High-density plasma process for filling high aspect ratio structures
AssigneeNovellus Systems, Inc.
InventorsGeorge D. Papasouliotis, Vishal Gauri, Raihan M. Tarafdar, Vikram Singh
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Abstract
Chemical vapor deposition processes are employed to fill high aspect ratio (typically at least 3:1), narrow width (typically 1.5 microns or less and even sub 0.15 micron) gaps with significantly reduced incidence of voids or weak spots. This deposition process involves the use of both hydrogen and fluorine as process gases in the reactive mixture of a plasma-containing CVD reactor. The process gas also includes dielectric forming precursors such as silicon and oxygen-containing molecules.
Claims28
A method of filling gaps on a semiconductor substrate, the method comprising
- (a) providing a substrate in a process chamber of a chemical vapor deposition reactor;
- (b) depositing a dielectric layer that partially fills the gaps;
- (c) etching the dielectric layer with a plasma containing a fluorine-containing species;
- (d) after etching, passivating the dielectric layer by scavenging fluorine-containing species from the dielectric layer using a high-density plasma obtained using a molecular hydrogen containing process gas, wherein at least some of the passivating occurs without depositing dielectric and wherein the scavenged species were introduced by the etching in (c);
- and
- (e) depositing additional dielectric on the semiconductor substrate, using a high-density plasma.
A method of filling gaps on a semiconductor substrate, the method comprising
- (a) providing a substrate in a process chamber of a chemical vapor deposition reactor;
- (b) depositing a dielectric layer that partially fills the gaps;
- (c) etching the dielectric layer with a plasma containing a fluorine-containing species;
- (d) after etching scavenging fluorine containing species from the dielectric layer using a high-density plasma obtained from a molecular hydrogen containing process gas, wherein at least some of the passivating occurs without depositing dielectric and wherein the scavenged species were introduced by the etching (c);
- and
- (e) depositing additional dielectric on the semiconductor substrate, using a high-density plasma.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.