Method and apparatus for applying films using reduced deposition rates

A substrate processing system for depositing an antireflective film comprising silicon, oxygen, and nitrogen on a substrate, comprising:

• a housing forming a chamber, the substrate being disposed in the chamber;
• a gas distribution system for distributing process gases to the chamber;
• an energy source for applying energy to the process gases within the chamber;
• a controller, including a computer, for controlling the gas distribution system and the plasma generation system;
• and
• a memory coupled to the controller comprising a computer-readable medium having a computer-readable program embodied therein for directing operation of the substrate processing system to deposit the film, the computer-readable program including:
• a first set of computer instructions for controlling the gas distribution system to introduce a first process gas comprising silicon into the chamber at a first selected rate, the first selected rate causing the film to be deposited at less than about 2000 Å/minute;
• a second set of computer instructions for controlling the gas distribution system to introduce a second process gas comprising oxygen into the chamber;
• a third set of computer instructions for controlling the gas distribution system to introduce nitrogen into the chamber at a second selected rate which maintains a pressure in the chamber sufficient to permit a reaction including the first process gas, the second process gas, and the nitrogen to proceed;
• and
• a fourth set of computer instructions for controlling the energy source to apply energy to the first process gas, the second process gas, and the nitrogen to cause the reaction to deposit the film comprising silicon, oxygen, and nitrogen to a thickness enabling the film to reduce reflection and refraction of incident radiant energy within a second film, the second film being formed over the film and the incident radiant energy altering the solubility of regions of the second film exposed to the incident radiant energy with respect to a developer used to develop the second film.

A substrate processing system for depositing an antireflective film comprising silicon, oxygen, and nitrogen on a substrate, comprising:

• a housing forming a chamber, the substrate being disposed in the chamber;
• a heater for heating the substrate;
• a gas distribution system for distributing process gases including silane, nitrous oxide, and nitrogen (N2) to the chamber;
• an RF power source for applying RF power to the process gases within the chamber;
• a controller, including a computer, for controlling the gas distribution system and the plasma generation system;
• and
• a memory coupled to the controller comprising a computer-readable medium having a computer-readable program embodied therein for directing operation of the substrate processing system to deposit the film, the computer-readable program including:
• a first set of computer instructions for controlling the gas distribution system to introduce silane into the chamber at a rate of between about 5 sccm and about 300 sccm to deposit the film at less than about 2000 Å/minute;
• a second set of computer instructions for controlling the gas distribution system to introduce nitrous oxide into the chamber at a rate of between about 5 sccm and about 300 sccm;
• a third set of computer instructions for controlling the gas distribution system to introduce nitrogen into the chamber at a rate of between about 500 sccm and about 4000 sccm to maintain a pressure in the chamber of between about 1 torr and about 6 torr to permit a reaction including the silane, the nitrous oxide, and the nitrogen to proceed;
• a fourth set of computer instructions for controlling the heater to heat the substrate to between about 200° C. and about 400° C.;
• a fifth set of computer instructions for controlling the RF power source to apply RF power to the silane, the nitrous oxide, and the nitrogen to form a plasma to deposit the film comprising silicon, oxygen, and nitrogen to a desired thickness.