Time switching for enabling carbon geometry selective deposition in patterned features

Abstract

Disclosed examples relate to using pulsed plasma for depositing carbon films. One example provides a processing tool including a processing chamber; a substrate support; a showerhead; flow control hardware configured to connect one or more process gas sources to the showerhead; a radio frequency (RF) power source configured to provide RF power to form a plasma between the substrate support and the showerhead; and a controller configured to control the flow control hardware to introduce a flow of a carbon-containing precursor and an etchant into the processing chamber through the showerhead during a deposition process, and to control the RF power source to pulse the plasma during the deposition process.

Description

Background Technology

[0001] Electronic device manufacturing processes can involve many steps, including material deposition, patterning, and removal, to form integrated circuits on a substrate. Different methods can be used to deposit material films on a substrate. For example, chemical vapor deposition (CVD) can be used to deposit films by exposing the substrate to a stream of vapor precursors. These vapor precursors undergo chemical reactions to form a film on the substrate. Plasma-enhanced CVD (PECVD) uses plasma to provide energy, causing these precursors to chemically transform into the film. PECVD processes can be used to deposit a wide variety of films, including carbon films. Summary of the Invention

[0002] This invention is provided to present the options of the concept 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.

[0003] One example provides a processing tool. The processing tool includes: a processing chamber; a substrate holder; a nozzle; flow control hardware configured to connect one or more processing gas sources to the nozzle; a radio frequency (RF) power supply configured to provide RF power to form plasma between the substrate holder and the nozzle; and a controller. The controller is configured to control the flow control hardware to introduce a flow of carbon-containing precursor and etchant through the nozzle into the processing chamber during a deposition process, and to control the RF power supply to pulse the plasma during the deposition process.

[0004] In some such examples, the RF power source is configured to supply both low-frequency (LF) RF power and high-frequency (HF) RF power to form multi-frequency plasma during the deposition process.

[0005] Alternatively or additionally, in some such examples, the controller is configured to control the RF power supply to pulse the LF RF power while providing continuous wave HF RF power during the deposition process.

[0006] Alternatively or additionally, in some such examples, the controller is configured to control the RF power supply to pulse the HF RF power while providing continuous wave LF RF power during the deposition process.

[0007] Alternatively or additionally, in some such examples, the controller is configured to control the RF power supply to pulse the HF RF power and pulse the LF RF power during the deposition process.

[0008] Alternatively or additionally, in some such examples, the RF power supply is configured to provide RF power at a single frequency.

[0009] Alternatively or additionally, in some such examples, the etchant comprises one or more of the following: hydrogen (H2), ammonia (NH3), hydrazine (N2H4), chlorine (Cl2), fluorine (F2), bromine (Br2), iodine (I2), hydrofluoric acid (HF), hydrochloric acid (HCl), hydrobromic acid (HBr), hydroiodic acid (HI), nitrogen trifluoride (NF3), boron trifluoride (BF3), sulfur hexafluoride (SF6), and other substances having the general formula C. a X b (where X contains one or more of fluorine, chlorine, bromine or iodine, and where a = 1-10) a halocarbon gas, having the general formula C a H b X c (where X contains one or more of fluorine, chlorine, bromine or iodine, and where a = 1-10) a halogenated hydrocarbon gas, carbon monoxide (CO), carbon dioxide (CO2), carbon oxysulfide (COS), sulfur dioxide (SO2) or molecular oxygen (O2).

[0010] Alternatively or additionally, in some such examples, the carbon-containing precursor comprises one or more of the following: having the general formula C n H 2n+2 Alkanes, where n is an integer in the range of 1 to 10; having the general formula C n H 2n Alkenes, wherein n = 2 to 10; having the general formula C n H 2n-2 Alkynes, where n = 2 to 10; aromatic hydrocarbons; cyclic aliphatic hydrocarbons or alkylamines.

[0011] Alternatively or additionally, in some such examples, the ratio of etchant to carbon-containing precursor in the stream flowing into the processing chamber is from 2:1 to 30:1.

[0012] Alternatively or additionally, in some such examples, the pulse frequency of the pulsed plasma is in the range of 2 Hz to 10 kHz.

[0013] Alternatively or additionally, in some such examples, the duty cycle of the pulsed plasma is in the range of 10-90%.

[0014] Alternatively or additionally, in some such examples, the controller is configured to adjust the ratio of the carbon-containing precursor to the etchant after a carbon film deposition cycle to induce net etching of the carbon film.

[0015] Another example provides a method comprising: introducing a stream of carbon-containing precursor and etchant into a processing chamber during a deposition process. The method further comprises: controlling a radio frequency (RF) power supply to pulse the plasma in the processing chamber during the deposition process.

[0016] In some such examples, controlling the RF power supply includes controlling the RF power supply to supply both lower frequency (LF) RF power and higher frequency (HF) RF power, thereby forming a multi-frequency plasma during the deposition process.

[0017] Alternatively or additionally, in some such examples, controlling the RF power supply to pulse the plasma comprises: during the deposition process, controlling the RF power supply to pulse the LFRF power while providing continuous wave HF RF power.

[0018] Alternatively or additionally, in some such examples, controlling the RF power supply to pulse the plasma comprises: during the deposition process, controlling the RF power supply to pulse the HFRF power while providing continuous wave LF RF power.

[0019] Alternatively or additionally, in some such examples, the step of controlling the RF power supply to pulse the plasma includes controlling the RF power supply to pulse the HF RF power and pulse the LF RF power during the deposition process.

[0020] Alternatively or additionally, in some such examples, controlling the RF power supply includes controlling the RF power supply to provide RF power at a single frequency during the deposition process.

[0021] Alternatively or additionally, in some such examples, the introduction of the flow of the carbon-containing precursor and the etchant into the processing chamber comprises: an etchant: carbon-containing precursor in a ratio of 2:1 to 30:1 flowing into the processing chamber.

[0022] Alternatively or additionally, in some such examples, the method further includes adjusting the ratio of the carbon-containing precursor to the etchant after a carbon film deposition cycle to induce net etching of the carbon film.

[0023] Another example provides a method for carbon interstitial filling. The method includes: allowing a carbon-containing precursor and an etchant to flow into a processing chamber. The method further includes: controlling a radio frequency (RF) power supply to form a plasma in the processing chamber, thereby depositing a carbon film in interstitials disposed on a substrate within the processing chamber, the carbon film being substantially void-free. The method further includes: controlling the RF power supply to pulse the plasma during the deposition of the carbon film, such that the deposited carbon film contains an elastic modulus in the range of 25 to 80 GPa.

