Flowable film curing penetration depth improvement and stress tuning

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2016126089-A1
Application number	US-201414577943-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Dec 19, 2014
Priority date	Oct 29, 2014
Publication date	May 5, 2016
Grant date	—

Abstract

Methods for depositing and curing a flowable dielectric layer are disclosed herein. Methods can include forming a flowable dielectric layer, immersing the flowable dielectric layer in an oxygen-containing gas, purging the chamber and curing the layer with UV radiation. By curing the layer after an oxygen-containing gas pre-soak, the layer can be more completely cured during the UV irradiation.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A method of depositing a layer, comprising:
forming a flowable dielectric layer on a substrate, the substrate being positioned in a processing region of a process chamber; delivering an oxygen-containing gas to the substrate and the processing region, the flowable dielectric layer being immersed in the oxygen-containing gas for a period of time creating a soaked dielectric layer; purging the oxygen-containing gas from the processing region after the period of time; and exposing the soaked dielectric layer to UV radiation, wherein the UV radiation at least partially cures the soaked dielectric layer.

2 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the flowable dielectric layer is a silicon and nitrogen containing layer.

3 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the oxygen-containing gas comprises atomic oxygen (O), ozone (O 3 ), molecular oxygen (O 2 ), nitrogen-oxides, water (H 2 O) or combinations thereof.

4 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the temperature of the substrate is maintained at less than 150 degrees Celsius.

5 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the pressure in the processing region is maintained at greater than 100 Torr.

6 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the substrate is delivered to a second process chamber prior to exposing the soaked dielectric layer to UV radiation.

7 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the oxygen-containing gas is delivered to the substrate and the processing region at a flow rate of between about 3.1 sccm to about 10.6 sccm per square mm of substrate surface area.

8 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the formation of the flowable dielectric layer comprises:
providing a carbon-free silicon precursor to the processing region; providing a radical-nitrogen precursor to the processing region; and mixing and reacting the carbon-free silicon precursor and the radical-nitrogen precursor to deposit a flowable dielectric layer on the substrate;

9 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the soaked dielectric layer is exposed to UV radiation in an inert gas atmosphere.

10 . A method for processing a substrate, sequentially comprising:
depositing a flowable dielectric layer having a dielectric constant of less than about 2.5 on a substrate surface of a substrate in a process chamber, the substrate surface having a substrate surface area; flowing an oxygen-containing gas into the process chamber at a flow rate of between about 3.1 sccm to about 10.6 sccm per square mm of substrate surface area; terminating flow of the oxygen-containing gas into the UV processing chamber; transferring the substrate to an ultraviolet (UV) processing chamber; and exposing the flowable dielectric layer to UV radiation.

11 . The method of claim 10 , wherein the flowable dielectric layer is a silicon and nitrogen containing layer.

12 . The method of claim 10 , wherein the oxygen-containing gas comprises atomic oxygen (O), ozone (O 3 ), molecular oxygen (O 2 ), nitrogen-oxides, water (H 2 O) or combinations thereof.

13 . The method of claim 10 , wherein the temperature of the substrate is maintained at less than 150 degrees Celsius.

14 . The method of claim 10 , wherein the pressure in the processing region is maintained at greater than 100 Torr.

15 . The method of claim 10 , further comprising purging the oxygen-containing gas from the process chamber prior to transferring the substrate.

16 . The method of claim 10 , wherein the flowable dielectric layer is exposed to UV radiation in an inert gas atmosphere.

17 . The method of claim 10 , wherein the deposition of the flowable dielectric layer comprises:
providing a carbon-free silicon precursor to the process chamber; providing a radical-nitrogen precursor to the process chamber; and mixing and reacting the carbon-free silicon precursor and the radical-nitrogen precursor to deposit a flowable dielectric layer on the substrate;

18 . A method of depositing a layer, comprising:
providing a carbon-free silicon precursor to a process chamber, the process chamber comprising a processing region with a substrate positioned therein, the substrate having a substrate surface with a substrate surface area; providing a radical-nitrogen precursor to the process chamber; mixing and reacting the carbon-free silicon precursor and the radical-nitrogen precursor to deposit a flowable silicon-and-nitrogen containing layer on the substrate surface, the flowable silicon-and-nitrogen containing layer having a dielectric constant of less than about 2.5; delivering an oxygen-containing gas to the substrate and the process chamber at a flow rate of between about 3.1 sccm to about 10.6 sccm per square mm of substrate surface area, the flowable silicon-and-nitrogen containing layer being immersed in the oxygen-containing gas for a period of time, the oxygen-containing gas comprising ozone (O 3 ); purging the oxygen-containing gas from the processing region using an inert gas; and exposing the flowable silicon-and-nitrogen containing layer to UV radiation, wherein the UV radiation at least partially cures the flowable dielectric layer.

19 . The method of claim 18 , wherein the temperature of the substrate is maintained at less than 150 degrees Celsius.

20 . The method of claim 18 , wherein the pressure in the processing region is maintained at greater than 100 Torr.

Assignees

• Applied Materials Inc

Inventors

• Liang Jingmei
• Lee Jung Chan
• Sun Yong

Classifications

• H10P14/6927

  the material being a silicon oxynitride, e.g. SiON or SiON:H · CPC title

• H10P14/6682

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

• H10P14/6538

  by exposure to UV light · CPC title

• H10P14/6526

  introduced into an oxide material, e.g. changing SiO to SiON · CPC title

• H10P14/6336

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