Method and apparatus for processing a substrate - Patents.com

Abstract

Provided herein are methods and apparatus for processing a substrate. For example, the method includes providing a vaporized precursor in a processing space, providing an activation element including ions and radicals from a remote plasma source, and using RF source power at a first duty cycle to excite the activation element to react with the vaporized precursor to generate SiNH ions on a substrate disposed in the processing space. x and depositing a SiNH x The method includes supplying a first process gas from a remote plasma source while providing RF bias power to the substrate support at a second duty cycle different from the first duty cycle to convert the film to a SiOx film; supplying a mixed process gas formed from the second process gas supplied from the remote plasma source and a third process gas supplied from the gas supply while providing RF bias power to the substrate support at the second duty cycle; and annealing the substrate.

Description

[Technical field]

[0001]

[0001] Embodiments of the present disclosure relate generally to methods and apparatus for processing substrates, and more particularly to methods and apparatus configured to form gap-fill SiO films using in situ plasma processing. [Background technology]

[0002]

[0002] Conventional methods and devices for gap-filling SiO films use vapor processes and / or one or more multi-step processes to develop a stable SiO film (e.g., to meet platform requirements). For example, some methods deposit the SiO film using one or more deposition methods (e.g., chemical vapor deposition, DED furnace, etc.), followed by one or more other processes (e.g., vapor annealing, or complex multi-step approaches such as ultraviolet (UV) curing, chemical mechanical polishing (CMP), plasma treatment, etc.). However, such methods have structural problems (e.g., line bowing) and insufficient gap filling (e.g., porosity (seams / voids)). In addition, the methods can be very complex and expensive, can result in low throughput, and often exceed thermal budgets. Summary of the Invention

[0003]

[0003] Methods and apparatus for processing a substrate are presented herein. In some embodiments, the method for processing a substrate includes providing a vaporized precursor from a gas supply into a processing space of a processing chamber, providing activated elements including ions and radicals from a remote plasma source, and using RF source power at a first duty cycle to excite the activated elements to react with the vaporized precursor to deposit SiNH 3 on a substrate supported on a substrate support disposed in the processing space. x and depositing a SiNH xThe method includes supplying a first process gas from a remote plasma source while providing RF bias power to the substrate support at a second duty cycle different from the first duty cycle to convert the film to a SiOx film; supplying a mixed process gas formed from the second process gas supplied from the remote plasma source and a third process gas supplied from the gas supply while providing RF bias power to the substrate support at the second duty cycle; and annealing the substrate.

[0004] In accordance with at least some embodiments, a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium is provided having instructions stored thereon that, when executed by a processor, perform a method for processing a substrate, the method including: supplying a vaporized precursor from a gas supply into a processing space of a processing chamber, supplying an activation element including ions and radicals from a remote plasma source, and exciting the activation element using RF source power at a first duty cycle to react with the vaporized precursor to deposit SiNH 3 on a substrate supported by a substrate support disposed in the processing space. x and depositing a SiNH x The method includes supplying a first process gas from a remote plasma source while providing RF bias power to the substrate support at a second duty cycle different from the first duty cycle to convert the film to a SiOx film; supplying a mixed process gas formed from the second process gas supplied from the remote plasma source and a third process gas supplied from the gas supply while providing RF bias power to the substrate support at the second duty cycle; and annealing the substrate.

[0005] In at least some embodiments, a chemical vapor deposition chamber for processing a substrate includes a substrate support disposed within a processing space of the chemical vapor deposition chamber, a remote plasma source coupled to the chemical vapor deposition chamber and configured to provide an activation element to a showerhead in the processing space, an RF power source coupled to the showerhead and configured to provide RF source power at a first duty cycle, an RF bias power source coupled to the substrate support and configured to provide RF bias power to the substrate support at a second duty cycle different from the first duty cycle, a gas supply coupled to the chemical vapor deposition chamber and configured to supply a process gas to the showerhead disposed within the processing space, and a controller, the controller configured to: supply a vaporized precursor from the gas supply into the processing space of the chemical vapor deposition chamber; supply an activation element comprising ions and radicals from the remote plasma source; and excite the activation element using the RF source power at a first duty cycle to react with the vaporized precursor to form a SiNH 3 ... x and depositing a SiNH x The system is configured to supply a first process gas from a remote plasma source while providing RF bias power to the substrate support at a second duty cycle, supply a mixed process gas formed from the second process gas supplied from the remote plasma source and a third process gas supplied from the gas supply while providing RF bias power to the substrate support at the second duty cycle, and anneal the substrate to convert the film to a SiOx film.