[0024] In some such examples, controlling the RF power supply includes controlling the RF power supply during the deposition process to supply both lower frequency (LF) RF power and higher frequency (HF) RF power, thereby forming a multi-frequency plasma.

[0025] Alternatively or additionally, in some such examples, controlling the RF power supply to pulse the plasma comprises: during the deposition process, controlling the RF power supply to pulse the LFRF power while providing continuous wave HF RF power.

[0026] Alternatively or additionally, in some such examples, the deposited carbon film contains 1.2 g / cm³. 3 Up to 1.7 g / cm 3 The density within the range. Attached Figure Description

[0027] Figure 1 An example of a structure that can be formed in an amorphous carbon plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposition (PECVD) process is shown schematically.

[0028] Figure 2A-2C The diagram schematically shows the structure formed during the first cycle of deposition / etching process used to perform carbon interstitial filling.

[0029] Figures 3A-3D The diagram schematically shows the structure formed during the second cycle of deposition / etching process used to perform carbon interstitial filling.

[0030] Figure 4A -D schematically shows the structure formed in an exemplary pulsed plasma carbon deposition process used to perform carbon interstitial filling.

[0031] Figures 5A-5C The diagram schematically illustrates the structure formed during a top-heavy etching process, which uses... Figures 4A-4D The method is performed on the gap-filling membrane deposited by the method.

[0032] Figure 6A flowchart of an exemplary method for depositing a carbon film on a substrate is shown.

[0033] Figure 7 A schematic diagram of an exemplary processing tool is shown.

[0034] Figure 8 A block diagram of an exemplary computing device is shown. Detailed Implementation

[0035] The term "carbon-containing precursor" generally refers to any material that can be introduced into a processing chamber in a gas phase manner to form an amorphous carbon film on a substrate. Examples of carbon-containing precursors include those with the general formula C2. n H 2n+2 Alkanes (e.g., methane, ethane, etc.) with the general formula C (where n is an integer in the range of 1 to 10) n H 2n Olefins (where n = 2 to 10) such as ethylene, propylene, etc., and those having the general formula C n H 2n-2 Alkynes (e.g., acetylene, propyne, etc.) with n = 2 to 10, which are in the gas phase under processing conditions. Other examples of carbon-containing membrane precursors include aromatic hydrocarbons, cyclic aliphatic hydrocarbons, heterocyclic compounds, and alkylamines and other nitrogen-containing compounds, which are in the gas phase under processing conditions and include carbon-containing functional groups.

[0036] The term "chemical vapor deposition" (CVD) generally refers to a process for forming a solid-phase film on a substrate by guiding one or more precursor gases through the substrate surface under processing conditions configured to cause the chemical conversion of precursor gases into the solid-phase film. The term "plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposition" (PECVD) generally refers to a CVD process that utilizes plasma to promote the chemical conversion of one or more precursor gases into a solid-phase film on a substrate. The terms "growth," "deposition," and variations thereof can also be used to refer to film formation.

[0037] The term "etcher" generally refers to any material used in a PECVD process gas mixture to remove material from a substrate. Exemplary etchants include hydrogen (H2), other hydrogen-containing gases (e.g., ammonia (NH3), hydrazine (N2H4)), halogen-containing gases, and oxygen-containing gases. Exemplary halogen-containing etchants include chlorine (Cl2), fluorine (F2), bromine (Br2), iodine (I2), hydrohalic acids (hydrofluoric acid (HF), hydrochloric acid (HCl), hydrobromic acid (HBr), hydroiodic acid (HI)), nitrogen trifluoride (NF3), boron trifluoride (BF3), sulfur hexafluoride (SF6), and gases having the general formula C a X b (where X contains one or more of fluorine, chlorine, bromine or iodine, and where a = 1-10) halogenated carbon gases, and gases having the general formula C a Hb X c (where X contains one or more of fluorine, chlorine, bromine or iodine, and where a = 1-10) halogenated hydrocarbon gases. Exemplary oxygen-containing etchants include carbon monoxide (CO), carbon dioxide (CO2), carbon oxysulfide (COS), sulfur dioxide (SO2), and molecular oxygen (O2).

[0038] The term "flow control hardware" typically refers to components configured to fluidly connect one or more chemical sources to a processing chamber. For example, flow control hardware may include one or more mass flow controllers, valves, and various conduits. Exemplary chemical sources include membrane precursor sources, purge gas sources, and reactant gas sources.

[0039] The term "plasma" generally refers to an ionized gas containing gaseous cations and free electrons.

[0040] The term "processing chamber" typically refers to a housing in which chemical and / or physical processing is performed on a substrate. The pressure, temperature, gas flow rate, and atmospheric composition within the processing chamber can be controlled to perform the chemical and / or physical processing.

[0041] The term "processing equipment" generally refers to a machine that contains a processing chamber and other hardware configured to perform processing within that chamber.

[0042] The term "pulse" and its variations generally refer to the time-varying switching of a signal that causes amplitude modulation. For example, pulsed plasma is plasma formed using radio frequency (RF) power modulated at a frequency lower than the RF frequency. The higher power of a pulsed plasma cycle can be referred to as the "on" portion of the cycle, while the lower power of the pulsed plasma cycle can be referred to as the "off" portion of the cycle, even if the RF power at the pulse frequency is not completely cut off to zero during the "off" portion of the cycle. The term "continuous wave" is used to refer to RF power that is maintained at a set power level without pulses during the deposition process.

[0043] The term "nozzle" typically refers to a chemical outlet that contains multiple holes distributed throughout an area.

[0044] The term "substrate" generally refers to any object on which a film can be deposited.

[0045] The term "3D NAND" is an abbreviation for three-dimensional NOT AND and usually refers to a memory architecture based on NOT AND logic gates.

[0046] The term "3D NOR" is an abbreviation for three-dimensional NOT OR and usually refers to a memory architecture based on NOT OR logic gates.

[0047] The term "3D DRAM" is an abbreviation for three-dimensional dynamic random access memory.

[0048] As described above, the production of electronic devices involves numerous steps of material deposition, patterning, and removal to form integrated circuits, such as logic and / or memory circuits, on a substrate. Some steps may involve the deposition of an amorphous carbon film to fill gaps in the substrate. Gaps are characterized by a concave morphology relative to the adjacent substrate surface.

[0049] Amorphous carbon, hereinafter referred to as carbon, can be used as an interstitial filling material to, for example, protect sidewalls and / or other surfaces within a feature from damage caused by subsequent etching processes. Amorphous carbon can be deposited using plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposition (PECVD).

