Chemical vapor deposition-enhanced atomic layer deposition

Abstract

Examples are disclosed that relate to chemical-vapor-deposition-(CVD)-enhanced atomic layer deposition (ALD) processes. In one example, a method of operating a processing tool comprises performing a plurality of deposition cycles. Each deposition cycle comprises, in a first dose phase, introducing a film precursor and a reactant into a processing chamber of the processing tool in the absence of a plasma to adsorb the precursor on a substrate in the processing chamber. Each deposition cycle further comprises, in a second dose phase, ceasing introduction of the film precursor while continuing introduction of the reactant into the processing chamber, and forming a deposition plasma to form a film layer on the substrate. Each deposition cycle further comprises, in a densification phase, forming a densification plasma to densify the film layer.

Description

CHEMICAL VAPOR DEPOSITION-ENHANCED ATOMIC LAYERDEPOSITIONBACKGROUND

[0001] Electronic device fabrication involves many steps of material deposition, patterning, and removal to form integrated circuits on substrates. Various methods can be used to deposit films on substrates. For example, atomic layer deposition (ALD) can be used to form a film on a substrate in a layer-by-layer manner using one or more ALD cycles. An ALD cycle comprises a dose phase and a conversion phase. In the dose phase, a film precursor is adsorbed to a substrate surface in a selflimiting reaction. The processing chamber is purged. Then, in the conversion phase, the adsorbed film precursor is chemically converted to a film layer. Additional cycles can be used to deposit additional layers to form a thicker film.

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

[0003] This Summary is provided to introduce a selection of concepts in a simplified form that are further described below in the Detailed Description. This Summary is not intended to identify key features or essential features of the claimed subject matter, nor is it intended to be used to limit the scope of the claimed subject matter. Furthermore, the claimed subject matter is not limited to implementations that solve any or all disadvantages noted in any part of this disclosure.

[0004] Examples are disclosed that relate to a chemical-vapor-deposition- (CVD)-enhanced atomic layer deposition (ALD) process. One example provides a method of operating a processing tool. The method comprises performing a plurality of deposition cycles. Each deposition cycle comprises, in a first dose phase, introducing a film precursor and a reactant into a processing chamber of the processing tool in the absence of a plasma to adsorb the precursor on a substrate in the processing chamber.Each deposition cycle further comprises, in a second dose phase, ceasing introduction of the film precursor while continuing introduction of the reactant into the processing chamber, and forming a deposition plasma to form a film layer on the substrate. Each deposition cycle further comprises, in a densification phase, forming a densification plasma to densify the film layer.

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

[0006] Additionally or alternatively, in some such examples, the method comprises ceasing introduction of the inert gas in the densification phase.

[0007] Additionally or alternatively, in some such examples, forming the deposition plasma comprises forming a lower energy plasma than the densification plasma.

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

[0009] Additionally or alternatively, in some such examples, the method comprises pre-charging a silicon-containing precursor delivery line with the silicon- containing precursor during the densification phase before a dose phase of a next deposition cycle.

[0010] Additionally or alternatively, in some such examples, forming the film layer comprises forming a film layer that fills a gap in a surface of the substrate, wherein the film layer comprises a dent.

[0011] Additionally or alternatively, in some such examples, the method comprises performing a wet etching process after the plurality of deposition cycles.

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

[0013] Additionally or alternatively, in some such examples, the method comprises sputtering the film layer on the substrate to modify a shape of the dent.

[0014] Additionally or alternatively, in some such examples, sputtering the film layer comprises one or more of sputtering the film layer between two or more of theplurality of deposition cycles or sputtering the film layer after the plurality of deposition cycles.

[0015] Additionally or alternatively, in some such examples, forming the film layer comprises depositing the film layer at a rate of greater than or equal to 2.5 Angstroms per cycle.

[0016] Additionally or alternatively, in some such examples, forming the film layer comprises forming a film layer with a nonuniformity (NU) of less than or equal to 2%.

[0017] Additionally or alternatively, in some such examples, forming the densification plasma comprises forming a pulsed plasma.

[0018] Another example provides a processing tool. The processing tool comprises a processing chamber. The processing tool further comprises a substrate support disposed in the processing chamber. The processing tool further comprises flow control hardware configured to control flows of a film precursor and a reactant into the processing chamber. The processing tool further comprises a radiofrequency (RF) power source operable to form a plasma in the processing chamber. The processing tool further comprises a controller configured to control the flow control hardware and the RF power source to perform a plurality of deposition cycles. The controller is configured to, during each deposition cycle, in a first dose phase, control the flow control hardware to introduce the film precursor and the reactant into the processing chamber in the absence of the plasma to adsorb the precursor on a substrate in the processing chamber. The controller is further configured to, in a second dose phase, control the flow control hardware to cease introduction of the film precursor and to continue introduction of the reactant into the processing chamber, and to control the RF power source to form a deposition plasma to thereby form a film layer on the substrate. The controller is further configured to, in a densification phase, control the flow control hardware to continue the introduction of the reactant into the processing chamber, and control the RF power source to form a densification plasma.

[0019] In some such examples, the controller is further configured to control the flow control hardware and the RF power source to sputter the film layer on the substrate to modify a shape of a dent in the film layer.

[0020] Additionally or alternatively, in some such examples, the controller is configured to control the flow control hardware and the RF power source to one or moreof sputter the film layer between two or more of the plurality of deposition cycles, or sputter the film layer after the plurality of deposition cycles.

[0021] Additionally or alternatively, in some such examples, the deposition plasma has a lower energy than the densification plasma.

[0022] Another example provides a processing tool. The processing tool comprises a processing chamber. The processing tool further comprises flow control hardware configured to control flows of a film precursor and a reactant into the processing chamber. The processing tool further comprises a radiofrequency (RF) power source operable to form a plasma in the processing chamber. The processing tool further comprises a controller configured to control the flow control hardware and the RF power source to perform a plurality of deposition cycles. The controller is configured to, during each deposition cycle, in a first dose phase, control the flow control hardware to introduce the film precursor and the reactant into the processing chamber in the absence of a plasma to adsorb the precursor on a substrate in the processing chamber. The controller is further configured to, in a second dose phase, control the flow control hardware to cease introduction of the film precursor and to continue introduction of the reactant into the processing chamber, and to control the RF power source to form a deposition plasma to thereby form a film layer on the substrate. The controller is further configured to, in a densification phase, control the flow control hardware to continue the introduction of the reactant into the processing chamber, and control the RF power source to form a densification plasma. The controller is further configured to, in a sputtering phase, control the flow control hardware and the RF power source to sputter the film layer on the substrate to modify a shape of a dent in the film layer.

