56768 results about "Metallurgy" patented technology

Methods are provided for depositing amorphous carbon materials. In one aspect, the invention provides a method for processing a substrate including positioning the substrate in a processing chamber, introducing a processing gas into the processing chamber, wherein the processing gas comprises a carrier gas, hydrogen, and one or more precursor compounds, generating a plasma of the processing gas by applying power from a dual-frequency RF source, and depositing an amorphous carbon layer on the substrate.

Described are methods of making SiN materials on substrates, particularly SiN thin films on semiconductor substrates. Improved SiN films made by the methods are also included.

A method of forming device isolation regions on a trench-formed silicon substrate and removing residual carbon therefrom includes providing a flowable, insulative material constituted by silicon, carbon, nitrogen, hydrogen, oxygen or any combination of two or more thereof; forming a thin insulative layer, by using the flowable, insulative material, in a trench located on a semiconductor substrate wherein the flowable, insulative material forms a conformal coating in a silicon and nitrogen rich condition whereas in a carbon rich condition, the flowable, insulative material vertically grows from the bottom of the trenches; and removing the residual carbon deposits from the flowable, insulative material by multi-step curing, such as O2 thermal annealing, ozone UV curing followed by N2 thermal annealing.

A ceramic heater system has a ceramic heater base having a substrate-mounting surface formed on the top surface thereof and a heater, buried in the heater base, for heating a substrate. A fluid passage is formed buried in the heater base below where the heater is buried. The heater base is cooled as a fluid whose temperature is lower than the temperature of the heater base is let flow in the fluid passage. A substrate processing apparatus has the ceramic heater system installed in a process chamber whose vacuum state can be maintained, a gas supply mechanism for feeding a gas into the process chamber, and a power supply. The substrate processing apparatus performs a heat treatment, etching and film deposition on a substrate placed in the process chamber.

Methods and precursors for depositing silicon nitride films by atomic layer deposition (ALD) are provided. In some embodiments the silicon precursors comprise an iodine ligand. The silicon nitride films may have a relatively uniform etch rate for both vertical and the horizontal portions when deposited onto three-dimensional structures such as FinFETS or other types of multiple gate FETs. In some embodiments, various silicon nitride films of the present disclosure have an etch rate of less than half the thermal oxide removal rate with diluted HF (0.5%).

A semiconductor method of manufacturing involving porous and/or carbon containing, low-k dielectrics is provided. The method includes forming a hydrocarbon of the general composition C_xH_y on the surface of the low-k dielectric. The hydrocarbon layer includes depositing a precursor material, preferably C₂H₄ or (CH₃)₂CHC₆H₆CH₃. In accordance with embodiments of this invention, carbon diffuses into the low-k dielectric, thereby reducing carbon depletion damage caused by plasma processing or etching. Surface dielectric pores damaged by plasma processing are also repaired by sealing them with the C_XH_Y layer. Embodiments include semiconductor devices, such as devices having damascene interconnect structures, manufacturing using methods provided.

A plasma CVD apparatus includes: a cooling susceptor for placing a substrate thereon and serving as an electrode; and a shower plate for introducing gas toward the susceptor via multiple throughholes formed therein. The shower plate serves as an electrode and is disposed in parallel to the susceptor. The cooling susceptor is made of a ceramic material provided with a cooling fluid flow path for passing a cooling fluid therethrough.

A corrosion resistant component of semiconductor processing equipment such as a plasma chamber includes a diamond containing surface and process for manufacture thereof.

Embodiments of the invention generally relate to methods for forming silicon-germanium-tin alloy epitaxial layers, germanium-tin alloy epitaxial layers, and germanium epitaxial layers that may be doped with boron, phosphorus, arsenic, or other n-type or p-type dopants. The methods generally include positioning a substrate in a processing chamber. A germanium precursor gas is then introduced into the chamber concurrently with a stressor precursor gas, such as a tin precursor gas, to form an epitaxial layer. The flow of the germanium gas is then halted, and an etchant gas is introduced into the chamber. An etch back is then performed while in the presence of the stressor precursor gas used in the formation of the epitaxial film. The flow of the etchant gas is then stopped, and the cycle may then be repeated. In addition to or as an alternative to the etch back process, an annealing processing may be performed.