[0050] However, using PECVD to perform carbon interstitial filling processes can present various challenges. Figure 1 An exemplary substrate 100 containing a carbon film 102 is shown, illustrating some of the difficulties that may be encountered when using amorphous carbon to perform interstitial filling. For example, depositing a carbon film with the desired level of planarity can be challenging when performing carbon interstitial filling on a substrate with varying morphology. As a more specific example, the substrate surface may have gaps of varying depths and / or widths. When such gaps are filled with carbon, the resulting carbon film may have height differences on its surface due to the morphology of the underlying substrate. Reference Figure 1 An example of non-flatness is shown as a protrusion 104 formed on the substrate surface 105 located between gaps 106 and 108 (also via...). Figure 1 (Indicated by the number "1" in the figure). Another example of non-flatness is shown as a recess 110 in the carbon film 102 above the gap 108. Such recesses and protrusions can affect the flatness of the carbon film surface, which may affect downstream substrate processing.

[0051] Another challenge that may arise when performing carbon interstitial filling is the formation of voids. Carbon may tend to deposit preferentially in the shallower regions of the interstitial space, which could pinch off the space before filling is complete, thus creating voids. For example, such voids can cause problems when using a carbon film as an etch stop layer. This is at least because subsequent etching processes may penetrate the carbon etch stop layer at the voids, potentially damaging the substrate surface within the void. Figure 1 An exemplary void 112 formed within the gap 114 is shown.

[0052] In addition to difficulties with flatness and / or porosity, the physical properties of the deposited carbon film may also present challenges. For example, it may be desirable to deposit a carbon film with a relatively high elastic modulus (hereinafter referred to as "modulus"), such as 25 gigapascals (GPa) or higher. To form such a carbon film, a plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposition (PECVD) process can be used, which utilizes a plasma with a higher frequency (HF) radio frequency (RF) power component and a lower frequency (LF) RF power component. The HF RF power component may contain frequencies of 3 MHz or higher. The LF RF power component may contain frequencies below 3 MHz. An exemplary HF RF frequency is 13.56 MHz. An exemplary LF RF frequency is 400 kHz.

[0053] However, using plasma with an LF component to form relatively high-modulus films can lead to poor gap filling and the formation of voids. Removing the LF component in an attempt to achieve better gap filling performance and avoid void formation can result in poor productivity and also produce relatively low-modulus films.

[0054] In addition, refer to again Figure 1 Structural damage to the substrate and / or carbon film can be caused by certain carbon deposition processes, such as those utilizing LF RF power (due to sputtering-related damage caused by ion bombardment). An example of such damage is shown by the rounded edge 116, where surface 105 is in contact with gap 108. It is desirable to maintain sharp edges at the gap openings, as shown by edge 118 adjacent to gap 106. However, ion bombardment caused by the use of LF RF components can sputter such edges, resulting in a more rounded profile at these edges. Furthermore, the carbon film 102 itself may be damaged during deposition.

[0055] Given these and other challenges, processes for performing carbon interstitial filling are often designed individually for specific, different morphologies. Designing a carbon interstitial filling process to obtain the desired carbon film can be difficult and time-consuming. Furthermore, due to these complexities, carbon interstitial filling processes for achieving desired combinations of flatness, void presence / absence, modulus, and / or other physical properties may involve multiple steps and may involve trade-offs between physical properties due to process constraints. Figure 2A -C and 3A-D illustrate the structures formed during two such multi-step processes. As described below, Figure 2A The -C and 3A-D processes can cause various drawbacks.

[0056] Figure 2A-2CThe carbon film structure is shown in a multi-step method involving cyclic deposition and etching processes. First, Figure 2A The substrate 200 containing a carbon film 202 is shown after the first PECVD carbon deposition cycle. As shown, the carbon film 202 has been conformally deposited on substrate surfaces having different orientations and heights relative to the top surface of the substrate, including the surfaces within gaps 204 and 206. For example, such conformal deposition can be achieved using a relatively low-power HF RF plasma, in which the generated carbon-containing free radical material can diffuse to different substrate surfaces (e.g., compared to ions formed in the plasma, which tend to deposit more directionally)). Next, Figure 2B The carbon film 202 is shown after the top-heavy etching step. The term "top-heavy" indicates that the processing conditions favor etching the carbon film 202 from a location on the top surface of the substrate 200 and at a shallower depth within gaps 204, 206. In various examples, hydrogen-based etching (e.g., using hydrogen and / or ammonia) or oxygen-based etching (e.g., using oxygen) can be used. The top-heavy etching step leaves portions of the carbon film 202 deeper within gaps 204, 206 while simultaneously removing other portions of the carbon film 202. Additional cycles of deposition and top-heavy etching steps may be performed to result in void-free filling of gaps 204, 206. More cycles may be required to fill gaps with higher aspect ratios.

[0057] However, according to Figure 2A-2C The carbon film formed by this method may have a relatively low modulus (e.g., approximately 10 GPa). Furthermore, the cyclic HF RF deposition / top-strength etching process may have relatively low productivity. Additionally, the substrate may contain relatively wide gaps (e.g., ...). Figure 1 In the case of a gap of 108), depressions may occur, which may affect the flatness of this carbon film.

[0058] Figures 3A-3D This illustrates a second multi-step method involving cyclic deposition and etching processes to form a carbon film 302 on substrate 300. Instead of a conformal deposition step, Figures 3A-3D The method illustrated utilizes a directional deposition process containing a relatively high concentration of etchant (e.g., hydrogen or carbon dioxide in some examples) and an LF RF plasma component. This process directionally deposits carbon at a high rate onto the substrate surface and the bottom surface of the gaps. Figure 3AAs observed, the carbon film partially fills gaps 304 and 306 and is also deposited on substrate surfaces 308, 310, and 312. The LF RF component of the plasma drives ion-based directional deposition on the substrate surfaces. An etchant etches the carbon film during deposition. Carbon deposited on surfaces with higher growth rates (e.g., substrate surfaces 308, 310, 312 and surfaces located at the bottom of gaps 304 and 306) undergoes net growth, while carbon deposited on surfaces with lower growth rates (e.g., sidewalls of gaps 304 and 306, such as sidewall 316) undergoes net etching. This allows the carbon film 302 to fill gaps 304 and 306 without pinch-ups and void formation. Etching also forms a tapered carbon film profile on substrate surfaces 308, 310, and 312.

