Chemical vapor deposition enhanced atomic layer deposition

Abstract

Examples are disclosed relating to chemical vapor deposition (CVD) enhanced atomic layer deposition (ALD) processes. In an example, a method of operating a processing tool includes performing a plurality of deposition cycles. Each deposition cycle includes, in a first dosing stage, introducing a film precursor and a reactant into a processing chamber of the processing tool without plasma to adsorb the precursor on a substrate in the processing chamber. Each deposition cycle also includes, in a second dosing stage, interrupting the introduction of the film precursor while continuing to introduce the reactant into the processing chamber, and forming a deposition plasma to form a film layer on the substrate. Each deposition cycle also includes, in a densification stage, forming a densification plasma to densify the film layer.

Description

Background Technology

[0001] Electronic device manufacturing involves many steps, including material deposition, patterning, and removal, to form integrated circuits on a substrate. Different methods can be used to deposit films on the substrate. For example, atomic layer deposition (ALD) can be used to form films on a substrate in a layer-by-layer manner using one or more ALD cycles. An ALD cycle includes a dosing stage and a conversion stage. In the dosing stage, a film precursor is adsorbed onto the substrate surface in a self-limiting reaction. The processing chamber is then purged. Subsequently, in the conversion stage, the adsorbed film precursor is chemically converted into a film layer. Additional cycles can be used to deposit additional layers to form thicker films.

[0002] Chemical vapor deposition (CVD) is another example method for depositing films. CVD involves exposing a substrate in a processing chamber to a continuous flow of one or more film precursors under conditions that chemically react one or more film precursors to form a film on the substrate. CVD can provide higher deposition rates than ALD. However, the material films deposited by CVD and by ALD can have different physical properties, such as different densities. Summary of the Invention

[0003] This invention is provided to introduce the chosen concepts in a simplified form, which will be further described in the following detailed description. This invention is not intended to identify key or essential features of the claimed subject matter, nor is it intended to limit the scope of the claimed subject matter. Furthermore, the claimed subject matter is not limited to implementations that address any or all the shortcomings mentioned in any part of this disclosure.

[0004] The disclosed examples relate to chemical vapor deposition (CVD) enhanced atomic layer deposition (ALD) processes. One example provides a method of operating a processing tool. The method includes performing multiple deposition cycles. Each deposition cycle includes: in a first doose stage, introducing a film precursor and reactants into a processing chamber of the processing tool without plasma, to adsorb the precursor onto a substrate in the processing chamber. Each deposition cycle further includes: in a second doose stage, interrupting the introduction of the precursor while the reactants are being introduced into the processing chamber, and forming a deposition plasma to form a film layer on the substrate. Each deposition cycle further includes: in a densification stage, forming a densification plasma to densify the film layer.

[0005] In some such examples, the method includes introducing an inert gas into the processing chamber while the substrate is exposed to the deposition plasma.

[0006] Additionally or alternatively, in some such examples, the method includes interrupting the introduction of the inert gas during the densification stage.

[0007] Additionally or alternatively, in some such examples, forming the deposited plasma involves forming a plasma with a lower energy than the compacted plasma.

[0008] Additionally or alternatively, in some such examples, introducing the film precursor and the reactant into the processing chamber includes: introducing a silicon-containing precursor and an oxidant into the processing chamber, and forming the film layer on the substrate includes: forming a silicon oxide film layer.

[0009] Additionally or alternatively, in some such examples, the method includes pre-charging the silicon-containing precursor delivery line with the silicon-containing precursor during the densification stage prior to the feeding stage of the next deposition cycle.

[0010] Additionally or alternatively, in some examples, forming the film layer includes forming a film layer that fills gaps in the surface of the substrate, wherein the film layer includes recesses.

[0011] Additionally or alternatively, in some examples, the method includes performing a wet etching process after the multiple deposition cycles.

[0012] Additionally or alternatively, in some examples, performing the wet etching process includes reducing the thickness of the film to less than or equal to 1000 angstroms, forming a recess depth of 45 angstroms or less, and forming a recess angle of greater than or equal to 160 degrees.

[0013] Additionally or alternatively, in some examples, the method includes sputtering the film layer onto the substrate to adjust the shape of the recess.

[0014] Additionally or alternatively, in some examples, sputtering the film layer includes one or more of the following operations: sputtering the film layer between two or more of the plurality of deposition cycles, or sputtering the film layer after the plurality of deposition cycles.

[0015] Additionally or alternatively, in some examples, forming the film involves depositing the film at a rate greater than or equal to 2.5 angstroms per cycle.

[0016] Additionally or alternatively, in some examples, forming the film layer includes forming a film layer having a non-uniformity (NU) of less than or equal to 2%.

[0017] Additionally or alternatively, in some examples, forming the compacted plasma involves forming a pulsed plasma.

[0018] Another example provides a processing tool. The processing tool includes a processing chamber. The processing tool also includes a substrate support disposed within the processing chamber. The processing tool further includes flow control hardware configured to control the flow of a membrane precursor and reactants entering the processing chamber. The processing tool also includes a radio frequency (RF) power supply operable to form a plasma within the processing chamber. The processing tool further includes a controller configured to control the flow control hardware and the RF power supply to perform multiple deposition cycles. The controller is configured, during each deposition cycle, in a first dosing stage, to control the flow control hardware to introduce the membrane precursor and reactants into the processing chamber in the absence of the plasma, thereby causing the precursor to adsorb onto the substrate in the processing chamber. The controller is also configured, in a second dosing stage, to control the flow control hardware to interrupt the introduction of the membrane precursor and continue the introduction of the reactants into the processing chamber, and to control the RF power supply to form a deposition plasma, thereby forming a film layer on the substrate. The controller is also configured to, during the densification phase, control the flow control hardware to continue introducing the reactant into the processing chamber, and to control the RF power supply to form densified plasma.

[0019] In some such examples, the controller is also configured to control the flow control hardware and the RF power supply to sputter the film layer on the substrate, thereby adjusting the shape of the recesses in the film layer.

[0020] Additionally or alternatively, in some examples, the controller is also configured to control the flow control hardware and the RF power supply to perform one or more of the following operations: sputtering the film between two or more of the plurality of deposition cycles, or sputtering the film after the plurality of deposition cycles.

[0021] Additionally or alternatively, in some examples, the deposited plasma has a lower energy than the compacted plasma.

[0022] Another example provides a processing tool. The processing tool includes a processing chamber. The processing tool includes flow control hardware configured to control the flow of a membrane precursor and reactants entering the processing chamber. The processing tool also includes a radio frequency (RF) power supply operable to form a plasma within the processing chamber. The processing tool further includes a controller configured to control the flow control hardware and the RF power supply to perform multiple deposition cycles. The controller is configured, during each deposition cycle, in a first dosing stage, to control the flow control hardware to introduce the membrane precursor and reactants into the processing chamber without plasma, so as to adsorb the precursor onto a substrate within the processing chamber. The controller is also configured, in a second dosing stage, to control the flow control hardware to interrupt the introduction of the membrane precursor and continue the introduction of the reactants into the processing chamber, and to control the RF power supply to form a deposition plasma, thereby forming a film layer on the substrate. The controller is also configured, in a densification stage, to control the flow control hardware to continue introducing the reactants into the processing chamber, and to control the RF power supply to form a densification plasma. The controller is further configured to, during the sputtering stage, control the flow control hardware and the RF power supply to sputter the film layer onto the substrate, thereby adjusting the shape of the recess in the film layer.

