# US 2022/0037147 A1 · Integrated flowable low-k gap-fill and plasma treatment

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- Number: US 2022/0037147 A1
- Document ID: US20220037147A1
- Status: Published application
- Kind: A1
- Application number: 17/386,724
- Filed: 2021-07-28
- Published: 2022-02-03
- Earliest claimed: 2020-08-02
- Assignees: Applied Materials, Inc.
- Applicants: Applied Materials, Inc.
- Inventors: Myungsun Kim; Jingmei Liang; Martin J. Seamons; Michael Stolfi; Benjamin Colombeau
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20220037147A1

## CPC

- H10P 14/6336: {in the presence of a plasma [PECVD]}
- H10P 14/6532: {by exposure to a plasma}
- H10D 30/019: {of FETs having stacked nanowire, nanosheet or nanoribbon channels}
- H10D 30/031: {of thin-film transistors [TFT]}
- H10D 30/501: {FETs having stacked nanowire, nanosheet or nanoribbon channels}
- H10D 86/0212: {comprising manufacture, treatment or coating of substrates}
- H10P 14/3411: {Silicon, silicon germanium or germanium}
- 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 50/283: {by chemical means}
- H10P: GENERIC PROCESSES OR APPARATUS FOR THE MANUFACTURE OR TREATMENT OF DEVICES COVERED BY CLASS H10
- H10D: INORGANIC ELECTRIC SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICES

## 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, film densification by low temperature inductively coupled plasma (ICP) treatment (<600° C.), optional film curing, and etch back to form a low-k dielectric film having a dielectric constant, k-value less than 3.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A processing method comprising:
forming a dielectric film on a substrate surface through a process cycle, the process cycle comprising depositing a flowable low-k dielectric layer on the substrate surface and densifying the flowable low-k dielectric layer and form the dielectric film; and
removing a portion of the dielectric film.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein dielectric film has a dielectric constant (k) of less than about 3.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein the plasma comprises one or more of nitrogen (N2), argon (Ar), helium (He), hydrogen (H2), carbon monoxide (CO), carbon dioxide (CO2), nitrous oxide (N2O), ammonia (NH3), or oxygen (O2).

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein densifying the flowable low-k dielectric layer comprises treating the flowable low-k dielectric layer with inductively coupled plasma (ICP) at a temperature less than about 600° C.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein the method is performed in a processing chamber without breaking vacuum.

### Claim 6 (depends on 1)

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

### Claim 7 (depends on 6)

The method of claim 6, wherein the at least one feature comprises a bottom surface and at least one sidewall.

### Claim 8 (depends on 7)

The method of claim 7, wherein the flowable low-k dielectric layer is deposited on the bottom surface and the at least one sidewall of the at least one feature.

### Claim 9 (depends on 6)

The method of claim 6, wherein the plurality of fins comprise alternating layers of silicon germanium (SiGe) and silicon (Si).

### Claim 10 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, further comprising curing the dielectric film after densifying the film.

### Claim 11 (depends on 10)

The method of claim 10, wherein curing comprises one or more of thermal processing, microwave radiation exposure, and UV curing.

### Claim 12 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein removing a portion of the dielectric film comprises etching the dielectric film.

### Claim 13 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, further comprising repeating the process cycle.

### Claim 14

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;
performing a process cycle comprising depositing a dielectric film on the first sidewall, the second sidewall, and the bottom surface of the opening and densifying the dielectric film; and
removing a portion of the dielectric film.

### Claim 15 (depends on 14)

The method of claim 14, further comprising curing the dielectric film after densifying the film, the curing comprising one or more of thermal processing, microwave radiation exposure, and UV curing.

### Claim 16 (depends on 14)

The method of claim 14, wherein densifying the dielectric film comprises treating the dielectric film with inductively coupled plasma (ICP) at a temperature less than about 600° C.

