# US 2021/0280451 A1 · Low temperature steam free oxide gapfill

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- Number: US 2021/0280451 A1
- Document ID: US20210280451A1
- Status: Published application
- Kind: A1
- Application number: 16/808,688
- Filed: 2020-03-04
- Published: 2021-09-09
- Earliest claimed: 2020-03-04
- Assignees: Applied Materials, Inc.
- Applicants: Applied Materials, Inc.
- Inventors: Jung Chan Lee; Praket P. Jha; Jingmei Liang; Shuchi Sunil Ojha
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20210280451A1

## CPC

- H10W 10/014: {using trench refilling with dielectric materials, e.g. shallow trench isolations}
- H10P 14/6334: {using decomposition or reaction of gaseous or vapour phase compounds, i.e. chemical vapour deposition (deposition by physical ablation of a target H10P14/6329)}
- H10P 14/6336: {in the presence of a plasma [PECVD]}
- H10P 14/6522: {introduced into a nitride material, e.g. changing SiN to SiON}
- H10P 14/6529: {by exposure to a gas or vapour}
- H10P 14/6532: {by exposure to a plasma}
- H10P 14/6538: {by exposure to UV light}
- H10P 14/6682: {the compound being a silane, e.g. disilane, methylsilane or chlorosilane}
- H10P 14/6687: {the compound comprising silicon and nitrogen}
- H10P 14/69215: {the material being a silicon oxide, e.g. SiO2}
- H10P 95/062: {involving a dielectric removal step}
- H10W 10/0142: {the dielectric materials being chemical transformed from non-dielectric materials}
- H10W 10/17: formed using trench refilling with dielectric materials, e.g. shallow trench isolations
- H10W: GENERIC PACKAGES, INTERCONNECTIONS, CONNECTORS OR OTHER CONSTRUCTIONAL DETAILS OF DEVICES COVERED BY CLASS H10
- H10P: GENERIC PROCESSES OR APPARATUS FOR THE MANUFACTURE OR TREATMENT OF DEVICES COVERED BY CLASS H10

## Abstract

Provided are methods of depositing a film in high aspect ratio (AR) structures with small dimensions. The method provides flowable deposition for seamless gap-fill, UV cure for increasing film density, film conversion to silicon oxide at low temperature, and film densification by low temperature inductively coupled plasma (ICP) treatment (<400° C.).

## Claims

### Claim 1

A processing method comprising:
forming a film on a substrate surface by exposing the substrate surface to a precursor mixture, the precursor mixture comprising one or more of a silane, trisilylamine (TSA), and a reactant gas;
exposing the film to a remote plasma source to deposit a flowable polysilazane film;
curing the flowable polysilazane film;
converting the flowable polysilazane film to a silicon oxide film; and
densifying the silicon oxide film.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein the silane comprises one or more of silane, disilane, trisilane, tetrasilane, higher order silanes, and substituted silanes.

### Claim 3 (depends on 2)

The method of claim 2, wherein exposing the film to the remote plasma source (RPS) dissociates the reactant gas and generates a radical that reacts with one or more of the silane and trisilylamine (TSA).

### Claim 4 (depends on 2)

The method of claim 2, wherein the precursor mixture comprises silane, trisilylamine (TSA), and the reactant gas.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein the reactant gas comprises one or more of argon (Ar), oxygen (O2), hydrogen (H2), nitrogen (N2), hydrogen/nitrogen (H2/N2), and ammonia (NH3).

### Claim 6 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein curing comprises exposing the flowable polysilazane film to ultraviolet (UV) light.

### Claim 7 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein densifying the silicon oxide film comprises treating the silicon oxide film with inductively coupled plasma (ICP) at a temperature less than about 400° C.

### Claim 8 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, where the substrate surface has a plurality of fins and at least one feature thereon.

### Claim 9 (depends on 8)

The method of claim 8, wherein the plurality of fins comprise alternating layers of silicon germanium (SiGe) and silicon (Si).

### Claim 10

A processing method comprising:
forming a plurality of film stacks on a substrate, the film stack comprising alternating layers of silicon germanium (SiGe) and silicon (Si);
etching the film stack to form an opening extending a depth from a top surface of the film stack to a bottom surface, the opening having a width defined by a first sidewall and a second sidewall;
depositing a film on the top surface of the film stack, and on the first sidewall, the second sidewall, and the bottom surface of the opening;
exposing the film to a remote plasma source to deposit a flowable polysilazane film;
curing the flowable polysilazane film;
converting the flowable polysilazane film to a silicon oxide film; and
densifying the silicon oxide film.

### Claim 11 (depends on 10)

The method of claim 10, wherein curing comprises exposing the flowable polysilazane film to ultraviolet (UV) light.

### Claim 12 (depends on 10)

The method of claim 10, wherein densifying the silicon oxide film comprises treating the silicon oxide film with inductively coupled plasma (ICP) at a temperature less than about 400° C.

### Claim 13 (depends on 10)

The method of claim 10, wherein depositing the film comprises exposing the top surface of the film stack to a precursor mixture, the precursor mixture comprising one or more of a silane, trisilylamine (TSA), and a reactant gas.

### Claim 14 (depends on 13)

The method of claim 13, wherein the silane comprises one or more of silane, disilane, trisilane, tetrasilane, higher order silanes, and substituted silanes, and wherein the reactant gas comprises one or more of argon (Ar), oxygen (O2), hydrogen (H2), nitrogen (N2), hydrogen/nitrogen (H2/N2), and ammonia (NH3).

### Claim 15 (depends on 13)

The method of claim 13, wherein the precursor mixture comprises silane, trisilylamine (TSA) and the reactant gas.

### Claim 16 (depends on 13)

The method of claim 13, wherein exposing the film to the remote plasma source (RPS) dissociates the reactant gas and generates a radical that reacts with one or more of the silane and trisilylamine (TSA).

### Claim 17

A non-transitory computer readable medium including instructions, that, when executed by a controller of a processing chamber, causes the processing chamber to perform operations of:
expose a substrate surface to a precursor mixture to form a film on the substrate surface;
expose the film to a remote plasma source to deposit a flowable polysilazane film;
cure the flowable polysilazane film;
convert the flowable polysilazane film to a silicon oxide film; and
densify the silicon oxide film.

### Claim 18 (depends on 17)

The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 17, wherein curing comprises exposing the flowable polysilazane film to ultraviolet (UV) light, and wherein densifying the silicon oxide film comprises treating the silicon oxide film with inductively coupled plasma (ICP) at a temperature less than about 400° C.

### Claim 19 (depends on 17)

The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 17, wherein the precursor mixture comprises one or more of a silane, trisilylamine (TSA), and a reactant gas, the silane comprising one or more of silane, disilane, trisilane, tetrasilane, higher order silanes, and substituted silanes, and the reactant gas comprising one or more of argon (Ar), oxygen (O2), hydrogen (H2), nitrogen (N2), hydrogen/nitrogen (H2/N2), and ammonia (NH3).

### Claim 20 (depends on 19)

The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 19, wherein exposing the film to the remote plasma source (RPS) dissociates the reactant gas and generates a radical that reacts with one or more of the silane and trisilylamine (TSA).