[0023] In some such examples, the controller is also configured to control the flow control hardware and the RF power supply to perform one or more of the following operations: sputtering the film between two or more of the plurality of deposition cycles, or sputtering the film after the plurality of deposition cycles. Attached Figure Description

[0024] Figure 1 An exemplary processing tool is shown schematically.

[0025] Figure 2 A table is shown depicting an exemplary method for performing a CVD-enhanced ALD cycle.

[0026] Figures 3A-3F The formation of a film layer enhanced by an example CVD process for ALD is illustrated schematically.

[0027] Figures 4A-4D The different intermediate structures formed during an exemplary CVD-enhanced ALD gap-filling process are shown.

[0028] Figures 5A-5B A flowchart depicting an exemplary method for operating a processing tool is shown.

[0029] Figure 6 A schematic diagram of an exemplary calculator system is shown. Detailed Implementation

[0030] The term "atomic layer deposition" (ALD) generally refers to a process in which a film is formed layer by layer on a substrate through a series of ALD cycles. An ALD cycle comprises a feeding stage and a conversion stage. In the feeding stage, a film precursor is adsorbed onto the substrate surface in a self-limiting reaction. The processing chamber is then purged. Subsequently, in the conversion stage, the adsorbed film precursor is chemically converted into a film layer. Examples of ALD processes include plasma-enhanced ALD (PEALD) and thermal ALD (TALD). PEALD and TALD utilize plasma and heat of reactive gases, respectively, to promote the chemical conversion of the film precursor adsorbed onto the substrate into a film on that substrate. The terms "growth," "deposition," and variations thereof can also be used to refer to film formation.

[0031] The term "chemical vapor deposition" (CVD) generally refers to a process in which a film is formed on a substrate by guiding the flow of one or more film precursor gases across a substrate surface under conditions configured to chemically convert one or more film precursor gases into a film. The term "plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposition" (PECVD) generally refers to a CVD process that utilizes plasma to facilitate the chemical conversion of one or more film precursor gases into a solid phase film on a substrate.

[0032] The term “chemical vapor deposition enhanced atomic layer deposition” (CVD enhanced ALD) generally refers to a deposition process in which excess film precursor present in the processing chamber reacts with reactants after the film precursor is adsorbed onto the substrate during the feeding stage to form a film thickness exceeding that formed by the adsorbed precursor.

[0033] The term "densification stage" generally refers to a part of the processing cycle that involves exposing the membrane to plasma to increase the density of the membrane layer.

[0034] The term "recess" generally refers to a depression feature in a deposited film that is formed in the film due to depressions in the underlying layer.

[0035] The term "concave angle" generally refers to the angle between the sides of a concave portion.

[0036] The term "recess depth" generally refers to the height between the plane of the membrane surface on the outside of the recess and the bottom of the recess.

[0037] The term "etching process" generally refers to a process used to remove material from a substrate. The term "wet etching process" generally refers to an etching process in which a liquid-phase etching solution is used to remove material from a substrate.

[0038] The term "first feeding stage" generally refers to a portion of a processing cycle in which one or more membrane precursors are introduced into a processing chamber without plasma. The term "second feeding stage" generally refers to a portion of a processing cycle in which plasma is used to convert adsorbed and unadsorbed membrane precursors in the processing chamber into a membrane layer on the substrate.

[0039] The term "film" generally refers to a layer of material deposited on a substrate.

[0040] The term "membrane precursor" generally refers to a chemical that can be chemically converted to form a membrane. This chemical conversion can occur through a reaction with reactants.

[0041] The term "flow control hardware" generally refers to components configured to fluidly connect one or more chemical sources to a treatment chamber.

[0042] The term "gap" generally refers to a recessed feature in a substrate.

[0043] The term "gap filling" generally refers to filling gaps using a deposited film.

[0044] The term "non-uniformity" (NU) generally refers to a measure of the deviation in film thickness.

[0045] The term "plasma" generally refers to ionized gas.

[0046] The term "prefill" generally refers to the introduction of a treatment chemical into the delivery line before the treatment cycle of the treatment chemical is utilized.

[0047] The term "processing chamber" generally refers to an enclosed space in which chemical and / or physical processing of a substrate is performed.

[0048] The term "processing tool" generally refers to a machine that includes a processing chamber and other hardware configured to allow processing to be performed in that processing chamber.

[0049] The term "cleaning" generally refers to the process of removing unwanted substances from a processing chamber by passing gas through it and then expelling the gas from the processing chamber.

[0050] The term "reactant" generally refers to a chemical substance configured to facilitate the chemical conversion of membrane precursors into a membrane. Exemplary reactants include oxidants that can react with membrane precursors to form an oxide membrane. Exemplary oxidants include molecular oxygen, water vapor, hydrogen peroxide, nitrous oxide, and ozone.

[0051] The term "sputtering" and its variations generally refer to a process in which ions in a plasma are accelerated with sufficient kinetic energy toward a substrate to cause at least some substrate material to be ejected from the substrate when it collides with the substrate.

[0052] The term "sputtering stage" generally refers to a portion of a processing cycle in which a film on a substrate is exposed to high-energy ions, which remove a portion of the film through kinetic energy transfer.

[0053] The term "substrate" generally refers to any object on which a film can be deposited.

[0054] The term "substrate support" generally refers to a structure used to support a substrate in a processing chamber.

[0055] As described above, different methods can be used to deposit material films in integrated circuit manufacturing processes. For example, atomic layer deposition (ALD) can be used to form a film on a substrate in a layer-by-layer manner using multiple cycles, where each cycle forms a film layer. Plasma-enhanced ALD (PEALD) utilizes plasma to help drive the chemical reactions that form the film. In an exemplary PEALD cycle, a film precursor is adsorbed onto the surface of a substrate in a processing chamber. Excess film precursor is then swept away from the processing chamber. Next, reactants are introduced into the processing chamber in the presence of plasma. The plasma generates reactive substances from the reactants. These reactive substances react with the adsorbed film precursor to form the desired film on the substrate. The processing chamber is then swept again before introducing the film precursor again. This layer-by-layer deposition allows for the formation of conformal films in a highly controllable manner.

[0056] However, the PEALD process can have a deposition rate that is unsuitably low for some applications, such as some gap-filling processes. Reducing the purge time and / or increasing the radio frequency (RF) power of the PEALD process can result in higher yields than the PEALD process without such a change. However, PEALD films deposited under these conditions will exhibit higher inhomogeneity compared to films deposited without such a change.

[0057] Plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposition (PECVD) can offer higher deposition rates than PEALD. Therefore, PECVD can be considered when the yield of PEALD processing is too low. However, PECVD-deposited films may be less dense than those deposited by PEALD. Therefore, films deposited by PECVD can be processed differently in some downstream processes, such as wet etching, compared to films deposited by PEALD.

