Primer Coating and Resistance Control for ESC in Substrate Handling Systems

Abstract

The electrostatic chuck (ESC) prime system includes a memory and a controller, the memory storing a prime application, the controller configured to execute the prime application to determine prime parameters, perform a full cleaning process to remove prime deposits in a processing chamber of a substrate processing system, and perform one or more deposition processes based on the prime parameters to deposit one or more prime layers on the ESC to provide a full prime layer having a total thickness of 7-15 μm, the one or more prime layers providing protection for the ESC during subsequent deposition processing of a substrate in the ESC.

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] [CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS] This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No. 63 / 304,379, filed January 28, 2022. The entire disclosure of the above application is incorporated herein by reference.

[0002] The present disclosure relates generally to substrate processing systems, and more particularly to electrostatic chucks. [Background technology]

[0003] The Background Art provided herein is provided to present the contents of the present disclosure generally, and the inventions of the presently named inventors are not admitted expressly or impliedly as prior art to the present disclosure to the extent that they are described in this Background Art section and in a descriptive manner that is not prior art at the time of filing.

[0004] A substrate processing system (e.g., a plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposition (PECVD) processing system) typically includes a showerhead and a substrate support for supporting a substrate. The substrate support is typically implemented as an electrostatic chuck (ESC). The ESC includes a clamping electrode for clamping the substrate to the ESC during processing. In operation, the showerhead distributes a reactive gas above the substrate. To generate a plasma, a radio frequency (RF) potential is established between two electrodes (e.g., the showerhead and an RF electrode in the substrate support). The energized electrons ionize or dissociate reactive gases from the plasma, generating chemically reactive radicals. As these radicals react, a thin film is deposited on the substrate. Summary of the Invention

[0005] An ESC priming system is disclosed that includes a memory and a controller. The memory stores a priming application. The controller configured to execute the priming application determines priming parameters, performs a full cleaning process to remove priming deposits in a processing chamber of the substrate processing system, and performs one or more deposition processes based on the priming parameters to deposit one or more priming layers on the ESC to provide a full priming layer having a total thickness of 7-15 μm. The one or more priming layers provide protection for the ESC during subsequent deposition processing of a substrate on the ESC.

[0006] In other features, the priming parameters include a radio frequency power level, a gas flow rate, a gas flow pressure, a gas species, and a duration of the deposition process. In other features, the priming parameters include a gap size between the electrostatic chuck and the showerhead for each priming layer formed during deposition of the one or more priming layers. In other features, the thorough cleaning process includes providing ammonia to the processing chamber.

[0007] In another feature, the one or more undercoat layers include a first undercoat layer and a second undercoat layer deposited on the first undercoat layer. In another feature, each of the first undercoat layer and the second undercoat layer includes at least one of a silicon oxide and a silicon nitride. In another feature, the first undercoat layer includes a silicon oxide and the second undercoat layer includes a silicon nitride or a silicon oxynitride. In another feature, the first undercoat layer and the second undercoat layer include a silicon oxide.

[0008] In other features, the first undercoat layer comprises silicon oxide or silicon oxynitride and the second undercoat layer comprises silicon nitride or silicon oxynitride. In other features, the second undercoat layer is thinner than the first undercoat layer.

[0009] In other features, the controller is configured to set a gap size between the ESC and the showerhead to be larger for deposition of the second primer layer than for deposition of the first primer layer. In other features, the controller is configured to set a gap size between the ESC and the showerhead for deposition of the first primer layer and not change the gap size for deposition of the second primer layer.

[0010] In another feature, the one or more undercoat layers include a first undercoat layer, one or more intermediate undercoat layers disposed on the first undercoat layer, and a final undercoat layer disposed on the one or more intermediate undercoat layers. In another feature, the first undercoat layer is formed of silicon oxide or silicon oxynitride. Each of the one or more intermediate undercoat layers and the final undercoat layer is formed of at least one of silicon oxide and silicon nitride.

[0011] In other features, the controller is configured to set a gap size between the ESC and the showerhead to be larger during deposition of the one or more intermediate and / or final primer layers than during deposition of the first primer layer.

[0012] In other features, the controller is configured to set a gap size between the ESC and the showerhead for deposition of the first primer layer and not change the gap size for deposition of the one or more intermediate and final primer layers.

[0013] In other features, the controller is configured to set the total thickness based on an estimated bowing amount of the substrate being processed. In other features, the controller is configured to introduce one or more precursors to the process chamber for deposition of the one or more priming layers. The one or more precursors are selected from silane, nitrous oxide, and nitrogen.

[0014] In another feature, a substrate processing system is disclosed that includes an ESC priming system, a processing chamber, a gas supply system configured to supply gas to the processing chamber, a radio frequency generation system configured to generate a plasma in the processing chamber, and a power circuit configured to supply current to the ESC to electrostatically clamp the substrate to the ESC. A controller is configured to control the gas supply system and the radio frequency generation system to deposit one or more priming layers on the ESC, and to perform a deposition process of the substrate on the ESC following formation of the one or more priming layers on the ESC.

[0015] In another feature, a method for forming a blanket undercoat layer on an ESC is disclosed, the method including determining undercoat parameters, performing a full cleaning process to remove undercoat deposits in a processing chamber of a substrate processing system, and performing one or more deposition processes based on the undercoat parameters to deposit one or more undercoat layers on the ESC to provide a blanket undercoat layer having a total thickness of 7-15 μm. The one or more undercoat layers provide protection for the ESC during subsequent deposition processing of a substrate on the ESC.

[0016] In other features, the priming parameters include a radio frequency power level, a gas flow rate, a gas flow pressure, a gas species, and a duration of the deposition process. In other features, the priming parameters include a gap size between the electrostatic chuck and the showerhead for each priming layer formed during deposition of the one or more priming layers. In other features, the thorough cleaning process includes providing ammonia to the processing chamber.

[0017] In another feature, the one or more undercoat layers include a first undercoat layer and a second undercoat layer deposited on the first undercoat layer. In another feature, each of the first undercoat layer and the second undercoat layer includes at least one of silicon oxide and silicon nitride. In another feature, the first undercoat layer and the second undercoat layer include silicon oxide. In another feature, the first undercoat layer includes silicon oxide or silicon oxynitride. The second undercoat layer includes silicon nitride or silicon oxynitride. In another feature, the first undercoat layer includes silicon oxide and the second undercoat layer includes silicon nitride or silicon oxynitride.