[0006]

[0006] Other and further embodiments of the present disclosure are also described below.

[0007]

[0007] The embodiments of the present disclosure, briefly summarized above and detailed below, can be understood by reference to the exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure depicted in the accompanying drawings. However, the accompanying drawings depict only typical embodiments of the present disclosure and therefore should not be considered as limiting the scope, since the present disclosure may admit of other equally effective embodiments. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0008] [Figure 1] 1 is a flow diagram of a method for processing a substrate according to at least some embodiments of the present disclosure. [Diagram 2] FIG. 1 is a diagram of an apparatus according to at least a portion of an embodiment of the present disclosure. [Diagram 3] 1 is a cross-sectional view of a processing chamber according to at least a portion of an embodiment of the present disclosure. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0009]

[0011] To facilitate understanding, the same reference numbers have been used, where possible, to designate identical elements that are common to multiple figures. The figures are not drawn to scale and may be simplified for clarity. Elements and features of one embodiment may be beneficially incorporated in other embodiments without further recitation.

[0010]

[0012] Presented herein are embodiments of methods and apparatus for processing a substrate. For example, the methods and apparatus described herein include a method for depositing SiNH x SiO xIn situ O2-based processing is used to convert SiO2 to SiO3 bonds to form a SiO2 network and densify the SiO2 film. Compared to conventional methods and apparatus, the methods and apparatus described herein provide cost savings and increased throughput (e.g., by reducing the number of chambers required for SiO2 film conversion and stabilization), improve flowability by using low temperature SiO2 conversion and avoid void / conformity issues, and allow fine tuning of film composition by varying process conditions.

[0011]

[0013] 1 and 2, in accordance with at least some embodiments of the present disclosure, FIG. 1 is a flow diagram of a method 100 for processing a substrate, and FIG. 2 is a tool 200 (or apparatus) that may be used to perform the method 100.

[0012]

[0014] Method 100 may be performed in a tool 200 including any suitable processing chamber configured for one or more of physical vapor deposition (PVD), chemical vapor deposition (CVD) (such as plasma enhanced chemical vapor deposition (PECVD) or flowable chemical vapor deposition (FCVD)), and / or atomic layer deposition (ALD) (such as plasma enhanced ALD (PEALD) or thermal ALD without plasma formation), annealing chambers, pre-clean chambers, chambers for wet or dry etching, or CMP chambers. Exemplary processing systems that may be used to perform the inventive methods disclosed herein are commercially available from Applied Materials, Inc. of Santa Clara, Calif. Other processing chambers, including those available from other manufacturers, may also be suitable for use in connection with the teachings presented herein.

[0013]

[0015] Tool 200 may be implemented in separate processing chambers that may be provided in a stand-alone configuration or as part of a cluster tool (e.g., integrated as described below in connection with FIG. 2). An exemplary integrated tool is available from Applied Materials, Inc., Santa Clara, Calif. The methods described herein may be practiced using other cluster tools coupled with suitable process chambers or in other suitable process chambers. For example, in some embodiments, the inventive method may be implemented in an integrated tool such that vacuum breaks between processing steps are limited or eliminated. For example, reduced vacuum breaks may limit or prevent local contamination of the substrate (e.g., oxidation).

[0014]

[0016] The integrated tool includes a processing platform 201 (a vacuum-tight processing platform), a factory interface 204, and a controller 202. The processing platform 201 comprises a number of processing chambers (e.g., 214A, 214B, 214C, and 214D) operably coupled to a transfer chamber 203 (a vacuum substrate transfer chamber). The factory interface 204 is operably coupled to the transfer chamber 203 by one or more load lock chambers (two load lock chambers, such as 206A and 206B shown in FIG. 2).

