Systems and methods for depositing low dielectric constant dielectric films

Abstract

An exemplary method of forming a silicon and carbon containing material can include flowing a silicon and carbon containing precursor into a processing region of a semiconductor processing chamber. A substrate can be housed within the processing region of the semiconductor processing chamber. The method can include forming a plasma of the silicon and carbon containing precursor within the processing region. The plasma can be formed at a frequency greater than 15 MHz. The method can include depositing a silicon and carbon containing material on the substrate. The deposited silicon and carbon containing material can be characterized by a dielectric constant less than or about 3.0.

Description

[0001] This application is a divisional application of Chinese patent application (PCT application number PCT / US2021 / 018282) filed on February 17, 2021, with application number 202180019623.1 and entitled "System and method for depositing low dielectric constant dielectric films". Cross-references to related applications

[0002] This application claims priority to U.S. Patent Application No. 16 / 902,888, filed June 16, 2020, which claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 62 / 983,305, filed February 28, 2020, which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety for all purposes. Technical Field

[0003] This technology relates to deposition processes and chambers. More specifically, this technology relates to methods for producing low-k films that do not require UV treatment. Background Technology

[0004] Integrated circuits can be fabricated by creating intricately patterned material layers on a substrate surface. The formation and removal of patterned material on a substrate requires controlled methods. Material properties can affect how the device operates and also how the film is removed relative to each other. Plasma-enhanced deposition can produce films with certain properties. To provide suitable properties, the formation of many films requires additional processing to adjust or enhance the film's material properties.

[0005] Therefore, there is a need for improved systems and methods to produce high-quality devices and structures. This technology can meet these and other needs. Summary of the Invention

[0006] An exemplary method for forming silicon- and carbon-containing materials may include: flowing silicon- and carbon-containing precursors into a processing region of a semiconductor processing chamber. The processing region of the semiconductor processing chamber contains a substrate. The method may include: forming a plasma containing the silicon- and carbon precursors within the processing region. The plasma may be formed at a frequency higher than 15 MHz. The method may also include: depositing the silicon- and carbon-containing material onto the substrate. The deposited silicon- and carbon-containing material is characterized by a dielectric constant of less than or about 3.0.

[0007] In some embodiments, the silicon- and carbon-containing precursor may include oxygen. The silicon- and carbon-containing precursor may be characterized by a carbon-to-silicon ratio greater than 1. Plasma can be formed at frequencies higher than or about 27 MHz. The deposited silicon- and carbon-containing material may be characterized by a dielectric constant lower than or about 2.8. The deposited silicon- and carbon-containing material may be characterized by a hardness greater than or about 1 GPa. The deposited silicon- and carbon-containing material may be characterized by a Young's modulus greater than or about 5 GPa. The deposited silicon- and carbon-containing material may be characterized by methyl incorporation greater than or about 3%. The deposited silicon- and carbon-containing material may be characterized by a methyl incorporation to non-methyl carbon incorporation ratio greater than or about 1.2.

[0008] Some embodiments of this technology may include a method for forming silicon- and carbon-containing materials. The method may include: providing a deposition precursor to a processing region of a semiconductor processing chamber, wherein the processing region of the semiconductor processing chamber contains a substrate, and wherein the deposition precursor is characterized by chemical formula 1: In chemical formula 1, R 1 It may include -CH3 or -CH2CH3, R 2 It may include -CH3 or -CH2CH3, R 3 It can include -CH3, -OCH3, or H, and R 4 It may include -(CH2) n CH3, -O(CH2) n CH3, -CH=CH2, -CH2-CH2-(CH2CH3)2, -CH2-CH(CH3)2. The method may include: forming a plasma of the deposition precursor within a processing region. The plasma may be formed at a frequency higher than 27 MHz. The method may also include: depositing silicon- and carbon-containing materials onto a substrate. The deposited silicon- and carbon-containing materials may be characterized by a dielectric constant of less than or about 3.0.