[0018] In other features, the second undercoat layer is thinner than the first undercoat layer. In other features, the method further includes setting a gap size between the electrostatic chuck and the showerhead to be larger for deposition of the second undercoat layer than for deposition of the first undercoat layer. In other features, the method further includes setting a gap size between the electrostatic chuck and the showerhead for deposition of the first undercoat layer and not changing the gap size for deposition of the second undercoat layer.

[0019] In another feature, the one or more undercoat layers include a first undercoat layer, one or more intermediate undercoat layers disposed on the first undercoat layer, and a final undercoat layer disposed on the one or more intermediate undercoat layers. In another feature, the first undercoat layer is formed of silicon oxide or silicon oxynitride. Each of the one or more intermediate undercoat layers and the final undercoat layer is formed of at least one of silicon oxide and silicon nitride.

[0020] In other features, the method further includes setting a gap size between the electrostatic chuck and the showerhead to be larger for deposition of the one or more intermediate and / or final undercoat layers than for deposition of the first undercoat layer. In other features, the method further includes setting a gap size between the electrostatic chuck and the showerhead for deposition of the first undercoat layer and not changing the gap size for deposition of the one or more intermediate and / or final undercoat layers.

[0021] In other features, the method further comprises selecting a total thickness based on an estimated amount of bowing of the substrate being processed.In other features, the method further comprises introducing one or more precursors to the process chamber for deposition of the one or more priming layers, the one or more precursors being selected from silane, nitrous oxide, and nitrogen.

[0022] In another feature, a substrate deposition method is disclosed that includes steps for forming a blanket undercoat layer on the ESC; providing a current to the ESC to electrostatically clamp the substrate to the ESC; controlling a gas supply system and a radio frequency generation system to deposit one or more undercoat layers on the ESC; and performing a deposition process on the substrate on the ESC following formation of the one or more undercoat layers on the ESC.

[0023] Further areas of applicability of the present disclosure will become apparent from the detailed description, claims, and drawings. The detailed description and specific examples are for illustrative purposes only and are not intended to limit the scope of the present disclosure. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0024] The present disclosure will become better understood from the detailed description and the accompanying drawings.

[0025] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a functional block diagram of an exemplary substrate processing system including a priming system in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0026] [Diagram 2] 2 is a functional block diagram of a portion of the substrate processing system of FIG. 1, including a portion of a priming system illustrating a priming layer in accordance with the present disclosure.

[0027] [Diagram 3] Illustrates the trade-off relationship between ESC life and ESC clamping force based on thickness variation of the ESC undercoat layer.

[0028] [Figure 4] FIG. 2 shows a top cross-sectional view of an exemplary bipolar ESC including a "D" shaped electrode.

[0029] [Diagram 5] 13 is an exemplary diagram of the total ESC current.

[0030] [Figure 6] 4 is a plot of the total ESC current of an ESC including a conventional undercoat layer versus the total ESC current of an ESC including an undercoat layer according to the present disclosure.

[0031] [Figure 7] 1 illustrates an exemplary substrate processing method including an ESC priming method according to the present disclosure.

[0032] [Figure 8] FIG. 2 illustrates a cross-sectional view of a portion of an ESC including multiple undercoat layers according to the present disclosure.

[0033] In the drawings, reference numbers may be repeated to identify similar and / or identical elements. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0034] Components within the processing chamber of a substrate processing system are exposed to harsh operating conditions. The components include the showerhead and ESC. The components are exposed to a variety of processing chemicals, high direct current (DC) voltages (e.g., 700-1000 V), high alternating current (AC), high radio frequency (RF) power levels (e.g., 10-15 kilowatts (kW)), and high temperatures (e.g., 600-700° C.). Exposure to such harsh chemical, electrical, and thermal conditions tends to degrade and damage the components.

[0035] To prevent damage to components within the processing chamber, a protective layer called a "primer layer" is deposited on the chamber walls and internal parts. In addition to providing protection, the primer layer also provides other benefits, such as aiding in the adhesion of the material being deposited (e.g., carbon film) during the deposition cycle and preventing film deposition drift problems. Without a primer layer, poor adhesion occurs during deposition, and particles of the deposition material can fall onto the substrate being processed and damage the substrate. Film deposition drift includes changes in the deposition film thickness.

[0036] During substrate processing, the primer layer on the chamber parts deteriorates. This is especially true for the showerhead and ESC. For this reason, a full cleaning process is periodically performed to remove residual portions of the primer layer on the chamber parts, and a new primer layer is redeposited on the chamber parts. As an example, a full cleaning process may be performed after each set (or batch) of deposition cycles (e.g., 100 deposition cycles per set), each cycle including performing a deposition process for each substrate.

[0037] During deposition, the substrate can be electrostatically clamped to the bipolar ESC. The bipolar ESC comprises two clamp electrodes, a first electrode receiving a first voltage (e.g., a direct current (DC) voltage of 700 V) and a second electrode receiving a second voltage (e.g., a DC voltage of −700 V). The electrodes can be “D” shaped. Current flows from the first electrode to the substrate disposed on the ESC and then from the ESC to the second electrode. A small portion (e.g., less than 30%) of the total current amount provided to the first electrode is called (i) electrostatic clamping current or functional ESC current, and (ii) flows vertically from the first electrode to the substrate and from the substrate to the second electrode. The electrostatic clamping current holds the substrate on the ESC and prevents substrate movement relative to the ESC. A significant portion of the total current supplied to the first electrode (i) is referred to as inter-D leakage current or non-functional ESC current, and (ii) flows laterally through the portion of the ESC located between the electrodes without flowing to the substrate.

[0038] Bipolar ESCs use aluminum fluoride (AlFx ) and ESC clamp currents can cause high failure rates at high temperatures. During the full cleaning process, the ESC is flushed with nitrogen trifluoride (NF 3 ) can be cleaned. ESC is made of aluminum nitride (AlN x ), NF 3 When exposed to , the surface of the ESC becomes aluminum fluoride (AlF x ) during substrate processing. x is further transferred to the body of the ESC by the ESC clamp current. x is attracted to the charge on the ESC associated with the electrostatic clamping current and migrates specifically to the minimal contact area (MCA) that protrudes upward from the body of the ESC. x Exposure to CO results in particle degradation and changes the surface of the MCA. This can adversely affect the charge balance of the ESC and the electrostatic clamping of the substrate. The charge balance of the ESC refers to the difference in the charge levels of the bipolar ESC electrodes. The root cause of ESC failure can be related to high charge imbalance and / or high ESC clamping current.

