Atomic layer deposition tungsten fill with enhanced thermal suppression

Abstract

A method of filling word line features of a 3-D NAND structure with tungsten includes treating the conformal tungsten with nitrogen trifluoride (NF3) in combination with a pressurized gas. The NF3 process precedes the opening of the word line feature, rather than the interior of the word line feature. This treatment can inhibit subsequent deposition on the treated surface. The subsequent deposition is selectively directed to the interior of the word line feature, thereby achieving a non-conformal, inside-out deposition. The NF3 may be delivered from a gas region isolated from the tungsten deposition gas and the boost gas. The NF3 may be delivered from the charge volume to facilitate top-down uniform processing of the 3D NAND structure. An apparatus for filling word line features includes separate gas regions and individually controlled stations.

Description

Incorporation by reference

[0001] The PCT application form is filed simultaneously with this specification as part of this application. Each application identified in the PCT application form filed simultaneously for which this application claims the benefit or priority thereof is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety and for all purposes. Background of the Invention

[0002] Depositing materials containing tungsten-containing materials is an integral part of many semiconductor manufacturing processes. These materials can be used for horizontal interconnects, vias between adjacent metal layers, and contacts between metal layers and devices. As devices are scaled down and more complex patterning schemes are used in the industry, the deposition of tungsten films has become a challenge. The continuous reduction of feature sizes and film thicknesses has brought various challenges, including the high resistivity of thinner films and the difficulty of achieving void-free filled features. Deposition in complex high aspect ratio structures such as 3D NAND structures is particularly challenging.

[0003] The background description provided here is for the purpose of generally presenting the background of the present disclosure. The work of the currently named inventors within the scope described in this background art section and aspects of the specification that could not be determined to be prior art at the time of filing the application are neither expressly nor impliedly admitted to be prior art with respect to the present disclosure. Summary of the Invention

[0004] In one aspect, a method is provided that includes: providing a 3-D structure of a partially fabricated semiconductor substrate to a chamber having a chamber pressure of no more than 100 Torr, the 3-D structure including sidewalls with a plurality of openings leading to a plurality of features having a plurality of internal regions that can be fluidly accessed through the openings; depositing a first layer of tungsten within the 3-D structure such that the first layer lines the plurality of features of the 3-D structure; and treating the first layer of tungsten non-conformally using a process that preferentially applies to portions of the first layer of tungsten adjacent to the plurality of openings relative to the plurality of internal regions; introducing a pressurized gas containing H2 into the chamber; and depositing a second layer of tungsten within the 3-D structure on the first layer of tungsten such that the second layer at least partially fills the plurality of internal regions of the 3-D structure; wherein treating the first layer of tungsten non-conformally includes: charging a gas containing NF3 to a first charging pressure of at least 10 Torr and flowing the gas into the chamber.

[0005] In various embodiments, the pressurized gas further includes argon.

[0006] In various embodiments, the pressurized gas further includes nitrogen.

[0007] In various embodiments, the pressurized gas is introduced during the treatment of the first layer of tungsten.

[0008] In various embodiments, the pressurized gas is introduced before the processing of the first tungsten layer and after the deposition of the first tungsten layer.

[0009] In various embodiments, the pressurized gas is introduced after the processing of the first tungsten layer and before the deposition of the second tungsten layer.

[0010] In various embodiments, the method further includes depositing a nucleation layer within the 3-D structure such that the nucleation layer lines the plurality of features of the 3-D structure, wherein the pressurized gas is introduced before the processing of the first tungsten layer, before the deposition of the first tungsten layer, and after the deposition of the nucleation layer. In some embodiments, the deposition of the nucleation layer is performed at a first station in the chamber, and the deposition, processing, and deposition of the second tungsten layer of the first tungsten layer are performed at a second station in the chamber.

[0011] In various embodiments, the processing inhibits tungsten deposition.

[0012] In various embodiments, depositing a tungsten layer includes atomic layer deposition using tungsten hexafluoride (WF6) and hydrogen (H2).

[0013] In various embodiments, depositing a tungsten layer includes delivering pulses of a tungsten precursor and hydrogen to the chamber through a showerhead.

[0014] In various embodiments, depositing tungsten includes delivering a tungsten precursor and hydrogen to a showerhead through a dual-inlet chamber.

[0015] In various embodiments, the tungsten precursor and hydrogen are injected at a first inlet of the dual-inlet chamber. In some embodiments, the gas containing NF3 is injected at a second inlet of the dual-inlet chamber.

[0016] In various embodiments, an inert gas is injected at the first inlet of the dual-inlet chamber while NF3 is injected at the second inlet of the dual-inlet chamber.

[0017] In various embodiments, the tungsten precursor and hydrogen are supplied through a first gas manifold, and the NF3 is supplied through a second gas manifold.

[0018] On the other hand, it relates to an apparatus for semiconductor processing, the apparatus comprising: a first showerhead; a dual-inlet chamber having a first inlet, a second inlet, and an outlet fluidly connected to the first showerhead; a first gas region including a first process gas manifold, the first process gas manifold comprising: one or more first process gas charging volumes, a first diverter valve fluidly connected to the one or more first process gas charging volumes, and a first injection process gas valve fluidly connected to the first diverter process gas valve, wherein the first process gas manifold is configured to be fluidly connected to one or more first process gas sources through the one or more first process gas charging volumes; and wherein the first process gas manifold is fluidly connected to the first inlet of the dual-inlet chamber through the first injection process gas valve; a second gas region including a second process gas manifold, the second process gas manifold comprising: one or more second process gas charging volumes, a second diverter valve fluidly connected to the one or more second process gas charging volumes, and a second injection process gas valve fluidly connected to the second diverter process gas valve, wherein the second process gas manifold is configured to be fluidly connected to one or more second process gas sources through the one or more second process gas charging volumes; and wherein the second process gas manifold is fluidly connected to the second inlet of the dual-inlet chamber through the second injection process gas valve; a top plate diverter manifold, wherein the top plate diverter manifold is fluidly connected to the first process gas manifold through the first diverter valve; and a plenum diverter manifold, wherein the plenum diverter manifold is fluidly connected to the second process gas manifold through the second diverter valve, wherein the first gas region and the second gas region are separated upstream of the dual-inlet chamber.

[0019] In various embodiments, the method includes: a multi-station chamber having a first station that includes the first showerhead and one or more additional stations, each additional station including a showerhead.

[0020] In various embodiments, at least one station of the multi-station chamber is fluidly connected to no more than one gas region.

[0021] In various embodiments, the dual-inlet chamber includes an annular space surrounding a main line connected to the outlet. In some embodiments, the second inlet is located on one side of the annular space.

[0022] These and other aspects will be further described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0023] Figure 1A - 1E Shows different views and aspects of an exemplary 3-D NAND structure.

[0024] Figure 2A - 2D is a process flow diagram showing certain operations in a method of treating and filling features with tungsten in some disclosed embodiments.

[0025] Figure 3 , 4A , 4B, and 5 are schematic diagrams of word line features at various stages of tungsten treatment and filling.

[0026] Figure 6A shows a schematic diagram of an apparatus that can be used to perform the methods described herein.

[0027] Figure 6B shows a schematic diagram of an apparatus that can be used to perform the methods described herein.

[0028] Figure 7 shows an exemplary dual-inlet chamber and an exemplary showerhead.

[0029] Figure 8 shows a top view of an exemplary suppression gas manifold and a process gas manifold.

[0030] Figure 9 is a process flow diagram showing certain operations in a tungsten deposition method.

[0031] Figure 10 shows a schematic diagram of an exemplary process system that can be used to perform the methods described herein. Detailed Description

[0032] In the following description, numerous specific details are set forth to provide a thorough understanding of the presented embodiments. The disclosed embodiments may be practiced without some or all of these specific details. In other instances, well-known processing operations have not been described in detail to avoid unnecessarily obscuring the disclosed embodiments. Although the disclosed embodiments will be described in conjunction with specific embodiments, it should be understood that it is not intended to limit the disclosed embodiments.

[0033] Methods for filling features with tungsten (W) are provided herein. The methods described herein can be used to fill vertical features (such as in tungsten vias) and horizontal features (such as 3-D NAND word lines).

[0034] The methods described herein are performed on a substrate (which can be housed in a chamber). The substrate can be a silicon or other semiconductor wafer, such as a 200 mm wafer, a 300 mm wafer, or a 450 mm wafer, which includes a wafer having one or more layers of material (such as dielectric, conductive, or semiconductive material) deposited thereon. These methods are not limited to semiconductor substrates and can be performed to fill any feature with metal.

[0035] The substrate may have features such as vias or contact holes, which may be characterized by one or more of narrow and / or recessed openings, feature internal constrictions, and high aspect ratios. The features may be formed in one or more of the aforementioned layers. For example, the features may be formed at least partially in a dielectric layer. In some embodiments, the features may have an aspect ratio of at least about 2:1, at least about 4:1, at least about 6:1, at least about 10:1, at least about 25:1, or higher. An example of a feature is a hole or via in a semiconductor substrate or a layer on the substrate.

