to resolve defects within the film on the substrate;
• d) stopping operation of the ultraviolet irradiation device;
• e) resuming generation of the plasma within the plasma generation region until an interval thickness of the film deposited on the substrate reaches the threshold film thickness, wherein the interval thickness of the film corresponds to a thickness of the film deposited since a most recent stopping of operation of the ultraviolet irradiation device;
• f) upon the interval thickness of the film deposited on the substrate reaching the threshold film thickness, stopping generation of the plasma and resuming operation of the ultraviolet irradiation device in exposure to the plasma generation region to transmit ultraviolet radiation through the plasma generation region with the substrate and film deposited on the substrate being exposed to the ultraviolet radiation, wherein the ultraviolet radiation incident upon the substrate induces the reaction on the substrate to resolve defects within the film on the substrate;
• g) repeating operations d), e), and f) in a successive manner until the film deposited on the substrate reaches a secured film thickness.

An apparatus for in-situ treatment of film surface defects during a plasma-based film deposition process, comprising:

• a substrate support having a top surface configured to support a substrate during a plasma processing operation to deposit a film on the substrate;
• an electrode disposed to transmit radiofrequency power into a plasma generation region overlying the substrate support;
• a process gas delivery component configured to deliver a process gas to the plasma generation region;
• an exhaust outlet configured to exhaust gases from the plasma generation region;
• and
• an ultraviolet irradiation device disposed to transmit ultraviolet radiation through the plasma generation region in a direction toward a top surface of the substrate support.