### Claim 17 (depends on 14)

The method of claim 14, wherein removing a portion of the dielectric film comprises etching the dielectric film from the first sidewall and the second sidewall and the bottom surface of the opening.

### Claim 18 (depends on 14)

The method of claim 14, further comprising repeating the process cycle.

### Claim 19 (depends on 14)

The method of claim 14, wherein the method is performed in a processing chamber without breaking vacuum.

### Claim 20

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:
perform a process cycle comprising depositing a dielectric film on a first sidewall, a second sidewall, and a bottom surface of an opening extending a depth from a top surface of a film stack to a bottom surface and densifying the dielectric film; and
remove a portion of the dielectric film; and
optionally, cure the dielectric film.

### Claim 21 (depends on 21)

The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 21, including further instructions, that, when executed by a controller of a processing chamber, causes the processing chamber to perform further operations of: repeat the process cycle.

### Claim 22

A processing method comprising:
forming a dielectric film on a substrate surface through a process cycle, the process cycle comprising depositing a flowable low-k dielectric layer on the substrate surface and curing the flowable low-k dielectric layer to form the dielectric film; and
removing a portion of the dielectric film.

### Claim 23 (depends on 22)

The method of claim 22, wherein dielectric film has a dielectric constant (k) of less than about 3.

### Claim 24 (depends on 22)

The method of claim 22, wherein the plasma comprises one or more of nitrogen (N2), argon (Ar), helium (He), hydrogen (H2), carbon monoxide (CO), carbon dioxide (CO2), nitrous oxide (N2O), ammonia (NH3), or oxygen (O2).

### Claim 25 (depends on 22)

The method of claim 22, wherein the method is performed in a processing chamber without breaking vacuum.

### Claim 26 (depends on 22)

The method of claim 22, where the substrate surface has a plurality of fins, a plurality of gates, and at least one feature thereon.

### Claim 27 (depends on 26)

The method of claim 26, wherein the at least one feature comprises a bottom surface and at least one sidewall.

### Claim 28 (depends on 27)

The method of claim 27, wherein the flowable low-k dielectric layer is deposited on the bottom surface and the at least one sidewall of the at least one feature.

### Claim 29 (depends on 26)

The method of claim 26, wherein the plurality of fins comprise alternating layers of silicon germanium (SiGe) and silicon (Si).

### Claim 30 (depends on 22)

The method of claim 22, wherein curing comprises one or more of thermal processing, microwave radiation exposure, and UV curing.

### Claim 31 (depends on 22)

The method of claim 22, further comprising densifying the dielectric film after curing the film.

### Claim 32 (depends on 31)

The method of claim 31, wherein densifying the dielectric film comprises treating the dielectric film with inductively coupled plasma (ICP) at a temperature less than about 600° C.

### Claim 33 (depends on 22)

The method of claim 22, wherein removing a portion of the dielectric film comprises etching the dielectric film.

### Claim 34 (depends on 22)

The method of claim 22, further comprising repeating the process cycle.

### Claim 35

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;
performing a process cycle comprising depositing a dielectric film on the first sidewall, the second sidewall, and the bottom surface of the opening and curing the dielectric film; and
removing a portion of the dielectric film.

### Claim 36 (depends on 35)

The method of claim 35, wherein curing the dielectric film comprises one or more of thermal processing, microwave radiation exposure, and UV curing.

### Claim 37 (depends on 35)

The method of claim 35, further comprising densifying the dielectric film after curing the dielectric film, wherein densifying the dielectric film comprises treating the dielectric film with inductively coupled plasma (ICP) at a temperature less than about 600° C.

### Claim 38 (depends on 35)

The method of claim 35, wherein removing a portion of the dielectric film comprises etching the dielectric film from the first sidewall and the second sidewall and the bottom surface of the opening.

### Claim 39 (depends on 35)

The method of claim 35, further comprising repeating the process cycle.

### Claim 40 (depends on 35)

The method of claim 35, wherein the method is performed in a processing chamber without breaking vacuum.