[0009] In some embodiments, the deposition precursor may be characterized by a carbon-to-silicon ratio greater than or about 3. The deposition precursor may be characterized by an oxygen-to-silicon ratio greater than or about 1.5. The deposited silicon- and carbon-containing material may be characterized by a dielectric constant less than or about 2.8. The deposited silicon- and carbon-containing material may be characterized by a hardness greater than or about 1 GPa. The deposited silicon- and carbon-containing material may be characterized by a Young's modulus greater than or about 5 GPa. The deposited silicon- and carbon-containing material may be characterized by methyl bonding greater than or about 3%. The deposited silicon- and carbon-containing material may be characterized by a methyl-to-nonmethyl carbon bonding ratio greater than or about 1.2.

[0010] Some embodiments of this technology may include a method for forming silicon and carbon-containing materials. The method may include: flowing a silicon-, carbon-, and oxygen-containing precursor into a processing region of a semiconductor processing chamber. A substrate is placed within the processing region of the semiconductor processing chamber. The method may include: forming a plasma containing the silicon-, carbon-, and oxygen precursor within the processing region. The plasma may be formed at a frequency higher than or about 27 MHz. The method may include: depositing the silicon- and carbon-containing material onto a substrate. The deposited silicon- and carbon-containing material may be characterized by a dielectric constant lower than or about 2.9.

[0011] In some embodiments, the deposited silicon- and carbon-containing material is characterized by a hardness greater than or about 1 GPa. The deposited silicon- and carbon-containing material may also be characterized by a Young's modulus greater than or about 5 GPa. The deposited silicon- and carbon-containing material may also be characterized by greater than or about 3% methyl groups.

[0012] Such techniques offer numerous advantages over conventional systems and techniques. For example, utilizing higher frequency power can improve deposition characteristics. Furthermore, reducing the formation of low dielectric constants to a single-chamber process reduces production costs, ownership costs, and production scheduling time. These and other embodiments, along with their numerous advantages and features, are described in more detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Attached Figure Description

[0013] The nature and advantages of the technology disclosed herein can be further understood by referring to the rest of the specification and the accompanying drawings.

[0014] Figure 1 A top plan view of an exemplary processing system according to some embodiments of the present technology is shown.

[0015] Figure 2 A schematic cross-sectional view of an exemplary plasma system according to some embodiments of the present technology is shown.

[0016] Figure 3 The operation of an exemplary method of semiconductor processing according to some embodiments of the present technology is shown.

[0017] Several figures are included schematically. It should be understood that the figures are for illustrative purposes only and should not be considered to be drawn to scale unless specifically stated otherwise. Furthermore, as schematic diagrams, the figures are provided to aid understanding and may not include all aspects or information compared to actual representations, and may include exaggerated material for illustrative purposes.

[0018] In the accompanying drawings, similar parts and / or features may have the same reference numerals. Furthermore, parts of the same class may be distinguished by adding a letter after the reference numeral (the letter distinguishing similar parts). If only the first reference numeral is used in the specification, the description applies to any of the similar parts having the same first reference numeral, regardless of the letter. Detailed Implementation

[0019] Plasma-enhanced deposition processes impart energy to one or more component precursors to facilitate film formation on a substrate. Any number of material films can be produced to develop semiconductor structures, including conductive and dielectric films, as well as films that facilitate material transfer and removal. For example, in memory development such as DRAM, film deposition can be performed to create cell structures. Conventional DRAM may include one or more low-dielectric-constant dielectric films, which can be produced by performing a two-step operation. An initial film can be formed using a silicon precursor and a porogen, followed by UV treatment to release the porogen. This process can be time-consuming and expensive, requiring separate chambers for deposition and UV treatment.

[0020] This technique overcomes these problems by performing the deposition process using high-frequency plasma in a single processing chamber. Many plasma processes are performed at around 13 MHz, which generates a certain amount of ion bombardment that can affect material properties. In one example, a low dielectric constant film can be produced by incorporating a carbon-containing material within the film. When using lower frequency plasmas, ion bombardment on the substrate can lead to carbon removal, which may increase the dielectric constant of the film. Increasing to higher frequency processes (such as greater than or about 27 MHz, greater than or about 40 MHz or higher) can increase the plasma density, which may increase radical generation relative to ion generation, while also increasing the plasma density. This reduces ion bombardment and can also advantageously increase the deposition rate. The resulting film can be characterized by a lower dielectric constant compared to conventional techniques, while still maintaining useful hardness and Young's modulus properties.