[0058] For example, when performing a PECVD gap-filling process to fill gaps with a material such as a dielectric, a recess is formed in the gap-filling film above the gap. Performing a subsequent wet etching process on this PECVD-deposited gap-filling film results in a steeper angle between the sides of the recess compared to performing a wet etching process on a similar film deposited by PEALD. This can be attributed at least in part to the lower density of the PECVD-deposited film. This steeper angle can cause difficulties in subsequent processing.

[0059] Therefore, the disclosed examples involve depositing films using a CVD-enhanced ALD process comprising multiple CVD-enhanced ALD cycles. The disclosed examples offer higher yields compared to films without CVD-enhanced ALD. Furthermore, the disclosed examples offer higher wet etching performance compared to films of the same composition deposited via CVD.

[0060] In short, each CVD-enhanced ALD cycle comprises a first feeding stage, a second feeding stage, and a densification stage. In the first feeding stage, the membrane precursor and reactants are introduced into the processing chamber without plasma, allowing the membrane precursor to adsorb onto the substrate within the processing chamber. In the second feeding stage, and prior to the purging of the processing chamber, the introduction of the membrane precursor is interrupted while the reactants are being introduced into the processing chamber. Furthermore, in the second feeding stage, a deposition plasma is formed in the processing chamber. This deposition plasma converts the adsorbed membrane precursor into the desired membrane on the substrate. Additionally, the deposition plasma also converts at least some of the unadsorbed membrane precursor in the processing chamber into membrane material during the CVD-like process. This provides a higher membrane growth rate on the substrate compared to ALD where the membrane precursor is adsorbed onto the substrate without any reactants and excess membrane precursor is purged from the processing chamber before plasma formation using the reactants.

[0061] The disclosed examples also include performing a densification stage after the first and second batching stages. This densification stage involves forming a densification plasma to densify the film layer by bombarding it with reactant ions. The densified film can provide higher performance in subsequent processing (e.g., wet etching) compared to films deposited without a densification stage. The disclosed CVD-enhanced ALD examples can increase the deposition rate while maintaining the desired wet etching performance compared to ALD-deposited films.

[0062] Furthermore, in some examples, sputtering can be performed on the film during or after one or more of these CVD-enhanced ALD cycles. This sputtering step can be performed in situ within the deposition tool used for the CVD-enhanced ALD process. Sputtering can be used to shape one or more film layers formed by the CVD-enhanced ALD process. The sputtering step can be performed by bombarding the film with inert gas ions of sufficient energy to remove substrate material from the substrate surface. For example, sputtering can be used to create shallower angles between the sides of the recesses compared to films formed without intermediate or post-deposition sputtering.

[0063] Figure 1 An exemplary processing tool 100 is schematically shown, which can be used to perform CVD-enhanced ALD, including in-situ sputtering. The processing tool 100 includes a processing chamber 102. The processing chamber 102 includes at least one processing station 104. The processing station 104 includes a substrate support 106 for supporting a substrate 108. In some examples, the substrate support 106 includes a substrate heater 110 configured to heat the substrate 108. In other examples, the substrate heater 110 may be omitted.

[0064] Processing station 104 also includes a processing chemical outlet 112. In the example shown, the processing chemical outlet 112 includes a nozzle for guiding processing chemicals over a region of the substrate 108. In other examples, processing station 104 alternatively or additionally includes nozzles or other processing chemical outlet structures.

[0065] The processing device 100 also includes a membrane precursor source 118. The membrane precursor source 118 can take any suitable form. In some examples, the membrane precursor source may contain a compressed gas. In other examples, the membrane precursor source may contain a condensed phase membrane precursor, which is vaporized for delivery to the processing chamber. Figure 1 An exemplary membrane precursor source in the form of ampoule 116 is shown, configured to contain a condensed phase membrane precursor. In some examples, ampoule 116 contains a silicon-containing precursor. In other examples, a gas-phase silicon-containing precursor may be used. The term "silicon-containing precursor" generally refers to any compound that can be introduced into a processing chamber to form a silicon-containing film on a substrate. Exemplary silicon-containing films include silicon oxide, silicon nitride, silicon oxynitride, silicon carbide, silicon oxycarbide, silicon nitride, and silicon oxycarbide. Exemplary silicon-containing precursors for forming silicon-containing films using CVD may comprise materials having the following general formula structure: R1, R2, and R3 can be the same or different substituents. In different examples, R1, R2, and R3 may include: silane; silalkoxy; amine; halide; hydrogen; or organic groups such as alkylamine, alkoxy, alkyl, alkenyl, alkynyl, and cyclic groups (e.g., aromatic groups).

[0066] Exemplary silicon-containing precursors include: silanes; and polysilanes, such as disilane, trisilane, and tetrasilane, and trisilylamine. Silane-based precursors may include portions of silane and polysilane, as well as substituted variants.

[0067] In some examples, the silicon-containing precursor is an alkoxysilane. Exemplary alkoxysilanes include: tetramethoxysilane (TMOS), diethoxymethylsilane (DEMS), diethoxysilane (DES), dimethoxymethylsilane, dimethoxysilane (DMOS), methyldiethoxysilane (MDES), methyldimethoxysilane (MDMS), tert-butoxydisilane, triethoxysilane (TES), and trimethoxysilane (TMS or TriMOS).

[0068] In some examples, the silicon-containing precursor is a siloxane. Siloxanes comprise materials having Si-O-Si bonds. Exemplary siloxanes include: octamethylcyclotetrasiloxane (OMCTS), octamethoxydodecylsiloxane (OMODDS), and tetramethylcyclotetrasiloxane (TMCTS).

[0069] In some examples, the silicon-containing precursor is an aminosilane. Exemplary aminosilanes include bisdiethylaminosilane, diisopropylaminosilane, bis(tert-butylamino)silane (BTBAS), di-sec-butylaminosilane, and tris(dimethylamino)silane (3DMAS).

[0070] More specific examples of silicon-containing precursors include: tetraethyl orthosilicate (TEOS), silane, trimethylsilane (3MS), silane, butane, pentasilane, octane, heptane, hexane, cyclobutane, cycloheptane, cyclohexane, cyclooctane, cyclopentane, 1,4-dioxa-2,3,5,6-tetrasilacyclohexane, triethoxysiloxane (TRIES), and tetraoxomethylcyclotetrasiloxane (TOMCTS).

[0071] Ampoule 116 includes a flow-through vapor (FOV) gas inlet 122. The FOV gas inlet 122 is configured to allow a carrier gas to flow into ampoule 116 from carrier gas source 124. The FOV gas inlet 122 may include a mass flow controller to control the flow of the carrier gas. Ampoule 116 also includes an FOV gas outlet 126. When the carrier gas is allowed to flow through ampoule 116, the carrier gas flows over the surface of the precursor and draws the vapor of the membrane precursor out via the FOV gas outlet 126. Exemplary carrier gases include nitrogen, argon, helium, neon, krypton, and xenon. In other examples, methods other than FOVs may be used to vaporize the liquid membrane precursor for delivery to the processing chamber.

