Method and apparatus for improving gap-fill capability using chemical and physical etchbacks

Claim 2

A substrate processing system for depositing a layer on a substrate, said system comprising: a) a substrate processing chamber in which a dielectric layer is deposited over the substrate and subsequently; b) a gas distribution system coupled to said first and second substrate processing chambers and configured to introduce deposition and etching gases to said first and second substrate processing chambers; and c) a system controller, coupled to said chamber and said gas distribution system, said system controller having a memory storing a computer-readable program for directing the operation of said system, said computer-readable program comprising; a first set of instructions for controlling said gas distribution system to introduce a process gas into said chamber to deposit said dielectric layer over the substrate; a second set of instructions for controlling said gas distribution system to introduce an etchant gas into said chamber to chemically etchback said dielectric layer; and a third set of instructions for controlling said gas distribution system to introduce a sputtering gas into said second chamber to physically etchback said dielectric layer.

Claim 3

The substrate processing system of claim 1 wherein said computer-readable program further includes a fourth set of computer instructions for, after chemically and physically etching back said dielectric layer, controlling said substrate transfer system to transfer said substrate back to said first chamber and controlling said gas delivery system to introduce a second process gas into said first chamber deposit a second dielectric layer over said first dielectric layer.

Claim 4

A substrate processing system for depositing a layer on a substrate, said system comprising: a) a first substrate processing chamber in which a dielectric layer is deposited over the substrate; b) a second substrate processing chamber in which said dielectric layer is etched using both chemical and physical etchback steps; c) a gas distribution system coupled to said first and second substrate processing chambers and configured to introduce deposition and etching gases to said first and second substrate processing chambers; and d) a system controller, coupled to said first chamber, said second chamber, and said gas distribution system, said system controller having a memory storing a computer-readable program for directing the operation of said system, said computer-readable program comprising; a first set of instructions for controlling said gas distribution system to introduce a process gas into said first chamber to deposit said dielectric layer over the substrate; a second set of instructions for controlling said gas distribution system to introduce an etchant gas into said second chamber to chemically etchback said dielectric layer; and a third set of instructions for controlling said gas distribution system to introduce a sputtering gas into said second chamber to physically etchback said dielectric layer wherein said first and second chambers are different chambers that are part of a multichamber processing system, wherein said substrate processing system further comprises a substrate transfer system for transferring the substrate between the first and second chambers, and wherein said computer-readable program further comprises a set of instructions for transferring the substrate from the first chamber to the second chamber after the deposition of the dielectric layer.

Claim 5

A substrate processing system for depositing a layer on a substrate, said system comprising: a) a first substrate processing chamber in which a dielectric layer is deposited over the substrate; b) a second substrate processing chamber in which said dielectric layer is etched using both chemical and physical etchback steps; c) a gas distribution system coupled to said first and second substrate processing chambers and configured to introduce deposition and etching gases to said first and second substrate processing chambers; and d) a system controller, coupled to said first chamber, said second chamber, and said gas distribution system, said system controller having a memory storing a computer-readable program for directing the operation of said system, said computer-readable program comprising; a first set of instructions for controlling said gas distribution system to introduce a process gas into said first chamber to deposit said dielectric layer over the substrate; a second set of instructions for controlling said gas distribution system to introduce an etchant gas into said second chamber to chemically etchback said dielectric layer; and a third set of instructions for controlling said gas distribution system to introduce a sputtering gas into said second chamber to physically etchback said dielectric layer wherein said first and second chambers are different chambers that are part of a multichamber processing system, wherein said substrate processing system further comprises a substrate transfer system for transferring the substrate between the first and second chambers, and wherein said computer-readable program further comprises a set of instructions for transferring the substrate from the first chamber to the second chamber after the deposition of the dielectric layer.

Claim 6

The substrate processing system of claim 3 wherein said second set of instructions controls said gas delivery system to introduce CF 4 at a rate of about 5-100 sccm for about 50-150 seconds into said second chamber to chemically etch back said first dielectric layer.

Claim 7

The substrate processing system of claim 3 wherein said third set of instructions controls said gas delivery system to introduce argon at about 5-100 sccm for about 200-350 seconds into said second chamber to physically etch back said first dielectric layer.

Claim 8

The substrate processing system of claim 3 wherein said program is configured such that said second set of instructions is executed before said third set of instructions.

Claim 9

A computer readable storage medium having program code embodied therein, said program code for controlling a substrate processing system having a first chamber, and a second chamber, said program code controlling the substrate processing system to deposit a layer on a substrate in accordance with the following instructions: depositing a first dielectric layer on the substrate in said first chamber; etching back said first dielectric layer with both chemical and physical etchback steps in the second chamber.

Claim 10

A computer readable storage medium having program code embodied therein, said program code for controlling a substrate processing system having a first chamber, and a second chamber, said program code controlling the substrate processing system to deposit a layer on a substrate in accordance with the following instructions: depositing a first dielectric layer on the substrate in said first chamber; etching back said first dielectric layer with both chemical and physical etchback steps in the second chamber.

Claim 11

The computer readable storage medium of claim 7 wherein said etching back comprises etching back said first dielectric layer with a chemical etchback step followed by a physical etchback step.

Claim 12

The computer readable storage medium of claim 7 wherein said instructions further comprise: after said etching back, transferring the substrate from the second chamber back to the first chamber.

Claim 13

The computer readable storage medium of claim 9 wherein said instructions further comprise: after transferring the substrate back to the first chamber, depositing a second dielectric layer on the substrate.

Claim 14

A substrate processing system for depositing a layer on a substrate, said system comprising: a) a first substrate processing chamber in which a dielectric layer is deposited over the substrate; b) a second substrate processing chamber in which said dielectric layer is etched using both chemical and physical etchback steps; c) a gas distribution system coupled to said first and second substrate processing chambers and configured to introduce deposition and etching gases to said first and second substrate processing chambers; and d) a system controller, coupled to said first chamber, said second chamber, and said gas distribution system, said system controller having a memory storing a computer-readable program for directing the operation of said system, said computer-readable program controlling the substrate processing system to deposit a layer on a substrate in accordance with the following instructions: first, depositing a first dielectric layer on the substrate in said first chamber; next, etching back said first dielectric layer with both chemical and physical etchback steps in the second chamber, and next, depositing a second dielectric layer on the first layer in the first chamber.

Claim 15

A substrate processing system for depositing a layer on a substrate, said system comprising: a) a first substrate processing chamber in which a dielectric layer is deposited over the substrate; b) a second substrate processing chamber in which said dielectric layer is etched using both chemical and physical etchback steps; c) a gas distribution system coupled to said first and second substrate processing chambers and configured to introduce deposition and etching gases to said first and second substrate processing chambers; and d) a system controller, coupled to said first chamber, said second chamber, and said gas distribution system, said system controller having a memory storing a computer-readable program for directing the operation of said system, said computer-readable program controlling the substrate processing system to deposit a layer on a substrate in accordance with the following instructions: first, depositing a first dielectric layer on the substrate in said first chamber; next, etching back said first dielectric layer with both chemical and physical etchback steps in the second chamber, and next, depositing a second dielectric layer on the first layer in the first chamber.