[0021] While the remainder of this disclosure will conventionally use the disclosed techniques to identify specific deposition processes, it will be readily understood that the systems and methods described are equally applicable to other deposition and cleaning chambers, and processes that may occur within said chambers. Therefore, the techniques should not be considered limited to use with these specific deposition processes or chambers. Before describing additional details of embodiments according to the present technology, this disclosure will discuss possible systems and chambers that can be used to perform deposition processes according to embodiments of the present technology.

[0022] Figure 1 The diagram shows a top plan view of one embodiment of a processing system 100 comprising deposition, etching, baking, and hardening chambers according to an embodiment. In the diagram, a pair of front-opening standard chambers 102 supply substrates of various sizes, which are received by a robotic arm 104 and placed into a low-pressure holding area 106, then placed into one of substrate processing chambers 108a to 108f, which are arranged in series blocks 109a to 109c. A second robotic arm 110 can be used to transport substrate wafers from the holding area 106 to the substrate processing chambers 108a to 108f and back. Each substrate processing chamber 108a to 108f can be assembled to perform several substrate processing operations, including the formation of stacks of semiconductor materials as described herein, as well as plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposition, atomic layer deposition, physical vapor deposition, etching, pre-cleaning, degassing, orientation, and other substrate processes (including annealing, ashing, etc.).

[0023] The substrate processing chambers 108a to 108f may include one or more system components for depositing, annealing, hardening, and / or etching dielectric films or other films on the substrate. In one configuration, two pairs of processing chambers (e.g., 108c and 108d, and 108e and 108f) may be used to deposit dielectric material onto the substrate, and a third pair of processing chambers (e.g., 108a and 108b) may be used to etch the deposited dielectric material. In another configuration, all three pairs of chambers (e.g., 108a to 108f) may be configured to deposit alternating stacks of dielectric films onto the substrate. Any one or more of the processes described herein may be implemented in chambers separate from the manufacturing system, as shown in the various embodiments. It will be understood that other configurations for using system 100 as a chamber for the deposition, etching, annealing, and hardening of dielectric films are contemplated.

[0024] Figure 2A schematic cross-sectional view of an exemplary plasma system 200 according to some embodiments of the present technology is shown. The plasma system 200 may illustrate a pair of processing chambers 108, which may be mounted in one or more of the aforementioned tandem blocks 109, and may include cover stack components according to embodiments of the present technology, and may be further explained below. The plasma system 200 typically includes a chamber body 202 having sidewalls 212, a bottom wall 216, and an inner sidewall 201 defining a pair of processing regions 220A and 220B. Each of the processing regions 220A to 220B may be configured in a similar manner, and each of the processing regions 220A to 220B may include the same components.

[0025] For example, processing region 220B (components of which may also be included in processing region 220A) may include a base 228 disposed within the processing region via a channel 222 formed in a bottom wall 216 of the plasma system 200. The base 228 may provide a heater adapted to support a substrate 229 on an exposed surface (such as a body portion) of the base. The base 228 may include a heating element 232 (e.g., a resistance heating element) capable of heating and controlling the substrate temperature at a desired process temperature. The base 228 may also be heated by a distal heating element such as a bulb assembly or any other heating element.

[0026] The body of base 228 is coupled to shaft 226 via flange 233. Shaft 226 electrically couples base 228 to a power output or power housing 203. Power housing 203 may include a drive system that controls the lifting and movement of base 228 within processing area 220B. Shaft 226 may also include an electrical power interface to provide electrical power to base 228. Power housing 203 may also include interfaces for electrical power and temperature indicators, such as thermal coupling interfaces. Shaft 226 may include a base assembly 238 adapted for detachable coupling to power housing 203. A surrounding ring 235 is shown above power housing 203. In some embodiments, surrounding ring 235 may be a shoulder adapted to serve as a mechanical stop, or a platform configured to provide a mechanical interface between base assembly 238 and upper surface of power housing 203.

