Plasma treatment of titanium nitride formed by chemical vapor deposition

A method of CVD depositing a film, comprising the steps of:

• depositing a film comprising an electrically conductive material on a substrate supported on a top surface of a pedestal electrode within a reaction chamber in a process of chemical vapor deposition;
• then applying RF power to a counter electrode while said pedestal electrode is substantially grounded so as to form a plasma to treat said film;
• surrounding edges of said substrate with a metallic ring supported on said top surface of said pedestal electrode;
• and
• providing a predetermined electrical connection from said ring to said pedestal electrode.

A method of CVD depositing a film, comprising the steps of:

• depositing a film comprising an electrically conductive material on a substrate supported on a top surface of a pedestal electrode within a reaction chamber in a process of chemical vapor deposition;
• applying RF power to a counter electrode while said pedestal electrode is substantially grounded so as to form a plasma to treat said film;
• surrounding edges of said substrate with a metallic ring supported on said top surface of said pedestal electrode;
• thermally isolating said metallic ring from said pedestal electrode;
• and
• providing a predetermined electrical connection from said ring to said pedestal electrode.

A method of depositing a film of titanium nitride, comprising the steps of:

• depositing a film comprising titanium nitride on a substrate supported on a pedestal electrode within a reaction chamber in a process of thermally activated chemical vapor deposition while flowing a precursor gas into said chamber;
• interrupting the flowing of said precursor gas;
• and
• then performing the following steps of
• surrounding edges of said substrate with a metallic ring supported on said pedestal electrode;
• providing a predetermined electrical connection from said ring to said pedestal electrode;
• and
• applying RF power to a counter electrode in opposition to said pedestal electrode in said chamber while flowing a treatment gas into said chamber and while said pedestal electrode is substantially RF grounded so as to form a plasma of said treatment gas to treat said film.

A method of CVD depositing a film, comprising the steps of:

• supporting a substrate on a pedestal electrode in a vacuum chamber;
• surrounding lateral sides of said substrate with a metallic ring not shielding a top surface of said substrate, said ring being electrically grounded to said pedestal electrode and thermally isolated therefrom;
• depositing a film on said top surface of said substrate by a chemical vapor deposition process;
• and
• thereafter applying RF energy to a counter electrode in opposition to said pedestal electrode to form a plasma within said vacuum chamber to plasma treat said film.