Plasma-enhanced wafer soaking for thin film deposition

Abstract

Disclosed are apparatus and methods for providing a substrate onto a substrate support in a process chamber; generating an inert plasma in the process chamber; and maintaining the inert plasma to heat the substrate to a steady-state temperature in less than 30 seconds from providing the substrate onto the substrate support, wherein the steady-state temperature is suitable for plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposition (PECVD). An apparatus may include: a process chamber; a process station including a substrate support; a process gas unit configured to flow an inert gas onto a substrate supported by the substrate support; a plasma source configured to generate an inert plasma in the process station; and a controller including instructions configured to: flow the inert gas onto the substrate; generate the inert plasma in a first process station; and maintain the inert plasma to thereby heat the substrate.

Description

[0001] Incorporated by Reference

[0002] The PCT application form is filed concurrently with this specification as a part of this application. Each application to which this application claims the benefit of or priority as identified in the concurrently filed PCT application form is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety and for all purposes. Background Art

[0003] Semiconductor manufacturing often involves using plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposition (PECVD) to deposit one or more material layers onto a heated substrate. However, this traditional PECVD process can result in substrate defects and slow throughput times. Therefore, methods and techniques are sought to reduce defects and improve substrate throughput. Summary of the Invention

[0004] In some embodiments, a method may be provided. The method may include providing a substrate onto a substrate support in a process chamber, generating an inert plasma in the process chamber, and maintaining the inert plasma to heat the substrate to a steady-state temperature in less than 30 seconds from providing the substrate onto the substrate support, wherein the steady-state temperature is suitable for performing plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposition (PECVD).

[0005] In some embodiments, the substrate support can be heated.

[0006] In some such embodiments, the substrate can be heated by a combination of the inert plasma and radiation from the substrate support.

[0007] In some further such embodiments, the substrate may be heated first by radiation from the substrate support, and then by a combination of the inert plasma and radiation from the substrate support.

[0008] In some further such embodiments, the substrate may be first heated by radiation from the substrate support for between 5 and 10 seconds before being heated by the combination of the inert plasma and radiation from the substrate support.

[0009] In some embodiments, the substrate can be heated from room temperature to a temperature of at least 300°C.

[0010] In some such embodiments, the substrate may be heated from room temperature to a temperature between 300°C and 700°C.

[0011] In some embodiments, the substrate can reach the steady state temperature in 20 seconds or less.

[0012] In some embodiments, generating the inert plasma can include: flowing an inert gas into the processing chamber; and igniting the inert plasma.

[0013] In some such embodiments, the inert gas can be selected from the group consisting of helium, nitrogen, and a combination of helium and nitrogen.

[0014] In some such embodiments, the inert gas may be a combination of helium and nitrogen.

[0015] In some embodiments, the chamber partial pressure during flowing the inert gas can be about 8 Torr.

[0016] In some embodiments, the inert gas partial pressure prior to igniting the inert plasma can be reached in no more than 10 seconds, and subsequently the steady state temperature of the substrate can be reached in no more than 10 seconds.

[0017] In some embodiments, the method may further include depositing a layer of material on the substrate by PECVD while the substrate is at the steady-state temperature and while a reactant plasma is generated in the processing chamber.

[0018] In some such embodiments, the method may further include extinguishing the inert plasma after the substrate reaches the steady-state temperature and before the depositing, and the depositing may further include flowing a reactant process gas onto the substrate; and generating the reactant plasma in the process chamber.

[0019] In some further such embodiments, the depositing can include flowing a reactant process gas onto the substrate while maintaining the inert plasma, thereby changing the inert plasma to the reactant plasma without extinguishing the inert plasma.

[0020] In some further such embodiments, the depositing may further comprise flowing the reactant process gas and flowing an inert gas onto the substrate.

[0021] In some further such embodiments, the inert plasma may be generated at a first power level and the reactant plasma may be generated at a second power level.

[0022] In some such embodiments, the method may further comprise purging the process chamber prior to the depositing.

[0023] In some embodiments, the frequency of the inert plasma can be 13.56 MHz.

[0024] In some further such embodiments, the method may further comprise flowing a surface treatment gas during maintaining the inert plasma, wherein the surface treatment gas comprises cleaning molecules and surface treatment molecules.

[0025] In some embodiments, an apparatus may be provided. The apparatus may include: a process chamber; a first process station including a first substrate support, wherein the first substrate support may be configured to position a first substrate in the process chamber; a process gas unit configured to flow an inert gas onto the first substrate supported by the first substrate support; a plasma source configured to generate an inert plasma in the first process station; and a controller. The controller may include instructions configured to: provide the first substrate onto the first substrate support; flow the inert gas onto the first substrate supported by the first substrate support; generate the inert plasma in the first process station while the inert gas flows onto the first substrate supported by the first substrate support; and maintain the inert plasma to thereby heat the first substrate to a steady-state temperature in less than 30 seconds from providing the first substrate onto the first substrate support, wherein the steady-state temperature is suitable for plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposition.

[0026] In some embodiments, the first substrate support may also be configured to generate heat to heat the first substrate supported by the first substrate support; and the controller may further include instructions configured to: cause the first substrate support to generate heat; and maintain the inert plasma while the first substrate support generates heat to thereby heat the first substrate to the steady-state temperature by a combination of the inert plasma and radiation from the first substrate support.

[0027] In some further such embodiments, the process gas unit may be further configured to flow a reactant gas onto the first substrate supported by the first substrate support; the plasma source may be configured to generate a reactant plasma in the first processing station; and the controller may further include instructions configured to: flow the reactant gas onto the first substrate supported by the first substrate support; and generate the reactant plasma in the first processing station when the reactant gas flows onto the first substrate supported by the first substrate support to thereby deposit a material layer on the first substrate.

[0028] In some embodiments, the plasma source can be configured to generate the inert plasma at a frequency of 13.56 MHz.

[0029] In some embodiments, the plasma source can be configured to generate the inert plasma at a power between 200 watts and 800 watts.

[0030] In some embodiments, the apparatus may further include a second processing station, the second processing station may include a second substrate support, the second substrate support may be configured to position a second substrate in the processing chamber; the process gas unit may further be configured to flow the inert gas onto the second substrate supported by the second substrate support; the plasma source may further be configured to generate the inert plasma in the second processing station; and the controller may further include instructions, the instructions being configured to: provide the second substrate onto the second substrate support; flow the inert gas onto the second substrate supported by the second substrate support; generate the inert plasma in the first processing station while the inert gas flows onto the second substrate supported by the second substrate support; and maintain the inert plasma in the second processing station to thereby heat the second substrate to the steady-state temperature in less than 30 seconds from providing the second substrate onto the second substrate support.

[0031] In some such embodiments, the second substrate support may be further configured to generate heat to heat the second substrate supported by the second substrate support; and the controller may further include instructions configured to: cause the second substrate support to generate heat; and maintain the inert plasma while the second substrate support generates heat to thereby heat the second substrate to the steady-state temperature by a combination of the inert plasma and radiation from the second substrate support.