[0059] Next, refer to Figure 3B Deposition continues until a carbon overburden is formed on the substrate 300. As shown in the figure, the carbon overburden exhibits non-planarity due to the varying morphology of the substrate 300. Therefore, referring to... Figure 3C The carbon film was etched back to a height slightly below the substrate surface (308, 310, 312). Then, as... Figure 3D As shown, additional carbon is deposited to form a flat film 302. However, compared with... Figure 2A-2C The process is the same. Figures 3A-3D The process tends to form relatively low modulus films (also around 10 GPa). Furthermore, the carbon films can have varying densities. For example, the carbon film above gaps 304 and 306 can be more dense than the carbon film within gaps 304 and 306.

[0060] Therefore, the disclosed examples relate to systems and methods for performing carbon interstitial filling, which help to overcome the aforementioned difficulties of current multi-step processes. In short, the disclosed systems and methods utilize time-varying switching of one or more frequency components of an RF plasma to achieve geometrically selective deposition of carbon in patterned features. For example, a carbon interstitial filling process can be performed in which a plasma is formed using continuous wave HF RF power and pulsed LF RF power. Furthermore, both a carbon-containing precursor and an etchant are supplied to the plasma. Compared to the aforementioned multi-step methods, a relatively high ratio of etchant and carbon-containing precursor is supplied. During the LF RF “off” phase of the pulsed plasma cycle, etching may dominate, resulting in net material removal. During the LF RF “on” phase of the pulsed plasma cycle, the LF RF power can cause net carbon deposition due to the impact of carbon-containing ions on the substrate surface. Compared to previous deposition methods that do not perform deposition / etching cycles, the pulsed plasma carbon deposition process can result in void-free interstitial filling with improved flatness. This improves productivity compared to cyclic deposition / etching processes.

[0061] Furthermore, compared to carbon films formed using cyclic deposition / etching methods, the use of an LF RF power component in pulsed plasma carbon deposition processes can produce carbon films with higher moduli. For example, using plasma with a continuous wave HF RF component and a pulsed LF component can produce carbon films with moduli in the range of 25-80 GPa, and possibly even higher. In contrast, cyclic deposition / etching processes can produce carbon films with moduli of approximately 10-25 GPa. Moreover, the disclosed examples can fill substrates with gaps of varying sizes and simultaneously form a flatter surface than previous deposition methods, avoiding the formation of both depressions and protrusions.

[0062] Therefore, the disclosed carbon deposition interstitial filling process and film are self-planarizing, high-modulus, and high-density, and can fill varying critical dimensions and high aspect ratio structures in a void-free manner without requiring highly customized process designs for different substrate morphologies. The disclosed examples can be used in a wide variety of integrated circuit manufacturing processes. Examples include logic circuit applications (front-end process (FEOL), middle-end process (MEOL), and back-end process (BEOL)) and memory applications (e.g., 3D NAND, DRAM, and 3D-DRAM applications). Although described here primarily in the context of the use of plasma formed by continuous-wave HF RF power and pulsed LF RF power, the pulsed plasma carbon deposition process according to this disclosure can also pulse the HF RF power and use continuous-wave LF RF power. In another example, the pulsed plasma carbon deposition process can pulse both the HF RF power and the LF RF power. In yet another example, the pulsed plasma carbon deposition process can use only pulsed HF RF power without an LF component.

[0063] According to this disclosure, Figures 4A-4D An example of a carbon interstitial filling film deposited using pulsed plasma is schematically shown. In this example, continuous wave HF RF power is used in conjunction with pulsed LF RF power. As mentioned above, other pulsed plasma schemes can be used in other examples. Figure 4AThe carbon film 402 is shown on substrate 400 after continuous wave HF RF and pulsed LF RF carbon deposition for the first duration. As described above, the gas mixture contains a carbon-containing precursor and an etchant. An exemplary precursor and etchant are described below. The mixture of carbon-containing precursor and etchant, combined with the pulsed plasma, can cause net etching of the carbon film 402 when the LFRF is off and net deposition when the LFRF is on. Furthermore, since ion-based film growth occurs during the LFRF "on" pulse, the LFRF provides more directional carbon film growth, rather than shape-preserving growth. Such directional growth is facilitated by using a deposition tool in which RF power is provided to the substrate support rather than to the nozzle, because the RF power applied to the substrate support can be used to accelerate ions in the plasma toward the substrate. Additionally, some sputtering and deposition can occur during the LF RF on pulse. Therefore, the carbon film 402 grows at a higher rate on the bottom surface within the gap 406 and in the field regions 408 and 410 adjacent to the gap 406, and at a lower rate on the sidewalls 412 within the gap. This helps prevent void formation. The etchant also helps prevent void formation by preventing the gap 406 from being blocked during deposition. The etchant creates sloping sides to the carbon film deposited in the field regions 408 and 410.

[0064] Next, refer to Figure 4B As the pulsed carbon deposition process continues, the gaps 406 are further filled with carbon. However, portions of the carbon film 402 located on field regions 408 and 410 grow more slowly, or even decrease in thickness, during this stage of deposition. This is likely due to effects such as sputtering / redeposition and etching that occur as the process continues. (See next...) Figure 4C The gaps 406 are completely filled without any voids. Furthermore, as the carbon film 402 begins to form a capping layer on the gaps 406, the overall flatness of the carbon film 402 increases. This demonstrates the self-planarization capability of the pulsed plasma carbon deposition process. Figure 4D As shown, the additional deposition time can produce a highly flat and void-free carbon film 402 without the need for cyclic deposition / etching. The self-planarization properties of the disclosed examples can even form highly flat carbon interstitial films on substrates with deformable topologies (with multiple gaps of varying widths and / or depths). Furthermore, the disclosed exemplary method can deposit carbon films without causing substrate damage of the scale that is present in some cyclic deposition / etching processes. In addition, as described above, the processing conditions can be adjusted to give the carbon film 402 a higher modulus in, for example, the range of 25-80 GPa, which is higher than the modulus typically achieved by cyclic etching / deposition processes.

[0065] In some examples, carbon films formed using pulsed RF power, as disclosed, can have a strength of 1.2 to 1.7 g / cm³. 3 The density is within the range of [specific value missing]. In contrast, carbon films formed through cyclic deposition / etching processes can have a density of approximately 0.8 to 1.2 g / cm³. 3 The density of the carbon film is as follows. Furthermore, in some examples, the carbon film formed using pulsed RF power, as disclosed, can have a modulus in the range of 25-80 GPa. In contrast, carbon films formed by cyclic deposition / etching processes can have a modulus of approximately 5 to 25 GPa. Additionally, in some examples, the carbon film formed using pulsed RF power, as disclosed, can have a stress of approximately -200 to -400 MPa. In contrast, carbon films formed by cyclic deposition / etching processes can have a stress of approximately -150 to +50 MPa. Furthermore, in some examples, the carbon film formed using pulsed RF power, as disclosed, can have a refractive index of approximately 1.7 to 1.95. In contrast, carbon films formed by cyclic deposition / etching processes can have a stress of approximately 1.5 to 1.7.

