Plasma surface treatment method for forming patterned TEOS based silicon oxide layer with reliable via and interconnection formed therethrough

A method for forming a via through a dielectric layer within a microelectronics fabrication comprising:

• providing a substrate employed within a microelectronics fabrication;
• forming over the substrate a silicon oxide dielectric layer, the silicon oxide dielectric layer being formed through use of a chemical vapor deposition (CVD) method employing tetra-ethyl-ortho-silicate (TEOS) as a silicon source material;
• treating the silicon oxide dielectric layer with an oxygen plasma to form an oxygen plasma treated silicon oxide dielectric layer;
• wherein the oxygen plasma treatment of the silicon oxide dielectric layer is conducted within a reactor chamber at a pressure of from about 7 to 11 torr, a radio frequency power of from about 600 to 800 watts at a radio frequency of about 13.56 MHz, a substrate temperature of from about 350 to 450.degree. C., an oxygen flow of from about 400 to 600 sccm, and for a time from about 3 to 10 seconds;
• forming upon the oxygen plasma treated silicon oxide dielectric layer a patterned photoresist layer employed in defining the location of a via to be formed through the oxygen plasma treated silicon oxide dielectric layer, where the oxygen plasma treatment of the silicon oxide dielectric layer enhances adhesion of the patterned photoresist layer to the oxygen plasma treated silicon oxide dielectric layer;
• and
• etching the via through the oxygen plasma treated silicon oxide dielectric layer while employing an isotropic etch method.

A method for forming a via through a dielectric layer within an integrated circuit microelectronics fabrication comprising:

• providing a semiconductor substrate;
• forming over the semiconductor substrate an SOG layer;
• forming over the SOG layer, a silicon oxide dielectric layer, the silicon oxide dielectric layer being formed through use of a chemical vapor deposition (CVD) method employing tetra-ethyl-ortho-silicate (TEOS) as a silicon source material;
• treating the silicon oxide dielectric layer with an oxygen plasma to form an oxygen plasma treated silicon oxide dielectric layer;
• wherein the oxygen plasma treatment of the silicon oxide dielectric layer is conducted within a reactor chamber at a pressure of from about 7 to 11 torr, a radio frequency power of from about 600 to 800 watts at a radio frequency of about 13.56 MHz, a substrate temperature of from about 350 to 450.degree. C., an oxygen flow of from about 400 to 600 sccm, and for a time from about 3 to 10 seconds;
• forming upon the oxygen plasma treated silicon oxide dielectric layer a patterned photoresist layer employed in defining the location of a wine glass shaped via to be formed through the oxygen plasma treated silicon oxide dielectric layer and the SOG layer, where the oxygen plasma treatment of the silicon oxide dielectric layer enhances adhesion of the patterned photoresist layer to the oxygen plasma treated silicon oxide dielectric layer;
• isotropically etching the oxygen plasma treated silicon oxide dielectric layer to form a bowl shaped aperture;
• and
• anisotropically etching said remaining oxygen plasma treated silicon oxide dielectric layer and said SOG layer using the patterned photoresist layer as an etch mask to form the wine glass shaped via.