[0032] In some further such embodiments, the process gas unit can be further configured to flow a reactant gas onto the second substrate supported by the second substrate support; the plasma source can be further configured to generate a reactant plasma in the second processing station; and the controller can further include instructions configured to: flow the reactant gas onto the second substrate supported by the second substrate support; and generate the reactant plasma in the second processing station when the reactant gas flows onto the second substrate supported by the second substrate support to thereby deposit a material layer on the second substrate.

[0033] In some other such embodiments, the reactant gas may comprise silicon.

[0034] In some other such embodiments, the reactant gas may comprise silane.

[0035] In some other such embodiments, the reactant gas may comprise tetraethoxysilane.

[0036] In some other such embodiments, the reactant gas may comprise tetramethylsilane.

[0037] In some other such embodiments, the reactant gas may comprise: helium, nitrogen, and a combination of helium and nitrogen. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0038] Figure 1 A block diagram is provided of an exemplary device that may be used to implement the disclosed embodiments.

[0039] Figure 2 A schematic diagram of an embodiment of a multi-station processing tool is shown.

[0040] Figure 3 Depicted are exemplary flow charts for performing operations in accordance with the disclosed embodiments.

[0041] Figure 4 A second exemplary flow chart for performing operations in accordance with the disclosed embodiments is depicted.

[0042] Figure 5 A third exemplary flow diagram for performing operations in accordance with the disclosed embodiments is depicted.

[0043] Figure 6 A table depicts various processing conditions and measured values for processed substrates.

[0044] Figure 7 Graph depicting the change in substrate thickness versus temperature soak time.

[0045] Specific implementation method

[0046] In the following description, numerous specific details are set forth in order to provide a thorough understanding of the embodiments presented. The disclosed embodiments may be practiced without some or all of these specific details. In other instances, well-known processing operations are not described in detail to avoid unnecessarily obscuring the embodiments of the present disclosure. Although the disclosed embodiments will be described in conjunction with specific embodiments, it should be understood that this is not intended to limit the embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0047] In this application, the terms "semiconductor wafer," "wafer," "substrate," "wafer substrate," and "partially fabricated integrated circuit" are used interchangeably. One of ordinary skill in the art will understand that the term "partially fabricated integrated circuit" can refer to a silicon wafer during any of the many stages of integrated circuit fabrication performed thereon. Wafers or substrates used in the semiconductor device industry may have a diameter of 200 mm or 300 mm or 450 mm. The following detailed description assumes that the present invention is implemented on a wafer. However, the present invention is not limited thereto. The workpiece may have a variety of shapes, sizes, and materials. In addition to semiconductor wafers, other workpieces that may take advantage of the present invention include various articles of manufacture such as printed circuit boards, glass panels, and the like.

[0048] Heating in Plasma Enhanced Chemical Vapor Deposition

[0049] Many semiconductor processing processes utilize plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposition ("PECVD") to deposit materials. In a typical PECVD reaction, a substrate is heated to an operating temperature and exposed to one or more volatile precursors, which react and / or decompose to produce the desired deposit on the substrate surface. The PECVD process typically begins by flowing one or more reactants into a reaction chamber. The delivery of reactants may continue while the plasma is generated, exposing the substrate surface to the plasma, which in turn causes deposition to occur on the substrate surface. The process continues until the desired film thickness is reached, after which the plasma is typically extinguished and the flow of reactants terminated. The reaction chamber may then be purged, and post-deposition steps may be performed.

[0050] The operating temperature of the substrate and processing chamber is generally selected based on the processes being performed on the substrate, such as pre-treatment steps, deposition steps, and post-deposition processing steps. For example, in a specific embodiment, the operating temperature of the substrate and reaction chamber during PECVD reactions and deposition is between approximately 50°C and 450°C. This range is suitable for reactions using silane. For other reactants, the temperature range may be more limited or broader, such as between approximately 100°C and 450°C when using tetraethoxysilane (TEOS), or between approximately 200°C and 700°C. In addition, some pre-deposition processing steps (such as ammonia cleaning, degassing, or surface roughening of the substrate) may be performed at specific temperatures (e.g., between 100°C and 400°C). Some post-deposition steps (such as annealing, changing the composition, changing the refractive index (RI) / transmittance of a layer, and changing the stress of a layer) may also be performed at specific temperatures (e.g., between 100°C and 400°C).

[0051] The substrate typically enters the processing chamber at a temperature below the operating temperature (such as room temperature, which may be between about 20° C. and 25° C.), and is positioned substantially on a substrate support structure within the processing chamber and then heated to the operating temperature. Heating the substrate to the operating temperature is referred to herein as a “wafer soak,” “heat soak,” “temperature soak,” “soak,” or “substrate soak.” To heat the substrate to the desired operating temperature for pre-deposition and deposition processing, most conventional semiconductor processing tools use a heat source located within the substrate support structure to heat the substrate by thermal radiation. Heating the substrate to the operating temperature is referred to herein as a “wafer soak,” “heat soak,” “temperature soak,” or “substrate soak.” As described in more detail below, the heat source for the substrate support structure may be a resistive heating element or a fluid conduit through which a heating fluid may flow.

[0052] Thermal soak processes that utilize only heat sources in the substrate support structure are time-consuming steps and limit substrate throughput. The rate at which the substrate can be heated is limited by, among other factors, the ability of the heat source and substrate support structure components to heat to the desired temperature and transfer heat to the substrate. Conventional heat sources (e.g., resistive heating elements and heated fluid streams flowing through fluid conduits) typically have limited settling times in which they can heat to the desired temperature and transfer heat to the substrate. For example, the temperature required for conventional thermal soak processes can last as long as 30 seconds, 60 seconds, or 120 seconds, which can be a substantial portion (e.g., 25%, 40%, 50%, or more) of the total process time. In one example, a 30-second thermal soak can be part of a total process time (pre-deposition, deposition, and post-deposition steps) of approximately 75 seconds, where the 30-second thermal soak is approximately 40% of the total process time.

[0053] Thus, the present disclosure relates to techniques and apparatus for heating substrates using an inert plasma in order to reduce processing time, improve throughput, and improve substrate uniformity. In some embodiments, the substrate can be heated using both an inert plasma and a heat source in a substrate support structure.

[0054] equipment

[0055] Suitable equipment for performing the disclosed methods generally includes hardware for implementing the process operations and a system controller having instructions for controlling the process operations according to the present invention. For example, in some embodiments, the hardware may include one or more PECVD processing stations contained in a processing tool.