[0072] The processing apparatus 100 also includes a reactant source 128 configured to supply reactants into the processing chamber 102. In some examples, the reactant includes an oxidant. Exemplary oxidants include oxygen, ozone, hydrogen peroxide, water, and nitrous oxide. In some examples, hydrogen may be included as an additional reactant source. Including a hydrogen stream with the oxidant can promote the formation of an oxide film.

[0073] The processing apparatus 100 optionally includes an inert gas source 132. The inert gas source 132 is configured to supply an inert gas for use as, for example, a plasma gas and / or a purge gas. Examples of inert gases include argon, helium, neon, krypton, and xenon. In some examples, nitrogen may also be used as an inert gas, for example, for processes that do not involve plasma (e.g., purge processes).

[0074] The processing device 100 also includes flow control hardware 120 that controllably delivers processing chemical streams from membrane precursor source 118, reactant source 128, and / or inert gas source 132 to processing station 104. The flow control hardware 120 is operable to selectively guide the flow of one or more processing chemicals received from the respective processing chemical sources between a dosing path fluidly coupled to processing station 104 and a diverting path fluidly coupled to exhaust system 131.

[0075] The processing tool 100 also includes an RF power supply 144 configured to form a plasma for processing the substrate 108. In the illustrated example, the RF power supply 144 is electrically connected to the substrate support 106. In this example, the processing chemical outlet 112 is configured as a grounded opposing electrode. In other examples, the RF power supply 144 may supply RF power to the processing chemical outlet 112, and the substrate support 106 may be grounded. In a further example, the RF power supply 144 may apply power to an induction coil to form inductively coupled plasma (ICP). In yet another example, the processing tool 100 may include a remote plasma generator for generating plasma at a location remote from the processing station 104. The processing tool 100 also includes a matching network 146 for impedance matching of the RF power supply 144.

[0076] The RF power supply 144 can be configured to any suitable frequency and power. Examples of suitable frequencies include 400 kHz, 13.56 MHz, 27 MHz, 60 MHz, and 90 MHz. Examples of suitable power include power between 0 and 6500 watts. In some examples, the RF power supply 144 is configured to operate at multiple different frequencies and / or power levels. In some such examples, a first higher frequency RF power component and a second lower frequency RF power component can be used to form a plasma. Compared to a plasma with the lower frequency RF component omitted, this second lower frequency RF power component can be used to increase ion energy for densification and / or sputtering.

[0077] The processing tool 100 also includes a controller 148. The controller 148 is operatively coupled to a substrate heater 110, flow control hardware 120, an exhaust system 131, an RF power supply 144, and other components. The controller 148 is configured to control various functions of the processing tool 100 to perform one or more CVD-enhanced ALD cycles. Exemplary processing cycles for performing CVD-enhanced ALD are described in more detail below.

[0078] For example, controller 148 is configured to operate substrate heater 110 to heat substrate heater 110 to a selected temperature. Controller 148 may also be configured to raise and lower substrate support 106 to adjust the spacing between substrate 108 and processing chemical outlet 112. Controller 148 is also configured to operate flow control hardware 120 to allow selected gas or gas mixture to flow into processing chamber 102 at a selected rate. Controller 148 is also configured to operate exhaust system 131 to remove gas from processing chamber 102. Controller 148 is also configured to operate flow control hardware 120 and exhaust system 131 to control the pressure inside processing chamber 102. Furthermore, controller 148 is configured to operate RF power supply 144 to generate plasma to react membrane precursors with reactants to form a membrane. Controller 148 is also configured to: operate RF power supply 144 to generate one or more plasmas to densify the membrane and optionally sputter the membrane; and control any other suitable functions of processing tool 100. Controller 148 includes any suitable calculator system, examples of which can be found in [reference needed]. Figure 6 Describe it.

[0079] Figure 2 Table 200 is shown, which depicts an exemplary method for an operation processing tool to perform a CVD-enhanced ALD cycle. The method represented by Table 200 can be used for operation... Figure 1 Processing tool 100. Figures 3A-3F The evolution of the film layer deposited according to Table 200 is schematically depicted. In Table 200, the term "outlet" or "processing" indicates the introduction of processing chemicals into the processing chamber. In some such examples, introducing the processing chemical into the processing chamber includes allowing the gaseous form of the processing chemical to flow into the processing chamber. The term "diversion" or "bypass" indicates that the processing chemical is not introduced into the processing chamber.

[0080] This CVD-enhanced ALD cycle comprises a first feeding stage 202 (“Feed 1”). During the first feeding stage 202, the membrane precursor, inert gas, and reactants are introduced into the processing chamber without plasma, as not indicated in the text of the RF on / off row of Table 200. For clarity, Figures 3A-3F It is shown in a height-based representation and is not displayed to scale.

[0081] Figure 3A A schematic cross-sectional view of an exemplary processing room 300 environment is shown. Figure 3A Also depicted is a high-magnification view of the substrate 302 positioned therein prior to this first feeding stage. See below for reference. Figure 3E In more detail, substrate 302 includes gap 318. Figure 3BThe processing chamber 300 is shown in the first feeding stage of this CVD-enhanced ALD cycle. The processing chemicals introduced into the processing chamber 300 are schematically shown by Figure 305. The membrane precursor is schematically shown as 304, and the reactants are schematically shown as 306. The inert gas is schematically shown as 309. In some examples, the membrane precursor 304 comprises a Si-containing precursor. This Si-containing precursor can be oxidized by the reactants to form a silicon oxide (e.g., silicon dioxide) film. An exemplary Si-containing precursor includes the above-mentioned reference... Figure 1 Those described.

[0082] Membrane precursor 304 is adsorbed onto the surface of substrate 302 in a self-limiting reaction. Excess membrane precursor 304 exists in the gas phase above substrate 302. As described above, the adsorbed membrane precursor 304 and the excess gas phase membrane precursor 304 are used to form a membrane layer in the second feeding stage. Reactant 306 may contain an oxidant. Oxidation of membrane precursor 304 results in the deposition of an oxide film on substrate 302. Exemplary oxidants include oxygen, water vapor, hydrogen peroxide, nitrous oxide, and ozone. In some examples, two or more oxidants may be used together. In some examples, a nitrogen-containing reactant source may be used to deposit a nitride film on substrate 302. Exemplary nitrogen-containing reactants may contain ammonia and molecular nitrogen.

[0083] One or more additional reactants 308 may also be introduced into the processing chamber. For example, as described above, hydrogen gas may be introduced into the processing chamber together with the oxidant.

[0084] An inert gas 309 can be ionized to form a plasma in the processing chamber. Examples of inert gases include argon, helium, neon, krypton, and xenon. This inert gas can also be used as a diluent and / or carrier gas for membrane precursor 304, reactant 306, and optionally additional reactant 308. The flow rate of this inert gas can also be used to regulate the temperature and pressure of the processing chamber 300. In some examples, nitrogen can also be used as a carrier / diluent gas.

