Systems and methods for depositing low-κdielectric films

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11600486-B2
Application number	US-202017021035-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 15, 2020
Priority date	Sep 15, 2020
Publication date	Mar 7, 2023
Grant date	Mar 7, 2023

Abstract

Embodiments of the semiconductor processing methods to form low-κ films on semiconductor substrates are described. The processing methods may include flowing deposition precursors into a substrate processing region of a semiconductor processing chamber. The deposition precursors may include a silicon-containing precursor that has at least one vinyl group. The methods may further include generating a deposition plasma in the substrate processing region from the deposition precursors. A silicon-and-carbon-containing material, characterized by a dielectric constant (κ value) less than or about 3.0, may be deposited on the substrate from plasma effluents of the deposition plasma.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A semiconductor processing method comprising:
flowing deposition precursors into a substrate processing region of a semiconductor processing chamber, wherein the deposition precursors include a silicon-containing precursor comprising at least one vinyl group;
generating a deposition plasma from the deposition precursors within the substrate processing region; and
depositing a silicon-and-carbon-containing material on a substrate from plasma effluents of the deposition plasma, wherein the silicon-and-carbon-containing material as-deposited is characterized by a dielectric constant less than or about 3.0, and wherein the silicon-and-carbon-containing material is characterized by a methyl incorporation greater than 2.5 at. %.

2. The semiconductor processing method of claim 1 , wherein the silicon-containing precursor is characterized by Formula 1:

wherein R 1 , R 2 and R 3 , may include a C 1 -C 6 alkyl group, or a C 1 -C 6 alkoxy group, and
wherein at least one of R 1 , R 2 , and R 3 , is an alkoxy group.

3. The semiconductor processing method of claim 1 , wherein the silicon-containing precursor comprises vinylmethyldimethoxysilane.

4. The semiconductor processing method of claim 1 , wherein the deposition precursors further include molecular oxygen (O 2 ).

5. The semiconductor processing method of claim 4 , wherein a flow rate ratio of the molecular oxygen to the silicon-containing precursor is greater than or about 2:1.

6. The semiconductor processing method of claim 1 , wherein the silicon-and-carbon-containing material is characterized by a Young's modulus of greater than or about 5 GPa.

7. The semiconductor processing method of claim 1 , wherein the silicon-and-carbon-containing material is characterized by a hardness of greater than or about 3 GPa.

8. A semiconductor processing method comprising:
flowing deposition precursors into a substrate processing region of a semiconductor processing chamber, wherein the deposition precursors include a silicon-carbon-and-oxygen-containing precursor;
generating a deposition plasma from the deposition precursors within the substrate processing region, wherein the semiconductor processing chamber is characterized by a temperature greater than 425° C. during the generation of the deposition plasma; and
depositing a silicon-carbon-and-oxygen-containing material on a substrate from plasma effluents of the deposition plasma, wherein the silicon-carbon-and-oxygen-containing material as-deposited is characterized by a dielectric constant less than or about 3.0.

9. The semiconductor processing method of claim 8 , wherein the semiconductor processing chamber is characterized by a temperature less than or about 440° C. during the generation of the deposition plasma.

10. The semiconductor processing method of claim 8 , wherein the deposition precursors further include molecular oxygen (O 2 ), and wherein the molecular oxygen has a flow rate into the semiconductor processing chamber of less than or about 150 sccm.

11. The semiconductor processing method of claim 8 , wherein the silicon-carbon-and-oxygen-containing precursor comprises at least one vinyl group.

12. The semiconductor processing method of claim 8 , wherein the silicon-carbon-and-oxygen-containing material as-deposited is characterized by an amount of carbon greater than or about 25 at. %.

13. The semiconductor processing method of claim 8 , wherein the silicon-carbon-and-oxygen-containing material as-deposited is characterized by a Young's modulus of greater than or about 5 GPa, and a hardness of greater than or about 3 GPa.

14. A semiconductor processing method comprising:
flowing deposition precursors into a substrate processing region of a semiconductor processing chamber, wherein the deposition precursors include a silicon-containing precursor and molecular oxygen (O 2 ), and wherein the silicon-containing precursor has a flow rate into the semiconductor processing chamber of less than or about 2000 mgm, and the O 2 has a flow rate greater than or about 120 sccm;
generating a deposition plasma from the deposition precursors within the substrate processing region; and
depositing a silicon-carbon-and-oxygen-containing material on a substrate from plasma effluents of the deposition plasma, wherein the silicon-carbon-and-oxygen-containing material as-deposited is characterized by a dielectric constant less than or about 3.0, and wherein the silicon-carbon-and-oxygen-containing material as-deposited is characterized by a hardness of greater than or about 3 GPa.

15. The semiconductor processing method of claim 14 , wherein the deposition precursors further include at least one carrier gas comprising helium or nitrogen (N 2 ).

16. The semiconductor processing method of claim 14 , wherein a flow rate ratio of the molecular oxygen to the silicon-containing precursor is greater than or about 2:1.

17. The semiconductor processing method of claim 14 , wherein the silicon-containing precursor comprises at least one vinyl group.

18. The semiconductor processing method of claim 14 , wherein the silicon-carbon-and-oxygen-containing material is characterized by a methyl incorporation greater than 2.5 at. %.

19. The semiconductor processing method of claim 14 , wherein the silicon-carbon-and-oxygen-containing material as-deposited is characterized by a Young's modulus of greater than or about 5 GPa.

20. The semiconductor processing method of claim 14 , wherein the silicon-carbon-and-oxygen-containing material is characterized by an amount of carbon greater than or about 25 at. %.

Assignees

• Applied Materials Inc

Inventors

• Xie Bo
• Xiong Ruitong
• Ngo Sure K
• Yim Kang Sub
• Liu Yijun
• Xia Li-Qun

Classifications

• H10P14/6682

  the compound being a silane, e.g. disilane, methylsilane or chlorosilane · CPC title

• H10P14/6336 Primary

  in the presence of a plasma [PECVD] · CPC title

• H10P14/6922 Primary

  the material containing Si, O and at least one of H, N, C, F or other non-metal elements, e.g. SiOC, SiOC:H or SiONC · CPC title

• H10P72/0462

  characterised by the construction of the processing chambers, e.g. modular processing chambers · CPC title

• H10P14/69215

  the material being a silicon oxide, e.g. SiO2 · CPC title