[0039] When a charge imbalance exists in the ESC, current can flow unexpectedly between the ESC, which has a higher voltage potential, and the showerhead, which has a lower voltage potential (or is grounded). This can result in arcing at the holes in the showerhead during deposition. Arcing degrades the showerhead and forms metal balls that fall from the showerhead onto the processing substrate, causing cluster defects. A cluster defect means that a large number of metal balls fall from a specific area of ​​the showerhead onto the substrate. The root cause of cluster defects is not the showerhead, but the charge imbalance in the ESC and the AlF x It was unexpectedly discovered that

[0040] As an example, the primer layer can be applied in two stages. The first stage mainly involves coating certain chamber parts such as the showerhead and ESC. The second stage mainly involves coating remote areas and components other than the showerhead and ESC. Other components may include the chamber walls, ESC spindle, etc. Traditionally, the primer layer has been designed for suitable adhesion. For example, the total thickness of the primer layer on the ESC after the two-stage process has been set to meet the adhesion requirements. To meet the adhesion requirements, the total thickness may be 5 micrometers (μm). This thickness of the primer layer can meet the adhesion requirements and is suitable for new substrate supports and low-temperature applications (e.g., applications at 200-400 °C). However, in high-temperature applications, degradation of the primer layer due to particle loss of MCA and insufficient primer coverage on the pedestal can increase the amount of charge imbalance.

[0041] The charge balance of the bipolar electrodes of the new ESCs is slightly unbalanced and may become more unbalanced over time. This is due to the degradation of the MCA, followed by the transfer of AlF x This leads to increased attraction between the MCA and the MCA, causing further degradation of the MCA. The degradation of the primer layer and the MCA can cause cluster defects. In addition, the ability to reapply the primer layer to cover the MCA decreases over time, resulting in further arcing and cluster defects. This is because the surface of the MCA becomes rougher and more defective over time.

[0042] Examples described herein include a primer system and method for forming a primer layer with increased thickness and resistance, as well as improved coverage and smoothness properties. The primer layer is applied to internal chamber components including the ESC. The primer layer provides protection for the ESC, thereby meeting ESC clamping force requirements while providing protection for the showerhead. The primer layer provides a minimal level of coverage, including filling in particle level defects on the surface of the ESC, to provide a smooth exterior surface for improved contact between the MCA surface and the wafer surface and improved step coverage. Step coverage refers to the coverage of the top and side surfaces of the MCA. Step coverage can be the ratio of (i) the thickness of the primer layer on the top surface of the MCA to (ii) the thickness of the primer layer on the side surfaces of the MCA. The prescribed coverage improves the clamping force of the substrate and prevents scratching of the substrate during substrate placement and ESC clamping.

[0043] The primer layer provides improved insulation to prevent and / or minimize the amount of ESC clamping current build-up over many deposition cycles. The primer layer also helps maintain adequate ESC clamping force over many deposition cycles. By implementing the primer methods described herein, ESC lifetime is extended, arcing is prevented or reduced, and cluster defect rates are significantly reduced.

[0044] 1 shows a substrate processing system 100 including a priming system 101 that applies a priming layer to internal components of a processing chamber 102, such as an ESC 103 and a showerhead 104. Although FIG. 1 shows a capacitively coupled plasma (CCP) system, the embodiments disclosed herein are applicable to transformer coupled plasma (TCP) systems, inductively coupled plasma (ICP) systems, and / or other systems and plasma sources that include a heatable showerhead. The embodiments are applicable to high temperature PECVD processes, and may also be applied to high temperature PEALD processes, high temperature plasma enhanced chemical vapor deposition (CEPVD) processes.

[0045] Although the ESC 103 and showerhead 104 are shown to include a particular structure, they may have other structures. For example, the ESC 103 is shown to have a monolith body 105, but may include multiple plates. The showerhead 104 may include multiple plates and / or stacked structures. In one embodiment, the ESC 103 is made of AlN x and the shower head 104 is made of aluminum (Al).

[0046] The ESC 103 and showerhead 104 are contained within a processing chamber 102. The processing chamber 102 may contain an RF plasma. In operation, a substrate 107 is placed on the ESC 103 and electrostatically clamped. The showerhead 104 introduces and distributes gases. The showerhead 104 may include a stem portion 111 having one end connected to a top surface of the processing chamber 102. The showerhead 104 is generally cylindrical and extends radially outward from the other end of the stem portion 111 at a location away from the top surface of the processing chamber 102. The substrate-facing surface of the showerhead 104 includes holes through which process or purge gases flow.

[0047] The RF generation system 120 generates and outputs RF voltages to one or more upper electrodes 112 of the showerhead 104 and / or to the lower (or bipolar) electrode 116 of the ESC 103. The upper electrode 112 may be DC grounded, AC grounded, or at floating potential. By way of example only, the RF generation system 120 may include one or more RF generators 122 (e.g., capacitively coupled plasma RF power generators, bias RF power generators, and / or other RF power generators) that generate RF voltages. The RF voltages are supplied to the upper electrode 112 and / or the lower electrode 116 by one or more match distribution networks 124. By way of example, a plasma RF generator 123, a bias RF generator 125, a plasma RF matching network 127, and a bias RF matching network 129 are shown. The plasma RF generator 123 may be a low power RF generator and / or a high power RF generator that generates, for example, between 100 watts (W) and 15 kilowatts (kW). A bias RF matching network 129 provides power to RF electrodes, such as electrode 116 .

[0048] The gas supply system 130 includes one or more gas sources 132-1, 132-2, ..., and 132-N (collectively, gas sources 132), where N is an integer greater than zero. The gas sources 132 supply one or more precursors and gas mixtures thereof. The gas sources 132 may supply a deposition gas, a carrier gas, and / or a purge gas. Vaporized precursors may be used. The gas sources 132 are connected to a manifold 140 by valves 134-1, 134-2, ..., and 134-N (collectively, valves 134) and mass flow controllers 136-1, 136-2, ..., and 136-N (collectively, mass flow controllers 136). An output of the manifold 140 is supplied to the process chamber 102. By way of example only, an output of the manifold 140 is supplied to the showerhead 104.

[0049] The power supply circuit 144 provides power, including high voltage, to the electrodes 116 to electrostatically clamp the substrate 107 to the ESC 103. Although the RF voltage and the electrostatic clamping voltage are shown as being applied to the same electrode 116, the RF voltage may be supplied to other electrodes included in the ESC 103. The power supply circuit 144 may be controlled by the system controller 160. As an example, the power supply circuit 144 may apply a first DC voltage (e.g., 700V) to a first electrode of the electrodes 116 and a second DC voltage (e.g., −700V) to a second electrode of the electrodes 116.