[0085] Refer again Figure 2 Each CVD-enhanced ALD cycle also includes a second feeding stage 204 (feeding 2). In this second feeding stage, the flow of the membrane precursor to the processing chamber is interrupted by diverting the membrane precursor stream. Inert gas and reactant streams continue to flow into the processing chamber. Furthermore, RF power is activated to form plasma. A relatively low-power plasma can be used as the RF power for this second feeding stage, as described at 206 and below.

[0086] Figure 3C The processing chamber 300 is shown in the second batching stage. Figure 3CIn the process, the introduction of the film precursor 304 is interrupted. Furthermore, reactants 306 and 308, along with inert gas 309, continue to be introduced into the processing chamber 300. The continuous flow of reactants 306 and 308 and inert gas 309 prevents problems with patterned wafer loading. Additionally, such as Figure 3C As shown, during the second batching stage, the RF power supply is activated to form a deposition plasma 312. The deposition plasma 312 promotes the reaction between the film precursor 304 and the reactants 306, 308 to form a film layer 314 on the substrate 302.

[0087] Unlike PEALD, the processing chamber 300 is not purged before the deposition plasma 312 is formed. Instead, unadsorbed membrane precursor 304 remains in the processing chamber 300 after the introduction of the membrane precursor 304 is interrupted. The presence of an additional amount of membrane precursor 304 allows the membrane layer 314 to grow beyond the thickness that could be formed by adsorption of the membrane precursor 304. Therefore, the additional amount of membrane precursor 304 allows for deposition similar to PECVD to increase the thickness of the membrane layer. This is in Figure 3B-3C 316A and 316B are schematically shown in the diagram.

[0088] Compared to the use of PEALD, which removes excess precursor from the processing chamber before conversion, converting unadsorbed precursor into a membrane during this second feeding stage provides a higher membrane growth rate. In some examples, membrane layer 314 can be formed at a rate greater than or equal to 2.5 angstroms per cycle. Membrane growth terminates after the amount of unadsorbed membrane precursor is depleted. Therefore, controlling the amount of unadsorbed precursor in the processing chamber can provide control over the membrane thickness.

[0089] As described below, plasma can be used to densify the deposited film. In such an example, the deposition plasma 312 may contain RF energy of lower power than the densifying plasma. In some examples, the RF energy of the deposition plasma contains power in the range of 0.1-1 kW. The deposition plasma may additionally or alternatively contain a frequency in the range of 5-30 MHz. Using lower power RF energy forms a less directional and lower energy plasma compared to higher energy plasma.

[0090] In some examples, such as indicated at 208, the processing chamber may be cleaned after the second batching stage 204. Figure 3D It shows in Figure 3C An exemplary purge process following the deposition of membrane layer 314. During the post-deposition purge, the RF energy is turned off. Reactants 306, 308 and inert gas 309 are passed through the processing chamber to purge any remaining precursor gases after the second feeding stage.

[0091] Refer again Figure 2In some examples, densification stage 210 immediately follows first batching stage 202, second batching stage 204, and post-deposition scavenging 208. During densification stage 210, the reactants and the inert gas continue to be introduced into the processing chamber. The membrane precursor 304 is not introduced during this densification stage. Furthermore, the RF power supply is activated to form a densification plasma. Figure 3E The processing chamber 300 during this densification stage is shown. A densification plasma 322 is formed above the film layer 314. The density of the film layer 314 is increased by ion bombardment 324 of reactant ions from the densification plasma 322.

[0092] In some examples, dense plasma 322 can be generated by applying RF energy with a power range of 0.1-2 kW. (For example...) Figure 2 As indicated by the higher energy 212, in some examples, the densification plasma may contain a higher energy plasma compared to the lower energy 206 of the deposition plasma. The use of the higher energy densification plasma 322 results in more ion bombardment of the reactant material compared to the bombardment occurring in the deposition plasma 312. This contributes to an increase in the density of the film layer 314. The RF energy can be configured to any suitable frequency. Examples of suitable frequencies include 400 kHz, 13.56 MHz, 27 MHz, 60 MHz, and 90 MHz. Additionally, in some examples, a lower frequency RF energy component can be combined with a higher frequency RF energy component to form the densification plasma 322. Using the lower frequency RF frequency in conjunction with the higher frequency RF component, rather than omitting the lower frequency RF energy component, can increase the energy of ion bombardment on the substrate.

[0093] exist Figures 3A-3E In the example, film layer 314 fills the gaps 318 in the surface of substrate 102. This results in the formation of recesses 320 in film layer 314.

[0094] In some examples, the densification plasma 322 can be pulsed. The use of pulsed plasma can result in a smoother film structure compared to the use of non-pulsed plasma in some examples. The densification plasma can be pulsed at any suitable duty cycle. Examples include duty cycles in the range of 10%–90%.

[0095] Refer again Figure 2The densification stage also includes a pre-filled membrane precursor delivery line, as indicated at 214. During the pre-filling portion 214 of this densification stage, while densification stage 210 continues, the membrane precursor is introduced into this membrane precursor delivery line. This pre-fills the precursor delivery line before the start of the next first feeding stage 202. It can also be understood that the pre-filling step can be omitted when the CVD-enhanced ALD cycle is not repeated.

[0096] In some examples, the CVD-enhanced ALD cycle also includes an RF purge phase 216. During the RF purge phase 216, the RF energy is stopped. This causes the densification plasma to stop (e.g., Figure 3E The densified plasma 322. The flow of reactant 306 and additional reactant 308 continues. This helps remove reactive material from the processing chamber 300. Furthermore, the membrane precursor continues to be introduced into the membrane precursor delivery line. This allows the membrane precursor delivery line to be pre-filled before repeating the CVD-enhanced ALD cycle.

[0097] In some examples, the CVD-enhanced ALD cycle optionally includes a sputtering stage. During this sputtering stage, an inert gas 309 is introduced into the environment of the processing chamber 300. The membrane precursor 304, reactant 306, and additional reactant 308 are not introduced. Furthermore, the RF power supply is activated to form a sputtering plasma 328. Ion bombardment 330 from the sputtering plasma 328 can remove and / or reposition portions of the film layer 314. This can adjust the shape of the recesses 320 in the film layer 314. Figure 3F In the example, this causes the edges 326A, 326B of the recess 320 to be larger than those of the recess 320. Figure 3E The recess 320 shown in the image has a gentler slope at its edge.

[0098] Figures 4A-4D Different intermediate structures formed during an exemplary CVD-enhanced ALD gap-filling process are shown. This exemplary CVD-enhanced ALD gap-filling process comprises multiple CVD-enhanced ALD cycles. Each CVD-enhanced ALD cycle can be referenced as described above. Figure 2 and 3A -3F describes the procedure. For clarity, it is illustrated schematically. Figures 4A-4D The structure may be out of proportion and may not be displayed proportionally.

[0099] Figure 4A Film layer 402 is schematically shown. Film layer 402 is formed on substrate 404 through one or more CVD-enhanced ALD cycles. Figure 4AAs shown, film layer 402 partially fills gap 406 on substrate 404. Film layer 402 also includes a recess 408 above gap 406. Film layer 402 conforms more closely to gap 406 than a thicker film layer formed by additional deposition cycles. Therefore, recess 408 has steeper and more pronounced sidewalls 410A, 410B than a corresponding recess formed in a thicker film layer.

