Gap-fill depositions in the formation of silicon containing dielectric materials

• US 20050142895A1
• Filed: 12/20/2004
• Published: 06/30/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 09/19/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Applied Materials Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Applied Materials Incorporated
• Inventors: Ingle, Nitin K., Yuan, Zheng, Banthia, Vikash, Bang, Won B., Xia, Xinyun, Wong, Shan, Wang, Yen-Kun V.
• Granted Patent: US 7,456,116 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 438/787
• CPC Class Codes: C23C 16/401 containing silicon
• CPC Class Codes: C23C 16/45512 Premixing before introduction in the reaction chamber
• CPC Class Codes: C23C 16/45523 Pulsed gas flow or change of composition over time
• CPC Class Codes: C23C 16/52 Controlling or regulating the coating process C23C16/45557, C23C16/279 take precedence

Abstract

A method to form a silicon oxide layer, where the method includes the step of providing a continuous flow of a silicon-containing precursor to a chamber housing a substrate, where the silicon-containing precursor is selected from TMOS, TEOS, OMTS, OMCTS, and TOMCATS. The method may also include the steps of providing a flow of an oxidizing precursor to the chamber, and causing a reaction between the silicon-containing precursor and the oxidizing precursor to form a silicon oxide layer. The method may further include varying over time a ratio of the silicon-containing precursor:oxidizing precursor flowed into the chamber to alter a rate of deposition of the silicon oxide on the substrate.

Claims

1. A method to form a silicon oxide layer, the method comprising:

providing a continuous flow of a silicon-containing precursor to a chamber housing a substrate, wherein the silicon-containing precursor is selected from the group consisting of TMOS, TEOS, OMTS, OMCTS, and TOMCATS;

providing a flow of an oxidizing precursor to the chamber;

causing a reaction between the silicon-containing precursor and the oxidizing precursor to form a silicon oxide layer; and

varying over time a ratio of the silicon-containing precursor;

oxidizing precursor flowed into the chamber to alter a rate of deposition of the silicon oxide on the substrate.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein:

providing a flow of the silicon-containing precursor comprises providing a flow of octamethyltrisiloxane (OMTS); and

providing a flow of the oxidizing precursor comprises providing a flow of ozone.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein varying the ratio of the silicon-containing precursor to the oxidizing precursor comprises increasing a flow rate of the silicon-containing precursor relative to a flow rate of the oxidizing presursor.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein varying the ratio of the silicon-containing precursor to the oxidizing precursor comprises increasing a flow rate of the silicon-containing precursor while the flow rate of the oxidizing gas remains constant.

5. The method of claim 3, wherein the silicon oxide is deposited within a recess in the substrate such that a conformal silicon oxide is initially formed within the recess at a first time, followed by formation of a less conformal silicon oxide at a second time.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the recess comprises a shallow trench positioned between the expected location of adjacent semiconductor devices.

7. The method of claim 5, wherein the recess comprises a space between raised features on the substrate.

8. The method of claim 5, wherein the recess a space between lines of an interconnect metallization structure.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein varying the ratio of the silicon-containing precursor to the oxidizing precursor results in a linear change in concentration of the silicon-containing precursor over time.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein varying the ratio of the silicon-containing precursor to the oxidizing precursor results in a nonlinear change in concentration of the silicon-containing precursor over time.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the nonlinear change comprises a step-wise change in concentration of the silicon-containing precursor over time.

12. The method of claim 1 further comprising varying, during deposition of the oxide material, a spacing between the substrate and a precursor distribution plate introducing the precursors into the chamber.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the spacing is reduced to enhance a rate of deposition of the silicon oxide.

14. The method of claim 1, further comprising diverting, prior to deposition, the flow of the silicon-containing precursor upstream of the chamber to an exhaust until a rate of the silicon-containing precursor flow has stabilized.

15. A substrate processing apparatus comprising:

a processing chamber;

a substrate support configured to support a substrate within the processing chamber;

a precursor delivery system configured to receive a silicon-containing precursor and an oxidizing precursor and to deliver the silicon-containing precursor and the oxidizing precursor to the processing chamber, wherein the silicon-containing precursor is selected from the group consisting of TMOS, TEOS, OMTS, OMCTS, and TOMCATS;

a controller configured to control the precursor delivery system and the substrate support, wherein the controller is operable to;

(i) direct the precursor delivery system to introduce the silicon-containing precursor and the oxidizing precursor into processing chamber at a first relative concentration; and

(ii) direct the precursor deliver system to vary the concentration of the silicon-containing precursor relative to the oxidizing precursor over time to deposit silicon oxide on the substrate, as the silicon-containing precursor is continuously flowed into the chamber.

16. The substrate processing apparatus of claim 15, wherein the controller is operable to alter a position of the substrate support relative to the precursor delivery system during deposition of the silicon oxide.

17. The substrate processing apparatus of claim 16, wherein the substrate support is moved closer to the precursor deliver system to enhance a rate of deposition of the silicon oxide.

18. The substrate processing apparatus of claim 15, wherein the controller is operable to divert, during a precursor flow stabilization phase, the silicon-containing precursor flow upstream from the chamber to a chamber exhaust.

19. The substrate processing apparatus of claim 15, wherein silicon-containing precursor is OMTS and the oxidizing precursor is ozone.

20. A chemical vapor deposition method for forming a dielectric material in a trench formed on a substrate, the method comprising:

providing a hydroxyl-containing precursor in the process chamber;

flowing a silicon-containing precursor into a process chamber housing the substrate;

flowing an oxidizing gas into the chamber; and

causing a reaction between the silicon-containing precursor, oxidizing gas and hydroxyl-containing precursor to form the dielectric material in the trench; and

increasing over time a ratio of the silicon-containing precursor to the oxidizing gas flowed into the chamber to alter a rate of deposition of the dielectric material.