Methods of using high energy excited state helium radicals for post nitridation anneal or post oxidation anneal

A method for forming a semiconductor device, comprising:

• exposing a substrate stack to oxygen radicals, nitrogen radicals, or both oxygen radicals and nitrogen radicals to form a nitridized/oxidized substrate stack;
• and
• curing the nitridized/oxidized substrate stack to form a cured substrate stack by exposing the nitridized/oxidized substrate stack to an excited-state helium radical treatment process, comprising:
• introducing a process gas comprising helium into a gas injection channel of a plasma source;
• generating an inductively coupled plasma within the gas injection channel with an induction coil positioned proximate a sidewall of the plasma source and horizontally overlapping the gas injection channel, wherein the inductively coupled plasma comprises at least one excited-state helium radical species;
• and
• contacting the inductively coupled plasma comprising the at least one excited-state helium radical species with the nitridized/oxidized substrate stack to cure the nitridized/oxidized substrate stack and form the cured substrate stack, wherein curing the nitridized/oxidized substrate stack is performed at a temperature of 750 degrees Celsius or less.

A plasma processing system, comprising:

• a processing chamber defining a processing volume;
• a plasma source;
• a gas injection channel;
• an induction coil positioned proximate to a sidewall of the plasma source and horizontally overlapping the gas injection channel;
• and
• a system controller, comprising:
• a memory for storing computer readable instructions;
• and
• a processor coupled to the memory, the processor configured by the computer readable instructions that when executed by the processor perform a plurality of operations including an excited-state helium radical treatment process comprising:
• introducing a process gas into the gas injection channel;
• generating an inductively coupled plasma within the gas injection channel with the induction coil, wherein the plasma comprises at least one helium radical species;
• delivering the plasma from the plasma source to the processing volume;
• and
• processing a substrate stack within the processing volume, the substrate stack comprising a dielectric layer, wherein processing the substrate stack comprises:
• contacting the plasma comprising the at least one helium radical species with the dielectric layer, wherein the excited-state helium radical treatment process is performed at a temperature of 750 degrees Celsius or less.