[0050] Valves 156 and pumps 158 may be used to evacuate reactants from the process chamber 102. A system controller 160 may control the components of the substrate processing system 100, such as by controlling the delivered RF power levels, the pressure and flow rate of the delivered gases, RF matching, and the like. The system controller 160 controls the states of the valves 156 and pumps 158. A robot 164 may be used to deliver substrates to the ESC 103 and remove substrates from the ESC 103. For example, the robot 164 may transfer substrates between the ESC 103 and a load lock 166. The robot 164 may be controlled by the system controller 160. The system controller 160 may control the operation of the load lock 166. The valves, gas pumps, power supplies, RF generators, and the like may be referred to as actuators herein.

[0051] The priming system 101 may include an ESC 103, an RF generation system 120, a gas supply system 130, a power circuit 144, a gap adjustment system (an example of which is shown in FIG. 2), and a system controller 160. The controller 160 may execute a priming application 162 to apply a priming layer to the chamber components, which may include applying one or more priming layers during a priming operation, as further described below with respect to FIGS. 2-7.

[0052] 2 illustrates a portion 200 of a substrate processing system 100 including a portion 202 of the priming system 101 of FIG. 1. The portion 200 includes the ESC 103 and the showerhead 104. The portion 202 includes the ESC 103, the power circuit 144, the controller 160, and a gap adjustment system 210. The gap adjustment system 210 may be configured to move the ESC 103 relative to the showerhead 104. In another embodiment, the gap adjustment system 210 is replaced with a gap adjustment system 212 configured to move the showerhead 104 relative to the ESC 103. The gap adjustment systems 210 and 212 may include one or more motors (motors 214 and 216 in the figure) and other actuating components for moving the ESC 103 or the showerhead 104.

[0053] The controller 160 may control the gap adjustment system 210 or 212 to set the gap G between the ESC 103 and the showerhead 104, and may control the gas supply system 130 of FIG. 1 to form a primer layer on the ESC 103. Although the showerhead 104 is not shown as having a primer layer, a primer layer is also formed on the showerhead 104. Although one blanket primer layer 220 is shown on the body 105 of the ESC 103, the blanket primer layer 220 may include one or more primer layers. A total thickness T of the blanket primer layer 220 is shown. The blanket primer layer 220 is a protective dielectric layer and may be referred to as a chamber preparation layer that is formed before performing substrate processing.

[0054] FIG. 3 shows a diagram depicting the trade-off relationship between the ESC lifetime and the clamping force of the ESC based on the change in thickness of the undercoat layer (or protective dielectric layer) of the ESC. As the thickness increases, the ESC lifetime increases, but the resistance force also increases. As the resistance force increases, the clamping force of the ESC decreases. If the clamping force of the ESC decreases below a threshold value, the substrate may shift position or move during processing. As an example, if the thickness T of the undercoat layer exceeds a maximum thickness, the ESC clamping force is not sufficient to prevent the substrate from moving. A decrease in the thickness of the undercoat layer decreases the resistance force of the ESC, thereby increasing the clamping force of the ESC. When the thickness T of the undercoat layer is less than the minimum thickness, the degradation rate of the ESC increases and the lifetime of the ESC decreases to an unacceptable level. Therefore, the undercoat thickness T may be set to a range between the minimum thickness and the maximum thickness. An example range is represented by the dashed box 300.

[0055] As an example, for the ESC clamping voltage ranges of 650-750 and -650-750, the undercoat thickness T may be set between a minimum thickness of 7 μm±0.05 μm and a maximum thickness of 15 μm±0.05 μm. It has been found that degradation increases when the substantially full undercoat layer thickness T becomes smaller than 7 μm±0.05 μm. It has also been found that the ESC clamping force becomes unacceptable when the full undercoat layer thickness T becomes larger than 15 μm±0.05 μm. The undercoat layer thickness may be the same across the entire body of the ESC. The minimum and maximum thicknesses may be determined by the controller 160 of FIG. 1 based on the voltage applied to the ESC clamping electrodes (e.g., electrodes 116 of FIG. 1). The applied voltage is directly related to the amount of ESC clamping current. The undercoat layer thickness may be set based on the amount of bowing of the substrate, as further described below.

[0056] Referring again to FIG. 2 , the controller 160 may perform undercoat adjustments by adjusting one or more parameters, such as RF power, gas flow rate and / or pressure, gap size between the showerhead and the ESC, deposition time, etc. The parameters may be adjusted to improve coverage, improve the mechanical and electrical properties of the ESC, and prevent particle formation and arcing. Each of these parameters may be adjusted to adjust the thickness of the resulting undercoat layer. The gas species supplied during the formation of each undercoat layer may be varied to adjust thickness, resistivity, and / or coverage characteristics.

[0057] The controller 160 may control the power supply circuit 144 to provide a set voltage (e.g., 700V, -700V) to the ESC clamping electrodes 116A and 116B (collectively, electrodes 116) during deposition on a substrate (not shown in FIG. 2). FIG. 4 shows a bipolar ESC 400 including "D" shaped electrodes 402 and 404. The electrodes 116 of FIGS. 1-2 may be implemented as "D" shaped electrodes 402 and 404. Referring again to FIG. 2, the electrostatic clamping current provided through the MCA 232 is represented by arrows 230. The height H of the MCA may be the same or may vary depending on the application. As an example, the mesa height H may be 20 μm. As another example, the height of the MCA may increase with radial distance from the center of the body 105. The non-functional current passing between the electrodes 116 is represented by arrows 234.

[0058] As an example, 2-10% of the total current supplied to electrodes 116 may provide an ESC clamp current represented by arrow 230, and 90-98% of the total current may flow from electrode 116A to electrode 116B as non-functional current.

[0059] FIG. 5 shows a diagram of the total ESC current represented by curve 500 during the ESC clamping period for a deposition process of a substrate. The diagram shows an example of process steps that are typically performed on a substrate. The process steps are performed consecutively. In clamping step C, a peak voltage is applied to the clamping electrode. In holding step H, the voltage applied to the clamping electrode is reduced to hold the substrate clamped to the ESC (ESC 103 in FIGS. 1-2). In step P, one or more process gases are delivered through a showerhead (e.g., showerhead 104 in FIGS. 1-2). In step D, a plasma is generated by applying RF power across the showerhead and the ESC, and material is deposited on or removed from the substrate. Step D is typically longer than steps C, H, and P.

