Methods for forming a dielectric layer within trenches

• US 7,803,722 B2
• Filed: 10/22/2007
• Issued: 09/28/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 10/22/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Applied Materials Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Applied Materials Incorporated
• Inventors: Liang, Jingmei
• Primary Examiner(s): Smith; Zandra
• Assistant Examiner(s): TYNES JR., LAWRENCE C
• Application Number:
  US11/876,657
• Publication Number:
  US 20090104790A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,072 Days
• Field of Search: 438/787, 438/785, 438/788, 438/771, 438/792
• US Class Current: 438/787
• CPC Class Codes: C23C 16/34 Nitrides C23C16/303 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: C23C 16/401 containing silicon
• CPC Class Codes: C23C 16/452 by activating reactive gas streams before their introduction into the reaction chamber, e.g. by ionisation or addition of reactive species
• CPC Class Codes: C23C 16/56 After-treatment
• 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 21/02164 the material being a silicon oxide, e.g. SiO2
• 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 21/0217 the material being a silicon nitride not containing oxygen, e.g. SixNy or SixByNz 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 21/02222 the compound being a silazane
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/02274 in the presence of a plasma [PECVD]
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/0228 deposition by cyclic CVD, e.g. ALD, ALE, pulsed CVD
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/02326 into a nitride layer, e.g. changing SiN to SiON
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/02337 treatment by exposure to a gas or vapour
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/02348 treatment by exposure to UV light
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/3105 After-treatment
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/31612 on a silicon body
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/3185 of siliconnitrides
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/76837 Filling up the space between adjacent conductive structures; Gap-filling properties of dielectrics

Abstract

A method for forming a semiconductor structure includes reacting a silicon precursor and an atomic oxygen or nitrogen precursor at a processing temperature of about 150° C. or less to form a silicon oxide or silicon-nitrogen containing layer over a substrate. The silicon oxide or silicon-nitrogen containing layer is ultra-violet (UV) cured within an oxygen-containing environment.

Claims

1. A method for forming a semiconductor structure, comprising:

reacting a silicon precursor and an atomic oxygen precursor at a processing temperature of about 150°

C. or less to form a silicon oxide layer over a substrate; and

UV-O₃ curing the silicon oxide layer within an ozone containing environment.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising forming at least one trench structure within the substrate, wherein the at least one trench structure has a height to width aspect ratio of about 5:

1 or more.

3. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

providing the substrate to a deposition chamber;

generating the atomic oxygen precursor outside the deposition chamber;

introducing the atomic oxygen precursor into the chamber; and

introducing the silicon precursor to the deposition chamber, wherein the silicon precursor and the atomic oxygen precursor are mixed in the deposition chamber.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein generating the atomic oxygen precursor comprises:

forming a plasma from a gas mixture comprising argon; and

introducing an oxygen precursor to the plasma, wherein the oxygen precursor dissociates to form the atomic oxygen.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the oxygen precursor is selected from the group consisting of molecular oxygen, ozone, and nitrogen dioxide.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the silicon precursor is selected from the group consisting of silane, dimethylsilane, trimethylsilane, tetramethylsilane, diethylsilane, tetramethylorthosilicate (TMOS), tetraethylorthosilicate (TEOS), octamethyltrisiloxane (OMTS), octamethylcyclotetrasiloxane (OMCTS), tetramethylcyclotetrasiloxane (TOMCATS), DMDMOS, DEMS, methyl triethoxysilane (MTES), phenyldimethylsilane, and phenylsilane.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein UV-O₃ curing the silicon oxide layer has a processing temperature between about 20°

C. and about 650°

C.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the ozone containing environment comprises a mixture of ozone and oxygen.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the ozone has a percentage of about 18% or less.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein UV-O₃ curing the silicon oxide layer has a processing time between about 1 minute and about 10 minutes.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein UV-O₃ curing the silicon oxide layer has an UV wavelength between about 200 nanometer (nm) and about 450 nm.