Method of forming oxide layers by bias ECR plasma deposition

Claim 1

A method of depositing a silicon dioxide planarizing layer on at least a portion of a patterned surface of a semiconductor substrate, the deposition carried out in a plasma reactor that comprises a plasma chamber and a reaction chamber that communicates with the plasma chamber, with the pressure in the plasma chamber being below about 50 mTorr during at least a part of the deposition time, the method comprising: situating the semiconductor substrate within the reaction chamber such that the patterned surface substantially faces the plasma chamber; introducing an oxygen-containing first gas into the plasma chamber at a first flow rate; introducing a silicon-containing second gas into the plasma chamber or the reaction chamber at a second flow rate; directing microwave power into the plasma chamber such that a plasma is created in the plasma chamber; exposing the plasma to a magnetic field such that ECR conditions are created, with plasma streaming from the plasma chamber into the reaction chamber and reacting therein with at least the second gas to form the silicon dioxide layer on the patterned surface of the substrate; and during at least a portion of the exposing step, applying an rf bias at an rf power level to the substrate such that the surface of the substrate is sputtered by ions of the first gas; wherein: a) the patterned surface has an aspect ratio of at least 1.0; b) the second gas comprises TMCTS; c) during at least a portion of the exposing step, the silicon dioxide layer is deposited at a deposition rate of at least about 1000 Å/minute; d) the rf power is at least about 300 W but not more than about 550 W; e) the oxygen flow rate is about 3 times the TMCTS flow rate; f) during at least a portion of the exposing step, the ratio of the deposition rate to the sum of the first and second flow rates is at least about 34 Å/sccm-minute; and g) the first and second flow rates, the rf power, and the microwave power are adjusted such that an adherent, substantially void-free silicon dioxide layer is deposited without introducing ozone into the plasma chamber or the reaction chamber.

Claim 2

A method of depositing a silicon dioxide planarizing layer on at least a portion of a patterned surface of a semiconductor substrate, the deposition carried out in a plasma reactor that comprises a plasma chamber and a reaction chamber that communicates with the plasma chamber, with the pressure in the plasma chamber being below about 50 mTorr during at least a part of the deposition time, the method comprising: situating the semiconductor substrate within the reaction chamber such that the patterned surface substantially faces the plasma chamber; introducing an oxygen-containing first gas into the plasma chamber at a first flow rate; introducing a silicon-containing second gas into the plasma chamber or the reaction chamber at a second flow rate; directing microwave power into the plasma chamber such that a plasma is created in the plasma chamber; exposing the plasma to a magnetic field such that ECR conditions are created, with plasma streaming from the plasma chamber into the reaction chamber and reacting therein with at least the second gas to form the silicon dioxide layer on the patterned surface of the substrate; and during at least a portion of the exposing step, applying an rf bias at an rf power level to the substrate such that the surface of the substrate is sputtered by ions of the first gas; wherein: a) the patterned surface has an aspect ratio of at least 1.0; b) the second gas comprises TMCTS; c) during at least a portion of the exposing step, the silicon dioxide layer is deposited at a deposition rate of at least about 1000 Å/minute; d) the rf power is at least about 300 W but not more than about 550 W; e) the oxygen flow rate is about 3 times the TMCTS flow rate; f) during at least a portion of the exposing step, the ratio of the deposition rate to the sum of the first and second flow rates is at least about 34 Å/sccm-minute; and g) the first and second flow rates, the rf power, and the microwave power are adjusted such that an adherent, substantially void-free silicon dioxide layer is deposited without introducing ozone into the plasma chamber or the reaction chamber.