[0036] In some embodiments, the method may be used for word line filling in a 3D NAND structure. Figure 1A A cross-sectional side view of a 3D NAND structure 110 (formed on a silicon substrate 102) is presented, having VNAND stacks (left 125 and right 126), a central vertical structure 130, and a plurality of stacked horizontal features 120, where the horizontal features 120 have a plurality of openings 122 on opposite sidewalls 140 of the central vertical structure 130. It should be noted that Figure 1A The shown 3D NAND structure 110 of two stacks is shown, which together form a trench-like central vertical structure 130. As Figure 1A shown, there may be more than two stacks arranged in sequence and spatially parallel to each other, with the gaps between adjacent pairs of stacks forming the central vertical structure 130. The horizontal features 120 are 3D memory word line features that can be fluidly accessed from the central vertical structure 130 through the openings 122. Present in Figure 1A the shown 3D NAND stacks 125 and 126 (i.e., the left 3D NAND stack 125 and the right 3D NAND stack 126) the horizontal features 120 may also be accessed from other sides of these stacks (the leftmost and rightmost respectively) through similar vertical structures formed by additional 3D NAND stacks (not shown on the leftmost and rightmost). In other words, each 3D NAND stack 125, 126 has word line features of the stack that can be fluidly accessed from both sides of the 3D NAND stack through the central vertical structure 130. In a specific example as Figure 1A shown, each 3D NAND stack has 6 pairs of stacked word lines. However, in other embodiments, the 3D NAND memory layout may have any number of vertically stacked word line pairs.

[0037] Word line features in a 3D NAND stack can be formed by depositing an alternating stack of silicon oxide and silicon nitride layers and then selectively removing the nitride layers to leave a stack of oxide layers with gaps therebetween. These gaps are the word line features. Any number of word lines can be vertically stacked in such a 3D NAND structure as long as there are techniques available for forming word lines and techniques available for successfully achieving (substantially) void-free filling of vertical features. Thus, for example, a 3D NAND stack can include 2 to 256 horizontal word line features, 8 to 128 horizontal word line features, or 16 to 64 horizontal word line features, etc. (the ranges listed should be understood to include the recited endpoints).

[0038] Figure 1B Presents Figure 1A A cross-sectional top view of the same 3D NAND structure 110 shown in a side view, where the cross-section is taken along a horizontal section 160 of a horizontal dashed line as in Figure 1A . Figure 1B The cross-section shows rows of pillars 155 extending vertically from the bottom of the semiconductor substrate 102 to the top of the 3D NAND stack 110. In some embodiments, these pillars 155 are formed of polysilicon material. The polysilicon pillars can serve as gate electrodes for memory cells stacked within the pillars. Figure 1B The top view of[X]illustrates that the pillars 155 form constrictions to the word line features 120 in the openings 122, i.e., the fluid accessibility of the word line features 120 from the central vertical structure 130 through the openings 122 (as indicated by the arrows in FIG. 1G) is inhibited by the pillars 155. This reduced fluid accessibility increases the difficulty of uniformly filling the word line features 120 with material. Figure 1C , 1D And 1E further illustrate the structure of the word line features 120 and the challenge of uniformly filling them with tungsten material due to the presence of the pillars 155.

[0039] Figure 1C Shows a vertical cross-section of a 3D NAND structure similar to that shown in Figure 1A , but here focused on a pair of word line features 120. Figure 1C Also schematically illustrates voids 175 in the filled word line features 120. Figure 1D Also schematically illustrates the voids 175, but in this figure they are illustrated via a horizontal cross-section through the pillars 155, which is similar to the horizontal cross-section shown in FIG. 1G. Figure 1E Illustrates the accumulation of tungsten or other material around the pillars 155 forming the constrictions, which results in the pinching off of the openings 122 such that no additional tungsten material can be deposited in the region of the voids 175. From Figure 1C And Figure 1DIt can be seen that void - free word - line filling relies on the migration of a sufficient amount of deposition precursor before the pinching off of opening 122 and the hindrance of further precursor migration to the word - line feature 120 due to the accumulation of tungsten deposits around the pillar 155. The precursor migrates downward through the vertical structure 130, through the opening 122, past the pillar 155 of the constriction, and into the outermost extent of the word - line feature 120. Similarly, Figure 1E shows a single word - line feature 120 viewed from an upper cross - section and illustrates how the generally conformal deposition of tungsten material begins to pinch off the interior of the word - line feature 120 because of the significant width of the pillar 155, which acts to partially block and / or narrow and / or restrict what would otherwise be an open path through the word - line feature 120. (It should be noted that Figure 1E the example in Figure 1D can be understood as a 2D rendering of the 3D features of the pillar constriction structure in

[0040] and thus illustrates the constriction as presented in a plan view rather than a cross - section.)

[0041] Examples of feature filling for horizontal and vertical feature positioning are described below. It should be noted that, in at least most cases, these examples apply to features in both horizontal and vertical orientations. Additionally, it should be noted that in the following description, the term "vertical" may be used to refer to a direction that is generally orthogonal to the substrate plane, and the term "lateral" may be used to refer to a direction that is generally parallel to the substrate plane.

[0042] Methods and apparatuses for filling structures with tungsten are provided herein, which incorporate the handling of pressurized gases to further enhance the suppression effect.

[0043] Figure 2A is a flow chart showing the operation of a tungsten - filled structure involving non - conformal NF3 processing according to certain disclosed embodiments.

[0044] First, a tungsten nucleation layer is deposited in operation 201. In many embodiments, operation 202 is a generally conformal deposition that coats the exposed surfaces of the structure. For example, in a 3D NAND structure such as Figure 1A shown, the tungsten film coats the word - line feature 120. According to various embodiments, the tungsten film is deposited using an atomic layer deposition (ALD) process to achieve good conformality. The tungsten ALD process will be further described below.

[0045] Next, in operation 204, the deposited tungsten nucleation layer is non-conformally treated with nitrogen trifluoride (NF3). Non-conformal treatment in this context refers to preferentially treating at and near the openings of features rather than inside the features. For a 3D NAND structure, the treatment can be conformal in the vertical direction such that the degree of treatment of the bottom word line features is approximately the same as that of the top word line features; non-conformal treatment means that the inside of the word line features is not exposed to the treatment or is significantly less exposed than the feature openings.

[0046] In some embodiments, the NF3 treatment both inhibits subsequent tungsten nucleation and etches the deposited tungsten. Nucleation inhibition can suppress subsequent tungsten nucleation on the treated surface. It can involve one or more of the following: depositing an inhibition film, reacting the treatment substance with the tungsten film to form a compound film, and adsorbing an inhibiting substance. In subsequent deposition operations, there is a nucleation delay in the inhibited portion of the underlying film relative to the non-inhibited or less inhibited portions. Etching can remove the deposited film on the treated surface. This may involve reacting an etchant substance with the tungsten film to form gaseous by-products which are then removed.

[0047] Other gases, such as ammonia (NH3), can also be used for thermal inhibition processes. However, using NF3 has advantages over other treatment methods. One advantage is that NF3 both inhibits tungsten nucleation and etches the tungsten deposited on the treated surface. Nitrogen acts as the inhibiting substance and fluorine acts as the etchant. For a pure inhibition treatment, operation 204 can include exposing the tungsten film to a nitrogen-containing chemical substance that does not contain fluorine or other halogens. For a pure etching treatment, operation 204 can include exposing the tungsten film to a halogen-containing chemical substance that does not contain nitrogen. Treating the tungsten film with nitrogen trifluoride (NF3), a nitrogen- and halogen-containing chemical substance, can inhibit tungsten nucleation and etch the tungsten film. Additionally, as further discussed below, NF3 allows the inhibition and deposition operations to be performed using a single gas injection chamber showerhead at the same station.

[0048] In some embodiments, the treatment gas is pressurized to a level significantly higher than the chamber pressure before entering the chamber. This helps the gas reach the very bottom of the vertical structure. Taking NF3 gas as an example, the NF3 gas can be pressurized to a pressure between 10 Torr and 1000 Torr within a charge volume. In some embodiments, the pressure is between 400 Torr and 500 Torr. The charge volume will be further discussed below.

[0049] As further discussed below, operation 204 can be a continuous flow or pulsed process. In a pulsed process, different gases can be pulsed sequentially to adjust the treatment effect.

[0050] Next, in operation 250, a pressurizing gas is delivered. The pressurizing gas is used to enhance the inhibitory effect of the process performed in operation 205. In some embodiments, the pressurizing gas is delivered while performing a non-conformal NF3 process in operation 204. Such examples will be further described below in connection with Figure 2B Further description of such examples. In some embodiments, the pressurizing gas is delivered after the non-conformal NF3 process in operation 204. Such examples will be described below with reference to Figure 2C Further description. In some embodiments, the pressurizing gas is delivered before the non-conformal NF3 process in operation 204. Such examples will be described below with reference to Figure 2D Further description.

[0051] In various embodiments, the pressurizing gas is hydrogen (H2). The pressurizing gas may be mixed with one or more of argon (Ar) and nitrogen (N2). For example, the pressurizing gas may be a mixed gas of H2 and Ar (H2 / Ar), or may be a mixed gas of H2, N2, and Ar (H2 / N2 / Ar). Either or both of Ar and N2 may be used as a dilution gas or may be used as a carrier gas to assist in delivering H2 to the station for processing a substrate having a tungsten film.

[0052] In various embodiments, the concentration of the pressurizing gas is higher than that of the NF3 gas used in the process in order to adjust the amount of NF3 during the inhibition process. The relative amount of the pressurizing gas with respect to the NF3 gas affects the increase or decrease of the inhibitory effect. Exemplary ratios that can enhance the inhibitory effect include a ratio of NF3 to H2 gas of 1:5 to about 1:10.

[0053] In operation 206, tungsten is deposited in the structure. In some embodiments, this may be the same as Dep1 further described below, or may be Dep2 further described below.

[0054] Figure 2B is a flowchart showing operations of a tungsten-filled structure involving a non-conformal NF3 process according to certain disclosed embodiments.