Various implementations of hybrid ceramic faceplates for substrate processing showerheads are provided. The hybrid ceramic showerhead faceplates may include an electrode embedded within the ceramic material of the faceplate, as well as a pattern of through-holes. The electrode may be fully encapsulated within the ceramic material with respect to the through-holes. In some implementations, a heater element may also be embedded within the hybrid ceramic showerhead faceplate. A DC voltage source may be electrically connected with the hybrid ceramic showerhead faceplate during use. The hybrid ceramic faceplates may be easily removable from the substrate processing showerheads for easy cleaning and faceplate replacement.

Methods for forming thin dielectric films by selectively depositing a conformal film of dielectric material on a high aspect ratio structure have uses in semiconductor processing and other applications. A method for forming a dielectric film involves providing in a deposition reaction chamber a substrate having a gap on the surface. The gap has a top opening and a surface area comprising a bottom and sidewalls running from the top to the bottom. A conformal silicon oxide-based dielectric film is selectively deposited in the gap by first preferentially applying a film formation catalyst or a catalyst precursor on a portion representing less than all of the gap surface area. The substrate surface is then exposed to a silicon-containing precursor gas such that a silicon oxide-based dielectric film layer is preferentially formed on the portion of the gap surface area. The preferential application of the catalyst or catalyst precursor may occur either at the top of the gap, for example to form a sacrificial mask, or at the bottom of the gap to create a seamless and void-free gap fill.

Methods of forming polysilicon layers are described. The methods include forming a high-density plasma from a silicon precursor in a substrate processing region containing the deposition substrate. The described methods produce polycrystalline films at reduced substrate temperature (e.g. <500° C.) relative to prior art techniques. The availability of a bias plasma power adjustment further enables adjustment of conformality of the formed polysilicon layer. When dopants are included in the high density plasma, they may be incorporated into the polysilicon layer in such a way that they do not require a separate activation step.

A method for protecting a doped silicate glass layer includes: forming a doped silicate glass layer on a substrate in a reaction chamber by plasma-enhanced atomic layer deposition (PEALD) using a first RF power; and forming a non-doped silicate glass layer having a thickness of less than 4 nm on the doped silicate glass layer in the reaction chamber, without breaking vacuum, by plasma-enhanced atomic layer deposition (PEALD) using a second RF power, wherein the second RF power is at least twice the first RF power.

Methods for forming boron-containing films are provided. The methods include introducing a boron-containing precursor and a nitrogen or oxygen-containing precursor into a chamber and forming a boron nitride or boron oxide film on a substrate in the chamber. In one aspect, the method includes depositing a boron-containing film and then exposing the boron-containing film to the nitrogen-containing or oxygen-containing precursor to incorporate nitrogen or oxygen into the film. The deposition of the boron-containing film and exposure of the film to the precursor may be performed for multiple cycles to obtain a desired thickness of the film. In another aspect, the method includes reacting the boron-containing precursor and the nitrogen-containing or oxygen-containing precursor to chemically vapor deposit the boron nitride or boron oxide film.

Methods are provided for depositing an oxygen-doped dielectric layer. The oxygen-doped dielectric layer may be used for a barrier layer or a hardmask. In one aspect, a method is provided for processing a substrate including positioning the substrate in a processing chamber, introducing a processing gas comprising an oxygen-containing organosilicon compound, carbon dioxide, or combinations thereof, and an oxygen-free organosilicon compound to the processing chamber, and reacting the processing gas to deposit an oxygen-doped dielectric material on the substrate, wherein the dielectric material has an oxygen content of about 15 atomic percent or less. The oxygen-doped dielectric material may be used as a barrier layer in damascene or dual damascene applications.