Hardmask materials

A method of forming a hardmask film on a semiconductor substrate, the method comprising:

• receiving the semiconductor substrate in a plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposition (PECVD) process chamber;
• and
• forming a hardmask film having a hardness of greater than about 12 GPa, and a stress of between about −600 MPa and 600 MPa by PECVD on the semiconductor substrate, wherein the PECVD hardmask deposition process comprises:
• depositing undoped multi-layer silicon carbide film using multiple densifying plasma treatments, the deposition comprising;
• (a) introducing a process gas comprising a saturated silicon-containing precursor into the process chamber and forming a plasma to deposit a first sublayer of the silicon carbide hardmask film;
• (b) removing the saturated silicon-containing precursor from the process chamber;
• (c) introducing a plasma treatment gas into the process chamber and treating the substrate with plasma to densify the deposited sublayer;
• and
• (d) repeating (a)-(c) to form and densify additional sublayers of silicon carbide.