[0056] Figure 1A block diagram of an exemplary apparatus that can be used to implement the disclosed embodiments is provided. As shown, a semiconductor processing tool 100 ("tool") includes a process chamber 124, which surrounds the other components of the reactor and is used to contain a plasma generated by, for example, a capacitive-type system including a showerhead 114 operating in conjunction with a grounded heater block 128. A high-frequency RF generator 102 and a low-frequency RF generator 104 connected to a matching network 106 are connected to the showerhead 114. The matching network 106 supplies power (e.g., 400 to 700 watts of total energy) and frequency sufficient to generate a plasma from the process gas. In one embodiment of the present invention, both an HF RF generator and a LF RF generator may be used during deposition, while in some other embodiments, only the HF RF generator is used. In a typical process, the high-frequency (HF) RF component is generally between approximately 2 MHz and 60 MHz; in a preferred embodiment, the HF component is approximately 13.56 MHz. The low-frequency (LF) component is generally between approximately 250 kHz and 400 kHz.

[0057] Within the reactor, a substrate support structure 120 (i.e., a susceptor) supports a substrate 116. The susceptor typically includes a chuck, forks, or lift pins to grip and transport the substrate during or between deposition and / or plasma processing reactions. The chuck can be an electrostatic chuck, a mechanical chuck, or various other types of chucks used in industry and / or research.

[0058] As described above, in some embodiments, the substrate support structure 120 includes a heat source 128 configured to heat a substrate positioned on the pedestal 120. The heat source 128 may comprise one or more resistive elements positioned within the pedestal 120 or wires arranged in a meandering or looping pattern within the pedestal 120. The resistive elements may be controlled by heater wires connected to the resistive elements via rods of the pedestal 120. Because the tool 100 utilizes RF energy during chamber operation, all or a portion of the resistive elements may be insulated and isolated from the RF. RF isolation may be achieved via EMI / RFI filters or any other commercially available RF isolation device. In other embodiments, the heat source 128 may be a fluid conduit for the flow of a heated fluid, wherein the heated fluid comprises a liquid and a gas (e.g., a heated inert gas).

[0059] The pedestal 120 is also configured to conduct thermal radiation from the heat source 128 to the substrate 116 located on the pedestal 120. This may include a layer of thermally conductive material within the pedestal 120 and at a surface of the pedestal 120, and a thermal choke within the pedestal 120 to direct the thermal radiation toward the substrate 116.

[0060] Process gases are introduced through inlet 112. A plurality of source gas lines 110 are connected to manifold 108. The gases may or may not be premixed. Examples of process gases are described below. Appropriate valve regulation and mass flow control mechanisms are utilized to ensure that the correct gases are delivered during the deposition and post-deposition stages of the process. In the case where the chemical precursors are delivered in liquid form, a liquid flow control mechanism is used. The liquid is then vaporized and mixed with other process gases in the manifold, which is heated above its vaporization point, during its delivery before it reaches the deposition chamber.

[0061] The process gas exits chamber 124 via outlet 122. A vacuum pump 126 (e.g., a one- or two-stage mechanical dry pump and / or a turbomolecular pump) typically draws the process gas through a closed-loop controlled flow restriction (e.g., a throttle valve or pendulum valve) and maintains a suitable low pressure within the reactor.

[0062] The present invention can be implemented on a multi-station or single-station tool. In a specific embodiment, a 300 mm Novellus Vector with a 4-station deposition mechanism is used. TM tool or 200mm Sequel with 6-station deposition mechanism TM tool.

[0063] Figure 2 A schematic diagram of an embodiment of a multi-station processing tool 200 is shown having an inbound load lock 202 and an outbound load lock 204, wherein either or both of the inbound load lock 202 and the outbound load lock 204 may include a remote plasma source. A robot 206, at atmospheric pressure, is configured to move wafers from a cassette via an atmospheric port 210 into the inbound load lock 202, wherein the cassette is loaded via a wafer boat 208. The wafer is placed on a pedestal 212 in the inbound load lock 202 by the robot 206, the atmospheric port 210 is closed, and the load lock is pumped. Next, a chamber transfer port 216 leading to a processing chamber 214 is opened, and another robot (not shown) places the wafer on a pedestal at a first station within the reactor for processing. Although Figure 2 The illustrated embodiment includes a load lock, but it will be appreciated that in some embodiments wafers may be passed directly into the processing station.

[0064] The depicted processing chamber 214 contains four processing stations, namely Figure 2 1 to 4 in the embodiment of FIG. Each station has a heated susceptor (shown as 220 for station 1) and a gas line inlet, as described above. For example, each susceptor includes a heat source (for station 1, a spiral dashed line 228) configured to heat a substrate positioned on the susceptor, as described above.

[0065] It should be understood that in some embodiments, each processing station can have different or multiple purposes. Although the processing chamber 214 is depicted as including four stations, it should be understood that a processing chamber according to the present disclosure can have any suitable number of stations. For example, in some embodiments, the processing chamber can have five or more stations, while in other embodiments the processing chamber can have three or fewer stations.

[0066] Figure 2 Also depicted is an embodiment of a wafer handling system 290 for transferring wafers within the processing chamber 214. In some embodiments, the wafer handling system 290 can transfer wafers between various processing stations and / or between a processing station and a load lock. It should be understood that any suitable wafer handling system can be utilized. Non-limiting examples include a wafer turntable and a wafer handling robot. Figure 2 Also depicted is an embodiment of a system controller 250 that is utilized to control process conditions and hardware states of the processing tool 200. The system controller 250 may include one or more memory devices 256, one or more mass storage devices 254, and one or more processors. The processor 252 may include a CPU or computer, analog and / or digital input / output connections, a stepper motor controller board, etc.

[0067] although Figure 2 Tool 200, while not shown, may include any of the features of tool 100, such as the gases and plumbing for each station, and a vacuum pump, as described above. Additionally, as referenced herein, tool 200 includes features configured to generate plasma in each processing station, such as a capacitive-type system including a showerhead operating in conjunction with a grounded heater block, and a high-frequency RF generator, for example, connected to a matching network. The power and frequency supplied by the matching network are sufficient to generate a plasma from the gas, such as 400 to 700 watts of total power for each station, or approximately 200 to 3000 watts of total power delivered to all stations (e.g., 600 W for a single station, or 2400 W for a four-station processing chamber (generating 600 W for each of the four stations)). As described above, both the HF and LF RF generators may be used during deposition, while in some other implementations, only the HF RF generator is used; the high-frequency RF component is generally between about 2 MHz and 60 MHz; in a preferred embodiment, the HF component is about 13.56 MHz.

[0068] In some embodiments, a system controller 250 controls all activities of the process tool 200. The system controller 250 executes system control software 258 stored in a mass storage device 254, loaded into a memory device 256, and executed on a processor 252. The system control software 258 may include instructions for controlling the timing, gas mixture, chamber and / or station pressures, chamber and / or station temperatures, purge conditions and timing, wafer temperature, RF power level, RF frequency, substrate, susceptor, chuck, and / or susceptor position, and other parameters of a particular process performed by the process tool 200. The system control software 258 can be configured in any suitable manner. For example, various process tool component subroutines or control objects can be written to control the operation of the process tool components required to perform various process tool procedures according to the disclosed methods. The system control software 258 can be coded in any suitable computer-readable programming language.