[0023] In some such examples, the controller is further configured to control the flow control hardware and the RF power source to one or more of sputter the film layer between two or more of the plurality of deposition cycles, or sputter the film layer after the plurality of deposition cycles.BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0024] FIG. 1 schematically shows an example processing tool.

[0025] FIG. 2 shows a table depicting an example method of performing CVD- enhanced ALD cycles.

[0026] FIGS. 3A-3F schematically illustrate formation of a film layer by an example CVD-enhanced ALD process.

[0027] FIGS. 4A-4D show various intermediate structures formed during an example CVD-enhanced ALD gapfill process.

[0028] FIGS. 5A-5B show a flow diagram depicting an example method of operating a processing tool.

[0029] FIG. 6 shows a schematic diagram of an example computing system.DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0030] The term “atomic layer deposition” (ALD) generally represents a process in which a film is formed on a substrate in individual film layers by sequential ALD cycles. An ALD cycle comprises a dose phase and a conversion phase. In the dose phase, a film precursor is adsorbed to a substrate surface in a self-limiting reaction. The processing chamber is purged. Then, in the conversion phase, the adsorbed film precursor is chemically converted to a film layer. Examples of ALD processes comprise plasma-enhanced ALD (PEALD) and thermal ALD (TALD). PEALD and TALD respectively utilize a plasma of a reactive gas and heat to facilitate a chemical conversion of a film precursor adsorbed to a substrate to a film on the substrate. The terms “growth”, “deposition”, and variants thereof, also can be used to refer to film formation.

[0031] The term “chemical vapor deposition” (CVD) generally represents a process in which a film is formed on a substrate by directing a flow of one or more film precursor gases over the substrate surface under conditions configured to cause the chemical conversion of the one or more film precursor gases to the film. The term “plasma-enhanced chemical-vapor deposition” (PECVD) generally represents a CVD process in which a plasma is used to facilitate the chemical conversion of one or more film precursor gases to a solid phase film on a substrate.

[0032] The term “chemical vapor deposition-enhanced atomic layer deposition” (CVD-enhanced ALD) generally represents a deposition process in which excess film precursor that is present in a processing chamber after adsorbing the film precursor to a substrate in a dose phase is reacted with a reactant to form film thickness beyond that formed by the adsorbed precursor.

[0033] The term “densification phase” generally represents a portion of a process cycle comprising exposing a film to a plasma to increase a density of a film layer.

[0034] The term “dent” generally represents a recessed feature in a deposited film that forms in the film due to an underlying recess.

[0035] The term “dent angle” generally represents an angle between dent sides.

[0036] The term “dent depth” generally represents a height between a plane of a film surface outside of a dent and a bottom of the dent.

[0037] The term “etching process” generally represents a process by which material is removed from a substrate. The term “wet etching process” generally represents an etching process in which a liquid phase etching solution is used to remove material from a substrate.

[0038] The term “first dose phase” generally represents a portion of a process cycle in which one or more film precursors are introduced into a processing chamber in the absence of a plasma. The term “second dose phase” generally represents a portion of a process cycle in which both adsorbed and unadsorbed film precursor in a processing chamber is converted to a film layer on a substrate using a plasma.

[0039] The term “film” generally represents a layer of material deposited on a substrate.

[0040] The term “film precursor” generally represents a chemical that can be chemically transformed to form a film. The chemical transformation can occur by reaction with a reactant.

[0041] The term “flow control hardware” generally represents components configured to place one or more chemical sources in fluid connection with a processing chamber.

[0042] The term “gap” generally represents a recessed feature in a substrate.

[0043] The term “gapfill” generally represents filling of a gap with a deposited film.

[0044] The term “nonuniformity” (NU) generally represents a measure of deviation in thickness of a film.

[0045] The term “plasma” generally represents an ionized gas.

[0046] The term “pre-charging” generally represents introduction of a processing chemical into a delivery line before a process cycle that uses the processing chemical.

[0047] The term “processing chamber” generally represents an enclosure in which chemical and / or physical processes are performed on substrates.

[0048] The term “processing tool” generally represents a machine comprising a processing chamber and other hardware configured to enable processing to be carried out in the processing chamber.

[0049] The term “purge” generally represents processes in which unwanted species are removed from a processing chamber by flowing a gas through the processing chamber combined with exhausting gases out of the processing chamber.

[0050] The term “reactant” generally represents a chemical species configured to facilitate a chemical conversion of a film precursor into a film. Example reactants include oxidants that can react with a film precursor to form an oxide film. Example oxidants comprise molecular oxygen, water vapor, hydrogen peroxide, nitrous oxide, and ozone.

[0051] The term “sputtering” and variants thereof generally represent processes in which ions in a plasma are accelerated toward a substrate with sufficient kinetic energy to cause at least some substrate material to be ejected from the substrate upon collision with the substrate.

[0052] The term “sputtering phase” generally represents a portion of a process cycle in which a film on a substrate is exposed to energized ions that remove some of the film by transfer of kinetic energy.

[0053] The term “substrate” generally represents any object on which a film can be deposited.

[0054] The term “substrate support” generally represents a structure for supporting a substrate in a processing chamber.

[0055] As described above, various methods can be used to deposit films of materials in integrated circuit manufacturing processes. For example, atomic layer deposition (ALD) can be used to form a film on a substrate in a layer-by-layer manner using a plurality of cycles, wherein each cycle forms a film layer. Plasma-enhanced ALD (PEALD) utilizes a plasma to help drive the chemical reactions that form the film. In an example PEALD cycle, a film precursor is adsorbed to a surface of a substrate in a processing chamber. Next, excess film precursor is purged from the processing chamber. Then, a reactant is introduced into the processing chamber in the presence of a plasma. The plasma forms reactive species from the reactant. The reactive species react with the adsorbed film precursor to form the desired film on the substrate. Then,the processing chamber is again purged before the film precursor is again introduced. The layer-by-layer deposition allows the formation of conformal films in a highly controllable manner.

[0056] However, PEALD processes can have deposition rates that are unsuitably low for some applications, such as for some gapfill processes. Reducing purge times and / or increasing radiofrequency (RF) power for a PEALD process can result in greater throughput than for the PEALD process without such changes. However, PEALD films deposited under such conditions can exhibit higher nonuniformity compared to films deposited without such changes.

