Post deposition plasma treatment to increase tensile stress of HDP-CVD SIO2

A method of creating a shallow trench isolation area on a substrate, the method comprising:

• forming an oxide layer on the substrate;
• forming a nitride layer over the oxide layer and patterning the nitride layer to form an opening;
• etching the substrate through the opening to form a trench in the substrate;
• transferring the substrate into a substrate processing chamber and placing the substrate on a substrate support, and while the substrate is in the processing chamber;
• depositing a dielectric layer over the substrate using a plasma deposition process, the dielectric layer filling the trench;
• while maintaining plasma created during the plasma deposition process, raising the substrate above the substrate support;
• and
• in the elevated position, exposing the substrate to the plasma to increase the tensile stress of the deposited dielectric layer.

A method of creating a shallow trench isolation area on a substrate, the method comprising:

• forming an oxide layer on the substrate;
• forming a nitride layer over the oxide layer and patterning the nitride layer to form an opening;
• etching the substrate through the opening to form a trench in the substrate;
• transferring the substrate into a substrate processing chamber and placing the substrate on a substrate support;
• depositing a dielectric layer over the substrate using a high density plasma CVD deposition process, the dielectric layer filling the trench;
• exposing the substrate to a high density plasma while biasing the substrate, wherein the high density plasma consists of substantially inert gas and exposure to the high density plasma increases a temperature of the substrate to between 400-700° C.;
• thereafter
• raising the substrate above the substrate support;
• and
• while the substrate is raised above the substrate support, exposing the substrate to a second high density plasma to increase the tensile stress of the dielectric layer.