[0055] First, in operation 202, a tungsten film is deposited in the structure, and this operation may be the same as operation 202 in Figure 2A above. In some embodiments, the tungsten film is deposited after depositing a tungsten nucleation layer (e.g., after operation 201 in Figure 2A ). This operation may be referred to as Dep1. In many embodiments, similar to operation 201, operation 202 is generally arranged to perform conformal deposition on the exposed surface of the structure. For example, in a structure such as Figure 1AIn the 3-D NAND structure shown, a tungsten film is arranged on the word line feature 120. According to various embodiments, the tungsten film is deposited by atomic layer deposition (ALD) to achieve good conformality. After operation 202, the feature is not blocked by tungsten but is open enough to allow more reaction gases in subsequent deposition processes to enter the feature.

[0056] Next, in operation 252, the deposited tungsten film is non-conformally processed by nitrogen trifluoride (NF3) and a co-flow boost gas. Co-flow of the boost gas means that while nitrogen trifluoride (NF3) flows into the station, the boost gas also flows into the station accommodating the substrate having the tungsten film structure. The boost gas can be any of the gases described above with respect to Figure 2A any of the gases described. The concentration ratio of the NF3 gas to the boost gas can be any of the ratios described above with respect to Figure 2A any of the gases described.

[0057] After operation 252, a second deposition is performed in operation 206. The second deposition can be carried out by an atomic layer deposition (ALD) or chemical vapor deposition (CVD) process. To deposit into the 3D NAND structure, the ALD process can be used to achieve good step coverage of the entire structure. Due to the effect of this treatment, gases can more easily reach the inside of the feature. After the etching process, the film deposited near the feature entrance is removed, so that there is more space for the gas to reach the inside of the feature and prevent pinching off. In some embodiments, enough tungsten film can be removed so that the underlying surface is completely or partially exposed to increase the nucleation delay in these areas. Using a boost gas can increase the nucleation delay more than using NF3 alone. After the inhibition process, the nucleation delay increases, allowing a fill process from the inside out. In some embodiments, operation 206 (which can be referred to as the Dep2 process) can complete the filling of the structure. In other embodiments, an additional processing / deposition operation can be performed again.

[0058] To adjust the lateral non-conformality of the word line, the pressure and the flow rate of the processing gas can be adjusted. A lower chamber pressure and a lower flow rate (and / or concentration) of the processing gas are beneficial for the processing at the opening of the word line feature rather than the processing inside the word line feature. That is, a lower chamber pressure helps to promote the non-conformal inhibition process. Therefore, in some embodiments, the chamber pressure can be reduced from operation 202 to operation 252 to operation 206, or to any combination of the operations. Example chamber pressure ranges are from 3 Torr to 40 Torr.

[0059] According to various embodiments, operations 202, 252, and 206 can be performed in the same processing chamber or different processing chambers. If performed in the same chamber, they can be performed in a single-station or multi-station chamber. In a multi-station chamber, various operations can be performed at different stations. For example, operation 202 can be performed at the first station while operation 252 is performed at the second station. In another example, operations 202 and 206 can be performed at the first station while operation 252 is performed at the second station. In some embodiments, although various operations are performed at different stations within a single chamber, only a single operation can be performed at a time, i.e., operation 202 (depositing a tungsten film in the structure). In another embodiment, when processing multiple substrates, various operations can be performed simultaneously. For example, in the same multi-station chamber, the first substrate is located at station one for operation 202 and the second substrate is located at station two for operation 252. Operations 202 and 252 can be performed simultaneously in the same multi-station chamber. In some embodiments, the chamber pressure can be low to prevent any cross-contamination or safety issues. In one example, in operation 202, a boron-containing reducing agent (e.g., B2H6) can be used at station one to deposit a nucleation layer on the first substrate. The second substrate can undergo operation 252 at the second station. Depositing the B2H6 nucleation layer at station one and depositing NF3 at station two can be performed simultaneously in the same multi-station chamber. For this purpose, the chamber pressure is set to a low pressure, such as less than 25 Torr.

[0060] In operation 208a, operations 252 and 206 can be alternatively performed optionally, for example, in a time-alternating pulse or cyclic manner. For example, one repeatable cycle can include (1) processing using NF3 and H2 (or H2 / Ar or H2 / N2 / Ar), and (2) depositing tungsten.

[0061] Figure 2C is a flowchart showing operations for filling a structure with tungsten using certain disclosed embodiments. Figure 2C also includes depositing tungsten in the structure in operation 202, which may be the same as operation 202 in Figure 2A and 2B Next, a non-conformal NF3 treatment is performed in operation 204. Different from Figure 2B , no pressurizing gas is used in this treatment. Next, in operation 254, a pressurizing gas is used after dosing ("dosing" refers to the dosing of the NF3 treatment). The pressurizing gas can be the same as that used in operation 252 in Figure 2B or operation 250 in Figure 2A . Next, in operation 206, tungsten is deposited in the structure, which can be the same as operation 206 in Figure 2B . In operation 208b, operations 204, 254, and 206 are optionally repeated in a cycle.

[0062] Figure 2Dis a flowchart showing the operation of filling a structure with tungsten using certain disclosed embodiments. Figure 2D also includes depositing tungsten in the structure in operation 202, which can be the same as the operation 202 in Figure 2A , 2B and 2C. Next, in operation 256, a pressurized gas is used in pre-dose (where "dose" refers to the dose of NF3 treatment). The pressurized gas can be the same as that used in the operation 252 in Figure 2B or the operation 250 in Figure 2A . Next, in operation 204, a non-conformal NF3 treatment is performed. This treatment does not require a pressurized gas; that is, before the treatment, the delivery of the pressurized gas is switched or stopped, and NF3 is delivered for treatment without simultaneously delivering the pressurized gas. Next, in operation 206, tungsten is deposited in the structure, which can be the same as the operation 206 in Figure 2B . In operation 208c, operations 256, 204, and 206 are optionally repeated in a cycle.

[0063] Although certain disclosed embodiments have been described above in connection with Figure 2A - 2D , it should be understood that a pressurized gas can be delivered before, during, or after the NF3 treatment to enhance the inhibition effect, and the inhibition can generally be performed after depositing the initial tungsten nucleation layer, after depositing a portion of the bulk tungsten material, after depositing most of the bulk tungsten material, or any combination of the above. It should also be understood that in some embodiments, when the structure is almost filled with bulk tungsten or can be completely filled without forming voids or gaps, no inhibition is performed.

[0064] Figures 3 - 5 Examples of the inhibition and etching effects of treating a 3D NAND structure with tungsten in sequence are shown respectively. Figures 3 - 5 depicts the inhibition effect of nitrogen treatment. As described above, as Figures 3 - 5 shows, the NF3 treatment inhibits tungsten nucleation. The inhibition effect of the NF3 treatment may be due to operations 204, 250, 252, 254, and 256, but for clarity, they are shown in different figures respectively.

[0065] Figure 3 shows a process example of a tungsten-filled 3D NAND structure including an inhibition operation. Figure 3 shows a cross-sectional view of a single word line in a 3D NAND structure. (Similar to the example in Figure 1E , the word line features in Figure 3 show columnar constrictions, which are visible in a plan view rather than a cross-sectional view to illustrate these constrictions.)

[0066] Figure 3Shows the word line features after the Dep1 process. The figure shows the underlying layer 306; for example, it can be a titanium nitride (TiN), tungsten nitride (WN), or tungsten carbonitride (WCN) barrier layer. The conformal tungsten film 305 lines the feature surfaces, including the surface of the underlying layer 306. In some embodiments, the conformal tungsten film 305 is directly deposited on a dielectric surface (such as an alumina or silica surface). The tungsten layer 305 can be a nucleation layer, a nucleation and bulk layer, or a bulk layer.

[0067] Next, in Figure 4A , the features are exposed to an inhibition process using a pressurized gas to inhibit portion 365. In this example, the portion 365 passing through the columnar constriction 351 is inhibited, while the surface at the interior 352 is not inhibited. Thus, in the example of Figure 3 , the inhibition process is non-conformal in the lateral direction. However, the process can be uniform in the vertical direction such that each word line is inhibited in a substantially the same region.

[0068] Next, in Figure 4B , a process of selectively depositing tungsten is performed according to an inhibition curve: bulk tungsten 308 is preferentially deposited on the non-inhibited portions of the tungsten layer 305 such that the difficult-to-fill regions behind the constriction are filled.

[0069] In this example, the bulk deposition continues, as shown in Figure 5 , to fill the remaining portions of the feature with bulk tungsten 308. Gas flow configuration

[0070] In some embodiments, a plenum can be used to deliver gas to achieve lateral non-conformality while maintaining top-to-bottom uniformity. Using a plenum can deliver the process gas to the bottom of high aspect ratio structures, such as the bottom word lines of a 3D NAND structure. The pressurized gas flows from the plenum through a showerhead to the substrate.

[0071] Figure 6A Schematically shows an exemplary apparatus where a gas source is connected to a plenum. In some embodiments, one or more gas sources can be connected to multiple plenums. The apparatus includes a gas manifold system that provides line charging to individual gas distribution lines. The manifold supplies process gas and purge gas to the deposition chamber through plena with valves. Opening or closing various valves can create line charging, i.e., pressurize the distribution lines.

[0072] Figure 6AA schematic diagram depicting how process gas is delivered to a wafer processing chamber (not shown in the figure) through a showerhead 602 is shown. The schematic diagram shows two gas regions that are fluidly connected to the showerhead 602 through a dual-inlet chamber 604. In the example described below, the first gas region 606 contains deposition gas and purge gas. The second gas region 608a contains pressure gas and an inhibition gas that is chemically incompatible with the deposition gas. In other embodiments, gas regions can be used to deliver chemically incompatible gases to the showerhead 602 respectively.

