Method and apparatus for improving gap-fill capability using chemical and physical etchbacks

US6190233A · kind A · utility

Assignee

• Applied Materials, Inc. · US

Inventors

• Soonil Hong · Los Altos, US
• Choon Kun Ryu · Seoul, KR
• Michael P. Nault · San Jose, US
• Kaushal K. Singh · Santa Clara, US
• Anthony Lam · Montréal, CA
• Virendra V. Rana · Berkeley Heights, US
• Andrew Conners · Los Gatos, US

Key dates

• Filing date: Feb 19, 1998
• Grant date: Feb 20, 2001
• Expiry date: Feb 19, 2018

Classification

• Technology area (CPC H): Electricity
• CPC primary: H01L21/76837
• WIPO field: Semiconductors
• WIPO sector: Electrical engineering

Abstract

A method and an apparatus for depositing a dielectric layer to fill in a gap between adjacent metal lines. In preferred embodiments of the method, a first dielectric layer is deposited over the lines and subsequently etched using both chemical and physical etchback steps. After the etchback steps are completed, a second dielectric layer is deposited over the first dielectric layer to fill in the gap.