[0057] Plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposition (PECVD) can provide for higher deposition rates than PEALD. As such, PECVD can be considered for use where the throughput of a PEALD process is unsuitably low. However, PECVD-deposited films can be less dense than PEALD-deposited films. Thus, films deposited by PECVD can perform differently in some downstream processes, such as a wet etch process, compared to films deposited by PEALD.

[0058] For example, when performing a PECVD gapfill process to fill a gap with a material such as a dielectric, a dent can form in the gapfill film at a location over the gap. A subsequent wet etching process performed on the gapfill film deposited by PECVD can result in the formation of a steeper angle between sides of the dent compared to performing the wet etching process on a similar film deposited by PEALD. This can be due at least in part to the lower density of the PECVD-deposited film. The steeper angle can cause difficulties in later processes.

[0059] Accordingly, examples are disclosed that relate to depositing a film using a CVD-enhanced ALD process comprising a plurality of CVD-enhanced ALD cycles. The disclosed examples can provide higher throughput than ALD without CVD enhancement. In addition, the disclosed examples can provide for higher wet-etch performance than films of a same composition deposited by CVD.

[0060] Briefly, each CVD-enhanced ALD cycle comprises a first dose phase, a second dose phase, and a densification phase. In the first dose phase, a film precursor and a reactant are introduced into a processing chamber in the absence of a plasma to adsorb the film precursor on a substrate in the processing chamber. In the second dose phase, and prior to purging of the processing chamber, introduction of the film precursor is ceased while continuing introduction of the reactant into the processing chamber. Further, a deposition plasma is formed in the processing chamber in thesecond dose phase. The deposition plasma converts adsorbed film precursor to the desired film on the substrate. Further, the deposition plasma also converts at least some unadsorbed film precursor in the processing chamber to the film material in a CVD- like process. This provides higher film growth rates on the substrate compared to the use of an ALD in which the film precursor is adsorbed to the substrate in the absence of any reactant, and in which the processing chamber is purged of excess film precursor prior to forming a plasma with the reactant.

[0061] The disclosed examples further comprise, after the first dose phase and the second dose phase, performing a densification phase. The densification phase comprises forming a densification plasma to densify the film layer by bombarding the film with reactant ions. The densified film can provide higher performance in a subsequent process (e.g. a wet etching process) than a film deposited without a densification phase. The disclosed examples of CVD-enhanced ALD can result in an increase in the deposition rate while maintaining a desired wet etch performance compared to an ALD-deposited film.

[0062] Further, in some examples, sputtering can be performed on the film during or after one or more of the CVD-enhanced ALD cycles. The sputtering can be performed in-situ in the deposition tool used for the CVD-enhanced ALD process. Sputtering can be used to shape one or more film layers formed by the CVD-enhanced ALD process. Sputtering can be performed by bombarding the film with inert gas ions of sufficient energy to remove substrate material from the substrate surface. Sputtering can be used, for example, to produce a shallower angle between sides of a dent compared to a film formed without intermediate or post-deposition sputtering.

[0063] FIG. 1 schematically shows an example processing tool 100 that can be used to perform CVD-enhanced ALD, including in-situ sputtering. The processing tool 100 comprises a processing chamber 102. The processing chamber 102 comprises at least one processing station 104. The processing station 104 comprises a substrate support 106 for supporting a substrate 108. In some examples, the substrate support 106 comprises a substrate heater 110 configured to heat the substrate 108. In other examples, the substrate heater 110 can be omitted.

[0064] The processing station 104 further comprises a processing chemical outlet 112. In the depicted example, the processing chemical outlet 112 comprises a showerhead for directing a processing chemical across an area of substrate 108. In otherexamples, the processing station 104 alternatively or additionally comprises a nozzle or other processing chemical outlet structure.

[0065] The processing tool 100 further comprises a film precursor sources 118. The film precursor source 118 can take any suitable form. In some examples, the film precursor source can comprise a compressed gas. In other examples, the film precursor source can comprise a condensed phase film precursor that is vaporized for delivery to a processing chamber. FIG. 1 shows an example film precursor source in the form of an ampoule 116 configured to hold a condensed phase film precursor. In some examples, the ampoule 116 comprises a silicon-containing precursor. In other examples, a gas-phase silicon-containing precursor can be used. The term “silicon- containing precursor” generally represents any compound that can be introduced into a processing chamber to form a silicon-containing film on the substrate. Example silicon- containing films include silicon oxide, silicon nitride, silicon oxynitride, silicon carbide, silicon oxycarbide, silicon carbonitride, and silicon oxycarbonitride. Example silicon-containing precursors for forming silicon-containing films using CVD can comprise materials having the general structure:i _mmmwhere Ri, R2 and R3 can be the same or different substituents. In various examples, Ri, R2, and R3 can include silanes, siloxy groups, amines, halides, hydrogen, or organic groups such as alkylamines, alkoxy, alkyl, alkenyl, alkynyl, and cyclic groups (such as aromatic groups).

[0066] Example silicon-containing precursors include silane and polysilanes, such as disilane, trisilane, and tetrasilane, and trisilylamine. Silane-based precursors can include partially and substituted variants of silane and polysilanes.

[0067] In some examples, the silicon-containing precursor is an alkoxysilane. Example alkoxysilanes include tetramethoxysilane (TMOS), diethoxymethylsilane (DEMS), di ethoxy silane (DES), dimethoxymethylsilane, dimethoxysilane (DMOS), methyl-diethoxysilane (MDES), methyl-dimethoxysilane (MDMS), t-butoxydisilane, triethoxysilane (TES), and trimethoxysilane (TMS or TriMOS).

[0068] In some examples, the silicon-containing precursor is a siloxane. Siloxanes include materials having Si-O-Si linkages. Example siloxanes include octamethylcyclotetrasiloxane (OMCTS), octamethoxydodecasiloxane (OMODDS), and tetramethylcyclotetrasiloxane (TMCTS).

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

[0070] More specific examples of silicon-containing precursors include tetraethylorthosilicate (TEOS), methylsilane, trimethylsilane (3MS), ethylsilane, butasilanes, pentasilanes, octasilanes, heptasilane, hexasilane, cyclobutasilane, cycloheptasilane, cyclohexasilane, cyclooctasilane, cyclopentasilane, 1,4-dioxa- 2,3,5,6-tetrasilacyclohexane, triethoxysiloxane (TRIES), and tetraoxymethylcyclotetrasiloxane (TOMCTS).