[0073] In the example, the deposition gas includes metal precursor gases such as tungsten hexafluoride (WF6) and hydrogen (H2). Examples of metal precursor gases will be provided below. The purge gas can be argon (Ar) or other chemically inert gases. The inhibition gas can be nitrogen trifluoride (NF3), which can be used to inhibit nucleation on the deposited metal. H2 and NF3 are chemically incompatible because they may undergo an explosive reaction. Examples of some other inhibition gases and other gases that can be supplied in the second gas region will be provided below. Another gas that can be delivered is pressurized gas. The pressurized gas can be H2, a H2 / Ar mixture, or a H2 / N2 / Ar mixture.

[0074] The showerhead 602 distributes gas to the chamber (not shown). The dual-inlet chamber 604 is fluidly interposed between the showerhead 602 and the two gas regions. The dual-inlet chamber 604 is fluidly connected to the first gas region 606 and the second gas region 608a. The dual-inlet chamber 604 has a first inlet 626 and a second inlet 628. Each gas region is connected to one of the two inlets of the dual-inlet chamber 604. In Figure 6A the example shown, the first gas region 606 is connected to the first inlet 626 of the dual-inlet chamber 604, and the second gas region 608a is connected to the second inlet 628 of the dual-inlet chamber 604.

[0075] In some embodiments, the dual-inlet chamber 604 can be used to allow the gases from each gas region to flow to the showerhead separately. The individual gases from each gas region can be mixed in the dual-inlet chamber 604. The dual-inlet chamber 604 can be used to mix the gases from the first gas region 606 and the second gas region 608a before the gas mixture flows into the chamber through the showerhead 602. However, this can be avoided when the gas stream contains chemically incompatible gases.

[0076] In some embodiments, the dual-inlet chamber 604 includes an annular space. More details of the dual-inlet chamber 604 will be provided below.

[0077] In Figure 6AIn the example, the second gas region 608 includes an inhibitor source 616E and an inhibitor manifold 612a. The inhibitor gas manifold 612a is fluidly connected between the inhibitor gas source 616E and the dual inlet chamber 604. The inhibitor gas source 616E supplies inhibitor gas to the inhibitor gas manifold 612a.

[0078] The inhibitor gas manifold 612a includes an injection valve 618E, a split gas valve 620E, and a charging volume 614E. These three components (injection valve 618E, split gas valve 620E, and charging volume 614E) are fluidly connected to each other through a main inhibitor gas line 632, and the split gas valve is located between the injection valve and the charging volume. The injection valve 618E is fluidly connected to the dual inlet chamber 604 and is located between the dual inlet chamber and the split gas valve 620E. The injection valve 618E can be used to control the flow rate of inhibitor gas flowing from the inhibitor gas manifold 612a into the dual inlet chamber 604. The split gas valve 620E is fluidly connected to a split manifold 622a and directs inhibitor gas from the charging volume 614E to the injection valve 618E or the split manifold 622a. The split manifold 622a can be used to relieve the pressure of the inhibitor gas manifold 612a, purge the gas in the inhibitor gas manifold 612a, or stabilize the flow rate of the inhibitor gas. When inhibitor gas flows into the showerhead, the split manifold 622a can be used to release the pressurized gas to ensure that the gas flow from the inhibitor gas manifold 612a remains stable before reaching the showerhead 602. The split manifold 622a can be used to discharge any remaining gas in the inhibitor gas manifold 612, including the inhibitor gas still in the charging volume 614E. In some cases, it may be necessary to purge all the gas in the inhibitor gas manifold 612a before additional inhibitor gas flows into the inhibitor gas manifold. The charging volume 614E is fluidly connected between the inhibitor gas source 616E and the split gas valve 620E. The charging volume 614E stores and pressurizes the inhibitor gas from the inhibitor gas source 616E. When the split gas valve 620E is closed, or when the split gas valve directs the gas flow towards the injection valve 618E and the injection valve is closed, gas can flow from the inhibitor gas source 616E to the charging volume 614E, where the gas is stored and pressurized.

[0079] In one example, the second gas region 608 contains NF3. When NF3 gas is not used in the process, the injection valve 618E is closed to prevent NF3 gas from flowing into the dual inlet chamber 604. The inhibitor gas source 616E flows NF3 gas into the main inhibitor gas line 632 and the charging volume 614E. Since the injection valve 618 is closed, the NF3 gas will fill the charging volume 614E and be pressurized. When the gas is released by opening the injection valve 618, the pressurized NF3 gas will increase the mass flow rate of the gas. When the process uses an NF3 gas flow for the substrate, the injection valve 618E is opened. The pressurized NF3 gas flows into the dual inlet chamber 604 and into the showerhead 602.

[0080] When the suppression gas pressure is established in the fill volume 614E, the showerhead 602 can allow process gas to flow from the first gas region 606 into the chamber. The first gas region 606 has a process gas manifold 610 and at least one gas source 616. In the illustrated embodiment, there are four different gas sources 616. In some embodiments, there can be a single gas source 616. In other embodiments, there can be multiple gas sources. As described above, examples of gases supplied from the gas sources include Ar, H2, N2, and WF6. In the illustrated embodiment, there are four independent gas sources 616. Each process gas source 616A, 616B, 616C, and 616D supplies gas to a separate pipeline within the process gas manifold 610. In some embodiments, the gas type of each gas source 616 can be unique for each pipeline. For example, the gas in 616A is different from the gas in 616B, and the gases in 616A and 616B are different from the gas in 616C, and so on. In other embodiments, the same gas can be used as the gas for two or more gas sources. For example, the gas in the process gas source 616A can be the same as the gas in the gas source 616B.

[0081] The first gas region 606 has a process gas manifold 610. In the illustrated embodiment, the process gas manifold 610 has an injection valve 618A, a split gas valve 620A, and a fill volume 614, as well as a corresponding fill volume valve 624. The injection valve 618A fluidly connects the gas from the process gas manifold 610 to the dual - inlet chamber 604. The split gas valve 620A is fluidly interposed between the injection valve 618A and the fill volume valve 624. The injection valve 618A, the split gas valve 620A, and the fill volume valve 624 are fluidly connected through the main process gas pipeline 630. Similar to the split gas valve 620E in the suppression gas manifold 612, the split gas valve 620A in the process gas manifold 610 can split the gas into and / or out of the main process gas pipeline 630 and the fill volume 614 to the split manifold 622a.

[0082] The process gas from the process gas sources 616A, 616B, 616C, 616D flows into the corresponding fill volumes 614A, 614B, 614C, 614D. When the fill volume valve 624 is closed, the process gas from the corresponding gas source 616 can fill the corresponding fill volume 614. When the process gas from the process gas source 616 fills the fill volume 614, the gas is pressurized. The fill volume 614 stores the pressurized gas until the gas is released into the main process gas pipeline 630 by opening the corresponding fill volume valve 624.

[0083] In one example, process gas source 616A supplies WF6 gas. When WF6 is not used for wafer processing, the fill volume valve 624A is closed. Process gas source 616A introduces WF6 gas into fill volume 614A. The WF6 gas fills fill volume 614A and is pressurized. When the WF6 gas is pressurized to the desired pressure in fill volume 614A, process gas source 616A stops the inflow of WF6 gas into the fill volume. Once WF6 gas is used for wafer processing in the chamber, the fill volume valves 624B, 624C, and 624D for other gases are closed to prevent the gases in other fill volumes 614 from flowing into the main process gas line 630. Similarly, the injection valve 618E from inhibitor gas manifold 612a is also closed to prevent inhibitor gas from entering the dual inlet chamber 604. The fill volume valve 624A for WF6 gas is opened, and the WF6 gas stored in fill volume 614 flows into the main process gas line 630. The WF6 gas flows through the split gas valve 620A and the injection valve 618A into the dual inlet chamber 604. The gas flows from the dual inlet chamber 604 into the showerhead 602 and then into the chamber for wafer processing.

[0084] In Figure 2A - 2DIn the described process, H2 can be used as a reducing agent for depositing a tungsten film in a structure, and non-conformal treatment 204 can be inhibited and etched using NF3. However, when H2 and NF3 gases are mixed together, they may undergo an explosive reaction. Therefore, it is crucial to prevent the accidental mixing of the two gases. In this example, the gas source 616B in the first gas region 606 supplies H2 gas to the process gas manifold 610, and the gas source 616E in the second gas region 608 supplies NF3 gas to the inhibition gas manifold 612a. Since H2 can be used both as a reducing agent and as an inhibition enhancer, the same gas source can be used to deliver H2 (e.g., H2 can be introduced during both NF3 treatment and tungsten deposition), depending on the delivery time of other gases in the tool. As described above, for non-conformal treatment of the deposited tungsten film, NF3 gas flows into the chamber. After purging, deposition gases (such as WF6 and H2 gas) flow into the chamber. H2 flows into the showerhead through the inlet 626 and mixes with NF3 inside the dual-inlet chamber 604. NF3 gas flows through the dual-inlet chamber 604 via the inhibition gas manifold 612a and then into the chamber (not shown in the figure) through the showerhead 602. In some embodiments where NF3 and H2 flow separately, before the NF3 gas flows into the chamber, the fill volume valve 624B for H2 gas is closed, and an inert gas is introduced to purge the residual H2 gas in the pipeline. Subsequently, the NF3 gas flows through the dual-inlet chamber 604 via the inhibition gas manifold 612a into the showerhead 602. The inert gas can be provided by a gas source (such as gas source 616C) in the first gas region 606 or by another gas source (not shown) fluidly connected to the first inlet 626 of the dual-inlet chamber 604. While the NF3 gas is flowing in, the inert gas in the first gas region 606 enters the dual-inlet chamber 604 through the process gas manifold 610 via the first inlet 626. This prevents the NF3 gas in the dual-inlet chamber 604 from flowing out through the first inlet 626 and forces the NF3 gas into the showerhead 602. The inert gas flowing out of the process gas manifold 610 prevents the NF3 gas from flowing into the process gas manifold 610 and forms a barrier between the NF3 gas and the H2 gas. Alternatively, when using an inert gas from an external source (not shown), the injection valve 618 is closed to prevent any gas from flowing into or out of the process gas manifold 610. The external gas source allows the inert gas to flow into the first inlet 626 of the dual-inlet chamber 604, thereby preventing any NF3 gas from the second gas region 608 from flowing out through the first inlet 626 and entering the first gas region 606 where the H2 gas is located. Therefore, in both cases, there are at least two barriers between the NF3 gas and the H2 gas, namely the closed valve and the inert gas, to prevent any potential mixing between the two gases.