[0060] The figure represents the amount of D-to-D leakage current and the minimum functional current that can be provided in the absence of plasma and in the absence of depositing gas species. The figure also shows the amount of extra current provided to an ESC with a conventional undercoat layer in the presence of plasma and depositing gas species. It is this extra current that can cause degradation of the ESC.

[0061] FIG. 6 shows a diagram of the total ESC current of an ESC including a conventional undercoat layer (referred to as a conventional ESC) versus an ESC including an undercoat layer formed using the method described herein (referred to as an ESC of the present disclosure). The total ESC current of the conventional ESC is represented by curve 600. The total ESC current of the ESC of the present disclosure is represented by curve 602. As can be seen, the total amount of current provided to the ESC of the present disclosure (curve 602) is less than the total amount of current provided to the conventional ESC (curve 600), as represented by the double-headed arrow M1. Also, the current does not jump and / or does not increase substantially during the hold step in the ESC of the present disclosure as it does in the conventional ESC. See, for example, the period between the vertical dashed lines 610 and 612, and the difference represented by the double-headed arrow M1. This reduction and stabilization of the current flow during the hold period, process gas supply period, and plasma generation period as shown provides improved coverage of the deposition primer species on the ESC surface, resulting in increased resistivity of the ESC.

[0062] 7 illustrates an exemplary substrate processing method including an ESC priming method. The ESC priming method includes operations 702, 704, 706, 708, 710, 716, 718, and 720. The following operations may be performed iteratively. The method may begin at 700. At 702, the controller 160 determines parameters of the priming process. This may include determining an RF power level, a gas flow rate and / or pressure, a size of the gap G between the showerhead 104 and the ESC 103, a chemical species provided, and a deposition time for each of the priming layer deposition operations 706 and 710. The RF power level, the gas flow rate and pressure, the size of the gap G, the chemical species, and the deposition time may be the same or different for the operations 706 and 710. The RF power level, gas flow rate and pressure, size of gap G, chemical species, and deposition time in each repetition of operation 710 may be the same or different for each repetition of the ESC priming method and / or for the cycles leading to operations 702, 704, 705, 706, 708, 709, 710, and 712 for the substrate deposition process set. The priming process parameters may include several priming layers formed during the cycles of operations 706 to 710 for the substrate deposition process set. The number of priming layers may be one or more.

[0063] In 704, the controller 160 controls the operation of the gas supply system 130 to perform a full cleaning process, including removal of any existing and / or remaining primer layer deposits that may have formed. During this operation, the substrate is not placed on the ESC 103. Ammonia (NH 3 ) is provided inside the process chamber 102 .

[0064] In 705, the controller 160 controls either of the gap adjustment systems 210 and 212 to set a gap G between the showerhead 104 and the ESC 103 for the first primer layer. The gap G may be set at a first gap for operation 705, which places the ESC 103 close to the showerhead 104 to primarily cover the ESC 103 and the showerhead 104 with the first primer layer.

[0065] At 706, the controller 160 controls the operation of the gas delivery system 130 and the RF generation system 120 to deposit a first primer layer primarily over the ESC 103 and the showerhead 104. In one embodiment, one or more precursors are introduced into the process chamber 102 to form a dielectric material layer over the ESC 103 and the showerhead 104. The precursors include silane (SiH 4 ), nitrous oxide (N 2 O), nitrogen (N 2 ), and / or other suitable precursors. The dielectric material (or first undercoat) layer may comprise silicon oxide (SiO x ), silicon nitride (SiN x ), silicon oxynitride (SiON), and / or other highly resistive dielectric materials. x may be formed to provide improved coverage. x may be formed to provide a highly resistive undercoat layer. In one embodiment, SiH 4 is N 2 O and N 2 In another embodiment, SiH 4 , N 2 O, and N 2 SiO is introduced. x When the undercoat layer is formed, a high percentage of N, by weight or volume, is added to the total gas volume supplied to the processing chamber 102. 2 The controller 160 may provide N 2 O and N 2 may be adjusted to adjust the resistance and / or smoothness properties of the resulting primer layer.

[0066] In one embodiment, the first undercoat layer is SiO x The next undercoat layer is SiO x In another embodiment, the first undercoat layer is formed of SiO x The next undercoat layer is SiN x It is formed by SiO x SiN x Provides better coverage than SiN x SiO x It has a higher resistance than

[0067] At 708, the controller 160 determines whether another undercoat layer should be formed. If yes, operation 710 is performed, otherwise operation 712 is performed. At 709, the controller 160 controls either of the gap adjustment systems 210 and 212 to set the gap between the showerhead 104 and the ESC 103 for the next undercoat layer. In one embodiment, a total of two undercoat layers are deposited on the chamber components including the ESC 103 and the showerhead 104. A first undercoat layer is deposited at 706 and a second undercoat layer is deposited at 710. The gap G of the second undercoat layer may be larger than the gap G of the first undercoat layer. In one embodiment, the gap G is the same for the first and second undercoat layers. The gap G may be increased for the second undercoat, for example, to cover chamber components other than mainly the ESC 103 and the showerhead 104.

[0068] In another embodiment, three or more undercoat layers are deposited on the chamber part. An example of an ESC including three undercoat layers is shown in FIG. 8. The gap G of the second (or first intermediate) undercoat layer and / or other intermediate undercoat layers may be the same as or different from the gap G of the first undercoat layer. The gap G of the final undercoat layer may be the same as or different from the gap G of the first undercoat layer and the one or more intermediate undercoat layers. In one embodiment, the gap G of the one or more intermediate layers is larger than the gap G of the first undercoat layer. In this example, the gap G of the final undercoat layer is (i) smaller than the gap G of the one or more intermediate layers, and (ii) may be the same as or different from the first undercoat layer. In one embodiment, the gap G is the same for the first undercoat layer, the intermediate undercoat layer, and the final undercoat layer.

[0069] At 710, the controller 160 controls the operation of the gas delivery system 130 to deposit the next primer layer. The next primer layer may be deposited primarily on the ESC 103 and showerhead 104, or may be deposited primarily on other components within the processing chamber 102. In one embodiment, one or more precursors and one or more dielectric material species are introduced into the processing chamber 102. The precursors are SiH 4 , N 2 O, N 2 Each dielectric (or undercoat) layer formed during operation 710 may include SiO x , SiN x , SiON, and / or other high resistivity dielectric materials.

