GAP FILL USING CARBON-BASED FILMS

• US 20160314964A1
• Filed: 04/21/2015
• Published: 10/27/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 04/21/2015
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Lam Research Corporation
• Original Assignee: Lam Research Corporation
• Inventors: Wang, Shu Tsai, Tang, Wei, Park, Jason Daejin, van Schravendijk, Bart J., Ashtiani, Kaihan Abidi
• Application Number:
  US14/692,627
• Publication Number:
  US 20160314964A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: C23C 16/045 Coating cavities or hollow spaces, e.g. interior of tubes; Infiltration of porous substrates
• CPC Class Codes: C23C 16/26 Deposition of carbon only
• CPC Class Codes: C23C 16/325 Silicon carbide
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/02115 the material being carbon, e.g. alpha-C, diamond or hydrogen doped carbon
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/02167 the material being a silicon carbide not containing oxygen, e.g. SiC, SiC:H or silicon carbonitrides H01L21/02126 and H01L21/0214 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/02211 the compound being a silane, e.g. disilane, methylsilane or chlorosilane
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/02274 in the presence of a plasma [PECVD]
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/76837 Filling up the space between adjacent conductive structures; Gap-filling properties of dielectrics

Abstract

Provided herein are methods of filling gaps using high density plasma chemical vapor deposition (HDP CVD). According to various implementations, carbon-containing films such as amorphous carbon and amorphous carbide films are deposited by HDP CVD into gaps on substrates to fill the gaps. The methods may involve using high hydrogen-content process gasses during HDP CVD deposition to provide bottom-up fill. Also provided are related apparatus.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

introducing a process gas to a high density plasma chemical vapor deposition (HDP CVD) chamber that houses a substrate having a gap, wherein the process gas includes a hydrocarbon reactant and has a H;

C ratio of at least 4;

1; and

filling the gap with a carbon-based film by an HDP CVD reaction of the process gas.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the gap is filled in a single deposition operation with no intervening etch operations.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the carbon-based film is an amorphous carbon (a-C) film.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the carbon-based film is an amorphous carbide film.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the carbon-based film is a doped or undoped amorphous silicon carbide film.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the process gas includes a silicon-containing reactant having a H:

Si ratio of at least 4.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the hydrocarbon reactant has a H:

C ratio of at least 3;

1.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the hydrocarbon reactant has a H:

C ratio of at least 4;

1.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the process gas includes molecular hydrogen (H₂).

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising generating a plasma including hydrogen radicals.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the filling the gap comprises a hydrogen radical etch at the top of the gap during the HDP CVD reaction.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein filling the gap with a carbon-based film comprises two or more deposition stages and one or more intervening etch operations.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the one or more intervening etch operations are hydrogen-based etches.

14. An apparatus comprising:

a plasma generator;

chamber comprising a pedestal;

one or more inlets to the chamber; and

a controller comprising machine-readable instructions for;

inletting a process gas comprising a hydrocarbon reactant, wherein the process gas has a H;

C ratio of at least 4;

1; and

generating a high density plasma in the chamber to thereby fill a gap on a substrate in the chamber.

15. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein the hydrocarbon reactant has a H:

C ratio of at least 3;

1.

16. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein the hydrocarbon reactant has a H:

C ratio of at least 4;

1.

17. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein the process gas includes a silicon-containing reactant having a H:

Si ratio of at least 4.

18. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein the process gas includes molecular hydrogen (H₂).