[0069] In some embodiments, the system control software 258 may include input / output control sequencing instructions (IOCs) for controlling the various parameters described above. For example, each PECVD process may include one or more instructions for execution by the system controller 250. Instructions for setting process conditions for a PECVD process stage may be included in a corresponding PECVD process recipe stage. In some embodiments, the PECVD process recipe stages may be arranged in sequence so that all instructions for a PECVD process stage are executed concurrently with that process stage.

[0070] Other computer software and / or programs stored on the mass storage device 254 and / or the memory device 256 associated with the system controller 250 may be utilized in some embodiments. Examples of programs or segments of programs used for this purpose include substrate positioning programs, process gas control programs, pressure control programs, heater control programs, and plasma control programs.

[0071] The substrate positioning program may include program code for processing tool components for loading a substrate onto the pedestal 220 and controlling the spacing between the substrate and other components of the processing tool 200 .

[0072] The process gas control program may include code for controlling gas composition and flow rate, and optionally code for flowing gas to one or more process stations prior to deposition to stabilize the pressure in the process station. The process gas control program may include code for controlling the gas composition and flow rate within any disclosed range. The pressure control program may include code for controlling the pressure in the process station by adjusting, for example, a throttle valve in the exhaust system of the process station, gas flow into the process station, etc. The pressure control program may include code for maintaining the pressure in the process station within any disclosed pressure range.

[0073] The heater control program may include code for controlling the flow of current to a heat source located in the susceptor and used to heat the substrate via thermal radiation. The heater control program may include instructions for maintaining the temperature of the substrate within any disclosed range. As discussed below, the heater control program may also include instructions for performing the techniques described herein. This may include controlling the flow of current to a resistive heating element located in the susceptor or the flow of a heating fluid through a conduit in the susceptor to heat the susceptor.

[0074] The plasma control program may include code for setting the RF power level and frequency applied to the process electrodes in one or more processing stations, such as using any of the RF power levels disclosed herein. The plasma control program may also include code for controlling the duration of each plasma exposure.

[0075] In some implementations, the system controller 250 can be part of or coupled to a computer that is integrated with the system, coupled to the system, otherwise networked to the system, or a combination thereof. For example, the controller can be in the "cloud" or all or part of a wafer fab host system that can allow remote access to wafer processing. The computer can enable remote access to the system to monitor the current progress of manufacturing operations, review the history of past manufacturing operations, review trends or performance metrics across multiple manufacturing operations, change parameters of a current process, set processing steps to follow a current process, or start a new process. In some examples, a remote computer (e.g., a server) can provide process recipes to the system via a network (which can include a local network or the Internet). The remote computer can include a user interface that enables the input or programming of parameters and / or settings, which are then sent from the remote computer to the system. In some examples, the system controller 250 receives instructions in the form of data that specify parameters for each processing step to be performed during one or more operations. It should be understood that the parameters can be specific to the type of process to be performed and the type of tool the controller is configured to interface with or control. Thus, as described above, the controller can be distributed, for example, by including one or more discrete controllers networked together and working toward a common purpose (e.g., process and control as described herein). An example of a distributed controller for such a purpose is one or more integrated circuits on a chamber communicating with one or more integrated circuits remotely (e.g., at a platform level or as part of a remote computer), which combine to control the process on the chamber.

[0076] In some embodiments, there may be a user interface associated with the system controller 250. The user interface may include a display screen, graphical software displays of equipment and / or process conditions, and user input devices (e.g., pointing device, keyboard, touch screen, microphone, etc.).

[0077] In some embodiments, the parameters adjusted by the system controller 250 may be related to process conditions. Non-limiting examples include process gas composition and flow rate, temperature, pressure, plasma conditions (e.g., RF power level, frequency, and exposure time), etc. These parameters can be provided to the user in the form of a process recipe, which can be input using a user interface.

[0078] Signals for monitoring the process can be provided through analog and / or digital input connections of the system controller 250 from various process tool sensors. Signals for controlling the process can be output through analog and digital output connections of the process tool 200. Non-limiting examples of process tool sensors that can be monitored include mass flow controllers, pressure sensors (e.g., manometers), thermocouples, etc. Appropriately programmed feedback and control algorithms can be used with the data from these sensors to maintain process conditions.

[0079] Any suitable chamber may be used to practice the disclosed embodiments. Exemplary deposition equipment includes, but is not limited to, Product Series, product line, and / or The system can be any of a variety of other commercially available processing systems, including the Lam Research Corp. product line (each of which is available from Lam Research Corp., Fremont, California). Two or more of the workstations can perform the same function. Similarly, two or more stations can perform different functions. Each station can be designed / configured to perform a specific function / method as desired.

[0080] although Figure 1 Not shown, but tool 100 may include any of the features of tool 200 , such as controller 250 , and the controller may be configured to execute any of the instructions described herein for tool 100 .

[0081] Examples of process gas reactants for PECVD will now be discussed. At least one of these reactants will generally contain an element that is solid at room temperature and is incorporated into the film formed by the PECVD method. This reactant may be referred to as a primary reactant. Primary reactants typically include, for example, metals (e.g., aluminum, titanium, etc.), semiconductors (e.g., silicon, germanium, etc.), and / or non-metals or metalloids (e.g., boron). Other reactants are sometimes referred to as auxiliary reactants or co-reactants. Non-limiting examples of co-reactants include oxygen, ozone, hydrogen, hydrazine, water, carbon monoxide, nitrous oxide, ammonia, alkylamines, etc. A co-reactant may also be a mixture of multiple reactants as described above.

[0082] PECVD processes can be used to deposit a variety of film types and, in certain implementations, to fill gaps with these film types. Some PECVD processes can be used to form undoped silicon oxides, as well as other film types such as nitrides, carbides, oxynitrides, carbon-doped oxides, nitrogen-doped oxides, borides, and the like. Oxides include a wide range of materials, including undoped silicate glass (USG) and doped silicate glass. Examples of doped silicate glass include boron-doped silicate glass (BSG), phosphorus-doped silicate glass (PSG), and boron-phosphorus-doped silicate glass (BPSG). PECVD processes can also be used for metal deposition and feature filling.