[0085] After the NF3 gas has flowed in, cleaning is performed. The cleaning can remove the residual NF3 gas in the showerhead 602, the dual inlet chamber 604, and the pipelines. Once the flow path of the H2 gas has been cleaned and the NF3 gas removed, the H2 gas can flow into the processing chamber. An inert gas from the second gas region 608 flows into the dual inlet chamber 604 to prevent the H2 gas from flowing back against the NF3 gas. Additionally, the injection valve 618E can be closed to prevent the NF3 gas from flowing into the dual inlet chamber 604 and mixing with the H2 gas. In some embodiments where NF3 and H2 are simultaneously delivered, both 618A and 618E are open. Additionally, both gases can be diluted with argon from their respective gas regions.

[0086] In a multi-station chamber, each station has a corresponding showerhead 602. Depending on the tool configuration, each station may also have a corresponding process gas manifold 610 and a suppression gas manifold 612a. In some embodiments, some stations in the multi-station chamber have only the process gas manifold 610, while other stations have both the process gas manifold 610 and the suppression gas manifold 612a. In the present embodiment, the stations having both the process gas manifold 610 and the suppression gas manifold 612a will have a corresponding dual inlet chamber 604. For example, in a multi-station chamber having four stations, stations one and four are each equipped with a corresponding process gas manifold. Stations three and four each have a corresponding process gas manifold 610 and a corresponding suppression gas manifold 612a. In this example, stations three and four each have a corresponding dual inlet chamber 604 that is fluidly connected between the corresponding showerhead 602 and the corresponding process gas manifold 610 and the corresponding suppression gas manifold 612a. Depending on the tool configuration, each process gas manifold 610 can supply the same gas or different gases. Similarly, depending on the tool configuration, each suppression gas manifold 612a can supply the same suppression gas or different suppression gases.

[0087] Figure 6B Another schematic diagram is shown, which shows how process gas is supplied to a wafer processing chamber (not shown) through the showerhead 602. In Figure 6B the example, the second gas region 608 includes a suppression gas source 616E and a suppression gas manifold 612a. The suppression gas manifold 612b is fluidly connected between the suppression gas source 616E and the dual inlet chamber 604. The suppression gas source 616E supplies the suppression gas to the suppression gas manifold 612b.

[0088] The first gas region 606 and its components and gas flow structure can be the same as the first gas region 606 described above with respect to Figure 6A The showerhead 602 and the dual inlet chamber 604 can be the same as those described above with respect to Figure 6A described.

[0089] The second gas region 608b includes a pressurized gas and an inhibitory gas that is chemically incompatible with the deposition gas. In other embodiments, gas regions may be used to supply chemically incompatible gases to the showerhead 602, respectively. Figure 6B The illustrated system allows for independent control stations, uses one inhibitory gas manifold, and implements various disclosed embodiments, whereby each station can be used for nucleation, Dep1, Dep2, inhibition, and / or boost gas exposure.

[0090] The showerhead 602 distributes gas into a chamber (not shown). The dual - inlet chamber 604 is fluidly connected between the showerhead 602 and two gas regions. The dual - inlet chamber 604 is fluidly connected to the first gas region 606 and the second gas region 608b. Similar to Figure 6A this, the dual - inlet chamber 604 has a first inlet 626 and a second inlet 628. Each gas region is connected to one of the two inlets of the dual - inlet chamber 604. In Figure 6B the illustrated example, the first gas region 606 is connected to the first inlet 626 of the dual - inlet chamber 604, and the second gas region 608b is connected to the second inlet 628 of the dual - inlet chamber 604.

[0091] In Figure 6B the example of, the second gas region 608b includes an inhibitory gas source 616E and an inhibitory gas manifold 612b. The inhibitory gas manifold 612b is fluidly connected between the inhibitory gas source 616E and the dual - inlet chamber 604. The inhibitory gas source 616E supplies an inhibitory gas to the inhibitory gas manifold 612b. The inhibitory gas source 616E uses a split gas valve 620E. Different from Figure 6A this, the split gas valve 620E is not part of the inhibitory gas manifold 612b. The split gas valve is fluidly connected between the inhibitory gas source 616E and the inhibitory gas manifold 612b.

[0092] The suppression gas manifold 612b includes an injection valve 618E and a charging volume 614E. The two components, the injection valve 618E and the charging volume 614E, are fluidly connected to each other through a main suppression gas pipeline 632. The injection valve 618E is fluidly connected to the dual inlet chamber 604 and is fluidly connected between the dual inlet chamber and the charging volume 614E. The injection valve 618E can be used to control the flow rate of the suppression gas flowing from the suppression gas manifold 612b into the dual inlet chamber 604. The shunt gas valve 620E is fluidly connected to the shunt manifold 622b and guides the flow of the suppression gas from the suppression gas source 616E to the charging volume 614E. The shunt manifold 622b can be used to release the pressure of the suppression gas manifold 612, purge the gas in the suppression gas manifold 612b, or stabilize the flow rate of the suppression gas. When the suppression gas flows into the showerhead, the shunt manifold 622b can be used to release the gas pressure to ensure that the gas from the suppression gas manifold 612b remains stable before reaching the showerhead 602. The shunt manifold 622b can be used to discharge any remaining gas in the suppression gas manifold 612, including the suppression gas still in the charging volume 614E. In some cases, it may be necessary to purge all the gas in the suppression gas manifold 612b before additional suppression gas flows into the suppression gas manifold. The charging volume 614E is fluidly connected between the suppression gas source 616E and the shunt gas valve 620E. The charging volume 614E stores and pressurizes the suppression gas from the suppression gas source 616E.

[0093] The top plate shunt manifold 622c is used to regulate the shunt gas valve 620A. As described above, the shunt gas valve 620A is fluidly connected between the injection valve 618A and the charging volume valve 624. The injection valve 618A, the shunt gas valve 620A, and the charging volume valve 624 are fluidly connected through the main process gas pipeline 630. Similar to the shunt gas valve 620E in the suppression gas manifold 612, the shunt gas valve 620A in the process gas manifold 610 can divert the gas in the main process gas pipeline 630 and / or the gas from the charging volumes 614A, 614B, 614C, and 614D to the shunt manifold 622c.

[0094] Figure 7 An example of the arrangement of the dual inlet chamber 704 and the showerhead 702 is shown. The dual inlet chamber 704 has a first inlet 726, a second inlet 728, and an outlet 734. The showerhead 702 and the dual inlet chamber 704 are fluidly connected to each other through an outlet gas pipeline 740. The dual inlet chamber 704 can be placed as close as possible to the showerhead 702. For example, the dual inlet chamber 704 can be placed just outside the processing chamber (not shown). By placing the dual inlet chamber 704 close to the showerhead 702, the gas in the dual inlet chamber can quickly reach the showerhead 702, thereby shortening the wafer processing time, and the pressurized gas remains pressurized so that the gas can completely flow through the 3D NAND structure.

[0095] In the illustrated example, a first inlet 726 fluidly connects a first inlet gas line 736 to a dual inlet chamber 704, and a second inlet 728 fluidly connects a second inlet gas line 738 to the dual inlet chamber. In some embodiments, the first inlet gas line 736 may be fluidly connected to a first gas region (not shown), and the second inlet gas line 738 may be fluidly connected to a second gas region (not shown), as Figure 6A and 6B shown.

[0096] The dual inlet chamber 704 allows one or more gases to flow through the dual inlet chamber and out through an outlet 734. In some embodiments, the first inlet 726 may allow a first gas to flow into the dual inlet chamber 704, and the second inlet 728 may allow a second gas to flow into the dual inlet chamber. The dual inlet chamber 704 may mix the two gases and form a gas mixture of the two gases. The newly formed gas mixture may flow out of the dual inlet chamber 704 through the outlet 734 and into a showerhead 702 for dispersion into a processing chamber (not shown).

[0097] Figure 7 The dual inlet chamber 704 including an annular space 750 is shown. The dual inlet chamber 704 allows for uniform distribution of gases from the first inlet 726 and the second inlet 728 to the outlet 734. The gas entering through the first inlet 726 reaches the outlet 734 directly through a main line 752 and enters the showerhead 702. The gas entering from the side of the dual inlet chamber 704 enters one side of the annular space 750 through the second inlet 728. The annular space 750 evenly distributes the gas delivery from the second inlet 728 (one side of the annular space) to the main line 752. Thus, the annular space allows for uniform distribution of gases from the first inlet 726 and the second inlet 728 to the outlet 734 and into the showerhead 702.

[0098] Below the dual - inlet chamber 704 is the showerhead 702. The showerhead distributes the gas from the dual - inlet chamber 704 into a chamber (not shown). The showerhead can be a single - charge - chamber or a dual - charge - chamber showerhead. A processing process using NF3 and H2 (or H2 / Ar, or H2 / N2 / Ar) has an advantage over a processing process using other gases (such as ammonia gas (NH3)) because it allows the use of a single - charge - chamber showerhead. NH3 gas is difficult to remove and may leave residues in the hardware (after removal). The residues may react with other process gases (such as WF6, SiH4, and B2H6). Therefore, when processing with gases such as NH3, a dual - chamber showerhead can prevent cross - contamination of the NH3 gas remaining in the showerhead with other process gases. However, NF3 gas allows the use of a single - charge - chamber showerhead. Although NF3 may react with other process gases, a purge operation can remove the NF3 gas and NF3 residues in the showerhead. Therefore, as long as the gas in the showerhead 702 is removed before using the next gas, a single - charge chamber can be used.

