Silicon oxide gapfill deposition using liquid precursors

• US 7,087,536 B2
• Filed: 09/01/2004
• Issued: 08/08/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 09/01/2004
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Applied Materials Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Applied Materials (Holdings) (Applied Materials Incorporated)
• Inventors: Lee, Young S., Nemani, Srinivas D.
• Primary Examiner(s): Lindsay, Jr., Walter L.
• Application Number:
  US10/931,742
• Publication Number:
  US 20060046508A1
• Time in Patent Office: 706 Days
• Field of Search: 438/758, 438/771, 438/774, 438/788, 438/400, 438/723, 438/711, 438/707, 438/783, 438/787
• US Class Current: 438/758
• CPC Class Codes: C23C 16/401 containing silicon
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/02164 the material being a silicon oxide, e.g. SiO2
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/02214 the compound comprising silicon and oxygen
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/02274 in the presence of a plasma [PECVD]
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/0234 treatment by exposure to a plasma

Abstract

A silicon oxide film is deposited on a substrate disposed in a substrate processing chamber. The substrate has a gap formed between adjacent raised surfaces. A liquid Si—C—O—H precursor is vaporized. A flow of the vaporized liquid Si—C—O—H precursor is provided to the substrate processing chamber. A gaseous oxidizer is also flowed to the substrate processing chamber. A deposition plasma is generated inductively from the precursor and the oxidizer in the substrate processing chamber, and the silicon oxide film is deposited over the substrate and within the gap with the deposition plasma.

Claims

1. A method of depositing a silicon oxide film on a substrate disposed in a substrate processing chamber, the substrate having a gap formed between adjacent raised surfaces with a width less than 50 nm, the method comprising:

vaporizing a liquid Si—

C—

O—

H precursor;

providing a flow of the vaporized liquid Si—

C—

O—

H precursor to the substrate processing chamber;

flowing a gaseous oxidizer to the substrate processing chamber;

inductively generating a deposition plasma having an ion density between 5×

10⁹ and 5×

10¹⁰ ions/cm³ from the precursor and the oxidizer in the substrate processing chamber; and

depositing the silicon oxide film over the substrate and within the gap with the deposition plasma.

2. The method recited in claim 1 wherein the liquid precursor comprises no Si—

C bonds.

3. The method recited in claim 1 wherein the liquid precursor comprises a Si—

C bond.

4. The method recited in claim 3 wherein the liquid precursor has a CH₃:

Si stoichiometric ratio that exceeds 2.

5. The method recited in claim 1 wherein the gaseous oxidizer is selected from the group consisting of O₂, N₂O, H₂O, and O₃.

6. The method recited in claim 1 wherein the gap and adjacent raised features form part of a shallow-trench-isolation structure.

7. The method recited in claim 1 wherein the gap and adjacent raised features form part of a premetal dielectric structure or an intermetal dielectric structure.

8. The method recited in claim 1 further comprising densifying the deposited silicon oxide film, wherein densifying comprises:

flowing a densification gas that includes an oxygen-containing gas into the substrate processing chamber;

forming a densification plasma from the densification gas; and

exposing the deposited film to the densification plasma, whereby the silicon oxide film is a substantially stoichiometric SiO₂ film.

9. The method recited in claim 8 wherein the densification gas comprises H₂ and O₂.

10. The method recited in claim 9 wherein a flow rate of the H₂ is between 200 and 1000 sccm and a flow rate of the O₂ is between 10 and 1000 sccm.

11. The method recited in claim 8 wherein the densification gas comprises N₂O.

12. The method recited in claim 8 wherein the densification gas comprises H₂O.

13. The method recited in claim 8 wherein the densification gas comprises O₃.

14. The method recited in claim 8 wherein the densification plasma is a high-density plasma having an ion density of at least 10¹¹ ions/cm³.

15. The method recited in claim 8 wherein exposing the deposited film to the densification plasma is performed while a pressure within the substrate processing chamber is maintained between 5 and 25 mtorr.

16. The method recited in claim 8 wherein exposing the deposited film to the densification plasma is performed while a temperature within the substrate processing chamber is maintained above 800°

C.

17. A method of depositing a silicon oxide film on a substrate disposed in a substrate processing chamber, the substrate having a gap formed between adjacent raised surfaces with a width less than 50 nm, the method comprising:

vaporizing a liquid Si—

C—

O—

H precursor;

providing a flow of the vaporized liquid Si—

C—

O—

H precursor to the substrate processing chamber;

flowing a gaseous oxidizer to the substrate processing chamber;

generating a deposition plasma having an ion density between 5×

10⁹ and 5×

10¹⁰ ions/cm³ from the precursor and the oxidizer in the substrate processing chamber; and

depositing the silicon oxide film over the substrate and within the gap with the deposition plasma.

18. The method recited in claim 17 wherein the liquid precursor comprises no Si—

C bonds.

19. The method recited in claim 17 wherein the liquid precursor comprises a Si—

C bond.

20. The method recited in claim 17 wherein the gaseous oxidizer is selected from the group consisting of O₂, N₂O, H₂O, and O₃.

21. The method recited in claim 17 further comprising densifying the deposited silicon oxide film, wherein densifying comprises:

flowing a densification gas that includes an oxygen-containing gas into the substrate processing chamber;

forming a densification plasma having an ion density of at least 10¹¹ ions/cm³ from the densification gas; and

exposing the deposited film to the densification plasma, whereby the silicon oxide film is a substantially stoichiometric SiO₂ film.

22. A method of depositing a silicon oxide film on a substrate disposed in a substrate processing chamber, the substrate having a gap formed between adjacent raised surfaces with a width less than 50 nm and an aspect ratio greater than 4:

1, the method comprising;

vaporizing a liquid Si—

C—

O—

H precursor;

providing a flow of the vaporized liquid Si—

C—

O—

H precursor to the substrate processing chamber;

flowing a gaseous oxidizer selected from the group consisting of O₂, N₂O, H₂O, and O₃ to the substrate processing chamber;

inductively generating a deposition plasma having an ion density between 5×

10⁹ and 5×

10¹⁰ from the precursor and the oxidizer in the substrate processing chamber;

depositing the silicon oxide film over the substrate and within the gap with the deposition plasma;

generating a densification plasma from a densification gas that includes an oxygen-containing gas without extinguishing the deposition plasma; and

exposing the silicon oxide film to the densification gas at a pressure between 5 and 25 mtorr and at a temperature greater than 800°

C., whereby the silicon oxide film is a substantially stoichiometric SiO₂ film.

23. The method recited in claim 22 wherein the densification gas comprises H₂ and O₂.

24. The method recited in claim 23 wherein a flow rate of the H₂ is between 200 and 1000 sccm and a flow rate of the O₂ is between 10 and 1000 sccm.