Method and apparatus to minimize seam effect during TEOS oxide film deposition

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9570289-B2
Application number	US-201514640207-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 6, 2015
Priority date	Mar 6, 2015
Publication date	Feb 14, 2017
Grant date	Feb 14, 2017

Abstract

A method of minimizing a seam effect of a deposited TEOS oxide film during a trench filling process performed on a semiconductor substrate in a semiconductor substrate plasma processing apparatus comprises supporting a semiconductor substrate on a pedestal in a vacuum chamber thereof. Process gas including TEOS, an oxidant, and argon is flowed through a face plate of a showerhead assembly into a processing region of the vacuum chamber. RF energy energizes the process gas into a plasma wherein TEOS oxide film is deposited on the semiconductor substrate so as to fill at least one trench thereof. The argon is supplied in an amount sufficient to increase the electron density of the plasma such that the deposition rate of the TEOS oxide film towards the center of the semiconductor substrate is increased and the seam effect of the deposited TEOS oxide film in the at least one trench is reduced.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A showerhead assembly of a semiconductor substrate plasma processing apparatus, the showerhead assembly comprising:
a face plate including a lower wall and an annular outer wall extending upwardly from an outer periphery of the lower wall; and
a back plate wherein the upwardly extending annular wall of the face plate is welded to an outer periphery of a back plate such that a cavity is formed between the lower wall of the face plate and the back plate;
wherein the lower wall of the face plate includes at least 6,000 gas injection holes that extend therethrough wherein the at least 6,000 gas injection holes are spatially arranged in the lower wall of the face plate such that process gas delivered through the at least 6,000 gas injection holes minimizes a seam effect of TEOS oxide film deposited in at least one trench of a semiconductor substrate during a TEOS oxide trench filling operation.