[0027] The system may include a rod 230 through a channel 224 formed in the bottom wall 216 of the processing area 220B, and the rod 230 may be used to position a substrate lifting rod 261 disposed through the body of the base 228. The substrate lifting rod 261 may selectively separate the substrate 229 from the base to facilitate the exchange of the substrate 229 by a robot used to transport the substrate 229 into and out of the processing area 220B via the substrate transport port 260.

[0028] A chamber cover 204 may be coupled to a top portion of a chamber body 202. The cover 204 may accommodate one or more precursor distribution systems 208 coupled to the cover 204. The precursor distribution system 208 may include a precursor inlet channel 240 that can deliver reactants and cleaning precursors into a processing area 220B via a dual-channel nozzle 218. The dual-channel nozzle 218 may include an annular base plate 248 having a barrier plate 244 disposed in the middle of a panel 246. A radio frequency (“RF”) source 265 may be coupled to the dual-channel nozzle 218, providing power to the dual-channel nozzle 218 to facilitate the generation of a plasma region between the panel 246 and the base 228 of the dual-channel nozzle 218. In some embodiments, the RF source may be coupled to other portions of the chamber body 202, such as the base 228, to facilitate plasma generation. A dielectric insulator 258 can be disposed between the cover 204 and the dual-channel nozzle 218 to prevent RF power from being conducted to the cover 204. A shadow ring 206 can be disposed on the periphery of the base 228 and is connected to the base 228.

[0029] Optional cooling channels 247 may be formed in the annular base plate 248 of the precursor distribution system 208 to cool the annular base plate 248 during operation. Heat transfer fluids such as water, ethylene glycol, or gas may circulate through the cooling channels 247, allowing the base plate 248 to be maintained at a predetermined temperature. A liner assembly 227 may be disposed within the processing zone 220B adjacent to the sidewalls 201, 212 of the chamber body 202 to prevent the sidewalls 201, 212 from being exposed to the processing environment within the processing zone 220B. The liner assembly 227 may include a surrounding pumping chamber 225 coupling to a pumping system 264 configured to discharge gases and byproducts from the processing zone 220B and control the pressure within the processing zone 220B. Multiple discharge ports 231 may be formed on the liner assembly 227. The discharge port 231 can be configured to allow gas to flow from the treatment area 220B to the surrounding pumping chamber 225 in a manner that enhances the treatment within the system 200.

[0030] Figure 3 The operation of an exemplary method 300 for semiconductor processing according to some embodiments of the present technology is illustrated. The method can be performed in various processing chambers, including the processing system 200 described above, and any other chamber in which plasma deposition can be performed. Method 300 may include several optional operations, which may or may not be specifically associated with some embodiments of the method according to the present technology.

[0031] Method 300 may include processing methods that may include operations for forming a material film at high frequencies or other deposition operations, such as producing DRAM memory or other materials that can be formed at higher deposition rates and produce a lower dielectric constant compared to conventional processes. The method may include optional operations prior to the commencement of method 300, or the method may include additional operations. For example, method 300 may include operations performed prior to the commencement of the method, including additional deposition, removal, or processing operations. In some embodiments, method 300 may include, in operation 305, the introduction of one or more precursors into a processing chamber, operation 305 which may deliver precursors or multiple precursors into a processing region of the chamber (the processing region accommodating a substrate), for example, such as region 220.

[0032] In some embodiments, the precursor may be or may include silicon- and carbon-containing precursors for producing a low-dielectric-constant dielectric layer, such as silicon oxide. The precursor may or may not include additional precursors, such as a carrier gas or one or more oxygen-containing precursors for depositing the oxide layer. In some embodiments, deposition may utilize a single deposition precursor comprising silicon, carbon, and oxygen. While a carrier gas, such as an inert precursor, may be delivered along with the deposition precursor, additional precursors that tend to react with the deposition precursor and produce a deposition product may not be used. By limiting deposition to a single precursor, a simpler deposition chamber can be used because it is not necessary to uniformly mix and deliver multiple precursors.