[0015]

[0017] In some embodiments, the factory interface 204 includes a docking station 207 and a factory interface robot 238 for facilitating the transfer of one or more semiconductor substrates (wafers). The docking station 207 is configured to receive one or more front opening unified pods (FOUPs). In the embodiment of FIG. 2, four FOUPs (e.g., 205A, 205B, 205C, and 205D) are illustrated. The factory interface robot 238 is configured to transfer substrates from the factory interface 204 to the processing platform 201 through the load lock chambers (e.g., 206A and 206B). Each of the load lock chambers 206A and 206B has a first port coupled to the factory interface 204 and a second port coupled to the transfer chamber 203. The load lock chambers 206A and 206B are coupled to a pressure control system (not shown) that pumps down and evacuates the load lock chambers 206A and 206B to facilitate passage of substrates between the vacuum environment of the transfer chamber 203 and the substantially ambient environment (e.g., atmospheric environment) of the factory interface 204. The transfer chamber 203 has a vacuum robot 242 disposed therein. The vacuum robot 242 is capable of transferring substrates 221 between the load lock chambers 206A and 206B and the processing chambers 214A, 214B, 214C, and 214D.

[0016]

[0018] In some embodiments, processing chambers 214A, 214B, 214C, and 214D are coupled to the transfer chamber 203. Processing chambers 214A, 214B, 214C, and 214D include at least ALD chambers, CVD chambers, PVD chambers, electron beam deposition chambers, electroless electroplating (EEP) deposition chambers, pre-clean chambers, wet etch chambers, dry etch chambers, anneal chambers, and / or other chambers suitable for performing the methods described herein.

[0017]

[0019] In some embodiments, one or more optional service chambers (shown as 216A and 216B) may be coupled to the transfer chamber 203. The service chambers 216A and 216B may be configured to perform other substrate processes such as degassing, bonding, chemical mechanical polishing (CMP), wafer breaking, etching, plasma dicing, alignment, substrate metrology, cooling, etc.

[0018]

[0020] The controller 202 controls the operation of the tool 200 using direct control of the processing chambers 214A, 214B, 214C, and 214D, or alternatively, by controlling the processing chambers 214A, 214B, 214C, and 214D and a computer (or controller) associated with the tool 200. In operation, the controller 202 enables data collection and feedback from the respective chambers and systems to optimize the performance of the tool 200. The controller 202 generally includes a central processing unit 230, a memory 234, and support circuits 232. The central processing unit 230 may be any form of general-purpose computer processor that may be used in an industrial environment. The support circuits 232 are conventionally coupled to the central processing unit 230 and may include cache, clock circuits, input / output subsystems, power supplies, etc. The software routines (such as the process methods described above) may be stored in memory 234 (e.g., a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium having instructions stored thereon) and, when executed by the central processing unit 230, may transform the central processing unit 230 into a controller (a special-purpose computer). The software routines may also be stored and / or executed by a second controller (not shown) located remotely from the tool 200.

[0019]

[0021] 3 is a cross-sectional view of a processing chamber 300 according to at least some embodiments of the present disclosure. Processing chamber 300 may be one of the individual processing chambers of tool 200. For example, processing chamber 300 may be configured to perform one or more plasma deposition processes. In at least some embodiments, processing chamber 300 may be configured to perform PECVD and / or ALD. Suitable processing chambers that may be adapted for use with the teachings disclosed herein include, for example, processing chambers available from Applied Materials, Inc. of Santa Clara, Calif.

[0020]

[0022] The processing chamber 300 includes a chamber body 302 and a lid 304 that enclose a processing space 306. The chamber body 302 is typically fabricated from aluminum, stainless steel, or other suitable materials. The chamber body 302 generally includes a sidewall 308 and a bottom 310. A substrate support access port (not shown) is generally defined in the sidewall 308 and is selectively sealed by a slit valve to facilitate passage of a substrate 303 into and out of the processing chamber 300. An exhaust port 326 is defined in the chamber body 302 and connects the processing space 306 to a pumping system 328, which may also function as a purge station. The pumping system 328 generally includes one or more pumps and a throttle valve that are utilized to evacuate the processing space 306 of the processing chamber 300 and regulate the pressure of the processing space 306. In embodiments, the pumping system 328 is configured to maintain the pressure within the processing space 306 at an operating pressure, typically between about 1 mTorr and about 500 mTorr, between about 5 mTorr and about 100 mTorr, between about 5 mTorr and about 50 mTorr, or between 10 mTorr and about 5 Torr, depending on the process needs.