[0066] The LF RF power and / or HF RF power can be pulsed at any suitable pulse frequency during the pulsed plasma carbon deposition process. Examples include pulse frequencies from 2 Hz to 10 kHz. In some such examples, the plasma pulse frequency may include frequencies from 500 Hz to 1500 Hz. Furthermore, the plasma pulse can have any suitable duty cycle. Examples include duty cycles in the range of 10-90%. Additionally, during the pulsed plasma deposition process, the HF RF power and LF RF power can each have any suitable amplitude. Examples include each RF power frequency per processing station, between 50 and 2500 watts (W). Some processing tools have multiple processing stations per processing chamber. Other processing tools have multiple processing chambers, each with one or more processing stations. Therefore, the above ranges can be scaled up or down depending on the number of processing stations used. For example, a processing tool with four processing stations can utilize an HF RF power component between 250 and 1000 W and an LF RF power component between 250 and 1000 W. In other examples, the plasma used in pulsed plasma carbon deposition processes may have one or more parameters outside these ranges, such as higher amplitude LF RF power and / or HF RF power. As mentioned above, the LF RF component and the HF RF component may have any suitable frequency. An exemplary LF RF frequency is 400 kHz. Exemplary HF RF frequencies are 13.56 MHz and 27 MHz.

[0067] The pulsed plasma carbon deposition process according to this disclosure can be performed using any suitable processing chamber pressure. As mentioned above, relatively lower processing chamber pressures may favor relatively oriented carbon deposition, while relatively higher processing chamber pressures may favor relatively conformal carbon deposition. Exemplary pressures for performing the pulsed plasma carbon deposition process include pressures between 1 and 20 Torr.

[0068] As described above, the process gas mixture used to perform the pulsed plasma carbon deposition process comprises a carbon-containing precursor and an etchant. An exemplary carbon-containing precursor may have the general formula C0. n H 2n+2 Alkanes (e.g., methane, ethane, etc.) with the general formula C (where n is an integer in the range of 1 to 10) n H 2n Olefins (where n = 2 to 10) such as ethylene, propylene, etc., and those having the general formula C n H 2n-2 Alkynes (e.g., acetylene, propyne, etc.) with n = 2 to 10, which are in the gas phase under processing conditions. Other examples of carbon-containing membrane precursors include aromatic hydrocarbons, heterocyclic compounds, cyclic aliphatic hydrocarbons, and alkylamines and other nitrogen-containing compounds, which are in the gas phase under processing conditions and include carbon-containing functional groups.

[0069] Exemplary etchants include hydrogen (H2), other hydrogen-containing gases (e.g., ammonia, hydrazine), halogen-containing gases, and oxygen-containing gases. Exemplary halogen-containing etchants include chlorine (Cl2), fluorine (F2), bromine (Br2), iodine (I2), hydrohalic acids (hydrofluoric acid (HF), hydrochloric acid (HCl), hydrobromic acid (HBr), hydroiodic acid (HI)), nitrogen trifluoride (NF3), boron trifluoride (BF3), sulfur hexafluoride (SF6), and gases having the general formula C. a X b (where X contains one or more of fluorine, chlorine, bromine or iodine, and where a = 1-10) halogenated carbon gases, and gases having the general formula C a H b X c (where X contains one or more of fluorine, chlorine, bromine or iodine, and where a = 1-10) halogenated hydrocarbon gases. Exemplary oxygen-containing etchants include carbon monoxide (CO), carbon dioxide (CO2), carbon oxysulfide (COS), sulfur dioxide (SO2), and molecular oxygen (O2).

[0070] A relatively high concentration of etchant can be used in the process gas mixture to perform the pulsed plasma carbon deposition process as disclosed, compared to the etchant concentration used in the deposition stage of a cyclic deposition / etching process. In some examples, the mass flow rate ratio of hydrogen-containing etchant (e.g., hydrogen or ammonia) to carbon-containing precursor is in the range of 2:1 to 30:1 (etchant: carbon precursor). Oxygen-containing etchants, such as carbon dioxide, can also be used within this ratio range.

[0071] The disclosed examples can even be further used to perform flat and void-free gap filling over extremely wide gaps (e.g., gaps with a width of 150 nm or greater). Filling gaps of this size can be difficult and requires cycles of deposition for filling the gaps and etching for reducing the capping layer on the surface around the gaps. However, by using pulsed plasma according to the disclosed examples, it is possible to achieve this. Figures 4A-4D The process first deposits a film to fill the gaps and form a capping layer of carbon film. Then, the gas mixture is modified to transform the process from a net deposition scheme to a net etching scheme to reduce or remove the capping layer, thereby performing this gap-filling of extremely wide gaps. The modified gas mixture may include, for example, increasing the ratio of etchant to carbon-containing precursors while otherwise maintaining the pulse scheme used in the deposition. In other examples, different pulse schemes may be used for the etching step. In the example of pulsed LF / continuous wave HF RF plasma, the resulting etching may be top-enhanced, thus etching the protrusions more rapidly than other areas of the carbon film. Etching may continue to remove carbon from the substrate surface adjacent to the gaps, possibly without substantially etching the carbon film within the gaps. The term "substantially without etching" means that after performing the top-enhanced etching process, no additional deposition step is required to refill the carbon etched from the gaps.

[0072] Figures 5A-5C This etching process is illustrated. First, Figure 5A A substrate 500 with an exemplary carbon film 502 is shown. The carbon film 502 fills the gap 504 and also forms a protrusion (e.g., protrusion 506) over a substrate region (e.g., region 508) adjacent to the gap 504. Figure 5A This shows the state before the etching process. Next, Figure 5BThe carbon film 502 is shown after the first etch cycle. As shown, although the entire surface of the carbon film 502 is etched, the protrusion 506 is etched at a higher rate than the carbon film above the gap 504. The etching process continues until the carbon film is removed from the substrate region 508, leaving the carbon film 502 as a void-free filler within the gap 504. Therefore, the disclosed exemplary deposition process can be modified into an etching process by controlling the ratio of the carbon-containing precursor to the etchant used in the process, thereby performing top-strength etching that removes the carbon film overlay without damaging portions of the carbon film within the gap.