[0033] The deposition precursors according to some embodiments of the present technology may include precursors having silicon and oxygen bonds, and may include linearly branched precursors, cyclic precursors, or any number of additional precursors. In some embodiments, the precursors are characterized by a specific ratio of carbon and / or oxygen to silicon. For example, in some embodiments, the carbon-to-silicon ratio or the oxygen-to-silicon ratio may be greater than or about 1, and may be greater than or about 1.5, greater than or about 2, greater than or about 2.5, greater than or about 3, greater than or about 3.5, greater than or about 4, or greater. By increasing the amount of carbon or oxygen relative to silicon, additional bonding of residual portions or molecules within the film can be increased. As will be further described below, this can improve material properties and reduce the dielectric constant.

[0034] Although any number of precursors can be used, in some embodiments of this technology, exemplary precursors may be characterized by the following general formula 1: Where R 1 It may include -CH3 or -CH2CH3, R 2 It may include -CH3 or -CH2CH3, R 3It can include -CH3, -OCH3, or H, and R 4 It may include -(CH2) n CH3, -O(CH2) n CH3, -CH=CH2, -CH2-CH2-(CH2CH3)2, -CH2-CH(CH3)2.

[0035] This general formula or other general formulas may include any number of precursors that may provide one or more properties for film formation and may produce low dielectric constant silicon and carbon materials, for example, such as carbon-doped silicon oxide. Exemplary precursors that may be used as a single deposition precursor or that may be combined in some embodiments according to the present technology may include precursors according to any of the following structures or chemical formulas: Dimethyldimethoxysilane octamethylcyclotetrasiloxane (Dimethyldimethoxysilane) (Octamethylcyclotetrasiloxane) Diethoxymethylsilane 1,3-Dimethyl-1,1,3,3-tetramethoxydisiloxane isobutylmethyldimethoxysilane (1,3-dimethyl-1,1,3,3-tetramethoxydisiloxane) (Isobutylmethyldimethoxysilane) Tetramethyl-1,3-dimethoxydisiloxane isobutyltrimethoxysilane (Tetramethyl-1,3-dimethoxydisiloxane) (Isobutyltrimethoxysilane) bis(methyldimethoxysilane)methanevinyltrimethoxysilane (Bis(methyldimethoxysilyl)methane) (Vinyltrimethoxysilane) Vinylmethyldimethoxysilane propylmethyldimethoxysilane (Vinylmethyldimethoxysilane) (Propylmethyldimethoxysilane) 1,2-Bis(methyldimethoxysilyl)ethane 1,3,5,7-Tetramethyl-1,3,5,7-Tetramethoxycyclotetrasiloxane (1,2-Bis(methyldimethoxysilyl)ethane) (1,3,5,7-Tetramethyl-1,3,5,7-tetramethoxycyclotetrasiloxane)

[0036] In operation 310, a plasma of the precursor can be generated within the processing region, such as by providing RF power to the panel to generate plasma within processing region 220, although any other processing chamber capable of generating plasma can be used in a similar manner. The plasma can be generated at any of the frequencies previously described, and at frequencies greater than or about 15 MHz, and at frequencies greater than or about 20 MHz, greater than or about 27 MHz, greater than or about 40 MHz, or greater. With respect to any of the precursors delivered, by utilizing high-frequency plasma, the ratio of free radical effluent to ions can be greater than or about 5, greater than or about 6, greater than or about 7, greater than or about 8, greater than or about 9, greater than or about 10, greater than or about 11, greater than or about 12, or greater. This confines ion bombardment to the formed film, which can help maintain a certain amount of carbon within the film, providing a lower dielectric constant.

[0037] Deposition can be performed at substrate or base temperatures greater than or about 300°C, which improves the release of certain carbon and hydrogen materials from the film, as well as the crosslinking of silicon and oxygen chains within the material network. As will be explained further below, while some carbon aspects may be advantageous to the film, others may be less advantageous to the produced material. Therefore, by increasing the deposition temperature, the film properties can be improved. Thus, in some embodiments, deposition can occur at temperatures greater than or about 350°C, greater than or about 375°C, greater than or about 400°C, greater than or about 425°C, greater than or about 450°C, or higher.