[0021]

[0023] In some embodiments, the processing chamber 300 may utilize capacitively coupled RF energy for plasma processing, or in some embodiments, the processing chamber 300 may use inductively coupled RF energy for plasma processing. In some embodiments, a remote plasma source 377 (e.g., microwave) may be optionally coupled to the gas panel to facilitate dissociation of the mixed gas from a remote plasma before entering the processing space 306 for processing or to clean the processing chamber 300 between processes. The remote plasma source 377 may provide an activating element (e.g., an ionic species, a radical species, or a neutral species) to the processing chamber 300. For example, in at least some embodiments, the activating element may be formed from at least one of ammonia, argon, oxygen (O2), and helium. For example, in at least some embodiments, the activating element may be an ammonia radical or an argon ion.

[0022]

[0024] The RF power source 343 is coupled to the showerhead assembly 330 through a matching network 341. The RF power source 343 can typically generate up to about 5000 W of power (e.g., about 100 W to about 5000 W, or 1000 W to 3000 W, or about 1500 W), optionally at a tunable frequency within a range of about 50 kHz to about 200 MHz (e.g., 13.56 MHz). The RF power source 343 can operate at a duty cycle (e.g., a first duty cycle) during processing. The duty cycle can be from about 10% (if pulsed) to about 100% (if continuous).

[0023]

[0025] A gas panel 358 is coupled to the process chamber 300 and includes one or more mass flow controllers 357 to provide one or more process gases and / or cleaning gases to the process volume 306. Inlet ports 332', 332", 332'" are provided in the lid 304 to allow gases to be delivered from the gas panel 358 to the process volume 306 of the process chamber 300. In an embodiment, the gas panel 358 may be configured to deliver oxygen (O2), an inert gas (such as argon), helium (or other noble gas), nitrogen (N2), hydrogen (H2), or a mixture of gases such as carbon tetrafluoride (CF4), octafluorocyclobutane or perfluorocyclobutane (C4F8), for example. The gas panel 358 is adapted to provide a mixture of gases, such as trifluoromethane (CHF), sulfur hexafluoride (SF), silicon tetrafluoride or tetrafluorosilane (SiF), precursors (e.g., trisilylamine (TSA)), and the like, into the processing volume 306 of the processing chamber 300 through inlet ports 332', 332", 332'". In at least some embodiments, the process gases provided from the gas panel 358 include at least a process gas that includes an oxidizer, such as oxygen gas. The process gas may include an oxygen-containing gas. In an embodiment, the process gas including an oxidizer may further include an inert gas (such as argon) or helium. In some embodiments, the process gas may include a reducing agent (such as hydrogen) and may be mixed with an inert gas (such as argon) or other gas (such as nitrogen or helium). In some embodiments, chlorine gas may be provided alone or in combination with at least one of nitrogen, helium, and an inert gas (such as argon). Non-limiting examples of oxygen-containing gases include one or more of O2, carbon dioxide (CO2), H2O, nitrous oxide (N2O), nitrogen dioxide (NO2), and ozone (O3), and the like. Non-limiting examples of nitrogen-containing gases include N2, ammonia (NH3), and the like. Non-limiting examples of chlorine-containing gases include hydrogen chloride (HCl), chlorine (Cl2), and carbon tetrachloride (CCl4), and the like. In an embodiment, the showerhead assembly 330 is coupled to the inner surface 314 of the lid 304.The showerhead assembly 330 includes a number of apertures that allow gas to flow from inlet ports 332', 332", 332'" through the showerhead assembly 330 and into the processing space 106 of the processing chamber 100 in a predetermined distribution across the surface (e.g., center, middle, side) of the substrate 303 being processed in the processing chamber 300.