[0070] In one embodiment, a total of two undercoat layers are deposited on the chamber components including the ESC 103 and the showerhead 104. A first undercoat layer is deposited at 706 and a second undercoat layer is deposited at 710. The first undercoat layer is SiO x or SiON, and the second undercoat layer is SiO x and / or SiN x In one embodiment, any of the undercoat layers may be formed of SiO xIn yet another embodiment, both undercoat layers are formed of SiON. In a further embodiment, the first undercoat layer is formed of SiO x and the second undercoat layer is formed of SiON.

[0071] In another embodiment, a total of three or more primer layers are deposited on the chamber components including the ESC 103 and the showerhead 104. A first primer layer is deposited at 706, and a subsequent primer layer is deposited in each iteration of operation 710. The first primer layer is SiO x or SiON, with the subsequent undercoat layer being SiO x , SiN x In another embodiment, all of the undercoat layers may be formed of SiO x or SiON. The gap G of the first and third (or final) formed undercoat layers may be the same or different. The gap G of one or more intermediate undercoat layers may be larger than the gap G of the first and third (or final) formed undercoat layers. The larger gap is primarily related to the formation of undercoat layers on chamber components other than the ESC 103 and showerhead 104, although a thin undercoat layer is formed on the ESC 103 and showerhead 104.

[0072] In one embodiment, the undercoat layer formed during zero or more repetitions of operations 706 and 710 has a total thickness T on the ESC 103. The total thickness may be between a minimum thickness of 7 μm±0.05 μm and a maximum thickness of 15 μm±0.05 μm. In one embodiment, the total thickness T is between 8 and 12 μm. In another embodiment, the total thickness T is between 9 and 11 μm. In another embodiment, the total thickness T is between 7 and 10 μm. In another embodiment, the total thickness T is between 10 and 15 μm. In one embodiment, the total thickness T is 10 μm. The thickness of the formed undercoat layer is the sum of the total thicknesses T.

[0073] In one embodiment, a total thickness is determined and the above operations are controlled by the controller 160 based on the bowing amount of the substrate being processed. Bowing can occur, for example, when the substrate includes multiple stacks formed of different materials. When the substrate is heated, the different materials heat up and / or expand at different rates, which can result in bowing. A substrate formed of a single material, such as silicon, would remain flat and would not bow. The amount of bowing refers to the amount of deflection of the center of the substrate relative to the radially outer edge of the substrate. The amount of bowing is the difference in vertical position between (i) the center of the substrate and (ii) a plane that extends horizontally and contacts the outer edge of the substrate. As an example, the total thickness T of the overall primer layer provided by the primer layer formed during operations 706 and 710 when there is no bowing and / or the amount of bowing is less than a set amount may be 10-15 μm±0.05 μm. As an example, the total thickness T may be 7-12 μm±0.05 μm to provide an increase in electrostatic clamping force when the bow amount is equal to or greater than the set amount. As another example, the set amount may be 3 millimeters (mm), with 0-3 mm being considered a low bow amount and greater than 3 mm being considered a high bow amount. The set amount may be different for different applications (e.g., different substrates, ESCs, etc.).

[0074] The total deposition time for operations 706 and 710 may be 10-30 minutes depending on the thickness of the blanket primer layer. The thicker the blanket primer layer formed, the longer the total deposition time. The deposition time also depends on the gas composition, gas flow rate, and gas pressure.

[0075] At 712, the controller 160 determines the substrate process recipe and process parameters (e.g., RF power levels, gas flow rates and pressures, gas species supplied, sequence and timing of operations performed, etc.), including reactive gases (e.g., propene (C 3 H 6 ) (also called propylene) or acetylene (C 2 H 2)) and one or more inert gases (e.g., argon (Ar), helium (He), and nitrogen (N 2 The deposition layer may be formed of carbon.

[0076] At 714, the controller 160 processes the substrate. Although FIG. 7 shows one deposition process, multiple etching and / or deposition processes may be performed during operation 714. At 714A, the substrate is placed on the ESC 103 and electrostatically clamped to the ESC 103. At 714B, the controller 160 performs a PECVD process to deposit a deposition layer on the substrate. As an example, a carbon layer may be deposited on the substrate. At 714C, the substrate is removed from the processing chamber 102.

[0077] At 716, the controller 160 performs a partial clean process to remove carbon deposits on chamber parts within the processing chamber 102. This includes using oxygen (O 2 ) to remove carbon deposits. Partial cleaning does not remove undercoat deposits and undercoat layers.

[0078] At 718, the controller 160 determines whether another substrate should be processed. If yes, operation 720 is performed, otherwise the method ends at 722. At 720, the controller 160 determines whether a set number (e.g., 100) of substrate deposition processes have been performed. If yes, operation 702 may be performed, otherwise operation 712 may be performed.

[0079] FIG. 8 shows a portion 800 of an ESC 802 that includes three primer layers 804, 806, and 808. Primer layers 804, 806, and 808 have thicknesses T1, T2, and T3, respectively. Primer layers 804, 806, and 808 provide a full primer layer having a total thickness T. Total thickness T may be 7-15 μm ±0.05 μm. Thicknesses T1, T2, and T3 may be different. In one embodiment, thicknesses T1 and T3 are the same, and thickness T3 is less than thicknesses T1 and T3.

[0080] Although three primer layers are shown, ESC 802 may have two or more primer layers. When ESC 802 has two primer layers, the second primer layer may be thinner than the first primer layer. Although a single intermediate primer layer 806 is shown, one or more intermediate primer layers may be formed.

[0081] The embodiments described herein provide an ESC undercoat layer process that includes the formation of an undercoat layer having a thickness and resistivity level that reduces ESC clamping current levels and ESC surface roughness. The ESC undercoat layer process provides a high quality dielectric layer that meets substrate clamping performance requirements while preventing and / or minimizing arcing and cluster defects. The reduction in ESC clamping current is due to the use of AlF x The reduced ESC clamping current level minimizes degradation of the ESC body and reduces degradation of the MCA and other ESC surfaces. The reduced ESC clamping current level includes minimizes degradation of the ESC body and minimizes degradation of the MCA during substrate deposition processing. As a result, the health of the ESC is improved and the life (or service life) of the ESC is extended. A primer layer is formed that is more resistant to fluorine attack, provides improved step coverage, and mechanical and electrical properties for reduced particle formation and arcing.