[0099] Figure 8 An example of a process - gas manifold 810 and an inhibit - gas manifold 812 is shown. Similar to Figure 6A and 6B In one example, the process - gas manifold 810 is a gas manifold in a first gas region (not shown), and the inhibit - gas manifold 812 is a gas manifold in a second gas region (not shown). In the example shown, the process - gas manifold 810 has four fill volumes 814, four fill - volume valves 824, a split - gas valve 820A, and an injection - gas valve 818A. As Figure 6A and 6B shown, these six valves (four fill - volume valves 824, split - gas valve 820A, and injection - gas valve 818A) are connected in fluid series. As described above Figure 6A and 6B The number of fill volumes 814 in the process - gas manifold 810 can vary. In some embodiments, there can be only one fill volume 814. In other embodiments, there can be multiple fill volumes 814. In Figure 8In the example shown, there are four charge volumes 814. Each charge volume 814 is in parallel with each other and is fluidly connected to the injection gas valve 818 through its corresponding charge volume valve 824 respectively. Each charge volume 814 has a charge volume port 842 connected to an external gas source (not shown in the figure). The charge volume 814 stores and pressurizes the gas from the external gas source. This enables the control of the mass flow rate of the gas when it is released from the charge volume 814. Depending on the application, the size of each charge volume 814 can vary. The size of each charge volume 814 depends on different factors, such as the type of gas charged in the volume, the amount of gas required for the application, and the pressure required for the application. In some embodiments, each charge volume 814 on the process gas manifold 810 can have the same size. In other embodiments, the size of each charge volume 814 can be different. For example, in a specific process gas manifold 810, three of the four charge volumes are 0.3 liters and the fourth charge volume is 0.1 liter. In another example, the process gas manifold 810 has four charge volumes 814, and each charge volume has a volume of 0.3 liters. In some embodiments, the device can be reconfigured according to the specific process to use charge volumes of different sizes.

[0100] Each charge volume 814 is fluidly connected to the injection gas valve 818A through the corresponding charge volume valve 824. The corresponding charge volume valve 824 is fluidly connected between the injection gas valve 818A and its corresponding charge volume 814. When the charge volume valve 824 is closed, the gas flow from the corresponding charge volume 814 stops and is blocked from reaching the injection gas valve 818A. Gas flows into the charge volume 814 and is pressurized. When the charge volume valve 824 is in the open position, the gas in the charge volume is released and flows through the process gas manifold 810.

[0101] Interposed between the charge volume valve 824 and the injection gas valve 818A is the split gas valve 820A. The split gas valve 820A has a split gas valve port 844A, which is used to connect to a split gas manifold (not shown). The split gas valve 820A directs the gas flow from the charge volume 814 to the injection gas valve 818A or the split gas valve port 844A. In some embodiments, the split gas valve 820A can be a three-way valve, which can stop the gas flow.

[0102] The injection gas valve 818A has an injection gas valve outlet 846A, which fluidly connects the process gas manifold 810 to a dual inlet chamber (not shown). The injection gas valve 818A controls the gas flowing out of the process gas manifold 810. When the injection gas valve 818A is closed, the gas outflow from the process gas manifold 810 stops. When the injection gas valve is open, the gas from the process gas manifold flows out to the injection gas valve outlet 846A.

[0103] The suppression gas manifold 812 has an injection gas valve 818E, a split gas valve 820E, and a charging volume 814E that are fluidly connected to each other. The split gas valve 820E is fluidly connected between the injection gas valve 818E and the charging volume 814E. The charging volume 814E has a charging volume port 842E that is used to connect to a gas source (not shown in the figure). The gas source delivers gas to the suppression gas manifold 812 through the charging volume 814E. In the illustrated embodiment, there is only one charging volume 814E, so a charging volume valve is not used. In some embodiments, there may be multiple charging volumes 814. In this case, each charging volume 814 will be in parallel with each other, and each charging volume will have a corresponding charging volume valve to control the flow from the corresponding charging volume.

[0104] The suppression gas manifold 812 has a purge valve 820E with a purge valve port 844E. The purge valve port 844E of the purge valve 820E is in fluid communication with a purge gas manifold (not shown in the figure). Similar to the split gas valve 820 in the process gas manifold 810, the split gas valve directs the gas flow from the charging volume 814E to the injection gas valve 818E or the split gas valve port 844E. In some embodiments, the split gas valve 820E can be a three-way valve that can be used to stop the gas flow.

[0105] The injection gas valve 818E in the suppression gas manifold 812 has an injection gas valve outlet 846E and an injection gas valve inlet 848. The injection gas valve outlet 846E fluidly connects the suppression gas manifold 812 to a dual-inlet chamber (not shown). The injection gas valve inlet 848 connects another gas (such as an inert gas) to the suppression gas manifold 812. For example, the injection gas valve inlet 848 can be connected to argon (Ar) and is used to flow the inert gas into the chamber to prevent any other process gas from flowing into the suppression gas manifold 812. The injection gas valve 818E controls the gas flowing out of the suppression gas manifold 812. When the injection gas valve 818E is closed, the gas flowing out of the suppression gas manifold 812 stops; when the injection gas valve is open, the gas flows to the injection gas valve outlet 846E. Tungsten film deposition

[0106] In some embodiments, the methods described herein involve depositing a tungsten nucleation layer prior to depositing a bulk layer. In the examples described herein, the nucleation layer can be deposited as a first conformal deposition or as a seed layer for the first conformal deposition. The nucleation layer is a thin conformal layer that facilitates subsequent deposition of the bulk tungsten-containing material thereon. According to various implementations, the nucleation layer can be deposited before any feature fill and / or at a subsequent point during the feature fill process. In some implementations of the methods described herein, the nucleation layer is deposited only at the start of feature fill and is not required in subsequent depositions. As described above, in some embodiments, the conformal Dep1 deposition is the nucleation layer. It can also be the bulk layer deposited on the nucleation layer.

[0107] In the deposition of the nucleation layer, pulses of a reducing agent, an optional purge gas, and a tungsten precursor can be sequentially injected into and purged from the reaction chamber according to an ALD sequence. The nucleation layer thickness depends on the nucleation layer deposition method and the desired bulk deposition quality. Generally, the nucleation layer thickness is sufficient to support high-quality, uniform bulk deposition. Exemplary ranges are to

[0108] The methods described herein are not limited to a particular tungsten nucleation layer deposition method, including depositing a bulk tungsten film on a tungsten nucleation layer formed by any method (including PNL, ALD, CVD, and physical vapor deposition (PVD)). Additionally, in certain embodiments, bulk tungsten can be deposited directly in the features without using a nucleation layer. For example, in some embodiments, the feature surface and / or the underlying layer that has been deposited supports bulk tungsten deposition. In some embodiments, a bulk tungsten deposition process can be performed without using a nucleation layer.

[0109] In various embodiments, tungsten nucleation layer deposition involves exposure to tungsten precursors such as tungsten hexafluoride (WF6), tungsten hexachloride (WCl6), and tungsten hexacarbonyl (W(CO)6). In certain embodiments, the tungsten precursor is a halogen-containing compound such as WF6. Organometallic precursors and fluorine-free precursors such as MDNOW (methylcyclopentadienyl dicarbonyl nitrosyl tungsten) and EDNOW (ethylcyclopentadienyl dicarbonyl nitrosyl tungsten) can also be used.

[0110] Examples of reducing agents can include boron-containing reducing agents including diborane (B2H6) and other boranes; silicon-containing reducing agents including silane (SiH4) and other silanes; hydrazine, and germane. In some embodiments, pulses of the tungsten precursor can be alternated with pulses of one or more reducing agents, e.g., S / W / S / W / B / W, etc., where W represents the tungsten precursor, S represents the silicon-containing precursor, and B represents the boron-containing precursor. In some embodiments, a separate reducing agent can be not used, e.g., the tungsten precursor can be thermally decomposed or plasma-assisted decomposed.

[0111] According to various embodiments, hydrogen may or may not be present in the background environment. Additionally, in some embodiments, after deposition of the tungsten nucleation layer, one or more processing operations may be performed before deposition of the tungsten bulk. Treating the deposited tungsten nucleation layer to reduce resistivity may include pulsing a reducing agent and / or a tungsten precursor. Bulk deposition

[0112] Bulk deposition may also involve an atomic layer deposition (ALD) process, where a tungsten precursor and a reducing agent are sequentially introduced into and purged from the reaction chamber. Hydrogen may be used as the reducing agent instead of a stronger reducing agent such as diborane used in nucleation layer deposition.

[0113] Tungsten bulk deposition may also be performed by a chemical vapor deposition (CVD) process, where a reducing agent and a tungsten-containing precursor flow into a deposition chamber to deposit a bulk fill layer in a feature. An inert carrier gas may be used to transport one or more reaction streams, which may or may not be premixed. Unlike the atomic layer deposition (ALD) process, this operation typically involves continuous flow of reactants until the desired amount is deposited. In certain implementations, the chemical vapor deposition (CVD) operation may be performed in multiple stages, where consecutive and simultaneous flow cycles of multiple reaction streams are separated by one or more diversion cycles of one or more reaction streams.