[0038] In operation 315, materials formed in the plasma can be deposited onto a substrate, which can produce silicon- and carbon-containing materials, and silicon-, carbon-, and oxygen-containing materials, such as carbon-doped silicon oxide. By utilizing high-density plasma, the plasma density can be increased, which can enhance the deposition rate of the material. For example, in some embodiments, the deposition rate may exceed 900 Å / min, and deposition can be performed at rates greater than or about 1000 Å / min, greater than or about 1200 Å / min, greater than or about 1400 Å / min, greater than or about 1600 Å / min, greater than or about 1800 Å / min, greater than or about 2000 Å / min, greater than or about 2200 Å / min, greater than or about 2500 Å / min, greater than or about 3000 Å / min, greater than or about 3500 Å / min, greater than or about 4000 Å / min, or greater. After sufficient thickness has been deposited, many conventional processes can then transfer the substrate to a second chamber for further processing, such as UV treatment or other post-deposition processing. This can reduce yield and may require additional chambers or tools to perform the processing, increasing production costs. However, this technique can produce materials (including carbon-doped silicon oxide) characterized by sufficient material properties at the time of deposition, without the need for additional processing. Although embodiments of this technique may include additional post-deposition processing, the properties of the deposited film can include a range of improvements relative to conventional techniques.

[0039] As explained above, conventional techniques operating at lower plasma frequencies can induce a certain amount of ion bombardment, which may release carbonaceous material from the deposited material, potentially increasing the dielectric constant of the film. By utilizing higher plasma frequencies, coupled with a precursor according to this technique, low-dielectric-constant dielectric materials can be produced, characterized by a dielectric constant less than or about 3.00, and may be less than or about 2.95, less than or about 2.90, less than or about 2.85, less than or about 2.80, less than or about 2.79, less than or about 2.78, less than or about 2.77, less than or about 2.76, less than or about 2.75, less than or about 2.74, less than or about 2.73, less than or about 2.72, less than or about 2.71, less than or about 2.70, or even smaller.

[0040] The dielectric constant can be related to the material properties of the film, wherein a lower dielectric constant results in a lower Young's modulus and / or hardness of the resulting film. By producing films according to some embodiments of this technology, it is possible to maintain a hardness and modulus higher than that of conventional techniques capable of producing films with corresponding deposited dielectric constant values. For example, in some embodiments, this technology can produce materials characterized by a Young's modulus greater than or about 5.0 GPa, and said materials may be characterized by: a Young's modulus greater than or about 5.5 GPa, greater than or about 6.0 GPa, greater than or about 6.5 GPa, greater than or about 7.0 GPa, greater than or about 7.5 GPa, greater than or about 8.0 GPa, greater than or about 8.5 GPa, greater than or about 9.0 GPa, greater than or about 9.5 GPa, greater than or about 10.0 GPa, or greater. Similarly, this technology can produce materials characterized by a hardness greater than or about 0.9 GPa, and said materials may be characterized by a hardness greater than or about 1.0 GPa, greater than or about 1.1 GPa, greater than or about 1.2 GPa, greater than or about 1.3 GPa, greater than or about 1.4 GPa, greater than or about 1.5 GPa, greater than or about 1.6 GPa, greater than or about 1.7 GPa, greater than or about 1.8 GPa, greater than or about 1.9 GPa, greater than or about 2.0 GPa, or greater. Therefore, this technology can produce films characterized by a low dielectric constant while maintaining high modulus and hardness properties of the material.

[0041] The material properties resulting from embodiments of this technology may be related to the amount of methyl groups bound to the membrane and the amount of non-methyl carbons (such as CH2 or CH bonded within the membrane) bound to the membrane. The treatment may release a certain amount of these materials, which may impart a certain porosity to the membrane, while retaining a certain amount of methyl groups, which may help reduce the dielectric constant of the resulting membrane. Retaining a higher amount of non-methyl carbon within the membrane may increase the dielectric constant to a value higher than those mentioned above. For example, in some embodiments, the deposited material produced according to the present technology may be characterized in that the percentage of methyl or CH3 bound or retained in the film is greater than or about 2%, and the deposited material may be characterized in that the percentage of methyl bound in the film is greater than or about 2.5%, greater than or about 2.6%, greater than or about 2.7%, greater than or about 2.8%, greater than or about 2.9%, greater than or about 3.0%, greater than or about 3.1%, greater than or about 3.2%, greater than or about 3.3%, greater than or about 3.4%, greater than or about 3.5%, greater than or about 3.6%, greater than or about 3.7%, greater than or about 3.8%, greater than or about 3.9%, greater than or about 4.0%, or higher.