[0100] In some examples, gap 406 has a width 412 in the range of 100-10000 angstroms. In some more specific examples, the width 412 is in the range of 500-5000 angstroms. In more specific examples, the width 412 is in the range of 1000-2000 angstroms. In some examples, gap 406 has a depth 414 in the range of 100-10000 angstroms. In some more specific examples, the depth 414 is in the range of 500-5000 angstroms. In more specific examples, the depth 414 is in the range of 500-1000 angstroms. In other examples, the gap may have a width outside of these ranges.

[0101] Figure 4B The diagram schematically illustrates film layer 402 after one or more additional CVD-enhanced ALD cycles. Figure 4B In the example, the membrane layer 402 is... Figure 4A It is thicker in the middle. Figure 4B The 402 film in the middle is also greater than Figure 4A The membrane layer 402 more thoroughly fills the gap 406. In this way, the sidewalls 410A and 410B have at least partially gentler slopes. Therefore, compared to Figure 4A The recess 408 in the middle is less noticeable after one or more additional CVD-enhanced ALD cycles.

[0102] Figure 4C The diagram schematically illustrates the film 402 produced by multiple additional CVD-enhanced ALD cycles performed on film 402 in Figure B. Figure 4C In the middle, the sidewalls 410A and 410B of the recess 408 are compared with Figure 4B The sidewalls 410A, 410B, and even more gently sloping are described. This is relative to... Figure 4A and 4B The increased thickness 418 of the film layer 402 is a result of this. The additional deposited material fills the gaps 406, causing a relative increase in thickness compared to the film layer 402. Figure 4A and 4B Less noticeable recess 408.

[0103] In some examples, the thickness 418 of film layer 402 is in the range of 1000-10000 angstroms. In some more specific examples, the thickness 418 is in the range of 1000-5000 angstroms. In even more specific examples, the thickness 418 is in the range of 1500-3000 angstroms. In some examples, recess 408 has a recess angle 420 of less than 160 degrees. Recess angle 420 is the angle between opposite sidewalls 410A, 410B of recess 408. Figure 4C In the example, the concave angle 420 is defined by a dashed line tangent to the side of the concave 408.

[0104] Film 402 can be characterized by its non-uniformity (NU) value. The NU value is a measure of the uniformity of the film deposition across the entire surface. For example, the NU value can represent the half-range uniformity of the thickness 418. In some examples, the NU value of film 402 is in the range of 0-10%. In some more specific examples, the NU value is in the range of 0-5%. In even more specific examples, the NU value is in the range of 0-2%. The NU value can be adjusted by modifying various parameters such as the reactant stream, inert gas stream, film precursor, etc.

[0105] As described above, wet etching can be performed after these multiple CVD-enhanced ALD cycles. Figure 4D The film layer 402 is shown after wet etching. (Example) Figure 4D As shown, this wet etching process reduces the thickness of film 402. For example, film 402 may have a thickness 422 in the range of 0-3000 angstroms. In some more specific examples, the thickness 422 is in the range of 0-1000 angstroms. In even more specific examples, the thickness 422 is in the range of 500-1000 angstroms.

[0106] This wet etching process can also reduce the depth 424 of the recess 408. In some examples, the depth 424 of the recess 408 can be in the range of 0-1000 angstroms. In some more specific examples, the depth 424 is in the range of 0-500 angstroms. In even more specific examples, the depth 424 is in the range of 40-50 angstroms.

[0107] In some examples, this wet etching process also makes the recess 408 more gradual than the unetched recess. For example, Figure 4D The recess angle in 426 is greater than Figure 4CThe recess angle is 420°. In some examples, the recess angle 426 is greater than or equal to 160 degrees. In this way, the recess is made more gradual compared to a recess in a film formed without wet etching. As mentioned above, densification allows the wet etching process to produce a different final shape of the etched recess 408 compared to omitting the densification process. Furthermore, an optional sputtering stage can help shape the recess 408 prior to the wet etching process. This also helps to achieve suitable wet etching performance.

[0108] Figures 5A-5B A flowchart is shown that describes an exemplary method 500 of the operation processing tool. The following description of method 500 refers to the above. Figure 1 -4 and below Figure 6 This is provided. It's understandable that method 500 can also be executed in other contexts.

[0109] First refer to Figure 5A At 502, method 500 includes performing multiple chemical vapor deposition (CVD) enhanced atomic layer deposition (ALD) cycles. Each CVD-enhanced ALD cycle includes, at 504, in a first feeding stage, introducing a membrane precursor and reactants into a processing chamber of a processing tool without plasma, so that the membrane precursor adsorbs onto a substrate in the processing chamber. Figure 3B This shows an example of the first feeding stage of this CVD-enhanced ALD cycle. Figure 3B In this example, the membrane precursor 304 is adsorbed onto the surface of the substrate 302. The reactant 306 and an additional reactant 308 are present in the gas phase above the substrate 302.

[0110] In some examples, such as Figure 5A As indicated by 506, introducing the film precursor and the reactant into the processing chamber comprises: introducing a silicon-containing precursor and an oxidant into the processing chamber. Forming the film layer on the substrate in such a manner comprises: forming a silicon oxide film layer.

[0111] Each CVD-enhanced ALD cycle also includes, at 508, in the second feeding stage, interrupting the introduction of the film precursor while continuing to introduce the reactant into the processing chamber, and forming a deposition plasma to form a film layer on the substrate. Figure 3C An example of the second feeding stage of this CVD-enhanced ALD cycle is shown. Figure 3C As shown, the introduction of membrane precursor 304 is interrupted. Reactant 306 and additional reactant 308 are then introduced into the processing chamber 300. Figure 3C Deposited plasma 312 is also shown. Deposited plasma 312 promotes the reaction between membrane precursor 304, reactant 306, and additional reactant 308 to form membrane layer 314.

[0112] Refer again Figure 5A In some examples, at 510, method 500 includes introducing an inert gas into the processing chamber while exposing the substrate to the deposition plasma. For example, the inert gas may be ionized to form Figure 3C 312. Deposited plasma.

[0113] At Figure 5A In some examples, forming the deposited plasma involves forming a plasma with a lower energy than the plasma used for subsequent densification processes.

[0114] In some examples, at 514, forming the film layer includes: forming a film layer that fills gaps in the surface of the substrate, wherein the film layer includes recesses. For example, Figure 4C The film layer 402 fills the gaps 406 in the substrate 404. In such a way, as... Figures 4A-4D As shown, the CVD-enhanced ALD cycle disclosed herein can be used for gap filling processes.

[0115] As shown in 516, in some examples, forming this film layer involves depositing the film at a rate greater than or equal to 2.5 angstroms per cycle. (Refer to above) Figure 3B-3C The film layer 314 is thicker than the monolayer of the film precursor 304. A thicker film is deposited with each cycle. Figures 3A-3F The exemplary CVD-enhanced ALD cycle shown can have a greater yield than without CVD-enhanced PEALD treatment.