[0082] The foregoing is merely illustrative in nature and is not intended to limit the disclosure, its application, or uses. The broad teachings of the disclosure may be embodied in various forms. Thus, while the disclosure includes specific examples, other variations will become apparent upon review of the drawings, the specification, and the following claims, and the true scope of the disclosure should not be so limited. It should be understood that one or more steps in a method may be performed in a different order (or simultaneously) without altering the principles of the disclosure. Furthermore, although each embodiment is described above as having certain features, any one or more of those features described with respect to an embodiment of the disclosure may be implemented in other embodiments and / or may be implemented in combination with features of other embodiments (even if the combination is not specified). In other words, the described embodiments are not mutually exclusive, and permutations of one or more embodiments with each other remain within the scope of the disclosure.

[0083] Spatial and functional relationships between elements (e.g., between modules, circuit elements, semiconductor layers, etc.) are described using various terms such as "connected," "engaged," "coupled," "adjacent," "adjacent," "on," "above," "below," and "disposed." When a relationship between a first element and a second element is described in the above disclosure, unless specified as "direct," the relationship may be a direct relationship in which there are no other intervening elements between the first element and the second element, but at the same time, it may be an indirect relationship in which there are one or more intervening elements (spatial or functional) between the first element and the second element. As used herein, the phrase at least one of A, B, and C should be interpreted as meaning a logic (A OR B OR C) using a non-exclusive logical OR, and not as meaning "at least one of A, at least one of B, and at least one of C."

[0084] In some embodiments, the controller is part of a system that may be part of the above examples. Such systems may include semiconductor processing equipment with processing tools, chambers, processing platforms, and / or specific processing components (wafer pedestals, gas flow systems, etc.). These systems may be integrated with electronics for controlling the pre-, during, and post-processing operations of the semiconductor wafer or substrate. This electronics may be referred to as a "controller" and may control various components or subcomponents of the system.

[0085] The controller may be programmed to control any of the processes disclosed herein, including process gas supplies, temperature settings (e.g., heating and / or cooling), pressure settings, vacuum settings, power settings, radio frequency (RF) generator settings, RF matching circuit settings, frequency settings, flow rate settings, fluid supply settings, position motion settings, wafer loading and unloading from the tool and other transport tools and / or load locks connected or coupled to the particular system, depending on the processing requirements and / or type of system.

[0086] In general, a controller may be defined as an electronic device having various integrated circuits, logic, memory, and / or software that receive instructions, issue instructions, control operations, enable cleaning operations, enable endpoint measurements, etc. Integrated circuits may include chips in firmware format that store program instructions, digital signal processors (DSPs), chips defined as application specific integrated circuits (ASICs), and / or one or more microprocessors or microcontrollers that execute program instructions (e.g., software). Program instructions may be instructions communicated to the controller in the form of various personalizations (or program files) that define operational parameters for performing a particular process on or for a semiconductor wafer or for a system. In some embodiments, the operational parameters may be part of a recipe defined by a process engineer to achieve one or more layers, materials, metals, oxides, silicon, silicon dioxide, surfaces, circuits, and / or one or more processing steps in the fabrication of a wafer die.

[0087] In some embodiments, the controller may be part of or connected to a computer that is integrated with or connected to the system, or otherwise networked to the system, or a combination thereof. For example, the controller may be in the "cloud" that allows remote access of wafer processing, or may be all or part of a fab host computer system. The computer may allow remote access to the system to monitor the progress of manufacturing operations, review the history of past fabrication operations, review trends or performance metrics from multiple fabrication operations, and may change parameters of a current process, set up processing steps following a current process, or initiate a new process.

[0088] In some examples, a remote computer (e.g., a server) can provide a process recipe to the system over a network, which may include a local network or the Internet. The remote computer may include a user interface that allows entry or programming of parameters and / or settings that are then communicated from the remote computer to the system. In some examples, the controller receives instructions in the form of data that specify parameters for each of the processing steps to be performed during one or more operations. It should be understood that the parameters may be specific to the type of process to be performed and the type of tool to which the controller is connected or controlled.

[0089] Thus, as described above, the controller may be distributed, for example, by including one or more separate controllers networked together and cooperating toward a common purpose, such as the processes and controls described herein. An example of a controller distributed for such purposes would be one or more integrated circuits of the chamber that are located remotely (e.g., at the platform level or as part of a remote computer) and in combination communicate with one or more integrated circuits that control the process in the chamber.

[0090] Without being limited thereto, example systems may include plasma etch chambers or modules, deposition chambers or modules, spin rinse chambers or modules, metal plating chambers or modules, cleaning chambers or modules, bevel edge etch chambers or modules, physical vapor deposition (PVD) chambers or modules, chemical vapor deposition (CVD) chambers or modules, atomic layer deposition (ALD) chambers or modules, atomic layer etch (ALE) chambers or modules, ion implantation chambers or modules, track chambers or modules, and any other semiconductor processing systems related to or usable in the fabrication and / or manufacturing of semiconductor wafers.

[0091] As described above, depending on the processing steps being performed by the tool, the controller may communicate with one or more of other tool circuits or modules, other tool components, cluster tools, other tool interfaces, adjacent tools, nearby tools, tools installed throughout the factory, a main computer, another controller, or tools used to transport materials to and from tool locations and / or load ports in a semiconductor manufacturing factory.

Claims

1. 1. An electrostatic chuck (ESC) priming system comprising: a memory for storing a primer application; a controller executing the priming application, Determine the undercoat parameters, performing a thorough cleaning process to remove primer deposits in a processing chamber of the substrate processing system; a controller configured to perform one or more deposition processes to deposit one or more primer layers on the ESC based on the primer parameters to provide an overall primer layer having a total thickness of 7-15 μm, the one or more primer layers providing protection for the ESC during subsequent deposition processing of a substrate in the ESC; The ESC undercoat system comprises:

2. 2. The ESC priming system of claim 1, The ESC priming system, wherein the priming parameters include radio frequency power level, gas flow rate, gas flow pressure, gas species, and duration of the deposition process.

3. 2. The ESC priming system of claim 1, The ESC priming system, wherein the priming parameters include a gap size between the electrostatic chuck and a showerhead for each priming layer formed during deposition of the one or more priming layers.

4. 2. The ESC priming system of claim 1, The ESC priming system, wherein the thorough cleaning process includes providing ammonia to the processing chamber.

5. 2. The ESC priming system of claim 1, The one or more undercoat layers are A first undercoat layer; a second primer layer disposed on the first primer layer; ESC Primer System.

6. 6. The ESC priming system of claim 5, The ESC priming system, wherein each of the first priming layer and the second priming layer comprises at least one of silicon oxide and silicon nitride.

7. 6. The ESC priming system of claim 5, the first undercoat layer comprises silicon oxide; The ESC undercoat system, wherein the second undercoat layer comprises silicon nitride or silicon oxynitride.