[0073] Figure 6 A flowchart of an exemplary method 600 for depositing a carbon film on a substrate is shown. At 602, the method includes introducing a carbon-containing precursor and an etchant into a processing chamber during the deposition process. In some examples, at 604, the method includes delivering an etchant-carbon-containing precursor in a ratio ranging from 2:1 to 30:1. Examples of carbon-containing precursors include those having the general formula C0. n H 2n+2 Alkanes (e.g., methane, ethane, etc.) with the general formula C (where n is an integer in the range of 1 to 10) n H 2n Olefins (where n = 2 to 10) such as ethylene, propylene, etc., and those having the general formula C n H 2n-2 Alkynes (e.g., acetylene, propyne, etc.) with n = 2 to 10, which are in the gas phase under processing conditions. Other examples of carbon-containing film precursors include aromatic hydrocarbons, heterocyclic compounds, cyclic aliphatic hydrocarbons, and alkylamines and other nitrogen-containing compounds, which are in the gas phase under processing conditions and include carbon-containing functional groups. Exemplary etchants include hydrogen (H2), other hydrogen-containing gases (e.g., ammonia, hydrazine), halogen-containing gases, and oxygen-containing gases. Exemplary halogen-containing etchants include chlorine (Cl2), fluorine (F2), bromine (Br2), iodine (I2), hydrohalic acids (hydrofluoric acid (HF), hydrochloric acid (HCl), hydrobromic acid (HBr), hydroiodic acid (HI)), nitrogen trifluoride (NF3), boron trifluoride (BF3), sulfur hexafluoride (SF6), and other materials having the general formula C a X b (where X contains one or more of fluorine, chlorine, bromine or iodine, and where a = 1-10) halogenated carbon gases, and gases having the general formula C a H b X c (where X contains one or more of fluorine, chlorine, bromine or iodine, and where a = 1-10) halogenated hydrocarbon gases. Exemplary oxygen-containing etchants include carbon monoxide (CO), carbon dioxide (CO2), carbon oxysulfide (COS), sulfur dioxide (SO2), and molecular oxygen (O2).

[0074] Continuing, at 606, method 600 includes controlling the RF power supply to pulse the plasma during the deposition process. Pulsating the plasma can induce the deposition of a substantially void-free carbon film on the substrate and in the gaps on the substrate. As described above, net deposition can occur during the RF power "on" phase of the pulsed plasma cycle, while net etching can occur during the RF power "off" phase of the pulsed plasma cycle. In some examples, at 608, method 600 can use a single-frequency RF power. In some examples, at 610, the method can use LF RF power combined with HF RF power to form a multi-frequency plasma.

[0075] In some examples, at 612, the step of controlling the RF power supply to pulse the plasma includes controlling the RF power supply to pulse the LF RF power. In some examples, at 614, the method includes pulse the LF RF power and provide continuous wave HF RF power during the deposition process. Additionally or alternatively, in some examples, at 616, the step of controlling the RF power supply to pulse the plasma includes controlling the RF power supply to pulse the HF RF power. In some examples, at 618, the method includes pulse the HF RF power and provide continuous wave LF RF power during the deposition process. In some examples, method 600 may include pulse the LF RF power both at 612 and at 616.

[0076] In some examples, at 620, method 600 includes pulsed plasma with a duty cycle of 10% to 90%. In other examples, any other suitable duty cycle may be used. In some examples, at 622, the method includes pulsed plasma with a pulse frequency in the range of 2 Hz to 10 kHz. In some such examples, a pulse frequency of 500 Hz to 1500 Hz may be used. In other examples, a pulse frequency outside these ranges may be used.

[0077] In some examples, at step 624, the step of controlling the RF power supply to pulse the plasma causes the deposition of a carbon film containing a modulus in the range of 25 to 80 GPa. In some such examples, the deposited carbon film contains a modulus greater than 40 GPa. In some examples, at step 626, the deposited carbon film contains a modulus of 1.2 to 1.7 g / cm³. 3 The density is within a certain range. In some examples, at 628, the deposited carbon film has a refractive index of 1.7 to 1.95. In other examples, the deposited carbon film may contain properties outside these ranges.

[0078] Continuing, in some examples, at 630, method 600 optionally includes adjusting the ratio of the carbon-containing precursor to the etchant to induce net etching of the carbon film. In some examples, the step of adjusting the ratio may include increasing the ratio of the etchant to the carbon-containing precursor. As described above, this can help reduce or remove the carbon overlay formed on the substrate.

[0079] Figure 7 A schematic diagram of a processing tool 700 for performing plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposition (PECVD) is shown. The processing tool 700 includes a processing chamber 702 and a substrate holder 704 within the processing chamber. The substrate holder 704 is configured to support a substrate 706 disposed within the processing chamber 702. The substrate holder 704 includes a substrate heater 708. In other examples, the heater may be omitted, or it may be located elsewhere within the processing chamber 702. The processing tool 700 also includes a nozzle 710 for introducing processing chemicals into the processing chamber. In some examples, the processing tool 700 includes a heater for heating the nozzle 710.

[0080] The treatment tool 700 also includes an optional auxiliary cleaning gas outlet 711. The auxiliary cleaning gas outlet 711 is configured to form an auxiliary cleaning gas flow around the outer edge of the nozzle 710.

[0081] The processing tool 700 also includes flow control hardware 712. Flow control hardware 712 connects the source of the processed chemicals to the processing chamber. In the depicted example, flow control hardware 712 connects a carbon-containing precursor source 716, an etchant source 718, and an inert gas source 722 to the processing chamber. Flow control hardware 712 may include any suitable components. For example, flow control hardware 712 may include one or more valves that can be controlled to fluidly connect selected gas sources or multiple selected gas sources to nozzle 710. Flow control hardware 712 may also include one or more mass flow controllers or other controllers for controlling the mass flow rate of the gas.

[0082] Carbon-containing precursor source 716 contains any suitable precursor compound for forming the carbon film. Examples of carbon-containing precursors include those with the general formula C0. n H 2n+2 Alkanes (e.g., methane, ethane, etc.) with the general formula C (where n is an integer in the range of 1 to 10) n H 2n Olefins (where n = 2 to 10) such as ethylene, propylene, etc., and those having the general formula C n H 2n-2 Alkynes (e.g., acetylene, propyne, etc.) with n = 2 to 10, which are in the gas phase under processing conditions. Other examples of carbon-containing membrane precursors include cyclic aliphatic hydrocarbons, aromatic hydrocarbons, heterocyclic compounds, and alkylamines.