[0071] The ampoule 116 comprises a flow-over vapor (FOV) gas inlet 122. The FOV gas inlet 122 is configured to flow a carrier gas from a carrier gas source 124 into the ampoule 116. The FOV gas inlet 122 can include a mass flow controller for controlling the flow of the carrier gas. The ampoule 116 further comprises a FOV gas outlet 126. When a carrier gas is flowed through ampoule 116, the carrier gas flows over the surface of the film precursor and draws vapor of the film precursor through FOV gas outlet 126. Example carrier gases include nitrogen, argon, helium, neon, krypton, and xenon. In other examples, other methods than FOV can be used to vaporize a liquid-phase film precursor for delivery to a processing chamber.

[0072] The processing tool 100 further comprises a reactant source 128 configured to supply a reactant into the processing chamber 102. In some examples, the reactant comprises an oxidant. Example oxidants include oxygen, ozone, hydrogen peroxide, water, and nitrous oxide. In some examples, hydrogen can be included as an additional reactant source. Including a flow of hydrogen along with the oxidant can facilitate the formation of an oxide film.

[0073] The processing tool 100 optionally comprises an inert gas source 132. The inert gas source 132 is configured to supply an inert gas, for example, to use as a plasma gas and / or a purge gas. Examples of inert gases include argon, helium, neon, krypton, and xenon. Nitrogen also can be used as an inert gas in some examples, such as for processes not involving a plasma (e.g. a purge process).

[0074] The processing tool 100 further comprises flow control hardware 120 that controllably delivers processing chemical flows to the processing station 104 from the film precursor source 118, the reactant source 128, and / or the inert gas source 132. The flow control hardware 120 is operable to selectively direct a flow of one or more processing chemicals received from respective processing chemical source(s) between a dose path fluidly coupled with the processing station 104 or a divert path fluidly coupled with exhaust system 131.

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

[0076] The RF power source 144 can be configured for any suitable frequency and power. Examples of suitable frequencies include 400 kHz, 13.56 MHz, 27MHz, 60Mz, and 90MHz. Examples of suitable powers include powers between 0 and 6500 watts. In some examples, the RF power source 144 is configured to operate at a plurality of different frequencies and / or powers. In some such examples, a plasma can be formed with a first, higher frequency RF power component and a second, lower frequency RF power component. The second, lower frequency RF power component can be used to enhance ion energies for use in densification and / or sputtering compared to a plasma that omits the lower frequency RF component.

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

[0078] For example, the controller 148 is configured to operate substrate heater 110 to heat the substrate heater 110 to a selected temperature. The controller 148 also can be configured to raise and lower substrate support 106 to adjust the spacing between substrate 108 and processing chemical outlet 112. The controller 148 is also configured to operate flow control hardware 120 to flow a selected gas or mixture of gases at a selected rate into processing chamber 102. The controller 148 is further configured to operate exhaust system 131 to remove gases from processing chamber 102. The controller 148 is further configured to operate flow control hardware 120 and exhaust system 131 to control a pressure inside processing chamber 102. Furthermore, the controller 148 is configured to operate RF power source 144 to form a plasma to react film precursor and reactant to form a film. The controller 148 is also configured to operate RF power source 144 to form a plasma or plasmas to densify and optionally sputter the film, as well as to control any other suitable functions of the processing tool 100. The controller 148 can comprise any suitable computing system, examples of which are described below with reference to FIG. 6.

[0079] FIG. 2 shows a table 200 depicting an example method of operating a processing tool to perform a CVD-enhanced ALD cycle. The method represented by table 200 can be used to operate the processing tool 100 of FIG. 1. FIGS. 3A-3F schematically illustrate evolution of a film layer deposited according to table 200. In table 200, the terms “outlet” or “process” indicate that a processing chemical is introduced into a processing chamber. In some such examples, introducing the processing chemical into the processing chamber comprises flowing a gaseous form of the processing chemical into the processing chamber. The terms “divert” or “bypass” indicate that the processing chemical is not directed into the processing chamber.

[0080] The CVD-enhanced ALD cycle comprises a first dose phase 202 (“Dose 1”). During the first dose phase 202, a film precursor, an inert gas, and a reactant are introduced into the processing chamber in the absence of a plasma, as indicated by the absence of text in the RF on / off row of table 200. FIGS. 3A-3F are shown in highly schematic form for clarity, and are not to scale.

[0081] FIG. 3A schematically shows a cross-sectional view of an example processing chamber environment 300. FIG.3A also illustrates a highly magnified view of a substrate 302 positioned therein, prior to the first dose phase. As described in more detail below with reference to FIG. 3E, the substrate 302 comprises a gap 318. FIG. 3B illustrates the processing chamber 300 in the first dose phase of the CVD-enhancedALD cycle. Processing chemicals introduced to the processing chamber 300 are indicated schematically by legend 305. A film precursor is shown schematically at 304, and a reactant is shown schematically at 306. An inert gas is shown schematically at 309. In some examples, the film precursor 304 comprises a Si-containing precursor. The Si-containing precursor can be oxidized by reactant to form a silicon oxide (e.g., silicon dioxide) film. Example Si-containing precursors include those listed above with regard to FIG. 1.

[0082] The film precursor 304 adsorbs to a surface of the substrate 302 in a selflimiting reaction. Excess film precursor 304 is present in a gas phase above the substrate 302. As described below, both adsorbed film precursor 304 and excess vapor-phase film precursor 304 are used to form a film layer in a second dose phase. Reactant 306 can comprise an oxidant. Oxidation of the film precursor 304 results in deposition of an oxide film on the substrate 302. Example oxidants include oxygen, water vapor, hydrogen peroxide, nitrous oxide, and ozone. In some examples, two or more oxidants can be used together. In some examples, a nitrogen-containing reactant source can be used to deposit a nitride film on substrate 302. Example nitrogen-containing reactants can include ammonia and molecular nitrogen.

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

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

[0085] Referring again to FIG. 2, each CVD-enhanced ALD cycle further comprises a second dose phase 204 (“Dose2”). In the second dose phase, the film precursor flow to the processing chamber is ceased by diverting the film precursor flow. Inert gas and reactant flows are continued into the processing chamber. Further, RF power is turned on to form a plasma. A relatively lower power plasma can be used for the RF power for the second dose phase, as indicated at 206 and described below.

