Plasma enhanced chemical vapor deposition (PECVD) method for forming microelectronic layer with enhanced film thickness uniformity

A method for forming a silicon containing microelectronic layer comprising:

• providing a substrate;
• and
• forming over the substrate the silicon containing microelectronic layer while employing a plasma enhanced chemical vapor deposition (PECVD) method employing a silicon source material gas and a carrier gas, wherein there is employed a sufficiently low plasma power, a sufficiently low silicon source material gas:carrier gas flow rate ratio and a sufficiently high carrier gas atomic mass such that the silicon containing microelectronic layer is formed with enhanced film thickness uniformity, and
• wherein the PECVD method employs:
• a radio frequency source plasma power of between about 50 to 200 watts at a source radio frequency of 13.56 MHz;
• a silicon source material gas:carrier gas flow rate ratio of from about 1:100 to 1:300;
• a carrier gas atomic mass of at least about 30 amu;
• a reactor chamber pressure of from about 1 to 10 torr;
• a substrate temperature of from about 350 to 450° C.;
• and a showerhead spacing of from about 450 to 500 mils.

A method for forming a silicon oxide dielectric layer comprising:

• providing a substrate;
• and
• forming over the substrate the silicon oxide dielectric layer while employing a plasma enhanced chemical vapor deposition (PECVD) method employing a silane silicon source material gas, a nitrous oxide oxidant source material gas, and an argon carrier gas;
• wherein the PECVD method employs:
• a reactor chamber pressure of from about 1 to 10 torr;
• a radio frequency source plasma power of between about 260 watts at a source radio frequency of 13.56 MHz;
• a substrate temperature of about 400° C.;
• a showerhead spacing of about 400 mils;
• a silane silicon source material gas flow rate of about 75 sccm;
• a nitrous oxide oxidant source material flow rate of about 1400 sccm;
• and a nitrogen carrier gas flow rate of about 3000 sccm such that the microelectronic layer is formed with enhanced film thickness uniformity.