CYCLIC SEQUENTIAL PROCESSES FOR FORMING HIGH QUALITY THIN FILMS

摘要

Methods are described for a cyclical deposition and curing process. More particularly, the implementations described herein provide a cyclic sequential deposition and curing process for filling features formed on a substrate. Features are filled to ensure electrical isolation of features in integrated circuits formed on a substrate. The processes described herein use flowable film deposition processes that have been effective in reducing voids or seams produced in features formed on a substrate. However, conventional gap-filling methods using flowable films typically contain dielectric materials that have undesirable physical and electrical properties. In particular, film density is not uniform, film dielectric constant varies across the film thickness, film stability is not ideal, film refractive index is inconsistent, and resistance to dilute hydrofluoric acid (DHF) is not ideal in conventional flowable films. The cyclic sequential deposition and curing processes address the issues described herein to create films with higher quality and increased lifetime.

主权项

1. A method for processing a substrate, comprising:
forming a first flowable film having a thickness in a feature of a substrate, wherein the thickness is less than the height of the feature, forming the first flowable film comprising:
depositing a first flowable film in the feature;exposing the substrate to an oxygen containing plasma;exposing the substrate to ultraviolet light; and repeating the process of forming the first flowable film to form one or more layers of second flowable film over the first flowable film, wherein the first flowable film and the one or more layers of second flowable film together have a film thickness equal to or greater than the height of the feature.