[0086] FIG. 3C illustrates the processing chamber 300 in the second dose phase. In FIG. 3C, the introduction of the film precursor 304 is ceased. Further, reactants 306,308 and inert gas 309 continue to be introduced into the processing chamber 300. Continued flow of the reactants 306, 308 and the inert gas 309 can prevent pattern wafer loading issues. Additionally, as illustrated in FIG. 3C, the RF power source is activated in the second dose phase to form a deposition plasma 312. The deposition plasma 312 facilitates reaction between the film precursor 304 and the reactants 306, 308 to form a film layer 314 on the substrate 302.

[0087] In contrast to PEALD, the processing chamber 300 is not purged prior to the formation of the deposition plasma 312. Instead, unadsorbed film precursor 304 remains in the processing chamber 300 after the introduction of the film precursor 304 is ceased. The presence of the additional quantity of the film precursor 304 allows the film layer 314 to grow beyond a thickness that would be formed by the adsorbed layer of the film precursor 304. Thus, the additional quantity of the film precursor 304 allows a deposition similar to PECVD to add to the thickness of the film layer. This is illustrated schematically at 316A and 316B in FIGS. 3B-3C.

[0088] The conversion of unadsorbed precursor to film in the second dose phase provides higher film growth rates compared to the use of PEALD in which excess precursor in the processing chamber is purged before conversion. In some examples, the film layer 314 can be formed at a rate of greater than or equal to 2.5 Angstroms per cycle. Film growth terminates after a quantity of unadsorbed film precursor is consumed. Thus, controlling an amount of unadsorbed precursor in the processing chamber can provide control over the film layer thickness.

[0089] As described below, a plasma can be used to densify a deposited film layer. In such examples, the deposition plasma 312 can comprise a lower power RF energy than the densification plasma. In some examples, the RF energy for the deposition plasma comprises a power in a range of 0.1 - 1 kW. The deposition plasma can additionally or alternatively comprise a frequency in a range of 5 - 30 MHz. The use of a lower power RF energy forms a less directional and less energetic plasma than a higher energy plasma.

[0090] In some examples, as indicated at 208, the processing chamber can be purged after the second dose phase 204. FIG. 3D illustrates an example purge process after the deposition of the film layer 314 in FIG. 3C. During the post-deposition purge, the RF energy is turned off. The reactants 306, 308 and the inert gas 309 are flowed through the processing chamber to flush any other precursor gases remaining after the second dose phase.

[0091] Referring again to FIG. 2, in some examples, a densification phase 210 follows the first dose phase 202, the second dose phase 204, and the post-deposition purge 208. In the densification phase 210, the reactant and the inert gas continue to be introduced into the processing chamber. The film precursor 304 is not introduced during the densification phase. Furthermore, the RF power source is activated to form a densification plasma. FIG. 3E illustrates processing chamber 300 in the densification phase. A densification plasma 322 is formed above the film layer 314. Ion bombardment 324 of reactant ions using the densification plasma 322 increases the density of the film layer 314.

[0092] In some examples, the densification plasma 322 can be formed by applying RF energy with a power in a range of 0.1 - 2 kW. As indicated at 212 of FIG. 2, in some examples, the densification plasma can comprise a higher energy plasma compared to the lower energy 206 of the deposition plasma. The use of a higher energy densification plasma 322 results in more ion bombardment with reactant species than occurs in the deposition plasma 312. This helps to increase a density of the film layer 314. The RF energy can be configured for any suitable frequency. Examples of suitable frequencies include 400 kHz, 13.56 MHz, 27MHz, 60Mz, and 90MHz. Additionally, in some examples, a lower frequency RF energy component can also be used in combination with a higher frequency RF energy component to form the densification plasma 322. The use of the lower frequency RF frequency along with the higher frequency RF component can increase an energy of ion bombardment on the substrate relative to the omission of the lower frequency RF energy component.

[0093] In the example of FIGS. 3A-3E, the film layer 314 fills a gap 318 in a surface of the substrate 302. This results in formation of a dent 320 in the film layer 314.

[0094] In some examples, the densification plasma 322 can be pulsed. The use of a pulsed plasma can result in a smoother film layer morphology than the use of a non-pulsed plasma in some examples. The densification plasma can be pulsed with any suitable duty cycle. Examples include duty cycles within a range of 10% - 90%.

[0095] Referring again to FIG. 2, the densification phase further comprises precharging a film precursor delivery line, as indicated at 214. During the pre-charging portion 214 of the densification phase, the film precursor is introduced into the film precursor delivery line while the densification phase 210 is ongoing. This primes the precursor delivery line before initiating a next first dose phase 202. It will also beappreciated that the pre-charging can be omitted when the CVD-enhanced ALD cycle is not repeated.

[0096] In some examples, the CVD-enhanced ALD cycle further comprises an RF purge phase 216. During the RF purge phase 216, the RF energy is deactivated. This results in stopping the densification plasma (e.g., the densification plasma 322 of FIG. 3E). The flow of the reactant 306 and the additional reactant(s) 308 continues. This helps to remove reactive species from the processing chamber 300. Furthermore, the film precursor continues to be introduced into the film precursor delivery line. This enables the film precursor delivery line to be primed before repeating the CVD- enhanced ALD cycle.

[0097] In some examples, the CVD-enhanced ALD process optionally includes a sputtering phase. In the sputtering phase, the inert gas 309 is introduced into the processing chamber environment 300. The film precursor 304, the reactant 306, and the additional reactant(s) 308 are not introduced. Furthermore, the RF power source is activated to form a sputtering plasma 328. Ion bombardment 330 of ions from the sputtering plasma 328 can remove and / or relocate portions of the film layer 314. This can modify a shape of the dent 320 in the film layer 314. In the example of FIG. 3F, this causes edges 326A, 326B of the dent 320 have a shallower slope than the edges of the dent 320 shown in FIG. 3E.

[0098] FIGS. 4A-4D show various intermediate structures formed during an example CVD-enhanced ALD gapfill process. The example CVD-enhanced ALD gapfill process comprises a plurality of CVD-enhanced ALD cycles. Each CVD- enhanced ALD cycle can proceed as described above with reference to FIGS. 2 and 3 A- 3F. The structures of FIGS. 4A-4D are schematically depicted for clarity and may not be shown to scale.

[0099] FIG. 4A schematically illustrates a film layer 402. The film layer 402 is formed on substrate 404 by one or more CVD-enhanced ALD cycles. As illustrated in FIG. 4A, the film layer 402 partially fills a gap 406 on the substrate 404. The film layer 402 further comprises a dent 408 over the gap 406. The film layer 402 conforms more closely to the gap 406 than a thicker film layer resulting from additional cycles of deposition. Accordingly, the dent 408 has steeper and more pronounced sidewalls 410A, 410B than a corresponding dent formed in the thicker film layer.