[0024]

[0026] In one embodiment, the showerhead assembly 330 is configured to have multiple zones that allow for individual control of gases flowing into the process space 306 of the process chamber 300. The showerhead assembly 330 includes a top delivery gas nozzle 335 configured to direct process gases toward the substrate support surface of the substrate support 348. The top delivery gas nozzle 335 thus includes a central outlet 334 configured to control a central flow rate and a middle outlet 336 configured to control a middle flow rate, which are separately coupled to the gas panel 358 through inlet ports 332′, 332″. Additionally, one or more side delivery gas nozzles may extend through the chamber body 302 and may be configured to direct process gases toward a side of the substrate support 348. For example, in at least some embodiments, the side-delivery gas nozzle 333 may include a side outlet 337 configured to control a side flow rate, the side outlet 337 being separately coupled to the gas panel 358 through an inlet port 332'''. The side outlets 337 are arranged in a generally circular shape along the inside of the sidewall 308 of the processing chamber, unlike the central outlet 334 and the middle outlets 336, which are located in the lid 304. The central outlet 334 and the middle outlets 336 are configured to provide process gas for substantially etching a central zone and a middle zone (e.g., between the center and the edge) of the substrate, and the side outlets 337 are arranged along an edge area (or periphery) of the substrate and configured to provide process gas for substantially etching the edge area.

[0025]

[0027] The substrate support 348 is positioned within the processing space 306 of the processing chamber 300 below a gas distribution assembly (such as the showerhead assembly 330). For example, the substrate support 348 can be positioned below the showerhead assembly 330 such that the substrate is approximately 3 inches below the showerhead assembly 330. The substrate support 348 holds the substrate 303 during processing. The substrate support 348 generally includes a number of lift pins (not shown) disposed therethrough that are configured to lift the substrate 303 off the substrate support 348 in a conventional manner to facilitate exchange of the substrate 303 by a robot (not shown). An inner liner 318 can surround the substrate support 348 near its periphery.

[0026]

[0028] The substrate support 348 includes a mounting plate 362, a base 364, and an electrostatic chuck 366. The mounting plate 362 is coupled to the bottom 310 of the chamber body 302 and includes passages for routing utilities (e.g., but not limited to, fluids, power lines, sensor leads, etc.) to the base 364 and the electrostatic chuck 366. The electrostatic chuck 366 includes a clamping electrode 380 for holding the substrate 303 below the showerhead assembly 330. The electrostatic chuck 366 is driven by a chuck power supply 382 to generate an electrostatic force that holds the substrate 303 to the chuck surface, as is known in the art. Alternatively, the substrate 303 may be held to the substrate support 348 by clamps, vacuum, or gravity. In at least some embodiments, the substrate support 348 may be rotatable.

[0027]

[0029] The base 364 or electrostatic chuck 366 may include a heater 376 (e.g., at least one optional embedded heater), at least one optional embedded isolator 374, and a number of conduits 368, 370 to control a lateral temperature profile of the substrate support 348. The multiple conduits 368, 370 are fluidly coupled to a fluid source 372 that circulates a temperature conditioning fluid through the conduits. The heater 376 is regulated by a power source 378. The multiple conduits 368, 370 and heater 376 are utilized to control the temperature of the base 364, heat and / or cool the electrostatic chuck 366, and ultimately control the temperature profile of the substrate 303 disposed thereon. The temperatures of the electrostatic chuck 366 and base 364 may be monitored using a number of temperature sensors 390, 392. The electrostatic chuck 366 may further include a number of gas passages (such as grooves, not shown) formed in a support surface of a substrate support pedestal of the electrostatic chuck 366 and fluidly coupled to a source of heat transfer gas (or backside gas), such as helium (He). During operation, a backside gas is provided at a controlled pressure within the gas passages to enhance heat transfer between the electrostatic chuck 366 and the substrate 303. In embodiments, the temperature of the substrate may be maintained at about -20°C to about 450°C. For example, in at least some embodiments, the substrate may be maintained at about -20°C to about 90°C.

[0028]

[0030] The substrate support 348 is configured as a cathode and includes a clamping electrode 380. The clamping electrode 380 is coupled to an RF bias power supply 384 and an RF bias power supply 386. The RF bias power supply 384 and the RF bias power supply 386 are coupled between the clamping electrode 380 disposed within the substrate support 348 and another electrode (e.g., the showerhead assembly 330 or the lid 304 of the chamber body 302). The RF bias power excites gases introduced into the processing region of the chamber body 302 and sustains a plasma discharge formed from the gases.

