Thin film forming apparatus and method

A method for forming a planar film to planarize a surface of a semiconductor device having a convex and concave regions by an apparatus comprising:

• a plasma generating chamber into which a gas is introduced to produce plasma;
• a specimen chamber having a window;
• a substrate electrode disposed in said specimen chamber for receiving a specimen substrate having interconnections thereon, said substrate electrode being disposed below said window;
• a first gas introducing means for selectively introducing at least one of a first material gas of a thin film to be deposited on said specimen substrate and an inert gas into said plasma generating chamber;
• a second gas introduction means for introducing a second material gas of a thin film to be deposited on said specimen substrate into said specimen chamber;
• means for introducing plasma from said plasma generating chamber into said specimen chamber via said window and for impinging the introduced plasma substantially perpendicularly upon said specimen substrate;
• and
• a bias electrical power source means for applying a high frequency bias voltage to said substrate electrode such that the ions of said at least one of said first material gas and inert gas, which impinge substantially perpendicularly upon said specimen substrate, have sufficient energy for etching the film deposited on said specimen substrate, said method comprising the steps of:
• placing a specimen substrate having a convex surface on its surface and a resist pattern formed on said convex pattern on said substrate electrode;
• maintaining both said plasma generating chamber and said specimen chamber in a vacuum condition;
• introducing a first material gas and a second material gas from said first and second gas introduction means, respectively, the ions of said first material gas being such that said interconnections are seldomly etched therewith and a thin film consisting essentially of particles resulting from the reaction between said first and second material gases is etched therewith;
• depositing a thin film consisting of particles resulting from the reaction between said first and second material gases upon said specimen substrate while applying no bias voltage from said bias electrical power source to said substrate electrode;
• introducing said inert gas from said first gas introduction system into said plasma generating chamber while said bias voltage is being applied to said substrate electrode;
• effecting the deposition of said particles upon said specimen substrate and the etching of the deposited film simultaneously, so that the recess between said convex patterns is filled with the deposited films of said particles to a depth substantially equal to the thickness of said convex pattern;
• and
• introducing only said first material gas from said first gas introduction system into said plasma generating chamber while the introduction of said second material gas from said second gas introduction system into said specimen chamber is interrupted, thereby removing said resist pattern so that said convex pattern is substantially coplanar with the deposited film of said particles.

A method for forming a thin film to planarize a surface of a semiconductor device having convex and concave regions by an apparatus comprising:

• a plasma generating chamber into which a gas is introduced to produce plasma;
• a specimen chamber having a window;
• a substrate electrode disposed in said specimen chamber for receiving a specimen substrate having interconnections thereon, said substrate electrode being disposed below said window;
• a first gas introducing means for selectively introducing at least one of a first material gas of a thin film to be deposited on said specimen substrate and an inert gas into said plasma generating chamber;
• a second gas introduction means for introducing a second material gas of a thin film to be deposited on said specimen substrate into said specimen chamber;
• means for introducing plasma from said plasma generating chamber into said specimen chamber via said window and for impinging the introduced plasma substantially perpendicularly upon said specimen substrate;
• and
• a bias electrical power source means for applying a high frequency bias voltage to said substrate electrode such that the ions of said at least one of said first material gas and said inert gas, which impinge substantially perpendicularly upon said specimen substrate, have sufficient energy for etching the film deposited on said specimen substrate, said method comprising the steps of:
• placing a specimen substrate on said substrate electrode;
• maintaining both said plasma generating chamber and said specimen chamber in a vacuum condition;
• introducing said first material gas and said inert gas from said first gas introduction means and said second material gas from said second gas introduction means, respectively, the ions of said first material gas being such that said interconnections are seldomly etched therewith and a thin film consisting essentially of particles resulting from the reaction between said first and second material gases is etched therewith;
• and
• forming a thin film having a planar surface by said raw materials on said specimen substrate including said interconnections by applying a bias voltage from said bias electrical power source to said substrate electrode;
• and by increasing an amount of said inert gas from said first gas introduction system into said plasma generating chamber while said bias voltage is being applied to said substrate electrode, so that said ions of said first material gas and said ions of said inert gas impinge substantially perpendiculary upon said specimen substrate to etch said thin film during the formation of said thin film.

A method for forming a thin film to planarize a surface of a semiconductor device having convex and concave regions by an apparatus comprising;

• a plasma generating chamber into which a gas is introduced to produce plasma;
• a specimen chamber having a window;
• a substrate electrode disposed in said specimen chamber for receiving a specimen substrate having interconnections thereon, said substrate electrode being disposed below said window;
• a first gas introducing means for selectively introducing at least one of a first material gas of a thin film to be deposited on said specimen substrate and an inert gas into said plasma generating chamber;
• a second gas introduction means for introducing a second material gas of a thin film to be deposited on said specimen substrate into said specimen chamber;
• means for introducing plasma from said plasma generating chamber into said specimen chamber via said window and for impinging the introduced plasma substantially perpendicularly upon said specimen substrate;
• and
• a bias electrical power source means for applying a high frequency bias voltage to said substrate electrode such that the ions of said at least one of said first material gas and said intert gas, which impinge substantially perpendicularly upon said specimen substrate, have sufficient energy for etching the film deposited on said specimen substrate, said method comprising the steps of:
• placing a specimen substrate on said substrate electrode;
• maintaining both said plasma generating chamber and said specimen chamber in a vacuum condition;
• introducing said first material gas and said second material gas from said first and second gas introduction means, respectively, the ions of said first material gas being usch that said interconnections are seldomly etched therewith and a thin film consisting essentially of particles resulting from the reaction between said first and second material gases is etched therewith;
• and
• forming a thin film having a planar surface by said first and second material gases on said specimen substrate including said interconnections by applying a bias voltage from said bias electrical power source means to said substrate electrode and by increasing said bias voltage while said bias voltage is being applied to said substrate electrode, so that the ions of said first material gas impinge substantially perpendicularly upon said specimen substrate to etch said thin film during the formation of said thin film.