[0100] In some examples, the gap 406 has a width 412 in a range of 100-10,000 Angstroms. In some more specific examples, the width 412 is in a range of 500-5,000Angstroms. In further more specific examples, the width 412 is in a range of 1,000- 2,000 Angstroms. In some examples, the gap 406 has a depth 414 in a range of 100- 10,000 Angstroms. In some more specific examples, the depth 414 is in a range of 500- 5,000 Angstroms. In further more specific examples, the depth 414 is in a range of 500- 1,000 Angstroms. In yet other examples, the gap can have a width outside of this range.

[0101] FIG. 4B schematically illustrates the film layer 402 after one or more additional CVD-enhanced ALD cycles. The film layer 402 is thicker in the example of FIG. 4B than in FIG. 4A. The film layer 402 also more thoroughly fills the gap 406 than the film layer 402 in FIG. 4A. In this manner, the sidewalls 410A, 410B have at least partially shallower slopes. Accordingly, the dent 408 is less pronounced after the one or more additional CVD-enhanced ALD cycles than it is in FIG. 4A.

[0102] FIG. 4C schematically illustrates the film layer 402 resulting from a plurality of additional CVD-enhanced ALD cycles performed on the film layer 402 of FIG. B. In FIG. 4C, the sidewalls 410A, 410B of the dent 408 are even more shallow compared to the sidewalls 410A, 410B in FIG. 4B. This is a result of an increased thickness 418 of the film layer 402 relative to FIGS. 4 A and 4B. Additional deposited material fills the gap 406, resulting in a less pronounced dent 408 relative to FIGS. 4A and 4B.

[0103] In some examples, the thickness 418 of the film layer 402 is in a range of 1,000-10,000 Angstroms. In some more specific examples, the thickness 418 is in a range of 1,000-5,000 Angstroms. In further more specific examples, the thickness 418 is in a range of 1,500-3,000 Angstroms. In some examples, the dent 408 has a dent angle 420 of less than 160 degrees. The dent angle 420 is an angle between opposing sidewalls 410A, 410B of the dent 408. In the example of FIG. 4C, the dent angle 420 is defined by dashed lines tangential to the sides of the dent 408.

[0104] The film layer 402 can be characterized by a nonuniformity (NU) value. The NU value represents a measure of how uniformly the film layer is deposited across a surface. For example, the NU value can represent a half range uniformity of the thickness 418. In some examples, the NU value of the film layer 402 is in a range of 0- 10%. In some more specific examples, the NU value is in a range of 0-5%. In further more specific examples, the NU value is in a range of 0-2%. The NU value can be tuned by adjusting various parameters, such as a reactant flow, an inert gas flow, a film precursor, etc.

[0105] As introduced above, a wet etching process can be performed after the plurality of CVD-enhanced ALD cycles. FIG. 4D shows the film layer 402 after a wet etching process. As illustrated in FIG. 4D, the wet etching process reduces a thickness of the film layer 402. For example, the film layer 402 can have a thickness 422 in a range of 0-3,000 Angstroms. In some more specific examples, the thickness 422 is in a range of 0-1,000 Angstroms. In further more specific examples, the thickness 422 is in a range of 500-1,000 Angstroms.

[0106] The wet etching process can also reduce a depth 424 of the dent 408. In some examples, the depth 424 of the dent 408 is in a range of 0-1,000 Angstroms. In some more specific examples, the depth 424 is in a range of 0-500 Angstroms. In further more specific examples, the depth 424 is in a range of 40-50 Angstroms.

[0107] In some examples, the wet etching process also makes the dent 408 more shallow than a dent that has not been etched. For example, dent angle 426 in FIG. 4D is greater than the dent angle 420 of FIG. 4C. In some examples, the dent angle 426 is greater than or equal to 160 degrees. In this manner, the dent can be made more shallow compared to a dent in a film formed without wet etching. As described above, densification allows the wet etching process to produce a different resulting shape for etch the dent 408 than if the densification process were omitted. Furthermore, the optional sputtering phase can help to shape the dent 408 before the wet etching process. This can also help to achieve suitable wet etching performance.

[0108] FIGS. 5A-5B shows a flow diagram depicting an example method 500 of operating a processing tool. The following description of the method 500 is provided with reference to FIGS. 1-4 above and FIG. 6 below. It will be appreciated that the method 500 also can be performed in other contexts.

[0109] Referring first to FIG. 5 A, at 502, the method 500 comprises performing a plurality of chemical-vapor-deposition (CVD)-enhanced atomic layer deposition (ALD) cycles. Each CVD-enhanced ALD cycle comprises, at 504, in a first dose phase, introducing a film precursor and a reactant into a processing chamber of the processing tool in the absence of a plasma to adsorb the film precursor on a substrate in the processing chamber. FIG. 3B shows an example of the first dose phase of the CVD- enhanced ALD cycle. In the example of FIG. 3B, the film precursor 304 is adsorbed to the surface of the substrate 302. The reactant 306 and the additional reactant 308 are present in a gas phase above the substrate 302.

[0110] In some examples, as indicated at 506 of FIG. 5 A, introducing the film precursor and the reactant into the processing chamber comprises introducing a silicon- containing precursor and an oxidizing agent into the processing chamber. In this manner, forming the film layer on the substrate comprises forming a silicon oxide film layer.[OHl] Each CVD-enhanced ALD cycle further comprises, at 508, in a second dose phase, ceasing introduction of the film precursor while continuing introduction of the reactant into the processing chamber, and forming a deposition plasma to form a film layer on the substrate. FIG. 3C illustrates an example of the second dose phase of the CVD-enhanced ALD cycle. As illustrated in FIG. 3C, the introduction of the film precursor 304 is ceased. The reactant 306 and the additional reactant 308 continue to be introduced into the processing chamber 300. FIG. 3C also illustrates the deposition plasma 312. The deposition plasma 312 facilitates reaction between the film precursor 304, the reactant 306, and the additional reactant 308 to form the film layer 314.

[0112] Referring again to FIG. 5A, in some examples, at 510, the method 500 comprises introducing an inert gas into the processing chamber while exposing the substrate to the deposition plasma. For example, the inert gas can be ionized to form the deposition plasma 312 of FIG. 3C.

[0113] At 512 of FIG. 5 A, in some examples, forming the deposition plasma comprises forming a lower energy plasma than a plasma used for a later densification process.