[0114] It should be understood that the tungsten films described herein may contain a certain amount of other compounds, dopants, and / or impurities, such as nitrogen, carbon, oxygen, boron, phosphorus, sulfur, silicon, germanium, etc., depending on the specific precursors and processes used. The tungsten content in the films ranges from 20% to 100% (atomic). In many embodiments, these films are tungsten-rich, with a tungsten content of at least 50%, and even at least about 60%, 75%, 90%, or 99% (atomic).

[0115] Figure 9 An example of an atomic layer deposition (ALD) method for forming a tungsten film is shown. For example, Figure 9The method shown can be used for one or both of operations 202 and 206 in Figure 2. First, in operation 905, a tungsten precursor is pulsed. After pulsing the tungsten precursor, an optional purge step 915 can be performed. Any unadsorbed precursor in the chamber can be purged using argon or any inert gas. The substrate is exposed to a co-reactant 925, which can be a reducing agent used to reduce the tungsten precursor or other co-reactants that react with the tungsten precursor to form elemental tungsten. The reactant can be a hydrogen-containing reactant. In some embodiments, the hydrogen-containing reactant can be thermal (non-plasma) hydrogen (H2). For plasma-based processes, remote or in-situ plasma generated from hydrogen can be used. An optional purge can be performed in operation 935, and then operations 905 - 935 are repeated in operation 945 until the film is fully grown. This can be a conformal film for lining features, such as conformal tungsten film 305, or a bulk layer filling all or part of the features, such as bulk tungsten 308.

[0116] In some embodiments, Figures 2B - 2D operation 202 in includes depositing a tungsten nucleation layer, which can be a conformal layer or part of a conformal layer on which bulk tungsten is deposited.

[0117] In some embodiments, the tungsten nucleation layer is deposited using one or more boron-containing reducing agents (e.g., B2H6) or silicon-containing reducing agents (e.g., SiH4) as co-reactants. For example, one or more S / W cycles (where S / W refers to a silane pulse followed by a tungsten precursor pulse) can be employed to deposit the tungsten nucleation layer and deposit a vertebral tungsten layer thereon. In another example, one or more B / W cycles (where B / W refers to a diborane pulse followed by a tungsten precursor pulse) can be used to deposit the tungsten nucleation layer and deposit a bulk tungsten layer thereon. Both B / W and S / W cycles can be used to deposit the tungsten nucleation layer, e.g., x(B / W)+y(S / W), where x and y are integers. Examples of boron-containing and sulfur-containing reducing agents are given below. For the deposition of the tungsten nucleation layer, in some embodiments, the tungsten precursor can be an oxygen-free precursor, such as WF6 or WCl5. Oxygen in the oxygen-containing precursor may react with the silicon-containing or boron-containing reducing agent to form WSi x O y or WB x O y , which are impure high-resistivity films. Oxygen-containing precursors can be used while minimizing oxygen incorporation. In some embodiments, H2 can be used as the reducing gas instead of boron-containing or silicon-containing reducing gases. The exemplary thickness range for the deposition of the tungsten nucleation layer is to The films at the lower limit of this range may be discontinuous; however, as long as they can assist in initiating continuous bulk tungsten growth, this thickness is sufficient. In some embodiments, the reductant pulse can be performed at a lower substrate temperature than the tungsten precursor pulse. For example, the B2H6 or SiH4 (or other boron- or silicon-containing reductants) pulse can be performed at a temperature below 300 °C, and the W pulse can be performed at a temperature above 300 °C.

[0118] Although the following description focuses on tungsten feature filling, certain aspects of the present disclosure can also be used for filling features with other materials. For example, Figures 2A - 2D the processing sequence described in can be achieved by a feature filling process using molybdenum-, cobalt-, or ruthenium-containing materials. Apparatus

[0119] Any suitable chamber can be used to implement the disclosed embodiments. Exemplary deposition apparatuses include a variety of systems, such as and Max, which is available from Lam Research Corp. of Fremont, California, or any of a variety of other commercially available processing systems.

[0120] In some embodiments, the first deposition can be performed at a first station, which is one of two, five, or even more deposition stations located within a single deposition chamber. Thus, for example, hydrogen (H2) and tungsten hexafluoride (WF6) can be introduced in alternating pulses to the surface of the substrate at the first station using separate gas supply systems that create a local atmosphere on the surface of the semiconductor substrate. Another station can be used for NF3 processing using H2 boost gas, and the third and / or fourth stations can be used for subsequent ALD bulk filling.

[0121] Figure 10 is a schematic diagram of a processing system suitable for performing deposition processing according to an embodiment. System 1000 includes a transfer module 1003. The transfer module 1003 provides a clean, pressurized environment to minimize the risk of contamination of the substrate being processed as it moves between various reactor modules. According to various embodiments, a multi-station reactor 1009 capable of performing processes such as ALD, processing, and CVD is mounted on the transfer module 1003. The multi-station reactor 1009 can include a plurality of stations 1011, 1013, 1015, and 1017, which can perform operations sequentially according to the disclosed embodiments. For example, the multi-station reactor 1009 can be configured such that station 1011 deposits a tungsten nucleation layer using a tungsten precursor and a boron- or silicon-containing reductant, station 1013 deposits the tungsten bulk of the ALD conformal layer using H2 as a reductant, station 1015 performs an NF3 processing operation, and station 1017 can perform bulk ALD filling after processing using H2 as a reductant.

[0122] The station may include a heated pedestal or substrate support, one or more gas inlets or showerheads or dispersion plates.

[0123] Return to Figure 10 Also mounted on the transfer module 1003 may be one or more single or multi-station modules 1007, which can perform plasma or chemical (non-plasma) pre-cleaning, other deposition operations, or etching operations. The module can also be used for a variety of processes, such as preparing a substrate for a deposition process. The system 1000 also includes one or more wafer source modules 1000, where wafers are stored before and after processing in the source module 1001. An atmospheric robot (not shown) in the atmospheric transfer chamber 1019 can first move the wafer from the source module 1001 to the load lock 1021. A wafer transfer device (usually a robotic arm unit) in the transfer module 1003 moves the wafer from the load lock 1021 to the modules mounted on the transfer module 1003 and moves the wafer between these modules.

[0124] In various embodiments, a system controller 1029 is employed to control the process conditions during deposition. The controller 1029 will typically include one or more memory devices and one or more processors. The processor may include a CPU or computer, analog and / or digital input / output connections, a stepper motor controller board, and the like.

[0125] The controller 1029 can control the activities of all deposition devices. The system controller 1029 runs system control software, which includes an instruction set for controlling timing, gas mixing, chamber pressure, chamber temperature, wafer temperature, radio frequency (RF) power level, wafer chuck or pedestal position, and other parameters for a particular process. In some embodiments, other computer programs stored on a memory device associated with the controller 1029 may be used.

[0126] Typically, there will be a user interface associated with the controller 1029. The user interface may include a display screen, a graphical software display of the device and / or process conditions, and user input devices such as a pointing device, keyboard, touch screen, microphone, and the like.

[0127] The system control logic can be configured in any suitable manner. Generally, the logic can be designed or configured in hardware and / or software. Instructions for controlling the drive circuit can be hard-coded or provided as software. The instructions can be provided by "programming". Such programming is understood to include any form of logic, which includes hard-coded logic in digital signal processors, application-specific integrated circuits, and other devices having specific algorithms implemented as hardware. Programming is also understood to include software or firmware instructions that can be executed on a general-purpose processor. The system control software can be coded in any suitable computer-readable programming language.

[0128] The computer program code for controlling the germanium reductant pulse, hydrogen gas flow, and tungsten precursor pulse in the processing sequence, as well as other processes, can be written in any conventional computer-readable programming language: for example, assembly language, C, C++, Pascal, Fortran, or others. The compiled object code or script is executed by the processor to perform the tasks identified in the program. Also as indicated, the program code can be hard-coded.

[0129] The controller parameters relate to processing conditions such as, for example, process gas composition and flow rate, temperature, pressure, cooling gas pressure, substrate temperature, and chamber wall temperature. These parameters are provided to the user in the form of a recipe and can be input using the user interface.

[0130] Signals for monitoring the process can be provided through the analog and / or digital input connections of the system controller 1029. Signals for controlling the process are output through the analog and digital output connectors of the deposition apparatus 1000.

[0131] The system software can be designed or configured in many different ways. For example, multiple chamber component subroutines or control targets can be written to control the operation of the chamber components required to perform the deposition process according to the disclosed embodiments. Examples of programs or program segments for this purpose include substrate positioning code, process gas control code, pressure control code, and heater control code.

[0132] In some implementations, the controller 1029 is part of a system, which can be part of the above examples. Such systems can include semiconductor processing equipment, which includes one or more processing tools, one or more chambers, one or more platforms for processing, and / or specific processing components (wafer pedestals, gas flow systems, etc.). These systems can be integrated with electronics for controlling their operations before, during, and after the processing of semiconductor wafers or substrates. The electronics can be referred to as a "controller", which can control various components or sub-components of one or more systems. Depending on the processing requirements and / or system type, the controller 1029 can be programmed to control any of the processes disclosed herein, including the delivery of processing gases, temperature settings (e.g., heating and / or cooling), pressure settings, vacuum settings, power settings, radio frequency (RF) generator settings in some systems, RF matching circuit settings, frequency settings, flow rate settings, fluid delivery settings, position and operation settings, wafer transfer in and out of tools and other transfer tools, and / or load locks connected or docked to a specific system.

