Silicon oxide gap fill using capacitively coupled plasmas

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12412741-B2
Application number	US-202016951495-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 18, 2020
Priority date	Nov 18, 2020
Publication date	Sep 9, 2025
Grant date	Sep 9, 2025

Abstract

Exemplary deposition methods may include introducing a precursor into a processing region of a semiconductor processing chamber via a faceplate of the semiconductor processing chamber. The methods may include flowing an oxygen-containing precursor into the processing region from beneath a pedestal of the semiconductor processing chamber. The pedestal may support a substrate. The substrate may define a trench in a surface of the substrate. The methods may include forming a first plasma of the precursor in the processing region of the semiconductor processing chamber. The methods may include depositing a first oxide film within the trench. The methods may include forming a second plasma in the processing region. The methods may include etching the first oxide film, while flowing the oxygen-containing precursor. The methods may include re-forming the first plasma in the processing region. The methods may also include depositing a second oxide film over the etched oxide film.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A deposition method comprising:
introducing a precursor into a processing region of a semiconductor processing chamber via a faceplate of the semiconductor processing chamber;
flowing an oxygen-containing precursor into the semiconductor processing chamber from beneath a pedestal of the semiconductor processing chamber, wherein the pedestal supports a substrate, and wherein the substrate defines a trench in a surface of the substrate;
forming a first plasma of the precursor in the processing region of the semiconductor processing chamber;
depositing a first oxide film within the trench;
forming a second plasma in the processing region;
etching the first oxide film, while flowing the oxygen-containing precursor;
passivating the etched first oxide film;
re-forming the first plasma in the processing region; and
depositing a second oxide film over the etched first oxide film.

2. The deposition method of claim 1 , wherein flowing the oxygen- containing precursor into the processing region comprises flowing oxygen into the semiconductor processing chamber at a flowrate of at least 5 slm.

3. The deposition method of claim 1 , wherein the first plasma is a capacitively coupled plasma, and wherein the first plasma is struck between the pedestal and the faceplate of the semiconductor processing chamber.

4. The deposition method of claim 1 , wherein the second plasma is a capacitively coupled plasma, and wherein the second plasma is struck between the pedestal and the faceplate.

5. The deposition method of claim 1 , wherein etching the deposited first oxide film comprises:
purging the semiconductor processing chamber;
introducing an etchant gas into the processing region; and
forming the second plasma of the etchant gas in the processing region.

6. The deposition method of claim 5 , wherein purging the semiconductor processing chamber comprises:
extinguishing the first plasma; and
exchanging the precursor and the oxygen-containing precursor for the etchant gas in the processing region.

7. The deposition method of claim 5 , wherein the etchant gas comprises a fluorine-containing gas.

8. The deposition method of claim 1 , wherein the precursor comprises silane.

Assignees

• Applied Materials Inc

Inventors

• Mutyala Madhu Santosh Kumar
• Padhi Deenesh
• Yu Hang

Classifications

• H10P72/0402

  Apparatus for fluid treatment (H10P72/0441, H10P72/0448 take precedence) · CPC title

• H10P50/242

  of Group IV materials · CPC title

• H10P14/6336 Primary

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

• H10P50/283

  by chemical means · CPC title

• H10P14/6686

  the compound being a molecule comprising at least one silicon-oxygen bond and the compound having hydrogen or an organic group attached to the silicon or oxygen, e.g. a siloxane · CPC title