[0114] In some examples, at 514, forming the film layer comprises forming a film layer that fills a gap in a surface of the substrate, wherein the film layer comprises a dent. For example, the film layer 402 of FIG. 4C fills the gap 406 in the substrate 404. In this manner, as illustrated in FIGS. 4A-4D, the CVD-enhanced ALD cycles disclosed herein can be used in a gap-fill process.

[0115] As indicated at 516, in some examples, forming the film layer comprises depositing the film at a rate of greater than or equal to 2.5 Angstroms per cycle. As described above with reference to FIGS. 3B-3C, the film layer 314 is thicker than a monolayer of the film precursor 304. By depositing a thicker film layer per cycle, the example CVD-enhanced ALD cycle illustrated in FIGS. 3A-3F can have greater throughput than a PEALD process without CVD enhancement.

[0116] In some examples, as indicated at 518 in FIG. 5 A, forming the film comprises forming the film with an NU value of less than or equal to 2%. In thismanner, CVD-enhanced ALD can produce films of similar or greater quality (e.g., more uniform) in less time than a PEALD process without CVD enhancement.

[0117] With reference now to FIG. 5B, each CVD-enhanced ALD cycle further comprises, at 520, in a densification phase, forming a densification plasma to densify the film layer. In some examples, at 522, the method 500 comprises ceasing introduction of the inert gas in the densification phase. FIG. 3E illustrates an example of the densification phase. The densification plasma 322 of FIG. 3E can subject the film layer 314 to additional ion bombardment. This can increase the density of the film layer 314. As a result, the film layer 314 can have greater wet-etch performance (e.g., batch- to-batch consistency, dent angle, and NU value) than films of a same composition deposited without additional densification.

[0118] At 524, in some examples, forming the densification plasma comprises forming a higher energy plasma. For example, the densification plasma can be a higher energy plasma than the deposition plasma. This results in increased rates of ion bombardment and / or greater ion bombardment energy than in the deposition plasma.

[0119] In some examples, at 526, forming the densification plasma comprises forming a pulsed plasma. The use of the pulsed plasma can result in a smoother film layer morphology than the use of a non-pulsed plasma.

[0120] As indicated at 528, in some examples, the method 500 further comprises pre-charging a silicon-containing precursor delivery line with the silicon- containing precursor during the densification phase before repeating the CVD- enhanced ALD cycle. For example, during the pre-charging portion 214 of the densification phase illustrated in FIG. 2, the film precursor is introduced into the film precursor delivery line while the densification phase 210 is ongoing. This primes the precursor delivery line before repeating the CVD-enhanced ALD cycle. As indicated at 538 in FIGS. 5A-5B, each CVD-enhanced ALD cycle can be repeated any suitable number of times by returning to the first dose phase 504 after completing the densification phase 520. For example, the CVD-enhanced ALD cycle can be repeated 10-1000 times. In other examples, the CVD-enhanced ALD cycle can be repeated any other number of times (e.g., less than 10 times, or more than 1000 times) to achieve a desired film layer thickness.

[0121] In some examples, at 530, the method 500 further comprises sputtering the film layer on the substrate to modify a shape of the dent. Sputtering can removeand / or relocate portions of the film layer. This can modify a shape of the dent in the film layer.

[0122] At 532, in some examples, sputtering the film layer comprises one or more of sputtering the film layer between two or more of the plurality of CVD-enhanced ALD cycles or sputtering the film layer after the plurality of CVD-enhanced ALD cycles. For example, sputtering can be performed after each densification phase. In other examples, the CVD-enhanced ALD cycle can be repeated one or more times without sputtering before the sputtering phase is performed. For example, the sputtering phase at step 530 can be skipped on one or more loops 538 from step 520 to step 504.

[0123] In some examples, at 534, the method 500 further comprises performing a wet etching process after the plurality of CVD-enhanced ALD cycles. The wet etch occurs outside of the loop shown at 538 in FIGS. 5A-5B. FIG. 4D shows the film layer 402 after a wet etching process. As indicated at 536 of FIG. 5B, in some examples, performing the wet etching process comprises reducing a thickness of the film layer to less than or equal to 1000 Angstroms, forming a dent depth of 45 Angstroms or less, and forming a dent angle of greater than or equal to 160 degrees. For example, the dent 408 of FIG. 4D (after the wet etching) is shallower than the dent 408 of FIG. 4C (before the wet etching).

[0124] In some examples, the methods and processes described herein can be tied to a computing system of one or more computing devices. In particular, such methods and processes can be implemented as a computer-application program or service, an application-programming interface (API), a library, and / or other computerprogram product.

[0125] FIG. 6 schematically shows a non-limiting example of a computing system 600 that can enact one or more of the methods and processes described above. Computing system 600 is shown in simplified form. Computing system 600 can take the form of one or more personal computers, workstations, computers integrated with substrate processing tools, and / or network accessible server computers.

[0126] Computing system 600 includes a logic machine 602 and a storage machine 604. Computing system 600 can optionally include a display subsystem 606, input subsystem 608, communication subsystem 610, and / or other components not shown in FIG. 6. Controller 148 is an example of computing system 600.

[0127] Logic machine 602 includes one or more physical devices configured to execute instructions. For example, the logic machine can be configured to executeinstructions that are part of one or more applications, services, programs, routines, libraries, objects, components, data structures, or other logical constructs. Such instructions can be implemented to perform a task, implement a data type, transform the state of one or more components, achieve a technical effect, or otherwise arrive at a desired result.

[0128] The logic machine can include one or more processors configured to execute software instructions. Additionally or alternatively, the logic machine can include one or more hardware or firmware logic machines configured to execute hardware or firmware instructions. Processors of the logic machine can be single-core or multi-core, and the instructions executed thereon can be configured for sequential, parallel, and / or distributed processing. Individual components of the logic machine optionally can be distributed among two or more separate devices, which can be remotely located and / or configured for coordinated processing. Aspects of the logic machine can be virtualized and executed by remotely accessible, networked computing devices configured in a cloud-computing configuration.

[0129] Storage machine 604 includes one or more physical devices configured to hold instructions 612 executable by the logic machine to implement the methods and processes described herein. When such methods and processes are implemented, the state of storage machine 604 can be transformed — e.g., to hold different data.