[0133] Broadly speaking, a controller can be defined as electronics that has various integrated circuits, logic, memory, and / or software for receiving instructions, issuing instructions, controlling operations, enabling cleaning operations, enabling endpoint measurements, etc. The integrated circuits can include chips in the form of firmware that stores program instructions, digital signal processors (DSPs), chips defined as application specific integrated circuits (ASICs), and / or one or more microprocessors or microcontrollers that execute program instructions (e.g., software). The program instructions can be instructions sent to the controller in the form of various individual settings (or program files), which define operation parameters for performing a specific process on or for a semiconductor wafer or system. In some embodiments, the operation parameters can be part of a recipe defined by a process engineer to complete one or more processing steps during the fabrication of one or more (types of) layers, materials, metals, oxides, silicon, silicon dioxide, surfaces, circuits, and / or dies of a wafer.

[0134] In some implementations, controller 1029 can be part of or coupled to a computer that is integrated with, coupled to, otherwise networked to, or a combination of the system. For example, controller 1029 can be in the "cloud" or be all or part of a fab host system, which can allow remote access to wafer processing. The computer can enable remote access to the system to monitor the current progress of manufacturing operations, examine the history of past manufacturing operations, examine trends or performance criteria for multiple manufacturing operations, change parameters of the current process, set processing steps to follow the current process, or initiate a new process. In some examples, a remote computer (e.g., a server) can provide a process recipe 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 controller receives instructions in the form of data that specify the 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, and the controller is configured to interface with or control the tool. Thus, as described above, the controller can be distributed, for example, by including one or more discrete controllers that are networked together and work towards a common purpose, such as the processes and controls described herein. An example of a distributed controller for such purposes is one or more integrated circuits on a chamber that communicate with one or more integrated circuits remote (e.g., at the platform level or as part of a remote computer), which combine to control the process on the chamber.

[0135] Example systems can include, but are not limited to, a plasma etch chamber or module, a deposition chamber or module, a spin rinse chamber or module, a metal plating chamber or module, a cleaning chamber or module, a bevel edge etch chamber or module, a physical vapor deposition (PVD) chamber or module, a CVD chamber or module, an ALD chamber or module, an atomic layer etch (ALE) chamber or module, an ion implantation chamber or module, an orbital chamber or module, and any other semiconductor processing system that can be associated with or used for the manufacture and / or preparation of semiconductor wafers.

[0136] As described above, depending on the one or more processing steps to be performed by the tool, the controller can communicate with one or more other tool circuits or modules, other tool components, cluster tools, other tool interfaces, adjacent tools, neighboring tools, tools located throughout the factory, a host computer, another controller, or tools used in the material transport that shuttles the wafer container to and from the tool locations and / or load ports in a semiconductor manufacturing facility.

[0137] The controller 1029 may include different programs. The substrate positioning program may include program code for controlling chamber components that load a substrate onto a pedestal or chuck and control the spacing between the substrate and other chamber components such as gas inlets and / or targets. The process gas control program may include code for controlling gas composition, flow rate, pulse time, and optionally for flowing gas into the chamber prior to deposition to stabilize the pressure in the chamber. The pressure control program may include code for controlling the pressure in the chamber by adjusting a throttle valve in the exhaust system in the chamber, for example. The heater control program may include code for controlling the current to a heating unit that heats the substrate. Alternatively, the heater control program may control the delivery of a heat transfer gas such as helium to the wafer chuck.

[0138] Examples of chamber sensors that may be monitored during deposition include mass flow controllers, pressure sensors such as pressure gauges, and thermocouples located in the pedestal or chuck. Appropriately programmed feedback and control algorithms may be used with data from these sensors to maintain desired processing conditions.

[0139] The foregoing describes embodiments of the present invention implemented in a single-chamber or multi-chamber semiconductor processing tool. The apparatus and processes described herein may be used in conjunction with a lithographic patterning tool or process, for example, for fabricating or manufacturing semiconductor devices, displays, LEDs, photovoltaic panels, etc. Generally, although not necessarily, these tools / processes will be used or operated together in a common manufacturing facility. Lithographic patterning of a film typically includes some or all of the following steps, each step enabling multiple viable tools: (1) coating a photoresist on a workpiece, i.e., a substrate, using a spin coater or spray tool; (2) curing the photoresist using a hot plate or furnace or ultraviolet curing tool; (3) exposing the photoresist to visible light or ultraviolet or X-rays using a tool such as a wafer stepper; (4) developing the resist to selectively remove the resist and thereby pattern it using a tool such as a wet bench; (5) transferring the resist pattern to the underlying film or workpiece by using a dry or plasma-assisted etch tool; and (6) removing the resist using a tool such as a radio frequency or microwave plasma resist stripper. Conclusion

[0140] Although the foregoing embodiments have been described in some detail for purposes of clear understanding, it will be apparent that certain changes and modifications may be practiced within the scope of the appended claims. It should be noted that there are many alternative ways of implementing the processes, systems, and devices of the embodiments of the present invention. Accordingly, the embodiments of the present invention should be considered illustrative rather than restrictive, and these embodiments are not limited to the details given herein.

Claims

1. A method, comprising: providing a 3-D structure of a partially fabricated semiconductor substrate to a chamber having a chamber pressure of no more than 100 Torr, the 3-D structure including sidewalls having a plurality of openings leading to a plurality of features having a plurality of internal regions into which fluid can enter the chamber through the openings; depositing a first layer of tungsten within the 3-D structure such that the first layer lines the plurality of features of the 3-D structure; and non-conformally treating the first layer of tungsten using a process that preferentially applies to portions of the first layer of tungsten near the plurality of openings relative to the plurality of internal regions; introducing a pressurizing gas containing H2 into the chamber; and depositing a second layer of tungsten within the 3-D structure over the first layer of tungsten such that the second layer at least partially fills the plurality of internal regions of the 3-D structure; wherein non-conformally treating the first layer of tungsten includes charging a gas containing NF3 to a first charging pressure of at least 10 Torr and flowing the gas into the chamber.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the pressurizing gas further contains argon.

3. The method according to any one of claims 1 or 2, wherein the pressurizing gas further contains nitrogen.

4. The method according to any one of claims 1-3, wherein the pressurizing gas is introduced during the treatment of the first layer of tungsten.

5. The method according to any one of claims 1-3, wherein the pressurizing gas is introduced after depositing the first layer of tungsten and before treating the first layer of tungsten.

6. The method according to any one of claims 1-3, wherein the pressurizing gas is introduced after treating the first layer of tungsten and before depositing the second layer of tungsten.

7. The method according to any one of claims 1-3, further comprising depositing a nucleation layer within the 3-D structure such that the nucleation layer lines the plurality of features of the 3D structure, wherein, The pressurizing gas is introduced before treating the first layer of tungsten, before depositing the first layer of tungsten, and after depositing the nucleation layer.

8. The method according to any one of claims 1-7, wherein, The treatment inhibits tungsten deposition.

9. The method according to any one of claims 1-7, wherein Depositing the tungsten layer includes performing atomic layer deposition using tungsten hexafluoride (WF6) and hydrogen (H2).

10. The method according to any one of claims 1-7, wherein depositing the tungsten layer includes delivering pulses of a tungsten precursor and hydrogen to the chamber through a showerhead.

11. The method according to any one of claims 1-7, wherein depositing tungsten includes delivering a tungsten precursor and hydrogen to a showerhead through a dual-inlet chamber.

12. The method according to claim 11, wherein the tungsten precursor and hydrogen are injected at a first inlet of the dual-inlet chamber.

13. The method according to claim 12, wherein the gas containing NF3 is injected at a second inlet of the dual-inlet chamber.

14. The method according to claim 13, wherein an inert gas is injected at the first inlet of the dual-inlet chamber while NF3 is injected at the second inlet of the dual-inlet chamber.

15. The method according to claim 11, wherein the tungsten precursor and hydrogen are supplied through a first gas manifold and the NF3 is supplied through a second gas manifold.

16. The method according to claim 7, wherein depositing the nucleation layer is performed at a first station in the chamber, while depositing the first tungsten layer, the processing, and depositing the second tungsten layer are performed at a second station in the chamber.

17. An apparatus for semiconductor processing, the apparatus comprising: A first showerhead; A dual - inlet chamber having A first inlet, A second inlet, and An outlet fluidly connected to the first showerhead; A first gas region including a first process gas manifold, the first process gas manifold comprising: One or more first process gas charging volumes, A first diverter valve fluidly connected to the one or more first process gas charging volumes, and A first inject process gas valve fluidly connected to the first diverter valve, Wherein the first process gas manifold is configured to be fluidly connected to one or more first process gas sources through the one or more first process gas charging volumes; and Wherein the first process gas manifold is fluidly connected to the first inlet of the dual - inlet chamber through the first inject process gas valve; A second gas region including a second process gas manifold, the second process gas manifold comprising: One or more second process gas charging volumes, A second diverter valve fluidly connected to the one or more second process gas charging volumes, and A second inject process gas valve fluidly connected to the second diverter valve, Wherein the second process gas manifold is configured to be fluidly connected to one or more second process gas sources through the one or more second process gas charging volumes; and Wherein the second process gas manifold is fluidly connected to the second inlet of the dual - inlet chamber through the second inject process gas valve; A top - plate diverter manifold, Wherein the top - plate diverter manifold is fluidly connected to the first process gas manifold through the first split process gas valve; and A plenum diverter manifold, Wherein the plenum diverter manifold is fluidly connected to the second process gas manifold through the second split process gas valve, Wherein the first gas region and the second gas region are separated upstream of the dual - inlet chamber.

18. The apparatus according to claim 17, further comprising: A multi - station chamber having a first station including the first showerhead and one or more additional stations, each additional station including a showerhead.

19. The device according to claim 18, wherein, At least one station of the multi - station chamber is fluidly connected to no more than one gas region.

20. The apparatus according to claim 17, wherein, The dual - inlet chamber includes an annular space surrounding a main line connected to the outlet.

21. The apparatus according to claim 20, wherein, The second inlet is located on one side of the annular space.

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