[0083] In some embodiments, the deposited film is a silicon-containing film. In these cases, the silicon-containing reactant can be, for example, a silane, a halosilane, or an aminosilane. Silanes contain hydrogen and / or carbon groups, but no halogens. Examples of silanes are silane (SiH4), tetramethylsilane (C4H 12

[0014] Examples of halogenated silanes include methylsilane, ethylsilane, isopropylsilane, tert-butylsilane, dimethylsilane, diethylsilane, di-tert-butylsilane, allylsilane, sec-butylsilane, thexylsilane, isoamylsilane, tert-butyldisilane, di-tert-butyldisilane, tetraethoxysilicate (also known as tetraethoxysilane or TEOS), and the like. Halosilanes contain at least one halogen group and may or may not contain hydrogen and / or carbon groups. Examples of halogenated silanes are iodosilanes, bromosilanes, chlorosilanes, and fluorosilanes. Although halogenated silanes, particularly fluorosilanes, can form reactive halide species that can etch silicon materials, in certain embodiments described herein, silicon-containing reactants are not present when the plasma is energized. Specific chlorosilanes are tetrachlorosilane (SiCl4), trichlorosilane (HSiCl3), dichlorosilane (H2SiCl2), monochlorosilane (ClSiH3), chloroallylsilane, chloromethylsilane, dichloromethylsilane, chlorodimethylsilane, chloroethylsilane, tert-butylchlorosilane, di-tert-butylchlorosilane, chloroisopropylsilane, chlorosec-butylsilane, tert-butyldimethylchlorosilane, tert-hexyldimethylchlorosilane, and the like. Aminosilanes include at least one nitrogen atom bonded to a silicon atom, but may also contain hydrogen, oxygen, halogens, and carbon. Examples of aminosilanes are mono-, di-, tri- and tetra-aminosilanes (H3Si(NH2)4, H2Si(NH2)2, HSi(NH2)3 and Si(NH2)4, respectively), and substituted mono-, di-, tri- and tetra-aminosilanes, such as tert-butylaminosilane, methylaminosilane, tert-butylsilylamine, bis(tert-butylamino)silane (SiH2(NHC(CH3)3)2(BTBAS), tert-butyl silylcarbamate, SiH(CH3)-(N(CH3)2)2, SiHCl-(N(CH3)2)2, (Si(CH3)2NH)3 and the like. A further example of an aminosilane is trimethylsilylamine (N(SiH3)).

[0084] In other cases, the deposited film comprises a metal. Examples of metal-containing films that can be formed include oxides and nitrides of aluminum, titanium, hafnium, tantalum, tungsten, manganese, magnesium, strontium, and the like, as well as elemental metal films. Exemplary precursors may include metal alkylamines, metal alkoxides, metal alkamides, metal halides, metal β-diketones, metal carbonyls, organometallic compounds, and the like. Suitable metal-containing precursors include the metal desired to be incorporated into the film. For example, a tantalum-containing layer can be deposited by reacting penta(dimethylamido)tantalum with ammonia or other reducing agents. Other examples of metal-containing precursors that can be used include trimethylaluminum, tetraethoxytitanium, tetrakis-dimethyl-amidotitanium, tetrakis(ethylmethylamido)hafnium, bis(cyclopentadienyl)manganese, bis(n-propylcyclopentadienyl)magnesium, and the like.

[0085] In some implementations, an oxygen-containing oxidation reactant is used. Examples of oxygen-containing oxidation reactants include oxygen, ozone, nitrous oxide, carbon monoxide, and the like.

[0086] In some embodiments, the deposited film contains nitrogen and uses nitrogen-containing reactants.Nitrogen-containing reactants include at least one nitrogen, such as nitrogen, ammonia, hydrazine, amines (such as amines with carbon), such as methylamine, dimethylamine, ethylamine, isopropylamine, tert-butylamine, di-tert-butylamine, cyclopropylamine, sec-butylamine, cyclobutylamine, isopentylamine, 2-methylbutan-2-amine, trimethylamine, diisopropylamine, diethylisopropylamine, di-tert-butylhydrazine, and aromatic amines, such as aniline, pyridine and benzylamine.Amine can be primary, secondary, tertiary or quaternary amine (such as tetraalkylammonium compounds).Nitrogen-containing reactants can contain heteroatoms other than nitrogen, such as hydroxylamine, tert-butyloxycarbonylamine and N-tert-butylhydroxylamine are nitrogen-containing reactants.

[0087] Other precursors may also be used, for example, as would be apparent or readily discernible to one skilled in the art in view of the teachings provided herein.

[0088] For example, in one embodiment, the PECVD reaction is performed using TEOS, 4MS, or silane. TEOS, 4MS, and silane reactants have been found to be particularly useful in practicing the PECVD reaction.

[0089] The flow rates of the reactants can vary depending on the desired process. In one embodiment related to PECVD of undoped silicate glass (USG), SiH4 is used as a reactant and has a flow rate between about 100-1,500 standard cubic centimeters per minute (sccm), and the flow rate of N2O is between about 100-20,000 sccm. In another embodiment related to PECVD using TEOS, the flow rate of TEOS is between about 1-20 mL / min, and the flow rate of O2 is between about 100-30,000 sccm.

[0090] The process gases may also include flowing an inert gas into the process chamber, such as argon, nitrogen, helium, or mixtures thereof, as well as a purge gas (which may be an inert gas) and a cleaning gas.

[0091] Using plasma to heat substrates for PECVD

[0092] Various techniques for heating a substrate using a plasma during a temperature soak will now be discussed. Figure 3An exemplary flow chart for performing operations according to the disclosed embodiments is depicted. At operation 301, a substrate is positioned on a substrate support or susceptor in a process chamber as described above. For multi-station embodiments, this includes positioning the substrate on at least one of the multiple stations, e.g., all stations each having a substrate positioned on a susceptor at the station. This may include indexing operations.

[0093] In operation 303, an inert plasma is generated in the processing chamber. The plasma may be a capacitively coupled plasma, a remotely generated inductively coupled plasma, or a remote plasma source (e.g., an upper or lower remote plasma source). For a single-station embodiment, operation 303 generates the inert plasma in the processing chamber of the single station. In a multi-station embodiment, operation 303 generates the inert plasma simultaneously in one or more stations (e.g., in all stations).

[0094] As described above, in some embodiments, an RF signal may be used to drive plasma formation, which may contain only an HF component and no LF component. The HF frequency may be approximately 13.56 MHz or approximately 27 MHz. The HF RF power used to drive the formation of the inert plasma may be between approximately 200 watts and 3000 watts, which may be a power level per station or a total power level for all stations. In some other embodiments, the frequency used to drive the formation of the inert plasma contains both LF and HF components. As described above, the LF frequency may be between approximately 300 kHz and 400 kHz, and the LF RF power used to drive the plasma may be between approximately 200 watts and 2500 watts.

[0095] During operation 301 and operations 303 and 305, the pressure in the reaction chamber can be between about 1 Torr and 10 Torr, for example, about 8 Torr or 5 Torr. In some embodiments, generating an inert plasma includes flowing an inert gas into the processing chamber and onto the substrate, and igniting the inert plasma. The inert gas can be helium (He), nitrogen (N2), and a combination of helium and nitrogen (He / N2). The flow rate of such an inert gas can be between 100 sccm and 30,000 sccm, including about 10,000 sccm.