2. The showerhead assembly of claim 1 , wherein the lower wall of the face plate includes an optional center gas injection hole and 45 concentric rows of gas injection holes surrounding the optional center hole wherein the first concentric row has nine gas injection holes located at a radial distance of about 0.1-0.2 inch from the center of the face plate, the second concentric row has sixteen gas injection holes located at a radial distance of about 0.2-0.3 inch from the center of the face plate, the third concentric row has twenty-one gas injection holes located at a radial distance of about 0.4-0.5 inch from the center of the face plate, the fourth concentric row has twenty-seven gas injection holes located at a radial distance of about 0.5-0.6 inch from the center of the face plate, the fifth concentric row has thirty-four gas injection holes located at a radial distance of about 0.6-0.7 inch from the center of the face plate, the sixth concentric row has forty-four gas injection holes located at a radial distance of about 0.7-0.8 inch from the center of the face plate, the seventh concentric row has forty-nine gas injection holes located at a radial distance of about 0.9-1 inch from the center of the face plate, the eighth concentric row has fifty-six gas injection holes located at a radial distance of about 1-1.1 inches from the center of the face plate, the ninth concentric row has sixty-two gas injection holes located at a radial distance of about 1.1-1.2 inches from the center of the face plate, the tenth concentric row has seventy gas injection holes located at a radial distance of about 1.25-1.35 inches from the center of the face plate, the eleventh concentric row has eighty-three gas injection holes located at a radial distance of about 1.4-1.5 inches from the center of the face plate, the twelfth concentric row has eighty-six gas injection holes located at a radial distance of about 1.5-1.6 inches from the center of the face plate, the thirteenth concentric row has ninety-five gas injection holes located at a radial distance of about 1.7-1.8 inches from the center of the face plate, the fourteenth concentric row has ninety-seven gas injection holes located at a radial distance of about 1.8-1.9 inches from the center of the face plate, the fifteenth concentric row has one hundred seven gas injection holes located at a radial distance of about 1.9-2 inch from the center of the face plate, the sixteenth concentric row has one hundred eighteen gas injection holes located at a radial distance of about 2.05-2.15 inches from the center of the face plate, the seventeenth concentric row has one hundred sixteen gas injection holes located at a radial distance of about 2.2-2.3 inches from the center of the face plate, the eighteenth concentric row has one hundred twenty-seven gas injection holes located at a radial distance of about 2.3-2.4 inches from the center of the face plate, the nineteenth concentric row has one hundred twenty-seven gas injection holes located at a radial distance of about 2.4-2.5 inches from the center of the face plate, the twentieth concentric row has one hundred thirty-nine gas injection holes located at a radial distance of about 2.55-2.65 inch from the center of the face plate, the twenty-first concentric row has one hundred fifty-nine gas injection holes located at a radial distance of about 2.7-2.8 inches from the center of the face plate, the twenty-second concentric row has one hundred sixty-two gas injection holes located at a radial distance of about 2.8-2.9 inches from the center of the face plate, the twenty-third concentric row has one hundred sixty-five gas injection holes located at a radial distance of about 3-3.1 inches from the center of the face plate, the twenty-fourth concentric row has one hundred seventy-one gas injection holes located at a radial distance of about 3.1-3.2 inches from the center of the face plate, the twenty-fifth concentric row has one hundred seventy gas injection holes located at a radial distance of about 3.2-3.3 inches from the center of the face plate, the twenty-sixth concentric row has one hundred seventy-eight gas injection holes located at a radial distance of about 3.35-3.45 inches from the center of the face plate, the twenty-seventh concentric row has one hundred eighty-six gas injection holes located at a radial distance of about 3.5-3.6 inches from the center of the face plate, the twenty-eighth concentric row has one hundred eighty-five gas injection holes located at a radial distance of about 3.6-3.7 inches from the center of the face plate, the twenty-ninth concentric row has one hundred ninety-five gas injection holes located at a radial distance of about 3.75-3.85 inches from the center of the face plate, the thirtieth concentric row has one hundred ninety-five gas injection holes located at a radial distance of about 3.9-4 inches from the center of the face plate, the thirty-first concentric row has two hundred gas injection holes located at a radial distance of about 4-4.1 inches from the center of the face plate, the thirty-second concentric row has two hundred two gas injection holes located at a radial distance of about 4.15-4.25 inches from the center of the face plate, the thirty-third concentric row has two hundred five gas injection holes located at a radial distance of about 4.3-4.4 inches from the center of the face plate, the thirty-fourth concentric row has two hundred ten gas injection holes located at a radial distance of about 4.4-4.5 inches from the center of the face plate, the thirty-fifth concentric row has two hundred fourteen gas injection holes located at a radial distance of about 4.5-4.6 inches from the center of the face plate, the thirty-sixth concentric row has two hundred fifteen gas injection holes located at a radial distance of about 4.7-4.8 inches from the center of the face plate, the thirty-seventh concentric row has two hundred twelve gas injection holes located at a radial distance of about 4.8-4.9 inches from the center of the face plate, the thirty-eighth concentric row has two hundred twelve gas injection holes located at a radial distance of about 4.9-5 inches from the center of the face plate, the thirty-ninth concentric row has two hundred fourteen gas injection holes located at a radial distance of about 5.1-5.2 inches from the center of the face plate, the fortieth concentric row has two hundred twelve gas injection holes located at a radial distance of about 5.2-5.3 inches from the center of the face plate, the forty-first concentric row has two hundred ten gas injection holes located at a radial distance of about 5.3-5.4 inches from the center of the face plate, the forty-second concentric row has one hundred ninety-eight gas injection holes located at a radial distance of about 5.45-5.55 inches from the center of the face plate, the forty-third concentric row has one hundred sixty gas injection holes located at a radial distance of about 5.6-5.7 inches from the cen

Assignees

• Lam Res Corp

Inventors

• Dhas Arul N

Classifications

• H10P14/69215

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

• H10P14/6336 Primary

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

• H10P14/6681 Primary

  the precursor containing a compound comprising Si · CPC title

• C23C16/50

  using electric discharges {(generation and control of plasma in discharge tubes for surface treatment H01J37/32, H01J37/34)} · CPC title