[0042] Furthermore, the percentage of CH2 and / or CH and / or SiCSi in the deposited material may be less than or about 3.0%, and may be less than or about 2.9%, less than or about 2.8%, less than or about 2.7%, less than or about 2.6%, less than or about 2.5%, less than or about 2.4%, less than or about 2.3%, less than or about 2.2%, less than or about 2.1%, less than or about 2.0%, less than or about 1.9%, less than or about 1.8%, or even less. Therefore, the deposited material may be characterized by a methyl-to-nonmethyl carbon binding ratio between about 1.0 and about 2.0, which may be greater than or about 1.1, greater than or about 1.2, greater than or about 1.3, greater than or about 1.4, greater than or about 1.5, greater than or about 1.6, greater than or about 1.7, greater than or about 1.8, greater than or about 1.9, or higher. According to embodiments of this technology, low dielectric constant dielectric materials can be produced by utilizing higher frequency plasmas and other processing features. These low dielectric constant dielectric materials may be characterized by increased hardness and Young's modulus and other material properties.

[0043] In the foregoing description, numerous details have been set forth for illustrative purposes to provide an understanding of various embodiments of the present technology. However, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that certain embodiments may be practiced without some of these details or with additional details.

[0044] Having disclosed several embodiments, those skilled in the art will recognize that various modifications, alternative constructions, and equivalents can be used without departing from the spirit of the embodiments. Furthermore, to avoid unnecessarily obscuring the present technology, several well-known processes and elements have not been described. Therefore, the above description should not be construed as limiting the scope of the present technology.

[0045] Where a range of values ​​is provided, unless otherwise expressly specified herein, it should be understood that each intermediate value between the upper and lower limits of this range is also specifically disclosed, with precision to the smallest quantile of the lower limit unit. Any narrower range between any stated value or unstated intermediate value within the stated range and any other stated value or intermediate value within this stated range is also included. The upper and lower limits of those smaller ranges may be independently included in or excluded from the range, and each range in which any of the boundaries, no boundary, or both boundaries are included is also covered by this technique, each range being governed by any specifically excluded boundary in the stated range. Where the stated range includes one or both of the limitations, ranges excluding one or both of the included limitations are also included.

[0046] As used herein and in the appended claims, unless expressly specified otherwise, the singular forms “a”, “an”, and “the” include plural references. Thus, for example, a reference to “a material” includes multiple such materials, and a reference to “the precursor” includes reference to one or more precursors as well as equivalents known to those skilled in the art, and so on.

[0047] Furthermore, when used in this specification and the appended claims, the terms “comprise(s)”, “comprising”, “contain(s)”, “include(s)” and “including” are intended to specify the presence of a stated feature, integer, component, or operation, but do not exclude the presence or addition of one or more other features, integers, components, operations, actions, or groups.

Claims

1. A method for forming a silicon- and carbon-containing material, the method comprising: A silicon and carbon precursor is introduced into a processing area of ​​a semiconductor processing chamber, wherein a substrate is placed within the processing area of ​​the semiconductor processing chamber. A plasma containing the silicon and carbon precursor is formed within the processing region, wherein the plasma is formed at a frequency higher than 15 MHz; and A silicon- and carbon-containing material is deposited on the substrate, wherein the deposited silicon- and carbon-containing material is characterized by a dielectric constant of less than or about 3.0, wherein the deposited silicon- and carbon-containing material is characterized by a percentage of less than or about 3.0% of CH2, CH or SiCSi, and wherein the deposited silicon- and carbon-containing material is characterized by greater than or about 3% methyl groups within the silicon- and carbon-containing material.

2. The method for forming silicon- and carbon-containing materials as claimed in claim 1, wherein the silicon- and carbon-containing precursor further comprises oxygen.

3. The method for forming silicon- and carbon-containing materials as described in claim 2, wherein the silicon- and carbon-containing precursor is characterized by a carbon-to-silicon ratio greater than 1.

4. The method for forming silicon and carbon materials as claimed in claim 1, wherein the plasma is formed at a frequency higher than or about 27 MHz.

