In-situ oxide capping after CVD low k deposition

• US 7,112,541 B2
• Filed: 05/06/2004
• Issued: 09/26/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 05/06/2004
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Applied Materials Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Applied Materials Incorporated
• Inventors: Xia, Li-Qun, Witty, Derek R., M'Saad, Hichem, Xu, Huiwen
• Primary Examiner(s): Smith, Matthew
• Assistant Examiner(s): Tobergte, Nicholas J.
• Application Number:
  US10/840,754
• Publication Number:
  US 20050250348A1
• Time in Patent Office: 873 Days
• Field of Search: 438/771, 438/628, 438/681
• US Class Current: 438/771
• CPC Class Codes: C23C 16/401 containing silicon
• CPC Class Codes: C23C 16/45523 Pulsed gas flow or change of composition over time
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/02126 the material containing Si, O, and at least one of H, N, C, F, or other non-metal elements, e.g. SiOC, SiOC:H or SiONC
• 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 21/02274 in the presence of a plasma [PECVD]
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/02362 formation of intermediate layers, e.g. capping layers or diffusion barriers
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/31633 Deposition of carbon doped silicon oxide, e.g. SiOC
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/76826 by contacting the layer with gases, liquids or plasmas
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/76829 characterised by the formation of thin functional dielectric layers, e.g. dielectric etch-stop, barrier, capping or liner layers

Abstract

A method of processing a substrate including depositing a low dielectric constant film comprising silicon, carbon, and oxygen on the substrate and depositing an oxide rich cap on the low dielectric constant film is provided. The low dielectric constant film is deposited from a gas mixture comprising an organosilicon compound and an oxidizing gas in the presence of RF power in a chamber. The RF power and a flow of the organosilicon compound and the oxidizing gas are continued in the chamber after the deposition of the low dielectric constant film at flow rates sufficient to deposit an oxide rich cap on the low dielectric constant film.

Claims

1. A method of processing a substrate, comprising:

flowing one or more organosilicon compounds and one or more oxidizing gases into a chamber;

depositing a low dielectric constant film comprising silicon, carbon, and oxygen on a substrate in the chamber in the presence of RF power;

increasing a total flow rate of the one of more oxidizing gases into the chamber after depositing the low dielectric constant film;

decreasing a total flow rate of the one or more organosilicon compounds into the chamber after depositing the low dielectric constant film; and

then

depositing an oxide rich cap on the low dielectric constant film in the chamber in the presence of RF power, while maintaining the total flow rate of the one or more oxidizing gases and the total flow rate of the one or more organosilicon compounds.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the one or more organosilicon compounds is an organosiloxane.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the one or more organosilicon compounds is octamethylcyclotetrasiloxane or trimethylsilane.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the one or more organosilicon compounds is octamethylcyclotetrasiloxane and the one or more oxidizing gases is oxygen.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising flowing one or more carrier gases into the chamber.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the one or more organosilicon compounds consists of one organosilicon compound and the one or more oxidizing gases consists of one oxidizing gas.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the increasing a total flow rate of the one or more oxidizing gases comprises increasing the total flow rate of the one or more oxidizing gases from a flow rate of between about 25 sccm and about 250 sccm during the depositing a low dielectric constant film to a flow rate of between about 250 sccm and about 1,000 sccm during the depositing an oxide rich cap.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the decreasing a total flow rate of the one or more organosilicon compounds comprises decreasing the total flow rate of the one or more organosilicon compounds from a flow rate of between about 50 sccm and about 1,500 sccm during the depositing a low dielectric constant film to a flow rate of between about 5 sccm and about 35 sccm during the depositing an oxide rich cap.

9. A method of processing a substrate, comprising:

flowing an organosilicon compound, an oxidizing gas, and a carrier gas into a chamber;

depositing a low dielectric constant film comprising silicon, carbon, and oxygen on a substrate in the chamber in the presence of RF power at a first power level;

increasing a flow rate of the oxidizing gas into the chamber after depositing the low dielectric constant film and while maintaining the RF power in the chamber at the first power level;

decreasing a flow rate of the organosilicon compound into the chamber after depositing the low dielectric constant film and while maintaining the RF power in the chamber at the first power level; and

then

depositing an oxide rich cap on the low dielectric constant film in the chamber in the presence of the RF power at the first power level immediately after the deposition of the low dielectric constant film.

10. The method of claim 9, further comprising depositing an anti-reflective coating on the oxide rich cap.

11. The method of claim 9, wherein the carrier gas is flowed into the chamber at a first rate during the depositing a low dielectric constant film and the carrier gas is flowed into the chamber at a second rate higher than the first rate during the depositing an oxide rich cap.

12. The method of claim 9, wherein the organosilicon compound is octamethylcyclotetrasiloxane and the oxidizing gas is oxygen.

13. The method of claim 9, wherein the RF power at a first power level comprises RE power of between about 0.1 W/cm² and about 2.8 W/cm² at 13.56 MHz.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the RE power at a first power level further comprises RE power of between about 0.01 W/cm² and about 0.3 W/cm2 at 350 kHz.

15. A method of processing a substrate, comprising:

flowing an organosilicon compound, an oxidizing gas, and a carrier gas into a chamber;

depositing a low dielectric constant film comprising silicon, carbon, and oxygen on a substrate in the chamber in the presence of RF power;

decreasing the percent volume of the oxidizing gas in the chamber after depositing the low dielectric constant film;

decreasing the percent volume of the organosilicon compound in the chamber after depositing the low dielectric constant film;

increasing the percent volume of the carrier gas in the chamber after depositing the low dielectric constant film; and

then

depositing an oxide rich cap on the low dielectric constant film in the chamber in the presence of the RF power.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the percent volume of the organosilicon compound is decreased by a greater percentage than the percent volume of the oxidizing gas is decreased.

17. The method of claim 15, wherein the decreasing the percent volume of the oxidizing gas in the chamber and the decreasing the percent volume of the organosilicon compound in the chamber changes a ratio of the percent volume of the oxidizing gas in the chamber to the percent volume of the organosilicon compound in the chamber.

18. The method of claim 15, wherein the RE power comprises an RF power level of between about 0.1 W/cm² and about 2.8 W/cm² at 13.56 MHz and an RF power level of between about 0.01 W/cm² and about 0.3 W/cm² at 350 kHz.

19. The method of claim 15, further comprising depositing an anti-reflective coating on the oxide rich cap.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein the anti-reflective coating is a SiON, SiC, or SiCO film.