[0083] Etching source 718 may contain any suitable substance that can etch amorphous carbon during film deposition. Exemplary etchants may include one or more of the following: hydrogen (H2), ammonia (NH3), hydrazine (N2H2), chlorine (Cl2), fluorine (F2), bromine (Br2), iodine (I2), hydrofluoric acid (HF), hydrochloric acid (HCl), hydrobromic acid (HBr), hydroiodic acid (HI), nitrogen trifluoride (NF3), boron trifluoride (BF3), sulfur hexafluoride (SF6), and substances having the general formula C. a X b (where X contains one or more of fluorine, chlorine, bromine or iodine, and where a = 1-10) a halocarbon gas, having the general formula C a H b X c (where X contains one or more of fluorine, chlorine, bromine or iodine, and where a = 1-10) a halogenated hydrocarbon gas, carbon monoxide (CO), carbon dioxide (CO2), carbon oxysulfide (COS), sulfur dioxide (SO2) or molecular oxygen (O2).

[0084] Inert gas source 722 contains any suitable inert gas. Examples include argon, helium, neon, krypton, and xenon, as well as nitrogen in certain processing environments.

[0085] The processing tool 700 also includes a venting system 732. The venting system 732 is configured to vent gases from the processing chamber 702. The venting system 732 may include any suitable hardware, including one or more low-vacuum pumps, one or more high-vacuum pumps, and one or more valves controlling the vent flow. Flow control hardware 712 can operate in conjunction with the venting system 732 to achieve a selected pressure in the processing chamber 702 during substrate processing. Exemplary pressures include pressures from 1 Torr to 20 Torr. Furthermore, the venting system 732 can be operated to purge the processing chamber 702.

[0086] The processing tool 700 also includes an RF power supply 734, configured to form an RF plasma in the processing chamber 702 using a gas mixture. In various examples, the RF power supply 734 can supply RF power to the nozzle electrodes or substrate support electrodes. Figure 7 As shown, RF power is supplied to substrate support 704, and nozzle 710 is configured as a grounded opposing electrode. As described above, the use of a powered substrate support facilitates ion attraction toward the substrate, for example, to provide ion-based oriented carbon film growth. In other examples, RF power supply 734 may supply RF power to nozzle 710, and substrate support 704 may be grounded. In the depicted example, capacitively coupled plasma can be formed in processing chamber 702 and between nozzle 710 and substrate support 704. In other examples, inductively coupled plasma may be used. Processing tool 700 also includes a matching network 736 for impedance matching of RF power supply 734.

[0087] In some examples, the RF power supply 734 is configured to provide RF power including lower frequency (LF) RF power 734A and higher frequency (HF) RF power 734B to form a multi-frequency plasma. Exemplary frequencies for the lower frequency RF power include frequencies from 40 kHz to 3 MHz. Exemplary frequencies for the higher frequency RF power include frequencies from 3 MHz to 300 MHz. In other examples, the RF power supply 734 is configured to supply RF power at a single frequency (e.g., HF).

[0088] The RF power supply 734 is further configured to pulse one or more of the HF RF power and the LF RF power during the carbon film deposition process. The plasma-related term "pulse" refers to the modulation of one or both of the HF RF power and the LF RF power over time. This modulation may be included between pulses, partially reducing the power or completely cutting off the power. The higher power of a pulsed plasma cycle may be referred to as the "on" portion of the cycle, and the lower power of a pulsed plasma cycle may be referred to as the "off" portion of the cycle, even if the RF power at the pulse frequency is not completely cut off to zero during the "off" portion of the cycle. The term "continuous wave" is used to refer to the RF power that is not pulsed and is maintained at a set power level during the deposition process. It should be understood that the physical properties of a pulsed plasma (e.g., electron temperature, ion energy, etc.) may differ from the physical properties of a continuous wave plasma with the same average power.

[0089] The processing tool 700 also includes a controller 750 configured to control the operation of the processing tool. The controller 750 is operatively coupled to a substrate heater 708, flow control hardware 712, an exhaust system 732, and an RF power supply 734. The controller 750 is configured to control various functions of the processing tool 700 to perform PECVD.

[0090] The controller 750 can include any suitable computing system. Figure 8 A non-limiting example of a computing system 800 capable of performing one or more of the methods and processes described above is schematically shown. The computing system 800 is shown in a simplified form. The computing system 800 may take the form of one or more personal computers, workstations, computers integrated with substrate processing tools, and / or network-accessible server computers.

[0091] The computing system 800 includes a logic subsystem 802 and a storage subsystem 804. The computing system 800 may optionally include a display subsystem 806, an input subsystem 808, a communication subsystem 810, and / or... Figure 8 Other components not shown. Controller 750 is an example of computing system 800.

[0092] The logic subsystem 802 includes one or more physical devices configured to execute instructions. For example, the logic subsystem 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.

[0093] A logical subsystem may include one or more processors configured to execute software instructions. Additionally or alternatively, a logical subsystem may include one or more hardware or firmware logical subsystems configured to execute hardware or firmware instructions. The processor of the logical subsystem may be single-core or multi-core, and the instructions executed thereon may be configured for sequential, parallel, and / or distributed processing. Components of the logical subsystem may optionally be distributed across two or more separate devices that can be remotely located and / or configured for coordinated processing. Various aspects of the logical subsystem may be virtualized and executed via remotely accessible, networked computing devices configured in a cloud computing configuration.

[0094] Storage subsystem 804 includes one or more physical devices configured to store instruction 812, which can be executed by a logic subsystem to implement the methods and processes described herein. When such methods and processes are implemented, the state of storage subsystem 804 can be transformed—for example, to store different data.

[0095] Storage subsystem 804 may include removable and / or built-in devices. Storage subsystem 804 may include optical memory, semiconductor memory, and / or magnetic memory. Storage subsystem 804 may include volatile, non-volatile, dynamic, static, read / write, read-only, random access, sequential access, location-addressable, file-addressable, and / or content-addressable devices.

[0096] It should be understood that the storage subsystem 804 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.

[0097] Aspects of the logic subsystem 802 and the storage subsystem 804 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 (PASICs / ASICs), program-specific and application-specific standard products (PSSPs / ASSPs), systems-on-a-chip (SOCs), and complex programmable logic devices (CPLDs).

[0098] When included, the display subsystem 806 can be used to present a visual representation of the data stored by the storage subsystem 804. 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 subsystem and thus change the state of the storage subsystem, the state of the display subsystem 806 can also be transformed to visually represent the changes in the underlying data. The display subsystem 806 may include one or more display devices using virtually any type of technology. Such display devices may be combined with the logic subsystem 802 and / or the storage subsystem 804 in the same housing, or such display devices may be peripheral display devices.

