DSAD process for deposition of inter layer dielectric

Claim 1

A method of forming an inter layer dielectric to isolate a plurality of structures with a height, a top and a bottom, formed on a substrate, and having edges forming corners between said structures, the method comprising the steps of: forming a seed layer between said structures by plasma enhanced chemical vapor deposition of a TEOS based oxide that substantially maintains the edges of the structures on the substrate; forming a gapfill layer by sub atmospheric chemical vapor deposition of the TEOS based oxide that substantially maintains the edges of the structures on the substrate; and after forming the gapfill layer, sputter etching said gapfill layer formed by the sub atmospheric chemical vapor deposition by argon sputter etching, wherein a part of a material removed from the gapfill layer by the sputter etching is deposited in the corners, wherein a tensile stress of the gapfill layer balances the compressive stress of the seed layer and the third dielectric layer, thereby producing an overall compressive stress between 0.5e9 and 1.5e9 dyne per square centimeter as result of the layers.

Claim 2

A method of forming an inter layer dielectric to isolate a plurality of structures with a height, a top and a bottom, formed on a substrate, and having edges forming corners between said structures, the method comprising the steps of: forming a seed layer between said structures by plasma enhanced chemical vapor deposition of a TEOS based oxide that substantially maintains the edges of the structures on the substrate; forming a gapfill layer by sub atmospheric chemical vapor deposition of the TEOS based oxide that substantially maintains the edges of the structures on the substrate; and after forming the gapfill layer, sputter etching said gapfill layer formed by the sub atmospheric chemical vapor deposition by argon sputter etching, wherein a part of a material removed from the gapfill layer by the sputter etching is deposited in the corners, wherein a tensile stress of the gapfill layer balances the compressive stress of the seed layer and the third dielectric layer, thereby producing an overall compressive stress between 0.5e9 and 1.5e9 dyne per square centimeter as result of the layers.

Claim 16

A method of forming an inter layer dielectric, to isolate a plurality of metal structures, said metal structures having a height, comprising the steps of: forming a first layer of a TEOS based oxide by dual frequency, and low pressure plasma enhanced chemical vapor deposition, having a greater than one-to-one oxygen to helium ratio, wherein the first layer is deposited with a compressive stress between 1.2e9 and 2.6e9 dyne per square centimeter; utilizing a nitrogen plasma treatment on said first layer, to condition said first layer to accept a second layer; forming said second layer of the TEOS based oxide by sub atmospheric chemical vapor deposition, said second layer having a thickness of approximately 20-30% of the height of said metal structures; sputter etching said second layer by a substantially zero gauss argon sputter at a pressure greater than 30 mTorr, causing redeposition of said TEOS based oxide in corners; forming a third layer of the TEOS based oxide by dual frequency, high oxygen and low pressure plasma enhanced deposition, said third layer being a sacrificial layer; and planarizing said sacrificial layer.

Claim 17

A method of forming an inter layer dielectric, to isolate a plurality of metal structures, said metal structures having a height, comprising the steps of: forming a first layer of a TEOS based oxide by dual frequency, and low pressure plasma enhanced chemical vapor deposition, having a greater than one-to-one oxygen to helium ratio, wherein the first layer is deposited with a compressive stress between 1.2e9 and 2.6e9 dyne per square centimeter; utilizing a nitrogen plasma treatment on said first layer, to condition said first layer to accept a second layer; forming said second layer of the TEOS based oxide by sub atmospheric chemical vapor deposition, said second layer having a thickness of approximately 20-30% of the height of said metal structures; sputter etching said second layer by a substantially zero gauss argon sputter at a pressure greater than 30 mTorr, causing redeposition of said TEOS based oxide in corners; forming a third layer of the TEOS based oxide by dual frequency, high oxygen and low pressure plasma enhanced deposition, said third layer being a sacrificial layer; and planarizing said sacrificial layer.