[0029]

[0031] The RF bias power supply 384 and the RF bias power supply 386 are coupled through a matching network 388 to a clamp electrode 380 disposed within the substrate support 348. The signals generated by the RF bias power supply 384 and the RF bias power supply 386 are sent through the matching network 388 to the substrate support 348 in a single feed to ionize a gas mixture provided within a plasma processing chamber (e.g., the processing chamber 300), thereby providing the ion energy required to perform an etching, deposition, or other plasma process. The RF bias power supply 384 and the RF bias power supply 386 are typically capable of generating RF signals having a frequency from about 50 kHz to about 200 MHz (e.g., 2 MHz) and a power from about 0 Watts to about 2500 Watts. An additional bias power supply 389 may be coupled to the clamp electrode 380 to control the characteristics of the plasma. In addition, the RF bias power supply 384 and the RF bias power supply 386 may be operated at a duty cycle (e.g., a second duty cycle) that is much lower than the duty cycle at which the RF power supply 343 operates. For example, the RF bias power supply 384 and the RF bias power supply 386 may operate at a duty cycle of about 0.1% to about 20%. In at least some embodiments, the on-time of the duty cycle of the RF bias power supply 384 and the RF bias power supply 386 has a pulse frequency of about 1 Hz to about 20 Hz.

[0030]

[0032] To control the operation of the processing chamber 300, a controller 350 (e.g., similar to the controller 202) is coupled to the processing chamber 300. The controller 350 includes a central processing unit 352, a memory 354 (e.g., a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium), and support circuits 356 that are utilized to control the process sequence and regulate the gas flow from a gas panel 358. The central processing unit 352 may be any form of general-purpose computer processor that may be used in an industrial setting. Software routines (e.g., stored executable instructions) may be stored in the memory 354 (e.g., random access memory, read-only memory, floppy or hard disk drive, or other form of digital storage, etc.). The support circuits 356 are conventionally coupled to the central processing unit 352 and may include cache, clock circuits, input / output systems, power supplies, etc. Bidirectional communication between the controller 350 and the various components of the processing chamber 300 is handled through a number of signal cables.

[0031]

[0033] 1, the method 100 includes, at 102, supplying a vaporized precursor from a gas supply into a processing space of a processing chamber. For example, a gas panel 358 may supply a gap-fill film (e.g., SiO 2 ) onto a substrate (e.g., substrate 303). x In at least some embodiments, the gas panel 358 supplies one or more vaporized precursors into the processing volume 306 of the processing chamber 300 (e.g., one of the processing chambers 214A-214D) to deposit (develop) a flowable silicon film (such as a silazane-like film (SiNH x To form a silyl group, a vaporized precursor including trisilylamine (TSA) may be provided.

[0032]

[0034] Next, the method 100 includes providing 104 an activating element, including ions and radicals, from a remote plasma source. For example, the remote plasma source 377 may provide one or more activating elements, including argon, hydrogen (H), ammonia (NH), and / or oxygen (O). For example, in at least some embodiments, the activating element may be ammonia radicals (NH x , H2 radicals, and argon ions.

[0033]

[0035] Next, the method 100 includes, at 106, using the RF source power at a first duty cycle to excite the activation element to react with the vaporized precursor and deposit a film on a substrate supported by a substrate support disposed within the process space. For example, ammonia radicals can be excited by argon ions (e.g., from a remote plasma source) and react with the vaporized precursor (e.g., TSA). The reaction of the ammonia radicals with the vaporized precursor deposits a flowable polysilazane-based film (SiNH x ) is deposited. At 106, the RF power source 343 may be at about 100 W to about 5000 W. For example, in at least some embodiments, the RF power source 343 may be at about 100 W and at a tunable frequency in a range of about 50 kHz to about 200 MHz (e.g., 13.56 MHz). In addition, the RF power source 343 may operate at a duty cycle of about 10% (if pulsed) to about 100% (if continuous). Furthermore, at 106, the temperature of the substrate may be maintained at about -20°C to about 90°C. In at least some embodiments, the temperature of the substrate may be maintained at about 20°C (e.g., about room temperature). Furthermore, at 106, the pressure within the process space of the process chamber may be maintained at a pressure of about 10 mTorr to about 5 Torr.

