EP1077477A1
Expired / Lapsed
EP
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Surface treatment of C-doped Si02 film to enhance film stability during 02 ashing
Assignee: Applied Materials Inc
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Filing: 1999-08-17
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Granted: —
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Expires: 2019-08-17
Abstract
Abstract A method for forming an insulation layer over a substrate. The method forms a carbon-doped silicon oxide layer by thermal chemical vapor deposition using an organosilane. The carbon-doped silicon oxide layer is subsequently cured and densified. In one embodiment, the cured film is densified in a nitrogen-containing plasma. The method is particularly suitable for deposition of low dielectric constant films, i.e., where k is less than or equal to 3.0. Low-k, carbon-doped silicon oxide methylsilane or di-, tri-, tetra-, or phenylmethylsilane. and ozone. The above method can be carried out in a substrate processing system having a process chamber; a substrate holder, a heater, a gas delivery system, and a power supply, all of which are coupled to a controller. The controller contains a memory having a computer-readable medium with a program embodied for directing operation of the system in accordance with above method.
Inventors
- 👤 Li-Qun Xia
- 👤 Frederic Gaillard
- 👤 Tian-Hoc Lim
- 👤 Ellie Yieh
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
EP
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-04 20:37
CPC Classifications
H; H10; H10P; H10P14/00; H10P14/60; H10P14/69; H10P14/692; H10P14/6921; H10P14/6922; C; C23; C23C; C23C16/00; C23C16/02; C23C16/0209; C23C16/0218; C23C16/22; C23C16/30; C23C16/40; C23C16/401; C23C16/56; H10P14/63; H10P14/6326; H10P14/6328; H10P14/6334; H10P14/65; H10P14/6502; H10P14/6512; H10P14/6516; H10P14/6529; H10P14/6532; H10P14/6548; H10P14/66; H10P14/662; H10P14/665; H10P14/668; H10P14/6681; H10P14/6682; H10P95/00; H10P14/6336
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 15
Claim 1
Independent Claim
77 words
A method for forming an insulation layer over a substrate disposed
in a substrate processing chamber, the method comprising: flowing a process gas comprising ozone and an organosilane into the
substrate processing chamber; heating the substrate to a temperature of less than about 250°C to form a
carbon-doped silicon oxide layer over the substrate; curing the carbon-doped silicon oxide layer after it is formed over the
substrate; and densifying the carbon-doped silicon oxide layer after said curing.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
18 words
The method of claim 1 wherein said densifying includes subjecting
the carbon-doped silicon oxide layer to a plasma.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
18 words
The method of claim 2 wherein said plasma contains helium (He),
nitrogen (N 2 ), or Argon (Ar).
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
12 words
The method of claim 3 wherein said plasma is an N2 plasma.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
21 words
The method of claim 4 wherein the substrate is exposed to said N 2 plasma for between 1 and 10 minutes.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
17 words
The method of claim 5 wherein said N 2 plasma is sustained by
radio frequency (RF) energy.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
20 words
The method of claim 6 wherein said RF energy is delivered at a
power of between 500 and 900 watts.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
21 words
The method of claim 6 wherein said RF energy is delivered at a
frequency of between 100 kilohertz and 100 megahertz.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
20 words
The method of claim 6 wherein said N 2 plasma has a pressure of
between about 1.2 and 4 torr.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
29 words
The method of claim 1 wherein the organosilane precursor is either
tetramethylsilane or trimethylsilane the organosilane precursor is selected from the group
of methylsilane, dimethylsilane, trimethylsilane, tetramethylsilane and
phenylmethylsilane.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
22 words
The method of claim 1 wherein the dielectric constant of said
carbon-doped silicon oxide layer is less than or equal to 3.0.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
11 words
The method of claim 1 wherein densifying includes heating the
substrate.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
19 words
The method of claim 12 wherein the substrate is heated to a
temperature of between approximately 350°C and 450°C.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
192 words
A substrate processing system comprising: a housing defining a process chamber; a substrate holder, adapted to hold a substrate during substrate
processing; a heater, operatively coupled to heat said substrate holder; a gas delivery system configured to introduce gases into said process
chamber; a power supply, configured to deliver energy to said process chamber; a controller for controlling said gas delivery system and said heater; and a memory coupled to said controller comprising a computer-readable
medium having a computer-readable program embodied therein for directing operation
of said controller, said computer-readable program including a first set of instructions to control said gas delivery system to flow a
process gas comprising ozone and an organosilane having at least one silicon-carbon
bond into the substrate processing chamber and control said heater to heat the substrate
holder to a temperature of between 100-250°C; a second set of instructions to control said heater to cure the
carbon-doped silicon oxide layer after it is formed over the substrate; and a third set of instructions to control said gas delivery system and said
power supply to generate a plasma for densifying the carbon-doped silicon oxide layer
after said curing.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
145 words
A computer readable storage medium having a computer-readable
program embodied therein for directing operation of a substrate processing
system including a process chamber; a substrate holder; a heater, operatively coupled to
heat said substrate holder; a gas delivery system configured to introduce gases into said
process chamber, a power supply, configured to deliver energy to said process
chamber, said computer-readable program including instructions for operating said
substrate processing system to form an insulation layer over a substrate disposed in the
processing chamber in accordance with the following: flowing a process gas comprising ozone and an organosilane into the
substrate processing chamber; heating the substrate to a temperature of less than about 250°C to form a
carbon-doped silicon oxide layer over the substrate; curing the carbon-doped silicon oxide layer after it is formed over the
substrate; and densifying the carbon-doped silicon oxide layer after said curing.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
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