[0099] When included, the input subsystem 808 may include or interact with one or more user input devices, such as a keyboard, mouse, or touchscreen. In some examples, the input subsystem may include or interact with a selected Natural User Input (NUI) component. 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 a microphone for speech and / or voice recognition, and an infrared, color, stereo, and / or depth camera for machine vision and / or gesture recognition.

[0100] When included, the communication subsystem 810 can be configured to communicatively couple the computing system 800 to one or more other computing devices. The communication subsystem 810 may include wired and / or wireless communication devices compatible with one or more different communication protocols. As a non-limiting example, the communication subsystem can be configured to communicate via 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 800 to send messages to and / or receive messages from other devices via a network such as the Internet.

[0101] 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.

[0102] 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 processing tool comprising: Processing room; Substrate support; spray nozzle; Flow control hardware configured to connect one or more sources of processed gas to the nozzle; A radio frequency (RF) power source configured to provide RF power to form plasma between the substrate support and the nozzle; and A controller is configured to control the flow control hardware to introduce a flow of carbon-containing precursor and etchant into the processing chamber through the nozzle during the deposition process, and to control the RF power supply to pulse the plasma during the deposition process.

2. The processing tool according to claim 1, wherein the RF power supply is configured to supply both low-frequency (LF) RF power and high-frequency (HF) RF power to form multi-frequency plasma during the deposition process.

3. The processing tool of claim 2, wherein the controller is configured to control the RF power supply to pulse the LF RF power while providing continuous wave HF RF power during the deposition process.

4. The processing tool of claim 2, wherein the controller is configured to control the RF power supply to pulse the HF RF power while providing continuous wave LF RF power during the deposition process.

5. The processing tool of claim 2, wherein the controller is configured to control the RF power supply to pulse the HF RF power and pulse the LF RF power during the deposition process.

6. The processing tool of claim 1, wherein the RF power supply is configured to provide RF power at a single frequency.

7. The processing tool according to claim 1, wherein the etchant comprises one or more of the following: hydrogen (H2), ammonia (NH3), hydrazine (N2H2), chlorine (Cl2), fluorine (F2), bromine (Br2), iodine (I2), hydrofluoric acid (HF), hydrochloric acid (HCl), hydrobromic acid (HBr), hydroiodic acid (HI), nitrogen trifluoride (NF3), boron trifluoride (BF3), sulfur hexafluoride (SF6), having the general formula C a X b (where X contains one or more of fluorine, chlorine, bromine or iodine, and where a = 1-10) a halocarbon gas, having the general formula C a H b X c (where X contains one or more of fluorine, chlorine, bromine or iodine, and where a = 1-10) a halogenated hydrocarbon gas, carbon monoxide (CO), carbon dioxide (CO2), carbon oxysulfide (COS), sulfur dioxide (SO2) or molecular oxygen (O2).

8. The processing tool according to claim 1, wherein the carbon-containing precursor comprises one or more of the following: having the general formula C n H 2n+2 Alkanes, where n is an integer in the range of 1 to 10; having the general formula C n H 2n Alkenes, wherein n = 2 to 10; having the general formula C n H 2n-2 Alkynes, where n = 2 to 10; aromatic hydrocarbons; cyclic aliphatic hydrocarbons or alkylamines.

9. The processing tool of claim 1, wherein the controller is configured to control the flow control hardware to allow an etchant:carbon precursor in a ratio of 2:1 to 30:1 to flow into the processing chamber.

10. The processing tool of claim 1, wherein the controller is configured to control the RF power supply to pulse the plasma at a pulse frequency of 2 Hz to 10 kHz.

11. The processing tool of claim 1, wherein the controller is configured to control the RF power supply to pulse the plasma at a duty cycle of 10-90%.

12. The processing tool of claim 1, wherein the controller is configured to adjust the ratio of the carbon-containing precursor to the etchant after a carbon film deposition cycle to induce net etching of the carbon film.

13. A method comprising: During the deposition process, a stream of carbon-containing precursors and etchant is introduced into the processing chamber; and The radio frequency (RF) power supply is controlled to pulse the plasma in the processing chamber during the deposition process.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein controlling the RF power supply comprises: controlling the RF power supply to supply lower frequency (LF) RF power and higher frequency (HF) RF power, thereby forming multi-frequency plasma during the deposition process.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein controlling the RF power supply to pulse the plasma comprises: during the deposition process, controlling the RF power supply to pulse the LF RF power while providing continuous wave HF RF power.

16. The method of claim 14, wherein controlling the RF power supply to pulse the plasma comprises: during the deposition process, controlling the RF power supply to pulse the HFRF power while providing continuous wave LF RF power.

17. The method of claim 14, wherein the step of controlling the RF power supply to pulse the plasma comprises controlling the RF power supply to pulse the HF RF power and pulse the LF RF power during the deposition process.

18. The method of claim 13, wherein controlling the RF power supply comprises: controlling the RF power supply to provide RF power at a single frequency during the deposition process.

19. The method of claim 13, wherein introducing the flow of the carbon-containing precursor and the etchant into the processing chamber comprises: causing an etchant:carbon-containing precursor ratio of 2:1 to 30:1 to flow into the processing chamber.

20. The method of claim 13, further comprising adjusting the ratio of the carbon-containing precursor to the etchant after a carbon film deposition cycle to induce net etching of the carbon film.

21. A method for filling carbon interstitial spaces, the method comprising: The carbon-containing precursor and etchant flow into the processing chamber; Controlling a radio frequency (RF) power supply to form a plasma in the processing chamber, thereby depositing a carbon film in gaps in a substrate disposed in the processing chamber, the carbon film being substantially void-free; and During the deposition of the carbon film, the RF power supply is controlled to pulse the plasma, such that the deposited carbon film contains an elastic modulus in the range of 25 to 80 GPa.

22. The method of claim 21, wherein controlling the RF power supply comprises: during the deposition process, controlling the RF power supply to supply lower frequency (LF) RF power and higher frequency (HF) RF power to form a multi-frequency plasma.

23. The method of claim 22, wherein controlling the RF power supply to pulse the plasma comprises: during the deposition process, controlling the RF power supply to pulse the LF RF power while providing continuous wave HF RF power.

24. The method of claim 21, wherein the deposited carbon film comprises 1.2 g / cm³. 3 Up to 1.7 g / cm 3 The density within the range.

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