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US5643640A Expired / Lapsed US ⏱️ 0.0 years remaining

Fluorine doped plasma enhanced phospho-silicate glass, and process

Assignee: International Business Machines Corp
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Filing: 1995-11-27
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Granted: 1997-07-01
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Expires: 2015-11-27
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Abstract

Abstract A fluorinated phosphosilicate glass (FPSG) is produced in a plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposition process (PECVD) in which the plasma source comprises conventional phosphosilicate glass-forming materials together with one or more fluorine gas-forming materials. The deposited fluorine-gas enhances the filling of gaps or voids with dielectric glass compositions by etching the top of the via holes or gaps during the filling operation. The present fluorine-doped phosphosilicate glass compositions are stable compared to conventional phosphosilicate glass compositions which are relatively unstable and unsatisfactory for use as gap-filling dielectric glass compositions.

Inventors

  • 👤 Ashima B. Chakravarti
  • 👤 Terry M. Cheng
  • 👤 Son Van Nguyen
  • 👤 Michael Shapiro

Bibliographic Details

Application Number —
Jurisdiction US
Data Source google_patents
Last Synchronized 2026-10-30 20:18
CPC Classifications
C; C03; C03C; C03C3/00; C03C3/04; C03C3/076; C03C3/11; C03C3/112; C23; C23C; C23C16/00; C23C16/22; C23C16/30; C23C16/40; C23C16/401

Claims Analysis

Total Claims: 10
Claim 1
Independent Claim 106 words
Process for producing improved phosphosilicate glass dielectric compositions while reducing the dielectric constant thereof, which comprises introducing a supply of at least one fluorine-containing reactive gas to a chemical vapor deposition chamber containing reactive phosphosilicate glass-forming gases under a vacuum pressure and at a temperature between about 400° and 500° C., creating a plasma of said gases, and depositing said plasma as a fluorine-doped phosphosilicate glass dielectric containing between about 0.1 and 3 mole % of fluorine, said dielectric being capable of filling vias in a single continuous operation and having a lower dielectric constant than a corresponding dielectric composition produced in the absence of fluorine.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim 106 words
Process for producing improved phosphosilicate glass dielectric compositions while reducing the dielectric constant thereof, which comprises introducing a supply of at least one fluorine-containing reactive gas to a chemical vapor deposition chamber containing reactive phosphosilicate glass-forming gases under a vacuum pressure and at a temperature between about 400° and 500° C., creating a plasma of said gases, and depositing said plasma as a fluorine-doped phosphosilicate glass dielectric containing between about 0.1 and 3 mole % of fluorine, said dielectric being capable of filling vias in a single continuous operation and having a lower dielectric constant than a corresponding dielectric composition produced in the absence of fluorine.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim 141 words
A process for depositing a fluorine-containing phosphosilicate glass dielectric layer on a silicon layer comprising the step of: (a) supporting said silicon layer on a lower electrode having a positive uniformly spaced from an upper electrode connected to a source of RF energy, within chemical vapor deposition chamber connected to sources of a silicon-containing reactive gas and a phosphorous-containing reactive gas as phosphosilicate glass-forming reactants, and to a source of a fluorine-containing reactive gas; (b) creating a vacuum within said chamber; (c) introducing reactive proportions of said gases to said chamber while applying an RF potential across said electrodes, to create a gas plasma of said reactive gases; (d) depositing a film of said plasma in the surface of said silicon layer in the form of a stable, fluorine-containing phosphosilicate glass containing between about 0.1 and 3 mole % of fluorine.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim 141 words
A process for depositing a fluorine-containing phosphosilicate glass dielectric layer on a silicon layer comprising the step of: (a) supporting said silicon layer on a lower electrode having a positive uniformly spaced from an upper electrode connected to a source of RF energy, within chemical vapor deposition chamber connected to sources of a silicon-containing reactive gas and a phosphorous-containing reactive gas as phosphosilicate glass-forming reactants, and to a source of a fluorine-containing reactive gas; (b) creating a vacuum within said chamber; (c) introducing reactive proportions of said gases to said chamber while applying an RF potential across said electrodes, to create a gas plasma of said reactive gases; (d) depositing a film of said plasma in the surface of said silicon layer in the form of a stable, fluorine-containing phosphosilicate glass containing between about 0.1 and 3 mole % of fluorine.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim 33 words
Process according to claim 2 in which said silicon layer contains at least one wide gap via, and the layer deposited in step (d) completely fills said via in a single continuous operation.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim 21 words
Process according to claim 1 in which said phosphosilicate glass-forming gases include a silicon-containing reactive gas and a phosphorous-containing reactive gas.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim 14 words
Process according to claim 1 in which said fluorine-containing gas comprises ethyl hexafluoride gas.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim 14 words
Process according to claim 2 in which said silicon-containing reactive gas comprises tetraethoxy silane.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim 14 words
Process according to claim 2 in which said phosphorous-containing reactive gas comprises trimethyl phosphate.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim 14 words
Process according to claim 2 in which said fluorine-containing gas comprises ethyl hexafluoride gas.

References Cited (Backward Citations)

US4300989A Cited
US4535528A Cited
US5037514A Cited
US4894352A Cited
US5275977A Cited
US5120680A Cited
US5215787A Cited
US5334454A Cited
JPH05267480A Cited

USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows

Annuity Stage Window Opens Payment Deadline Surcharge Period Until Estimated Fee Status
3.5 Years (Year 4) 2000-06-30 2000-12-30 2001-07-01 $2000.00 Window Closed / Lapsed
7.5 Years (Year 8) 2004-06-30 2004-12-30 2005-07-01 $3760.00 Window Closed / Lapsed
11.5 Years (Year 12) 2008-06-30 2008-12-30 2009-07-01 $7700.00 Window Closed / Lapsed

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