Multi-step process for flowable gap-fill film

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2021257252-A1
Application number	US-202016792646-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Feb 17, 2020
Priority date	Feb 17, 2020
Publication date	Aug 19, 2021
Grant date	—

Abstract

Generally, examples described herein relate to methods and processing systems for performing multiple processes in a same processing chamber on a flowable gap-fill film deposited on a substrate. In an example, a semiconductor processing system includes a processing chamber and a system controller. The system controller includes a processor and memory. The memory stores instructions, that when executed by the processor cause the system controller to: control a first process within the processing chamber performed on a substrate having thereon a film deposited by a flowable process, and control a second process within the process chamber performed on the substrate having thereon the film. The first process includes stabilizing bonds in the film to form a stabilized film. The second process includes densifying the stabilized film.

First claim

1 . A semiconductor processing system comprising:
a processing chamber; and a system controller comprising a processor and memory, the memory storing instructions, that when executed by the processor, cause the system controller to:
control a first process within the processing chamber performed on a substrate having thereon a film deposited by a flowable process, the first process comprising stabilizing bonds in the film to form a stabilized film; and
control a second process within the process chamber performed on the substrate having thereon the film, the second process comprising densifying the stabilized film.

2 . The semiconductor processing system of claim 1 , wherein:
the first process is performed at a first pressure; and the second process is performed at a second pressure greater than the first pressure.

3 . The semiconductor processing system of claim 1 , wherein:
the first process is performed including flowing a first process gas composition; and the second process is performed including flowing a second process gas composition different than the first process gas composition.

4 . The semiconductor processing system of claim 1 , wherein:
the first process is performed at a first temperature; and the second process is performed at a second temperature greater than the first temperature.

5 . The semiconductor processing system of claim 1 , wherein:
the first process further comprises converting the film to a different composition.

6 . The semiconductor processing system of claim 1 , wherein:
the first process is performed including flowing a first process gas including oxygen, ozone, nitrous oxide, nitric oxide, or a combination thereof; and the second process is performed including flowing a second process gas including steam, ammonia, nitrous oxide, nitric oxide, or a combination thereof.

7 . The semiconductor processing system of claim 1 , wherein:
the first process is performed including flowing a first process gas including ammonia; and the second process is performed including flowing a second process gas including steam, nitrous oxide, nitric oxide, or a combination thereof.

8 . The semiconductor processing system of claim 1 , wherein:
the first process is performed including flowing a first process gas including steam and is performed at a first pressure and at a first temperature; and the second process is performed including flowing a second process gas including steam, ammonia, nitrous oxide, nitric oxide, or a combination thereof and is performed at a second pressure and at a second temperature, the second pressure being greater than the first pressure, the second temperature being greater than the first temperature.

9 . The semiconductor processing system of claim 1 further comprising a remote plasma source fluidly coupled to the processing chamber, wherein the instructions, when executed by the processor, cause the system controller to ignite a plasma in the remote plasma source during the first process, the second process, or both the first process and the second process.

10 . A method for semiconductor processing, the method comprising:
transferring into a processing chamber a substrate having thereon a film deposited by a flowable process; performing a first process, within the processing chamber, on the film on the substrate, the first process comprising stabilizing bonds in the film to form a stabilized film; and performing a second process, within the processing chamber, on the film on the substrate, the second process comprising densifying the stabilized film.

11 . The method of claim 10 , wherein:
the first process is performed at a first pressure; and the second process is performed at a second pressure greater than the first pressure.

12 . The method of claim 10 , wherein:
performing the first process includes flowing a first process gas composition; and performing the second process includes flowing a second process gas composition different than the first process gas composition.

13 . The method of claim 10 , wherein:
performing the first process includes converting the film to a different composition.

14 . The method of claim 10 , wherein:
the first process is performed including flowing a first process gas including oxygen, ozone, nitrous oxide, nitric oxide, or a combination thereof; and the second process is performed including flowing a second process gas including steam, ammonia, nitrous oxide, nitric oxide, or a combination thereof.

15 . The method of claim 10 , wherein:
the first process is performed including flowing a first process gas including ammonia; and the second process is performed including flowing a second process gas including steam, nitrous oxide, nitric oxide, or a combination thereof.

16 . The method of claim 10 , wherein:
the first process is performed including flowing a first process gas including steam and is performed at a first pressure and at a first temperature; and the second process is performed including flowing a second process gas including steam, ammonia, nitrous oxide, nitric oxide, or a combination thereof and is performed at a second pressure and at a second temperature, the second pressure being greater than the first pressure, the second temperature being greater than the first temperature.

17 . A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing instructions that, when executed by a processor, cause a computer system to perform operations including:
controlling a processing system to perform a first process within a processing chamber of the processing system, the first process being performed on a substrate having thereon a film deposited by a flowable process, the first process comprising stabilizing bonds in the film to form a stabilized film; and controlling the processing system to perform a second process within the process chamber, the second process being performed on the substrate having thereon the stabilized film, the second process comprising densifying the stabilized film.

18 . The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 17 , wherein:
the first process is performed with flowing a first process gas composition; and the second process is performed with flowing a second process gas composition different than the first process gas composition.

19 . The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 17 , wherein:
the first process is performed at a first pressure; and the second process is performed at a second pressure greater than the first pressure.

20 . The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 17 , wherein the first process further includes converting the film to a different composition.

Assignees

• Applied Materials Inc

Inventors

• Clemons Maximillian
• Bekiaris Nikolaos
• Nemani Srinivas D

Classifications

• H10P14/6334

  using decomposition or reaction of gaseous or vapour phase compounds, i.e. chemical vapour deposition (deposition by physical ablation of a target H10P14/6329) · CPC title

• H10W20/098 Primary

  by filling between adjacent conductive parts · CPC title

• H10P72/0462

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

• H10P72/0461

  characterised by the presence of two or more transfer chambers · CPC title

• H10P72/0441

  Apparatus for sealing, encapsulating, glassing, decapsulating or the like · CPC title