BOTTOM UP FILL IN HIGH ASPECT RATIO TRENCHES

• US 20120149213A1
• Filed: 12/07/2011
• Published: 06/14/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 12/09/2010
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Novellus Systems Incorporated (Lam Research Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Novellus Systems Incorporated (Lam Research Corporation)
• Inventors: Nittala, Lakshminarayana, Draeger, Nerissa, Van Schravendijk, Bart, Danek, Michael, Rathod, Megha, Te Nijenhuis, Harald, Shannon, Karena
• Application Number:
  US13/313,735
• Publication Number:
  US 20120149213A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 438/783
• CPC Class Codes: C23C 16/02 Pretreatment of the material to be coated C23C16/04 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: C23C 16/045 Coating cavities or hollow spaces, e.g. interior of tubes; Infiltration of porous substrates
• CPC Class Codes: C23C 16/401 containing silicon
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/02211 the compound being a silane, e.g. disilane, methylsilane or chlorosilane
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/02216 the compound being a molecule comprising at least one silicon-oxygen bond and the compound having hydrogen or an organic group attached to the silicon or oxygen, e.g. a siloxane
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/02219 the compound comprising silicon and nitrogen
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/02274 in the presence of a plasma [PECVD]
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/02315 treatment by exposure to a plasma
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/02318 post-treatment
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/67207 comprising a chamber adapted to a particular process
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/76224 using trench refilling with dielectric materials trench filling with polycristalline silicon H01L21/763; together with vertical isolation, e.g. trench refilling in a SOI substrate H01L21/76264

Abstract

Provided are novel methods of filling gaps with a flowable dielectric material. According to various embodiments, the methods involve performing a surface treatment on the gap to enhance subsequent bottom up fill of the gap. In certain embodiments, the treatment involves exposing the surface to activated species, such as activated species of one or more of nitrogen, oxygen, and hydrogen. In certain embodiments, the treatment involves exposing the surface to a plasma generated from a mixture of nitrogen and oxygen. The treatment may enable uniform nucleation of the flowable dielectric film, reduce nucleation delay, increase deposition rate and enhance feature-to-feature fill height uniformity.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

providing a substrate including a gap to be filled to a treatment chamber, the gap including a bottom surface and one or more sidewall surfaces;

exposing a surface of the gap to nitrogen and oxygen species; and

after exposing the surface of the gap to nitrogen and oxygen species, depositing a flowable dielectric film in the gap.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein depositing a flowable dielectric film in the gap comprises introducing a silicon-containing precursor and an oxidant in a chamber containing the substrate under conditions such that the flowable dielectric film is formed.

3. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

densifying at least a portion of the deposited film.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein the surface is a solid silicon-containing material.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein the gap surface is exposed to nitrogen and oxygen species prior to the deposition of any flowable dielectric film in the gap.

7. The method of claim 1 further comprising generating a plasma from a gas comprising a nitrogen-containing compound and an oxygen-containing compound.

9. The method of claim 7 wherein the plasma is a remotely-generated plasma.

10. The method of claim 7 wherein the plasma is generated in the treatment chamber.

11. The method of claim 1 wherein the nitrogen and oxygen species comprise ions and/or radicals.

12. The method of claim 1 wherein exposing the gap to nitrogen and oxygen species comprises introducing nitrogen and oxygen to the treatment chamber in a ratio of between about 1:

2 to 1;

30.

13. The method of claim 1 wherein exposing the gap to nitrogen and oxygen species comprises introducing nitrogen and oxygen to the treatment chamber in a ratio of between about 1:

5 to 1;

30.

14. The method of claim 1 wherein exposing the gap to nitrogen and oxygen species comprises introducing nitrogen and oxygen to the treatment chamber in a ratio of between about 1:

10 to 1;

20.

15. The method of claim 1 further comprising exposing the deposited film to a plasma generated from a gas comprising a nitrogen-containing compound and an oxygen-containing compound.

16. The method of claim 1 wherein the flowable dielectric material is deposited in the treatment chamber.

17. The method of claim 1 further comprising, after exposing the surface to nitrogen and oxygen species and prior to depositing the flowable dielectric film, transferring the substrate to a deposition chamber.

18. The method of claim 1 further comprising generating nitrogen plasma species from one more of the following gases:

N₂, NH₃, N₂H₄, N₂O, NO and NO_2;

and generating oxygen species from one or more of the following gases;

O₂, O₃, H₂O, H₂O₂, NO, NO₂ and CO₂.

19. The method of claim 1 further comprising, prior to depositing a flowable film in the gap, flowing a silicon-containing precursor into the chamber.

20. The method of claim 1 further comprising, prior to depositing a flowable film in the gap, flowing an oxidant into the chamber.

21. The method of claim 1 wherein exposing a surface of the gap to nitrogen and oxygen species and depositing a flowable dielectric film in the gap are performed in the same chamber.

22. The method of claim 1 further comprising exposing a surface of the gap to ultraviolet light in the presence of oxygen and nitrogen species.

6. (canceled)

8. (canceled)

23-26. -26. (canceled)

27. A method comprising:

providing a substrate including a gap to be filled to a treatment chamber, the gap including a bottom surface and one or more sidewall surfaces;

exposing a surface of the gap to activated species generated from a gas comprising at least one of an oxygen-containing gas, a hydrogen-containing gas, and a nitrogen-containing gas; and

after exposing the surface of the gap to the activated species, depositing a flowable dielectric film in the gap.

28. The method of claim 27, wherein the gas includes hydrogen (H₂) and substantially no oxygen- or nitrogen-containing compounds.

29. The method of claim 28, wherein the flowable dielectric film is a carbon-doped dielectric film.

30. The method of claim 27, wherein the gas includes an oxygen-containing compound and substantially no nitrogen-containing compounds.

31. The method of claim 27, wherein the gas includes a nitrogen-containing compound and substantially no oxygen-containing compounds.

32. The method of claim 27, wherein the gas is selected from one of H₂, H₂/N₂, H₂/O₂, O₂, O3, N₂, NH3 and N₂/O₂, each of which may optionally include one or more inert gases.

33. A method comprising:

providing a substrate including a gap to be filled to a treatment chamber, the gap including a bottom surface and one or more sidewall surfaces;

exposing a gas comprising at least one of an oxygen-containing gas, a hydrogen-containing gas, and a nitrogen-containing gas to ultraviolet light to generate activated species;

exposing a surface of the gap to the activated species; and

after exposing the surface of the gap to the activated species, depositing a flowable dielectric film in the gap.

34. An apparatus comprising:

a treatment chamber configured to contain a partially manufactured semiconductor substrate;

a deposition chamber configured to contain a partially manufactured semiconductor substrate; and

a controller comprising program instructions for;

introducing activated species to the treatment chamber while it contains the substrate;

transferring the substrate under vacuum to the deposition chamber; and

introducing a silicon-containing precursor and an oxidant to the deposition chamber to thereby deposit a flowable oxide film on the substrate.

35-36. -36. (canceled)