High density plasma chemical vapor deposition process

A method for forming conducting structures separated by gaps on a substrate comprising;

• providing a substrate and a wiring line layer above the substrate;
• forming a cap layer above the wiring line layer;
• forming a mask layer above the cap layer;
• etching through a portion of the cap layer and a portion of the wiring line layer using said mask layer to form wiring lines separated by gaps, the wiring lines having a remaining portion of the cap layer thereon;
• removing said mask layer;
• and
• depositing a dielectric material using high density plasma chemical vapor deposition within the gaps between the wiring lines at a sputtering rate sufficient to fill the gaps, wherein the remaining portion of the cap layer is partially etched during the deposition of a dielectric material using high density plasma chemical vapor deposition.

A method for forming conducting structures separated by gaps filled with dielectric material, comprising the steps of:

• providing a substrate containing silicon, the substrate having a surface;
• forming a surface layer comprising at least one material selected from the group consisting of titanium nitride, titanium suicide and a titanium-tungsten alloy, the surface layer disposed on the substrate surface;
• forming a metal wiring layer on the surface layer, the metal wiring layer having an upper surface;
• forming a protective layer comprising at least one material selected from the group consisting of titanium nitride, titanium silicide and a titanium-tungsten alloy, the protective layer disposed on the upper surface of the metal wiring layer, the protective layer having a top surface;
• forming a cap layer comprising at least one material selected from the group consisting of an oxide, a nitride, and an oxynitride, the cap layer disposed on the top surface of the protective layer;
• forming a pattemed photoresist layer above the cap layer, said patterned photoresist layer covering selected portions of the cap layer and exposing other portions of the cap layer;
• etching the exposed portions of the cap layer, the protective layer and the metal layer to form wiring lines separated by gaps;
• forming a layer of high density plasma chemical vapor deposition dielectric material within the gaps.

A method for forming conducting structures separated by gaps on a substrate comprising:

• providing a substrate and a wiring line layer above the substrate;
• torming a cap iayer aoove me winng iine layer;
• etching through a portion of the cap layer and a portion of the wiring line layer to form wiring lines separated by gaps, the wiring lines having a remaining portion of the cap layer thereon;
• and
• depositing a dielectric material using high density plasma chemical vapor deposition within the gaps between the wiring lines at a sputtering rate sufficient to fill the gaps, wherein the remaining portion of the cap layer is partially etched and redeposited into the gaps during the high density plasma chemical vapor deposition process.