[0034]

[0036] The method 100 then includes, at 108, supplying a first process gas from a remote plasma source while providing RF bias power to the substrate support at a second duty cycle different from the first duty cycle. For example, the remote plasma source 377 may supply one or more oxygen-containing gases to the processing space 306 of the processing chamber 300. In at least some embodiments, the one or more oxygen-containing gases may be O. O may be SiNH x into SiOx (e.g., to form a SiOx network on the substrate). Additionally, at 108, the RF bias power supply 384 may operate at a duty cycle of about 0.1% to about 20%, at a power level of about 500 W to about 2500 W (e.g., about 2000 W), and at a pulse frequency of about 1 Hz to about 20 Hz. At 108, the RF source power and the RF bias power may be simultaneously provided to the showerhead 330 (or lid 304) and the substrate support 348, respectively.

[0035]

[0037] The method 100 then includes, at 110, supplying a process gas mixture formed from a second process gas provided from the remote plasma source and a third process gas provided from the gas supply while providing RF bias power to the substrate support at a second duty cycle. For example, the remote plasma source 377 may supply one or more inert (noble) gases. In at least some embodiments, the remote plasma source 377 may supply argon. Similarly, the gas panel 358 may supply one or more inert gases. In at least some embodiments, the gas panel 358 may supply helium. Alternatively or additionally, the remote plasma source 377 and the gas panel 358 may each be configured to supply both the second process gas and the third process gas. Other inert gases may also be used. The inventors have found that providing RF source power at a first duty cycle to the showerhead and RF bias power at a second duty cycle to the substrate support while simultaneously providing the gas mixture at 110 promotes densification and stabilization of the SiOx film, which helps the SiOx film to withstand a post-deposition high temperature / high pressure annealing process, as described below. In at least some embodiments, one or more additional gases may be provided at 108 and 110. For example, one or more hydrogen-containing gases may be provided. In at least some embodiments, H2 may be provided while O2 is provided at 108 and / or while the process gas mixture is provided at 110.

[0036]

[0038] In at least some embodiments, the RF source power and the RF bias power can be provided sequentially in a closed-loop gas process manner. For example, in at least some embodiments, after 110, 102-110 can be repeated (e.g., in a cyclic mode) as necessary until a desired thickness of the SiOx film is achieved. To this end, process parameters such as thickness per cycle and processing conditions (e.g., source / bias power, pulse frequency, duty cycle, process gas, temperature, pressure, on-time, etc.) can be altered to fine-tune the composition of the SiOx film. Additionally, the substrate support 348 can be rotated in any of 102-110 to facilitate obtaining a uniform SiOx film. For example, the substrate support 348 can be rotated in 108 and 110.

[0037]

[0039] The quality of the SiOx film can be further improved by high-temperature, high-pressure annealing, which helps to increase the refractive index and reduce the hydrogen content throughout the entire thickness of the SiOx film. Thus, the method 100 includes annealing the substrate at 112. For example, after 110, a vacuum robot 242 disposed in the transfer chamber 203 of the tool 200 can transfer the substrate 303 from the processing chamber 300 (e.g., processing chamber 214A) to one or more other processing chambers (e.g., processing chamber 214B) to anneal the substrate. In at least some embodiments, annealing the substrate includes maintaining the substrate at a temperature of about 500° C. during annealing, maintaining a processing space of the processing chamber 214B at a pressure of about 10 mTorr to about 37500 Torr (70 bar), and supplying one or more process gases (such as Ar, CO2, D2, H2, N2, and O2) to the processing space.

[0038]

[0040] While the forgoing is directed to embodiments of the present disclosure, other and further embodiments of the disclosure may be devised without departing from the basic scope thereof.

Claims

1. 1. A method for processing a substrate, comprising: providing a vaporized precursor from a gas supply into a processing volume of a processing chamber; providing an activating element including ions and radicals from a remote plasma source; An RF source power is used at a first duty cycle to excite the activation element and react with the vaporized precursor to form SiNH on a substrate supported on a substrate support disposed within the process space. ｘ depositing a film; The SiNH ｘ supplying a first process gas from the remote plasma source while providing RF bias power to the substrate support at a second duty cycle different from the first duty cycle to convert a film to a SiOx film; supplying a process gas mixture formed from a second process gas supplied from the remote plasma source and a third process gas supplied from the gas supply while providing RF bias power to the substrate support at the second duty cycle; annealing the substrate; A method comprising:

2. 2. The method of claim 1, wherein the first duty cycle is from about 10% to about 100%, the second duty cycle is from about 0.1% to about 20%, and the on-time of the second duty cycle has a pulse frequency from about 1 Hz to about 20 Hz.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein annealing the substrate comprises heating the substrate to a temperature of about 500° C.