[0096] In operation 305, a plasma is maintained in the processing chamber to heat the substrate to a steady-state operating temperature for the PECVD process. In some embodiments, the plasma is maintained to heat the substrate to the steady-state temperature for less than 30 seconds, or in some embodiments, for 20 seconds or less. In many typical PECVD processes, due to the limitations of conventional tools described above, a temperature soak is performed for up to 30 seconds or longer to allow the substrate to reach the steady-state temperature, but using the techniques described herein, the substrate can be heated to the steady-state temperature in less than 30 seconds. In some embodiments, the steady-state temperature can be between 200°C and 700°C, between 300°C and 700°C, such as at least 300°C, 450°C, and 650°C. Once the substrate is at the steady-state temperature, deposition using PECVD can be performed.

[0097] In some embodiments, a combination of plasma and a heated susceptor may be used to heat the substrate during the temperature soak. Figure 4 A second exemplary flow chart for performing operations in accordance with the disclosed embodiments is depicted. Figure 4 In the technology, the substrate support is a heated substrate support, which can be combined with an inert plasma to heat the substrate. In operation 401, the substrate is positioned on a susceptor, as in operation 301. In operation 403, the susceptor is heated as described above, for example, by generating heat with a resistive heating source, so that the susceptor emits thermal radiation, thereby heating the substrate positioned on the susceptor. Operation 403 can be performed before, after, or simultaneously with operation 401. Figure 4 In the technique of , the susceptor is heated after the substrate is positioned on the susceptor.

[0098] After operation 403, operation 405 is performed, in which an inert gas is flowed into the chamber and onto the substrate, as described above. In some embodiments, the inert gas can be He, N2, or a combination of He / N2, and the flow rate of these gases can be between 100 sccm and 30,000 sccm, including approximately 10,000 sccm. In some embodiments, the chamber partial pressure during the inert gas flow is between approximately 0.5 Torr and 10 Torr, for example, 8 Torr. In operation 407, an inert plasma is simultaneously generated while the inert gas flows, as in operation 303 described above. In some embodiments, the inert gas partial pressure is reached in 10 seconds or less before the inert plasma is ignited in operation 405, and the steady-state temperature of the substrate is then reached in 10 seconds or less. In operation 409, the inert plasma is then maintained, along with the heated susceptor, thereby heating the substrate through a combination of the inert plasma and thermal radiation from the heated susceptor. As described in more detail below, this combination of heating can beneficially reduce heat soak time while also improving non-uniformity.

[0099] In some embodiments, the substrate is first heated only by thermal radiation from the substrate support, and then heated by a combination of the inert plasma and thermal radiation from the substrate support. Figure 4 In some embodiments, operation 403 may be performed for a first period (e.g., between 5 and 10 seconds), after which an inert plasma may be generated in operation 407, such that in operation 409, the substrate is heated for a second period (e.g., between approximately 10 and 15 seconds) using a combination of the maintained inert plasma and the heated susceptor. In some embodiments, the flow of inert gas into the chamber and onto the substrate in operation 405 may occur during or after the first period during which the plasma is not generated. In one example, the first and second periods may each be 10 seconds, the pressure may be maintained constant during the first and second periods, and the inert gas may be flowed onto the substrate at a constant flow rate (e.g., 10,000 sccm) during both the first and second periods. For some substrates, heating the substrate solely by thermal radiation and then by both thermal radiation and the inert plasma may be beneficial because this two-step heating process may reduce damage to the substrate and film adhesion that may result from exposure of the substrate to the inert plasma when the substrate is at too low a temperature. For example, for a 400° C. deposition process, some substrates may be damaged or delaminated when exposed to plasma at a temperature below 250-300° C.

[0100] exist Figure 3 and 4 During at least a portion of the described temperature soaking operation, such as operations 305 and 403-409, the substrate may also undergo additional pre-deposition treatments. For example, this may include flowing a surface treatment gas, wherein the surface treatment gas may include cleaning molecules (e.g., ammonia) and surface treatment molecules (e.g., to increase interfacial bonding and adhesion).

[0101] exist Figure 3 and 4 After soaking the substrate at a desired operating (or stable) temperature, PECVD deposition can be performed to deposit a material layer on the substrate. In some embodiments, the inert plasma can be extinguished after the temperature soak, and then a reactive plasma for PECVD can be ignited and maintained; while in other embodiments, the inert plasma is not extinguished, but is maintained and converted to a reactive plasma for PECVD. Figure 5 A third exemplary flow chart for performing operations according to the disclosed embodiments is depicted. Operations 501-509 may be the same as operations 401-409 above. Figure 5Following operation 509, operations of two alternative embodiments are depicted, wherein a first embodiment extinguishes the inert plasma and then ignites a reactive plasma for PECVD, and a second embodiment does not extinguish but maintains the inert plasma and converts it to a reactive plasma for PECVD.

[0102] Figure 5 A first alternative embodiment may include operations 511A, 513A (optionally), 515A, 517A, and 519. In operation 511A, the inert plasma is extinguished, which may include terminating the RF power and, in some embodiments, stopping the flow of the inert gas into the chamber. Next, an optional sweep operation 513A may be performed to remove particles and other gases from the chamber. This may include a continuous flow of the inert gas or a flow of another sweep gas. Next, operation 515A may be performed, which may include flowing a reactive gas into the chamber. In some embodiments, in operation 515A, both the inert gas and the reactive gas may be flowed into the chamber simultaneously. The reactive gas may be any of the reactive gases described above, such as silicon, silane, tetraethoxysilane, and tetramethylsilane. As the reactive gas flows into the chamber, a reactive plasma may be generated in operation 517A, which may thereby drive the PECVD reaction when the substrate is at the steady-state temperature of operation 519 to deposit a material layer on the substrate.

[0103] This first alternative embodiment is advantageous because adjustments to various processing conditions can be made after the temperature soak operation. Figure 5 Not depicted, optional operations may be performed to adjust one or more process conditions, such as changing the chamber pressure, adjusting the plasma frequency, and adjusting the plasma power. For example, a temperature soak operation may be performed with an inert plasma having only an HF component beneficial for heating the substrate and a first power level, while deposition operation 519 may be performed with a reactive plasma having a different power level, both LF and HF components, or only an LF component. The pressure may also be different from that during the temperature soak. Extinguishing the plasma may also be beneficial because the plasma may become unstable if adjustments are made to the inert plasma (e.g., by changing the frequency component, power level, or other various deposition parameters).

[0104] Figure 5A second alternative embodiment may include operation 515B to maintain the inert plasma without extinguishing it. To this end, operation 515B is performed, which causes a reactive gas to flow into the chamber, thereby converting the inert plasma into a reactive plasma. In some embodiments, the inert gas may continue to flow during at least a portion of operation 515B while the reactive gas flows, while in other embodiments, the inert gas may be stopped and only the reactive gas may flow into the chamber. In some embodiments, the power level may be varied such that the inert plasma is at a first power level and the reactive plasma is at a second power level. This second alternative embodiment is beneficial because it may reduce the number of process steps and the corresponding time required to extinguish and reignite the plasma; this may include filling the gas lines (i.e., flowing gas from a gas source into the chamber), applying power to the chamber or station, and plasma stabilization (i.e., allowing the plasma to stabilize and ensuring that it is stable), all of which may increase substrate processing time.