[0116] In some examples, such as Figure 5A As shown in 518, forming the membrane involves forming the membrane having a NU value of less than or equal to 2%. In this way, compared to PEALD treatment without CVD enhancement, CVD-enhanced ALD cycling can produce membranes of similar or better quality (e.g., more uniform) in a shorter time.

[0117] Now refer to Figure 5B Each CVD-enhanced ALD cycle also includes, at 520, in the densification stage, forming a densification plasma to densify the film layer. In some examples, at 522, method 500 includes, during the densification stage, interrupting the introduction of the inert gas. Figure 3E An example of this densification stage is shown. Figure 3E The densification plasma 322 allows the film layer 314 to be subjected to additional ion bombardment. This can increase the density of the film layer 314. Therefore, the film layer 314 can have better wet etching performance (e.g., batch consistency, recess angle, and NU value) than a film of the same composition deposited without additional densification.

[0118] In some examples, forming the compacted plasma involves forming a higher-energy plasma. For example, the compacted plasma may be a higher-energy plasma than the deposited plasma. This results in an increased ion bombardment rate and / or a greater ion bombardment energy compared to the deposited plasma.

[0119] In some examples, at 526, forming the densified plasma includes forming a pulsed plasma. The use of the pulsed plasma can result in a smoother film morphology compared to the use of a non-pulsed plasma.

[0120] As shown in 528, in some examples, method 500 further includes pre-filling the silicon-containing precursor delivery pipeline with the silicon-containing precursor during the densification stage before repeating the CVD-enhanced ALD cycle. For example, in Figure 2 During the pre-filling portion 214 of the densification stage shown, while the densification stage 210 continues, the membrane precursor is introduced into the membrane precursor delivery line. This pre-fills the precursor delivery line before repeating the CVD-enhanced ALD cycle. Figures 5A-5B As shown in 538, each CVD-enhanced ALD cycle can be repeated any suitable number of times by returning to the first feeding stage 504 after completing the densification stage 520. For example, the CVD-enhanced ALD cycle can be repeated 10-1000 times. In other examples, the CVD-enhanced ALD cycle can be repeated any other number of times (e.g., less than 10 times, or more than 1000 times) to achieve the desired film thickness.

[0121] In some examples, at 530, method 500 further includes sputtering the film layer on the substrate to adjust the shape of the recess. Sputtering can remove and / or reposition portions of the film layer. This can adjust the shape of the recess in the film layer.

[0122] At 532, in some examples, sputtering the film layer includes one or more of the following: sputtering the film layer between two or more of the plurality of CVD-enhanced ALD cycles; or sputtering the film layer after the plurality of CVD-enhanced ALD cycles. For example, sputtering may be performed after each densification stage. In other examples, the CVD-enhanced ALD cycle may be repeated one or more times without sputtering before performing the sputtering stage. For example, the sputtering stage at step 530 may be omitted in one or more cycles 538 from steps 520 to 504.

[0123] In some examples, at 534, method 500 also includes performing a wet etching process after the plurality of CVD-enhanced ALD cycles. Wet etching occurs during... Figures 5A-5B The outer loop is shown at position 538 in the diagram. Figure 4DThis film layer 402 is shown after a wet etching process. (Example) Figure 5B As shown in 536, in some examples, performing this wet etching process includes: reducing the thickness of the film layer to less than or equal to 1000 angstroms, forming a recess depth of 45 angstroms or less, and forming a recess angle greater than or equal to 160 degrees. For example, Figure 4D (After the wet etching step) the recess 408 is compared to Figure 4C The recess 408 (before the wet etching step) is gentler.

[0124] In some examples, the methods and processes described herein can be integrated with the calculator system of one or more calculator devices. In particular, such methods and processes can be implemented as calculator applications or services, application programming interfaces (APIs), databases, and / or other computing program products.

[0125] Figure 6 A non-limiting example of a computing system 600 is illustrated schematically, which may perform one or more of the methods and processes described above. The computing system 600 is shown in a simplified form. The computing system 600 may take the form of one or more personal computers, workstations, computers integrated with substrate processing tools, and / or network-accessible server computers.

[0126] The computing system 600 includes a logic machine 602 and a memory machine 604. The computing system 600 may optionally include a display subsystem 606, an input subsystem 608, a communication subsystem 610, and / or... Figure 6 Other components not shown. Controller 148 is an example of computing system 600.

[0127] Logic machine 602 includes one or more physical devices configured to execute instructions. For example, a logic machine may be configured to execute instructions that are part of one or more application programs, services, programs, routines, libraries, objects, components, data structures, or other logical constructs. Such instructions may be implemented to perform tasks, implement data types, transition the state of one or more components, achieve technical effects, or otherwise achieve desired results.

[0128] A logic machine may include one or more processors configured to execute software instructions. Additionally or alternatively, a logic machine may include one or more hardware or firmware logic machines configured to execute hardware or firmware instructions. The logic machine's processor may be single-core or multi-core, and the instructions executed on it may be configured for sequential, parallel, and / or distributed processing. The various components of the logic machine may optionally be distributed across two or more separate devices that can be remotely located and / or configured for coordinated processing. The various aspects of the logic machine can be virtualized and executed via remotely accessible, networked computing devices configured in a cloud computing configuration.

[0129] The storage device 604 includes one or more physical devices configured to store instruction 612, which can be executed by a logic machine to implement the methods and processes described herein. When such methods and processes are implemented, the state of the storage device 604 can be transformed—for example, to store different data.

[0130] Storage unit 604 may include removable and / or built-in devices. Storage unit 604 may include optical storage (e.g., CD, DVD, HD-DVD, Blu-ray disc, etc.), semiconductor storage (e.g., RAM, EPROM, EEPROM, etc.), and / or magnetic storage (e.g., hard disk drive, floppy disk drive, magnetic tape drive, MRAM, etc.). Storage unit 604 may include volatile, non-volatile, dynamic, static, read / write, read-only, random access, sequential access, location-addressable, file-addressable, and / or content-addressable devices.

[0131] It should be understood that the memory 604 includes one or more physical devices. However, alternatively, aspects of the instructions described herein may be propagated via a communication medium (e.g., electromagnetic signals, optical signals, etc.) that is not held by a physical device for a limited duration.

[0132] The aspects of logic machine 602 and memory machine 604 can be integrated together into one or more hardware logic components. For example, such hardware logic components may include field-programmable gate arrays (FPGAs), program-specific and application-specific integrated circuits (PASIC / ASIC), program-specific and application-specific standard products (PSSP / ASSP), systems-on-a-chip (SOC), and complex programmable logic devices (CPLDs).

[0133] When included, the display subsystem 606 can be used to present a visual representation of the data stored by the storage unit 604. This visual representation may take the form of a graphical user interface (GUI). Since the methods and processes described herein change the data held by the storage unit and thus change the state of the storage unit, the state of the display subsystem 606 can also be transformed to visually represent the changes in the underlying data. The display subsystem 606 may include one or more display devices using virtually any type of technology. Such display devices may be combined with the logic unit 602 and / or the storage unit 604 in a shared enclosure, or such display devices may be peripheral display devices.