[0130] Storage machine 604 can include removable and / or built-in devices. Storage machine 604 can include optical memory (e.g., CD, DVD, HD-DVD, Blu-Ray Disc, etc.), semiconductor memory (e.g., RAM, EPROM, EEPROM, etc.), and / or magnetic memory (e.g., hard-disk drive, floppy-disk drive, tape drive, MRAM, etc.), among others. Storage machine 604 can include volatile, nonvolatile, dynamic, static, read / write, read-only, random-access, sequential-access, location-addressable, file- addressable, and / or content-addressable devices.

[0131] It will be appreciated that storage machine 604 includes one or more physical devices. However, aspects of the instructions described herein alternatively can be propagated by a communication medium (e.g., an electromagnetic signal, an optical signal, etc.) that is not held by a physical device for a finite duration.

[0132] Aspects of logic machine 602 and storage machine 604 can be integrated together into one or more hardware-logic components. Such hardware-logic components can include field-programmable gate arrays (FPGAs), program- and application-specific integrated circuits (PASIC / ASICs), program- and application-specific standard products (PSSP / ASSPs), system-on-a-chip (SOC), and complex programmable logic devices (CPLDs), for example.

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

[0134] When included, input subsystem 608 can comprise or interface with one or more user-input devices such as a keyboard, mouse, or touch screen. In some examples, the input subsystem can comprise or interface with selected natural user input (NUI) componentry. Such componentry can be integrated or peripheral, and the transduction and / or processing of input actions can be handled on- or off- board. Example NUI componentry can include a microphone for speech and / or voice recognition, and an infrared, color, stereoscopic, and / or depth camera for machine vision and / or gesture recognition.

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

[0136] “And / or” as used herein is defined as the inclusive or V, as specified by the following truth table:

[0137] The terminology “one or more of A or B” as used herein comprises A, B, or a combination of A and B. The terminology “one or more of A, B, or C” is equivalent to A, B, and / or C. As such, “one or more of A, B, or C” as used herein comprises A individually, B individually, C individually, a combination of A and B, a combination of A and C, a combination of B and C, or a combination of A, B and C.

[0138] It will be understood that the configurations and / or approaches described herein are exemplary in nature, and that these specific examples or examples are not to be considered in a limiting sense, because numerous variations are possible. The specific routines or methods described herein can represent one or more of any number of processing strategies. As such, various acts illustrated and / or described can be performed in the sequence illustrated and / or described, in other sequences, in parallel, or omitted. Likewise, the order of the above-described processes can be changed.

[0139] The subject matter of the present disclosure includes all novel and non- obvious combinations and sub-combinations of the various processes, systems and configurations, and other features, functions, acts, and / or properties disclosed herein, as well as any and all equivalents thereof.

Claims

CLAIMS:

1. A method of operating a processing tool, the method comprising: performing a plurality of deposition cycles, each deposition cycle comprising in a first dose phase, introducing a film precursor and a reactant into a processing chamber of the processing tool in the absence of a plasma to adsorb the film precursor on a substrate in the processing chamber, in a second dose phase, ceasing introduction oif the film precursor while continuing introduction of the reactant into the processing chamber, and forming a deposition plasma to form a film layer on the substrate, and in a densification phase, forming a densification plasma to densify the film layer.

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

3. The method of claim 2, further comprising ceasing introduction of the inert gas in the densification phase.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein forming the deposition plasma comprises forming a lower energy plasma than the densification plasma.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein introducing the film precursor and the reactant into the processing chamber comprises introducing a silicon-containing precursor and an oxidizing agent into the processing chamber; and wherein forming the film layer on the substrate comprises forming a silicon oxide film layer.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising pre-charging a silicon-containing precursor delivery line with the silicon-containing precursor during the densification phase before repeating the deposition cycle.

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

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

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

10. The method of claim 7, further comprising sputtering the film layer on the substrate to modify a shape of the dent.

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

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

13. The method of claim 1, wherein forming the film layer comprises forming a film layer with a nonuniformity (NU) value of less than or equal to 2%.

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

15. A processing tool, comprising: a processing chamber; a substrate support disposed in the processing chamber; flow control hardware configured to control flows of a film precursor and a reactant into the processing chamber;a radiofrequency (RF) power source operable to form a plasma in the processing chamber; and a controller configured to control the flow control hardware and the RF power source to perform a plurality of chemical-vapor-deposition-(CVD)-enhanced atomic layer deposition (ALD) cycles, wherein the controller is configured to, during each deposition cycle, in a first dose phase, control the flow control hardware to introduce the film precursor and the reactant into the processing chamber in the absence of the plasma to adsorb the film precursor on a substrate in the processing chamber; in a second dose phase, control the flow control hardware to cease introduction of the film precursor and to continue introduction of the reactant into the processing chamber, and to control the RF power source to form a deposition plasma to thereby form a film layer on the substrate; and in a densification phase, control the flow control hardware to continue the introduction of the reactant into the processing chamber, and control the RF power source to form a densification plasma.

16. The processing tool of claim 15, wherein the controller is further configured to control the flow control hardware and the RF power source to sputter the film layer on the substrate to modify a shape of a dent in the film layer.

17. The processing tool of claim 15, wherein the controller is further configured to control the flow control hardware and the RF power source to, one or more of, sputter the film layer between two or more of the plurality of deposition cycles, or sputter the film layer after the plurality of deposition cycles.

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

19. A processing tool, comprising: a processing chamber; a substrate support disposed in the processing chamber;flow control hardware configured to control flows of a film precursor and a reactant into the processing chamber; a radiofrequency (RF) power source operable to form a plasma in the processing chamber; and a controller configured to control the flow control hardware and the RF power source to perform a plurality of chemical-vapor-deposition-(CVD)-enhanced atomic layer deposition (ALD) cycles, wherein the controller is configured to, during each deposition cycle, in a first dose phase, control the flow control hardware to introduce the film precursor and the reactant into the processing chamber in the absence of the plasma to adsorb the film precursor on a substrate in the processing chamber; in a second dose phase, control the flow control hardware to cease introduction of the film precursor and to continue introduction of the reactant into the processing chamber, and to control the RF power source to form a deposition plasma to thereby form a film layer on the substrate; in a densification phase, control the flow control hardware to continue the introduction of the reactant into the processing chamber, and control the RF power source to form a densification plasma; and in a sputtering phase, control the flow control hardware and the RF power source to sputter the film layer on the substrate to modify a shape of a dent in the film layer.

20. The processing tool of claim 19, wherein the controller is configured to control the flow control hardware and the RF power source to, one or more of, sputter the film layer between two or more of the plurality of deposition cycles, or sputter the film layer after the plurality of deposition cycles.

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