Patent application number | Description | Published |
20090104764 | Methods and Systems for Forming at Least One Dielectric Layer - A method for forming a structure includes forming at least one feature across a surface of a substrate. A nitrogen-containing dielectric layer is formed over the at least one feature. A first portion of the nitrogen-containing layer on at least one sidewall of the at least one feature is removed at a first rate and a second portion of the nitrogen-containing layer over the substrate adjacent to a bottom region of the at least one feature is removed at a second rate. The first rate is greater than the second rate. A dielectric layer is formed over the nitrogen-containing dielectric layer. | 04-23-2009 |
20090263972 | BORON NITRIDE AND BORON-NITRIDE DERIVED MATERIALS DEPOSITION METHOD - A method and apparatus are provided to form spacer materials adjacent substrate structures. In one embodiment, a method is provided for processing a substrate including placing a substrate having a substrate structure adjacent a substrate surface in a deposition chamber, depositing a spacer layer on the substrate structure and substrate surface, and etching the spacer layer to expose the substrate structure and a portion of the substrate surface, wherein the spacer layer is disposed adjacent the substrate structure. The spacer layer may comprise a boron nitride material. The spacer layer may comprise a base spacer layer and a liner layer, and the spacer layer may be etched in a two-step etching process. | 10-22-2009 |
20100233633 | ENGINEERING BORON-RICH FILMS FOR LITHOGRAPHIC MASK APPLICATIONS - Methods for processing a substrate with a boron rich film are provided. A patterned layer of boron rich material is deposited on a substrate and can be used as an etch stop. By varying the chemical composition, the selectivity and etch rate of the boron rich material can be optimized for different etch chemistries. The boron rich materials can be deposited over a layer stack substrate in multiple layers and etched in a pattern. The exposed layer stack can then be etched with multiple etch chemistries. Each of the boron rich layers can have a different chemical composition that is optimized for the multiple etch chemistries. | 09-16-2010 |
20120196450 | METHOD TO INCREASE SILICON NITRIDE TENSILE STRESS USING NITROGEN PLASMA IN-SITU TREATMENT AND EX-SITU UV CURE - Stress of a silicon nitride layer may be enhanced by deposition at higher temperatures. Employing an apparatus that allows heating of a substrate to substantially greater than 400° C. (for example a heater made from ceramic rather than aluminum), the silicon nitride film as-deposited may exhibit enhanced stress allowing for improved performance of the underlying MOS transistor device. In accordance with some embodiments, a deposited silicon nitride film is exposed to curing with plasma and ultraviolet (UV) radiation, thereby helping remove hydrogen from the film and increasing film stress. In accordance with other embodiments, a silicon nitride film is formed utilizing an integrated process employing a number of deposition/curing cycles to preserve integrity of the film at the sharp corner of the underlying raised feature. Adhesion between successive layers may be promoted by inclusion of a post-UV cure plasma treatment in each cycle. | 08-02-2012 |
20120289049 | COPPER OXIDE REMOVAL TECHNIQUES - A method for the removal of copper oxide from a copper and dielectric containing structure of a semiconductor chip is provided. The copper and dielectric containing structure may be planarized by chemical mechanical planarization (CMP) and treated by the method to remove copper oxide and CMP residues. Annealing in a hydrogen (H | 11-15-2012 |
20130183835 | LOW TEMPERATURE PLASMA ENHANCED CHEMICAL VAPOR DEPOSITION OF CONFORMAL SILICON CARBON NITRIDE AND SILICON NITRIDE FILMS - Methods and apparatus for forming conformal silicon nitride films at low temperatures on a substrate are provided. The methods of forming a silicon nitride layer include performing a deposition cycle including flowing a processing gas mixture into a processing chamber having a substrate therein, wherein the processing gas mixture comprises precursor gas molecules having labile silicon to nitrogen, silicon to carbon, or nitrogen to carbon bonds, activating the precursor gas at a temperature between about 20° C. to about 480° C. by preferentially breaking labile bonds to provide one or more reaction sites along a precursor gas molecule, forming a precursor material layer on the substrate, wherein the activated precursor gas molecules bond with a surface on the substrate at the one or more reaction sites, and performing a plasma treatment process on the precursor material layer to form a conformal silicon nitride layer. | 07-18-2013 |
20140023794 | Method And Apparatus For Low Temperature ALD Deposition - Provided are methods and apparatus for low temperature atomic layer deposition of a densified film. A low temperature film is formed and densified by exposure to one or more of a plasma or radical species. The resulting densified film has superior properties to low temperature films formed without densification. | 01-23-2014 |
20140273516 | VBD AND TDDB IMPROVEMENT THRU INTERFACE ENGINEERING - Methods for the repair of damaged low k films are provided. In one embodiment, the method comprises providing a substrate having a low k dielectric film deposited thereon, and exposing a surface of the low k dielectric film to an activated carbon-containing precursor gas to form a conformal carbon-containing film on the surface of the low k dielectric film, wherein the carbon-containing precursor gas has at least one or more Si—N—Si linkages in the molecular structure. | 09-18-2014 |
20140273524 | Plasma Doping Of Silicon-Containing Films - Provided are methods for the deposition and doping of films comprising Si. Certain methods involve depositing a SiN, SiO, SiON, SiC or SiCN film and doping the Si-containing film with one or more of C, B, O, N and Ge by a plasma implantation process. Such doped Si-containing films may have improved properties such as reduced etch rate in acid-based clean solutions, reduced dielectric constant and/or improved dielectric strength. | 09-18-2014 |
20140273529 | PEALD of Films Comprising Silicon Nitride - Provided are methods of for deposition of SiN films via PEALD processes. Certain methods pertain to exposing a substrate surface to a silicon precursor to provide a silicon precursor at the substrate surface; purging excess silicon precursor; exposing the substrate surface to an ionized reducing agent; and purging excess ionized reducing agent to provide a film comprising SiN, wherein the substrate has a temperature of 23° C. to about 550° C. | 09-18-2014 |
20140273530 | Post-Deposition Treatment Methods For Silicon Nitride - Provided are methods post deposition treatment of films comprising SiN. Certain methods pertain to providing a film comprising SiN; and exposing the film to an inductively coupled plasma, capacitively coupled plasma or a microwave plasma to provide a treated film with a modulated film stress and/or wet etch rate in dilute HF. Certain other methods comprise depositing a PEALD SiN film followed by exposure to a plasma nitridation process or a UV treatment to provide a treated film. | 09-18-2014 |