[0134] When included, input subsystem 608 may include or interact with one or more user input devices, such as a keyboard, mouse, or touchscreen. In some embodiments, input subsystem 608 may include or interact with selected Natural User Input (NUI) components. Such components may be integrated or peripheral, and the translation and / or processing of input actions may be performed on-board or off-board. Exemplary NUI components may include microphones for speech and / or voice recognition, and infrared, color, stereo, and / or depth cameras for machine vision and / or gesture recognition.

[0135] When included, the communication subsystem 610 can be configured to communicatively couple the computing system 600 to one or more other computing devices. The communication subsystem 610 may include wired and / or wireless communication devices compatible with one or more different communication protocols. As a non-limiting example, the communication subsystem 610 may be configured to communicate using a wireless telephone network, or a wired or wireless local area network or wide area network. In some examples, the communication subsystem may allow the computing system 600 to send messages to and / or receive messages from other devices via a network such as the Internet.

[0136] The “and / or” used here is defined as including or ∨, as listed in the truth table below: The term "one or more of A or B" as used herein includes: A, B, or a combination of A and B. The term "one or more of A, B, or C" is equivalent to A, B, and / or C. Therefore, "one or more of A, B, or C" as used herein includes: A alone, B alone, C alone, a combination of A and B, a combination of A and C, a combination of B and C, or a combination of A, B, and C.

[0137] It should be understood that the configurations and / or methods described herein are exemplary in nature, and these particular examples or illustrations should not be considered limiting, as many variations are possible. The specific routines or methods described herein may represent one or more of any number of processing strategies. Therefore, the various actions shown and / or described may be performed in the order shown and / or described, in another order, in parallel, or omitted. Similarly, the order of the above processing may be changed.

[0138] The subject matter of this disclosure includes all novel and non-obvious combinations and sub-combinations of various processes, systems and configurations, as well as other features, functions, behaviors and / or characteristics disclosed herein, and any and all equivalent schemes thereof.

Claims

1. A method for operating a processing tool, the method comprising: Perform multiple deposition cycles, each deposition cycle containing: In the first feeding stage, the membrane precursor and reactants are introduced into the processing chamber of the processing tool in the absence of plasma, so that the membrane precursor is adsorbed onto the substrate in the processing chamber. In the second feeding stage, the introduction of the membrane precursor is interrupted while the reactants are being introduced into the processing chamber, and a deposition plasma is formed to form a film layer on the substrate. During the densification stage, densification plasma is formed to densify the film layer.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising introducing an inert gas into the processing chamber while exposing the substrate to the deposition plasma.

3. The method of claim 2, further comprising: interrupting the introduction of the inert gas during the densification stage.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein forming the deposited plasma comprises: forming a plasma with a lower energy than the compacted plasma.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein introducing the membrane precursor and the reactants into the processing chamber comprises: introducing a silicon-containing precursor and an oxidant into the processing chamber; and The formation of the film layer on the substrate includes: forming a silicon oxide film layer.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising pre-filling the silicon-containing precursor delivery pipeline with the silicon-containing precursor during the densification stage prior to repeating the deposition cycle.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein forming the film layer comprises: forming a film layer that fills a gap in the surface of the substrate, wherein the film layer includes a recess.

8. The method of claim 7, further comprising performing a wet etching process after the plurality of deposition cycles.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein performing the wet etching process comprises: reducing the thickness of the film layer to less than or equal to 1000 angstroms, forming a recess depth of 45 angstroms or less, and forming a recess angle greater than or equal to 160 degrees.

10. The method of claim 7, further comprising sputtering the film layer on the substrate to adjust the shape of the recess.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein sputtering the film comprises one or more of the following operations: sputtering the film between two or more of the plurality of deposition cycles; or sputtering the film after the plurality of deposition cycles.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein forming the film comprises depositing the film at a rate greater than or equal to 2.5 angstroms per cycle.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein forming the film layer comprises: forming a film layer having a non-uniformity (NU) value of less than or equal to 2%.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein forming the compacted plasma comprises forming a pulsed plasma.

15. A processing tool comprising: Processing room; A substrate support is disposed within the processing chamber; Flow control hardware configured to control the flow of membrane precursors and reactants entering the processing chamber; Radio frequency (RF) power supply, which is operable to form plasma in the processing chamber; as well as The controller is configured to control the flow control hardware and the RF power supply to perform multiple chemical vapor deposition (CVD) enhanced atomic layer deposition (ALD) cycles. The controller is configured to: In the first feeding stage, the flow control hardware is controlled to introduce the membrane precursor and the reactants into the processing chamber in the absence of the plasma, thereby causing the membrane precursor to adsorb onto the substrate in the processing chamber; In the second feeding stage, the flow control hardware is controlled to interrupt the introduction of the membrane precursor and continue to introduce the reactants into the processing chamber, and the RF power supply is controlled to form a deposition plasma, thereby forming a film layer on the substrate. as well as During the densification stage, the flow control hardware is controlled to continue introducing the reactants into the processing chamber, and the RF power supply is controlled to form densified plasma.

16. The processing tool of claim 15, wherein the controller is further configured to control the flow control hardware and the RF power supply to sputter the film layer on the substrate, thereby adjusting the shape of the recesses in the film layer.

17. The processing tool of claim 15, wherein the controller is further configured to control the flow control hardware and the RF power supply to perform one or more of the following operations: The film is sputtered between two or more of the plurality of deposition cycles; or The film layer is sputtered after the plurality of deposition cycles.

18. The processing tool of claim 15, wherein the deposition plasma has a lower energy than the densification plasma.

19. A processing tool comprising: Processing room; A substrate support is disposed within the processing chamber; Flow control hardware configured to control the flow of membrane precursors and reactants entering the processing chamber; Radio frequency (RF) power supply, which is operable to form plasma in the processing chamber; as well as The controller is configured to control the flow control hardware and the RF power supply to perform multiple chemical vapor deposition (CVD) enhanced atomic layer deposition (ALD) cycles. The controller is configured to: In the first feeding stage, the flow control hardware is controlled to introduce the membrane precursor and the reactants into the processing chamber in the absence of the plasma, thereby causing the membrane precursor to adsorb onto the substrate in the processing chamber; In the second feeding stage, the flow control hardware is controlled to interrupt the introduction of the membrane precursor and continue to introduce the reactants into the processing chamber, and the RF power supply is controlled to form a deposition plasma, thereby forming a film layer on the substrate. During the densification stage, the flow control hardware is controlled to continue introducing the reactants into the processing chamber, and the RF power supply is controlled to form densified plasma; as well as During the sputtering stage, the flow control hardware and the RF power supply are controlled to sputter the film layer on the substrate, thereby adjusting the shape of the recesses in the film layer.

20. The processing tool of claim 19, wherein the controller is configured to control the flow control hardware and the RF power supply to perform one or more of the following operations: sputtering the film between two or more of the plurality of deposition cycles; or sputtering the film after the plurality of deposition cycles.

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