Methods and apparatus for producing stable low k FSG film for HDP-CVD

US6511922B2 · kind B2 · utility

Assignee

• Applied Materials, Inc. · US

Inventors

• Padmanabhan Krishnaraj · San Francisco, US
• Robert Duncan · Cayce, US
• Joseph D'Souza · Sunnyvale, US
• Alan W. Collins · San Francisco, US
• Nasreen Chopra · Belmont, US
• Kimberly Branshaw · Santa Clara, US

Key dates

• Filing date: Mar 26, 2001
• Grant date: Jan 28, 2003
• Expiry date: Mar 26, 2021

Classification

• Technology area (CPC H): Electricity
• CPC primary: H01L21/02274
• WIPO field: Semiconductors
• WIPO sector: Electrical engineering

Abstract

Methods and apparatus of the present invention deposit fluorinated silicate glass (FSG) in such a manner that it strongly adheres to an overlying or underlying barrier layer or etch stop layer, and has a lower dielectric constant, among other benefits. In one embodiment, silicon tetrafluoride (SiF4), oxygen (O2), and argon (Ar) are used as the reactant gases, with the ratio of oxygen to silicon controlled to be at between about 2:1 to 6:1. Such O2 levels help reduce the amount of degradation of ceramic chamber components otherwise caused by the elimination of silane from the process recipe.