Atomic layer deposition with carbon inhibition profile tuning

A semiconductor processing method comprising:

• providing a carbon-containing precursor to a processing region of a semiconductor processing chamber, wherein a substrate is housed within the processing region, wherein a layer of material is disposed on the substrate, and wherein the layer of material defines one or more features characterized by an aspect ratio of greater than or about 30:1;
• forming plasma effluents of the carbon-containing precursor;
• contacting the substrate with the carbon-containing precursor, wherein the contacting forms a carbon-containing material on an upper portion of the one or more features;
• and
• performing a silicon-and-oxygen-containing atomic layer deposition (ALD) process, wherein the silicon-and-oxygen-containing ALD deposits a silicon-and-oxygen-containing material in the one or more features.

A semiconductor processing method comprising:

• providing a carbon-containing precursor and a nitrogen-containing precursor to a processing region of a semiconductor processing chamber, wherein a substrate is housed within the processing region, wherein a layer of material is disposed on the substrate, and wherein the layer of material defines one or more features characterized by an aspect ratio of greater than or about 30:1;
• forming plasma effluents of the carbon-containing precursor and the nitrogen-containing precursor;
• contacting the substrate with the plasma effluents of the nitrogen-containing precursor and the nitrogen-containing precursor, wherein the contacting forms a carbon-containing material on an upper portion of the one or more features;
• and
• performing a silicon-and-oxygen-containing atomic layer deposition (ALD) process, wherein the silicon-and-oxygen-containing ALD comprises:
• depositing a silicon-containing material on the substrate;
• purging the processing region;
• exposing the silicon-containing material to an oxygen-containing precursor to convert the silicon-containing material to a silicon-and-oxygen-containing material;
• and
• purging the processing region.