[0105] The techniques described above are applicable to both single-station and multi-station processing chambers. In a multi-station chamber, each of the above steps can be performed at two or more (including all) stations in the multi-station chamber. For example Figure 3 、 4 The operations of 5 and 6 can be performed simultaneously at each station of the multi-station processing chamber (similar to Figure 2 depicted).

[0106] As also mentioned above, the controller 250 of the tools 100 and 200 includes a controller for executing the above Figure 3-5 For example, the controller includes instructions to provide a first substrate to a first substrate support, flow an inert gas onto the first substrate supported by the first substrate support, generate an inert plasma in the first processing station while the inert gas flows onto the first substrate supported by the first substrate support, and maintain the inert plasma to thereby heat the first substrate to a steady state temperature in less than 30 seconds from providing the first substrate to the first substrate support, wherein the steady state temperature is suitable for performing plasma enhanced chemical vapor deposition. In some embodiments, the controller is also configured to generate heat to the first substrate support using a heat source, and maintain the inert plasma while the first substrate support generates heat to thereby heat the first substrate to a steady state temperature by a combination of the inert plasma and radiation from the first substrate support. As described above, the plasma source can be configured to generate an inert plasma having a frequency of 13.56 MHz and to generate an inert plasma having a power between 200 watts and 800 watts.

[0107] The controller may also be configured to flow a reactive gas onto a first substrate supported by the first substrate support and generate a reactive plasma in the first processing station as the reactive gas flows onto the first substrate supported by the first substrate support to thereby deposit a material layer on the first substrate.

[0108] For a multi-station processing chamber, the controller can be configured to perform all of the above operations in multiple stations. Thus, in addition to the above operations related to the first station, the controller can be configured to provide a second substrate onto a second substrate support, flow an inert gas onto the second substrate supported by the second substrate support, generate an inert plasma in the first processing station while the inert gas flows onto the second substrate supported by the second substrate support, and maintain the inert plasma in the second processing station to thereby heat the second substrate to a steady-state temperature in less than 30 seconds from providing the second substrate onto the second substrate support.

[0109] The controller can also be configured to cause the second substrate support to generate heat, maintain the inert plasma while the second substrate support generates heat to thereby heat the second substrate to a steady-state temperature by a combination of the inert plasma and radiation from the second substrate support, flow a reactive gas onto the second substrate supported by the second substrate support, and generate a reactive plasma in the second processing station while the reactive gas flows onto the second substrate supported by the second substrate support, thereby depositing a layer of material on the second substrate.

[0110] result

[0111] The above-described techniques and apparatuses can increase throughput and improve substrate performance, such as substrate non-uniformity and refractive index (RI). Figure 6 A table depicts various process conditions and measured values for processed substrates. Eight experimental deposition processes were performed in a multi-station tool. Each experiment included a temperature soak and deposition process on two substrates, one at each station. The difference in thickness (which can be considered non-uniformity) and the difference in RI between the two processed substrates were measured; it is desirable to minimize the difference in the properties of the deposited material between the two substrates.

[0112] exist Figure 6In experiments 1-4, the temperature soak was a conventional substrate soak without the use of plasma, and only a heated susceptor was used to heat the substrate to the operating temperature for PECVD. As shown for these four experiments, the inert gases He and N2 were also flowed during the temperature soak, with only He flowing onto the substrate in experiments 1 and 2, and a combination of He and N2 flowing onto the substrate in experiments 3 and 4. PECVD deposition was performed after the temperature soak operation in experiments 1-4, and the measured thickness (in angstroms) of the deposited layers on each substrate in these two stations can be seen in the fields "THK Stn 1" and "THK Stn 2". The difference in these deposited layers is shown in the gray field "Thickness Difference (Delta THK)". Similarly, the RI of each substrate was measured, which is shown in the two fields "RI Stn 1" and "RI Stn 2", and the difference in these measured RIs is shown in another gray field "RI Difference (Delta RI)".

[0113] exist Figure 6 In Experiments 5-8, a temperature soak process used a combination of both an inert plasma and a heated substrate in accordance with the embodiments disclosed herein. The temperature soak operation was performed for various times, with various inert gases flowed onto the substrate. For example, in Experiment 5, the temperature soak was performed for a total of 20 seconds, which included 10 seconds of heating with a heated susceptor and 10 seconds of heating with a combination of a heated susceptor and an inert plasma, during which only helium flowed onto the substrate. In another example, in Experiment 8, the temperature soak was performed for a total of 30 seconds, which included 20 seconds of heating with a heated susceptor and 10 seconds of heating with a combination of a heated susceptor and an inert plasma, during which both helium and N2 flowed onto the substrate. PECVD deposition using the same conditions as Experiments 1-4 was performed after the temperature soak, and the difference in thickness and RI was measured.

[0114] like Figure 6 As shown, the experiments using both inert plasma and heated susceptors for temperature soaking according to the embodiments described herein generally had improved performance compared to the experiments using conventional heating. For example, experiments 6-8 all had lower inter-substrate thickness differences than experiments 1-4, and experiments 5-8 all had lower RI differences than experiments 1-4. Although experiment 5 (which had the largest inter-substrate thickness difference) matched experiment 2 and was greater than experiment 4, experiment 5 had a lower RI difference than experiment 4.

[0115] Furthermore, Experiments 1-4 correspond to Experiments 5-8, respectively, such that they have identical process conditions except for the inert plasma exposure; when these two corresponding no-plasma / plasma experiments are compared to each other, the results show significant improvement. For example, Experiment 1 corresponds to Experiment 5 because it includes the same soak time, the same inert gas flow, and the same deposition process conditions; the only difference is that Experiment 5 includes 10 seconds of inert plasma during the entire 20-second temperature soak time. In another example, Experiment 4 corresponds to Experiment 8; they include the same 30-second soak time, the same 10,000 sccm inert gas flow of He and N2, and the same deposition process conditions; Experiment 8 includes 10 seconds of inert plasma exposure during the 30-second soak time. Similarly, Experiments 2 and 6, as well as Experiments 3 and 7, correspond to each other and differ in the use of inert plasma heating.

[0116] When these respective experiments are compared to each other, the experiments using both plasma and a heated susceptor resulted in improved smaller differences in substrate thickness compared to the corresponding experiments not using plasma heating. For example, Experiment 5 reduced the thickness difference of Experiment 1 from Reduce to Test 6 changes the thickness difference of Test 2 from Reduce to Test 7 changes the thickness difference of Test 3 from Reduce to and Test 8 to change the thickness difference of Test 4 from Reduce to Almost all of the tests 5-8 also resulted in improved reduced RI differences compared to the corresponding tests 1-4. For example, test 5 reduced the RI of test 1 from -0.017 to -0.008, test 7 reduced the RI of test 3 from -0.007 to -0.005, and test 8 reduced the RI of test 4 from -0.013 to -0.007.