8. 6. The ESC priming system of claim 5, The ESC priming system, wherein the first priming layer and the second priming layer comprise silicon oxide.

9. 6. The ESC priming system of claim 5, the first undercoat layer comprises silicon oxide or silicon oxynitride; The ESC undercoat system, wherein the second undercoat layer comprises silicon nitride or silicon oxynitride.

10. 6. The ESC priming system of claim 5, The ESC priming system, wherein the second priming layer is thinner than the first priming layer.

11. 6. The ESC priming system of claim 5, The ESC priming system, wherein the controller is configured to set a size of a gap between the ESC and a showerhead to be larger for deposition of the second priming layer than for deposition of the first priming layer.

12. 6. The ESC priming system of claim 5, The ESC priming system, wherein the controller is configured to set a size of a gap between the ESC and a showerhead for deposition of the first priming layer and not change the size of the gap for deposition of the second priming layer.

13. 2. The ESC priming system of claim 1, The one or more undercoat layers are A first undercoat layer; one or more intermediate primer layers disposed on the first primer layer; a final primer layer disposed on the one or more primer layers; ESC Primer System.

14. 14. The ESC priming system of claim 13, the first undercoat layer is formed of silicon oxide or silicon oxynitride; The ESC undercoat system, wherein each of the one or more intermediate undercoat layers and the final undercoat layer is formed of at least one of silicon oxide and silicon nitride.

15. 14. The ESC priming system of claim 13, an ESC priming system, wherein the controller is configured to set a size of a gap between the ESC and a showerhead to be larger for deposition of the one or more intermediate priming layers and / or the final priming layer than for deposition of the first priming layer.

16. 14. The ESC priming system of claim 13, The ESC priming system, wherein the controller is configured to set a size of a gap between the ESC and the showerhead for deposition of the first priming layer and not change the size of the gap for deposition of the one or more intermediate priming layers and the final priming layer.

17. 2. The ESC priming system of claim 1, The ESC priming system, wherein the controller is configured to set the total thickness based on an estimated bowing amount of a substrate being processed.

18. 2. The ESC priming system of claim 1, the controller is configured to introduce one or more precursors to the processing chamber for deposition of the one or more undercoat layers; The one or more precursors are selected from silane, nitrous oxide, and nitrogen.

19. 13. The ESC priming system of claim 1 ; the processing chamber; a gas supply system configured to supply gas to the processing chamber; a radio frequency generating system configured to generate a plasma in the processing chamber; a power supply circuit configured to supply current to the ESC to electrostatically clamp the substrate to the ESC; The controller: controlling the gas supply system and the radio frequency generating system to deposit the one or more undercoat layers on the ESC; A substrate processing system configured to perform the deposition processing of the substrate on the ESC following formation of the one or more priming layers on the ESC.

20. 1. A method for forming a blanket undercoat layer on an electrostatic chuck (ESC), comprising: determining priming parameters; performing a thorough cleaning process to remove primer deposits in a processing chamber of the substrate processing system; performing one or more deposition processes to deposit one or more primer layers on the ESC based on the primer parameters to provide the blanket primer layer having a total thickness of 7-15 μm, the one or more primer layers providing protection for the ESC during subsequent deposition processing of substrates in the ESC; A method comprising:

21. 21. The method of claim 20, The method, wherein the priming parameters include radio frequency power level, gas flow rate, gas flow pressure, gas species, and duration of the deposition process.

22. 21. The method of claim 20, The method, wherein the undercoat parameters include a gap size between the electrostatic chuck and a showerhead for each undercoat layer formed during deposition of the one or more undercoat layers.

23. 21. The method of claim 20, The method, wherein the thorough cleaning process includes providing ammonia to the processing chamber.

24. 21. The method of claim 20, The one or more undercoat layers are A first undercoat layer; a second primer layer disposed on the first primer layer; A method comprising:

25. 25. The method of claim 24, The method, wherein the first priming layer and the second priming layer each comprise at least one of silicon oxide and silicon nitride.

26. 25. The method of claim 24, The method, wherein the first priming layer and the second priming layer comprise silicon oxide.

27. 25. The method of claim 24, the first undercoat layer comprises silicon oxide or silicon oxynitride; The method of claim 1, wherein the second priming layer comprises silicon nitride or silicon oxynitride.

28. 25. The method of claim 24, the first undercoat layer comprises silicon oxide; The method of claim 1, wherein the second priming layer comprises silicon nitride or silicon oxynitride.

29. 25. The method of claim 24, The method, wherein the second priming layer is thinner than the first priming layer.

30. 25. The method of claim 24, further comprising: setting a size of a gap between the electrostatic chuck and a showerhead to be larger for deposition of the second priming layer than for deposition of the first priming layer.

31. 25. The method of claim 24, further comprising: setting a size of a gap between the electrostatic chuck and a showerhead for deposition of the first undercoat layer and not changing the size of the gap for deposition of the second undercoat layer.

32. 21. The method of claim 20, The one or more undercoat layers are A first undercoat layer; one or more intermediate primer layers disposed on the first primer layer; a final primer layer disposed on the one or more intermediate primer layers; A method comprising:

33. 33. The method of claim 32, the first undercoat layer is formed of silicon oxide or silicon oxynitride; The method, wherein each of the one or more intermediate priming layers and the final priming layer is formed of at least one of silicon oxide and silicon nitride.

34. 33. The method of claim 32 further comprising: setting a size of a gap between the electrostatic chuck and a showerhead to be larger for deposition of the one or more intermediate undercoat layers and / or the final undercoat layer than for deposition of the first undercoat layer.

35. 33. The method of claim 32 further comprising: setting a size of a gap between the electrostatic chuck and a showerhead for deposition of the first undercoat layer, and not changing the size of the gap for deposition of the one or more intermediate undercoat layers and the final undercoat layer.

36. 21. The method of claim 20 further comprising: selecting the total thickness based on an estimated amount of bowing of a substrate being processed.

37. 21. The method of claim 20 further comprising:

11. A method comprising: introducing one or more precursors into the process chamber for deposition of the one or more undercoat layers, the one or more precursors being selected from silane, nitrous oxide, and nitrogen.

38. A method according to claim 20; providing a current to the ESC to electrostatically clamp the substrate to the ESC; controlling a gas supply system and a radio frequency generating system to deposit the one or more undercoat layers on the ESC; performing the deposition process of the substrate on the ESC following formation of the one or more undercoat layers on the ESC; A method of depositing a substrate comprising:

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