5. The method for forming a silicon- and carbon-containing material as claimed in claim 1, wherein the deposited silicon- and carbon-containing material is characterized by a dielectric constant of less than or about 2.

8.

6. The method for forming a silicon- and carbon-containing material as claimed in claim 1, wherein the deposited silicon- and carbon-containing material is characterized by a hardness greater than or about 1 GPa.

7. The method for forming silicon- and carbon-containing materials as claimed in claim 1, wherein the deposited silicon- and carbon-containing materials are characterized by having a Young's modulus greater than or about 5 GPa.

8. The method for forming a silicon- and carbon-containing material as claimed in claim 1, wherein the deposited silicon- and carbon-containing material is characterized by a methyl-to-nonmethyl carbon bond ratio greater than or about 1.

2.

9. A method for forming a silicon- and carbon-containing material, the method comprising: A deposition precursor is provided to a processing region within a semiconductor processing chamber, wherein a substrate is disposed within the processing region of the semiconductor processing chamber, and wherein the deposition precursor is characterized by chemical formula 1: Where R 1 It may include -CH3 or -CH2CH3, R 2 It may include -CH3 or -CH2CH3, R 3 It can include -CH3, -OCH3, or H, and R 4 It may include -(CH2) n CH3, -O(CH2) n CH3, -CH=CH2, -CH2-CH2-(CH2CH3)2 or -CH2-CH(CH3)2; A plasma is formed within the processing region to deposit the precursor, wherein the plasma is formed at a frequency higher than 27 MHz; and A silicon- and carbon-containing material is deposited on the substrate, wherein the deposited silicon- and carbon-containing material is characterized by a dielectric constant of less than or about 3.0, wherein the deposited silicon- and carbon-containing material is characterized by a percentage of less than or about 3.0% of CH2, CH or SiCSi, and wherein the deposited silicon- and carbon-containing material is characterized by greater than or about 3% methyl groups within the silicon- and carbon-containing material.

10. The method for forming silicon and carbon-containing materials as claimed in claim 9, wherein the deposition precursor is characterized by a carbon-to-silicon ratio greater than or about 3.

11. The method for forming silicon and carbon materials as claimed in claim 9, wherein the deposition precursor is characterized by an oxygen-to-silicon ratio greater than or about 1.

5.

12. The method of forming a silicon- and carbon-containing material as claimed in claim 9, wherein the deposited silicon- and carbon-containing material is characterized by a dielectric constant of less than or about 2.

8.

13. The method for forming a silicon- and carbon-containing material as claimed in claim 9, wherein the deposited silicon- and carbon-containing material is characterized by a hardness greater than or about 1 GPa.

14. The method for forming a silicon- and carbon-containing material as claimed in claim 9, wherein the deposited silicon- and carbon-containing material is characterized by a Young's modulus greater than or about 5 GPa.

15. The method of forming a silicon- and carbon-containing material as claimed in claim 9, wherein the deposited silicon- and carbon-containing material is characterized by a methyl-to-nonmethyl carbon bond ratio greater than or about 1.

2.

16. A method for forming a silicon- and carbon-containing material, the method comprising: A silicon-, carbon-, and oxygen-containing precursor is introduced into a processing area of ​​a semiconductor processing chamber, wherein a substrate is placed within the processing area of ​​the semiconductor processing chamber. A plasma containing the silicon, carbon, and oxygen precursors is formed within the processing region, wherein the plasma is formed at a frequency higher than or approximately 27 MHz; and A silicon- and carbon-containing material is deposited on the substrate, wherein the deposited silicon- and carbon-containing material is characterized by a dielectric constant of less than or about 2.9, wherein the deposited silicon- and carbon-containing material is characterized by a percentage of less than or about 3.0% of CH2, CH or SiCSi, and wherein the deposited silicon- and carbon-containing material is characterized by greater than or about 3% of methyl groups within the silicon- and carbon-containing material.

17. The method of forming a silicon- and carbon-containing material as claimed in claim 16, wherein the deposited silicon- and carbon-containing material is characterized by a hardness greater than or about 1 GPa, and wherein the deposited silicon- and carbon-containing material is characterized by a Young's modulus greater than or about 5 GPa.

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