CYCLICAL, NON-ISOBARIC, PORE SEALING METHOD TO PREVENT PRECURSOR PENETRATION INTO THE SUBSTRATE

摘要

A method for processing a substrate using a plasma chamber. The method includes providing the substrate on a pedestal of the plasma chamber, the substrate having a material layer that has a porous structure and a least one feature formed in the material layer that exposes one or more open pores of the porous structure. The method further includes introducing an inert gas into the plasma chamber so that a pressure of the plasma chamber is increased to a first pressure that is higher than an average process pressure used for depositing a thin film, wherein increasing to the first pressure causes at least some of the inert gas to migrate into the one or more open pores of the porous structure of the material layer and decreasing the pressure of the plasma chamber to a second pressure that is lower than the average process pressure used for depositing the thin film, wherein decreasing the pressure to the second pressure causes at least some of the inert gas in the material layer to outgas from the one or more open pores. The method then includes depositing the thin film over the material layer and the feature formed in the material layer simultaneously while the inert gas outgases from the one or more open pores of the material layer to seal the one or more open pores while the inert gas outgases.

主权项

1. A method for processing a substrate using a plasma chamber, comprising,
(a) providing the substrate on a pedestal of the plasma chamber, the substrate having a material layer that has a porous structure and a least one feature formed in the material layer that exposes one or more open pores of the porous structure; (b) introducing an inert gas into the plasma chamber so that a pressure of the plasma chamber is increased to a first pressure that is higher than an average process pressure used for depositing a thin film, wherein increasing to the first pressure causes at least some of the inert gas to migrate into the one or more open pores of the porous structure of the material layer; (c) decreasing the pressure of the plasma chamber to a second pressure that is lower than the average process pressure used for depositing the thin film, wherein decreasing the pressure to the second pressure causes at least some of the inert gas in the material layer to outgas from the one or more open pores; and (d) processing the deposition of the thin film over the material layer and the feature formed in the material layer simultaneously while the inert gas outgases from the one or more open pores of the material layer, wherein the thin film is configured to seal the one or more open pores while the inert gas outgases.