4. 10. The method of claim 1, further comprising simultaneously providing the RF source power and the RF bias power to a showerhead and the substrate support, respectively.

5. The method of claim 1 , further comprising providing the RF source power and the RF bias power sequentially in a closed loop gas process manner.

6. The method of claim 1 , further comprising rotating the substrate support.

7. 2. The method of claim 1, further comprising maintaining a temperature of the substrate at about -20° C. to about 90° C. while delivering the activation element.

8. 10. The method of claim 1, further comprising maintaining a pressure of about 10 mTorr to 5 Torr while delivering said activation element.

9. The method of claim 1 , wherein the processing chamber is a plasma enhanced chemical vapor deposition chamber.

10. 2. The method of claim 1, wherein the RF source power is about 100 W and the RF bias power is about 500 W to about 2500 W.

11. The supply of the activating element from the remote plasma source includes ammonia radicals, H ２ The method of claim 1 , comprising providing at least one of: radicals; or argon ions.

12. The method of claim 1 , wherein providing the first process gas comprises providing an oxide.

13. 2. The method of claim 1, wherein the supplying a second process gas and the supplying a third process gas comprise supplying argon and supplying helium, respectively.

14. 14. The method of any one of claims 1 to 13, wherein providing the vaporized precursor comprises providing trisilylamine.

15. A non-transitory computer readable storage medium having instructions stored thereon that, when executed by a processor, perform a method for processing a substrate, the method comprising: providing a vaporized precursor from a gas supply into a processing volume of a processing chamber; providing an activating element including ions and radicals from a remote plasma source; An RF source power is used at a first duty cycle to excite the activation element and react with the vaporized precursor to form SiNH on a substrate supported on a substrate support disposed within the process space. ｘ depositing a film; The SiNH ｘ supplying a first process gas from the remote plasma source while providing RF bias power to the substrate support at a second duty cycle different from the first duty cycle to convert a film to a SiOx film; supplying a process gas mixture formed from a second process gas supplied from the remote plasma source and a third process gas supplied from the gas supply while providing RF bias power to the substrate support at the second duty cycle; annealing the substrate; A non-transitory computer readable storage medium comprising:

16. 16. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 15, wherein the first duty cycle is from about 10% to about 100%, the second duty cycle is from about 0.1% to about 20%, and an on-time of the second duty cycle has a pulse frequency from about 1 Hz to about 20 Hz.

17. 20. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 15, wherein annealing the substrate comprises heating the substrate to a temperature of about 500 degrees Celsius.

18. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 15, wherein the method further comprises simultaneously providing the RF source power and the RF bias power to the remote plasma source and the substrate support, respectively.

19. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium as described in any one of claims 15 to 18, wherein the method further includes sequentially providing the RF source power and the RF bias power in a closed-loop gas process manner.

20. 1. A chemical vapor deposition chamber for processing a substrate, comprising: a substrate support disposed within a processing volume of the chemical vapor deposition chamber; a remote plasma source coupled to the chemical vapor deposition chamber and configured to provide an activation element to a showerhead within the processing space; an RF power source coupled to the showerhead and configured to provide an RF source power at a first duty cycle; an RF bias power supply coupled to the substrate support and configured to provide RF bias power to the substrate support at a second duty cycle different from the first duty cycle; a gas supply coupled to the chemical vapor deposition chamber and configured to supply a process gas to the showerhead disposed within the processing space; and a controller, the controller comprising: supplying a vaporized precursor from the gas supply into the processing space of the chemical vapor deposition chamber; providing an activation element including ions and radicals from the remote plasma source; RF source power is used at the first duty cycle to excite the activation element to react with the vaporized precursor to produce SiNH on a substrate supported on the substrate support disposed within the process space. ｘ depositing a film; The SiNH ｘ supplying a first process gas from the remote plasma source while providing RF bias power to the substrate support at the second duty cycle to convert a film to a SiOx film; supplying a process gas mixture formed from a second process gas supplied from the remote plasma source and a third process gas supplied from the gas supply while providing RF bias power to the substrate support at the second duty cycle; and annealing the substrate. Chemical vapor deposition chamber.

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