[0117] The above-mentioned technologies and equipment can also increase production capacity. Figure 7 A graph depicting the change in substrate thickness versus temperature soak time is shown. Figure 6 resemblance, Figure 7Six of the experiments were performed on substrates in a multi-station deposition chamber, where each experiment had a temperature soak and PECVD deposition process performed on two substrates, one substrate in each station. Three experiments used only a heated susceptor to heat the substrates during the temperature soak, and the other three experiments used a combination of an inert plasma and a heated susceptor to heat the substrates during the temperature soak. The difference between the deposited thicknesses on the two substrates was measured as described above and is shown on the vertical axis, while the temperature soak time is shown on the horizontal axis. In many PECVD deposition processes, there is an acceptable difference, or tolerance, between the substrate thicknesses, such as shown by the horizontal dashed line.

[0118] like Figure 7 As shown, as the soak time increases, the thickness differences for all six tests decrease and eventually fall below the tolerance value. To improve throughput, it is desirable to perform the temperature soak for a minimum amount of time while still achieving the desired performance characteristics, which in this example is less than or equal to Thickness difference. Figure 7 In the two tests, only two were located in the The results are within the tolerance values of , and both experiments (He with plasma, and He / N2 with plasma) used a combination of inert plasma and a heated susceptor.

[0119] Although the subject matter disclosed herein has been particularly described with respect to the illustrated embodiments, it should be understood that various changes, modifications, and adaptations may be made based on the content of this disclosure and should be within the scope of the invention. It should be understood that the embodiments herein are not limited to the disclosed embodiments, but rather are intended to cover various modifications and equivalent arrangements included within the scope of the claims.

Claims

1. A semiconductor processing method comprising: providing a substrate onto a substrate support in a processing chamber; generating an inert plasma in the processing chamber; maintaining the inert plasma to heat the substrate to a steady-state temperature in less than 30 seconds from providing the substrate on the substrate support, wherein the steady-state temperature is suitable for plasma enhanced chemical vapor deposition (PECVD); and depositing a layer of material on the substrate by PECVD while the substrate is at the steady-state temperature and while a reactant plasma is generated in the processing chamber, wherein the depositing comprises flowing a reactant process gas onto the substrate while maintaining the inert plasma, thereby changing the inert plasma to the reactant plasma without extinguishing the inert plasma, in: heating the substrate support; and The substrate is heated by a combination of the inert plasma and radiation from the substrate support. 2 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the substrate is first heated by radiation from the substrate support and then heated by a combination of the inert plasma and radiation from the substrate support. The method of claim 1 , wherein the substrate is heated from room temperature to a temperature between 300° C. and 700° C.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein generating the inert plasma comprises: flowing an inert gas into the processing chamber; and The inert plasma is ignited. The method of claim 4 , wherein the inert gas is selected from the group consisting of helium, nitrogen, and a combination of helium and nitrogen.

6. The method of claim 4, wherein the chamber partial pressure during flowing the inert gas is about 1-10 Torr.

7. The method according to claim 1, further comprising: After the substrate reaches the steady-state temperature and before the depositing, extinguishing the inert plasma, wherein the depositing further comprises: flowing a reactant process gas onto the substrate; and The reactant plasma is generated in the processing chamber.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the inert plasma is generated at a first power level and the reactant plasma is generated at a second power level.

9. The method according to claim 1, further comprising: A surface treating gas is flowed while the inert plasma is maintained, wherein the surface treating gas comprises one or more of: cleaning molecules and surface treating molecules.

10. A semiconductor processing apparatus comprising: processing room; a first processing station comprising a first substrate support, wherein the first substrate support is configured to position a first substrate in the processing chamber; a process gas unit configured to flow an inert gas onto the first substrate supported by the first substrate support; a plasma source configured to generate an inert plasma in the first processing station; as well as A controller, wherein the controller includes instructions configured to: providing the first substrate onto the first substrate support; flowing the inert gas onto the first substrate supported by the first substrate support; generating the inert plasma in the first processing station while the inert gas flows onto the first substrate supported by the first substrate support; as well as maintaining the inert plasma to thereby heat the first substrate to a steady-state temperature in less than 30 seconds from providing the first substrate onto the first substrate support, wherein the steady-state temperature is suitable for plasma enhanced chemical vapor deposition, wherein the plasma source is configured to generate the inert plasma at a power between 200 watts and 2500 watts, in: The first substrate support is further configured to generate heat to heat the first substrate supported by the first substrate support; and The controller also includes instructions configured to: generating heat to the first substrate support; and The inert plasma is maintained while the first substrate support generates heat to thereby heat the first substrate to the steady state temperature by a combination of the inert plasma and radiation from the first substrate support.

11. The apparatus according to claim 10, wherein: The process gas unit is further configured to flow a reactant gas onto the first substrate supported by the first substrate support; The plasma source is configured to generate a reactant plasma in the first processing station; and The controller further includes instructions configured to: flowing the reactant gas onto the first substrate supported by the first substrate support; and The reactant plasma is generated in the first processing station as the reactant gas flows onto the first substrate supported by the first substrate support to thereby deposit a material layer on the first substrate.

12. The apparatus of claim 10, further comprising a second processing station, wherein: the second processing station comprising a second substrate support, wherein the second substrate support is configured to position a second substrate in the processing chamber; The process gas unit is further configured to flow the inert gas onto the second substrate supported by the second substrate support; The plasma source is further configured to generate the inert plasma in the second processing station; and The controller also includes instructions configured to: providing the second substrate onto the second substrate support; flowing the inert gas onto the second substrate supported by the second substrate support; generating the inert plasma in the first processing station while the inert gas flows onto the second substrate supported by the second substrate support; as well as The inert plasma is maintained in the second processing station to thereby heat the second substrate to the steady-state temperature in less than 30 seconds from providing the second substrate onto the second substrate support.

13. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein: The second substrate support is further configured to generate heat to heat the second substrate supported by the second substrate support; and The controller also includes instructions configured to: causing the second substrate support to generate heat; and The inert plasma is maintained while the second substrate support generates heat to thereby heat the second substrate to the steady state temperature by a combination of the inert plasma and radiation from the second substrate support.

14. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein: The process gas unit is further configured to flow a reactant gas onto the second substrate supported by the second substrate support; The plasma source is further configured to generate a reactant plasma in the second processing station; as well as The controller also includes instructions configured to: flowing the reactant gas onto the second substrate supported by the second substrate support; and The reactant plasma is generated in the second processing station while the reactant gas flows onto the second substrate supported by the second substrate support to thereby deposit a material layer on the second substrate.

15. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein the reactant gas comprises silicon, silane, tetraethoxysilane, and / or tetramethylsilane.

16. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the inert gas comprises one or more of: helium, nitrogen, and a combination of helium and nitrogen.

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