Post deposition plasma treatment to increase tensile stress of HDP-CVD SIO2
US7465680B2 · kind B2 · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Sep 7, 2005 |
| Grant date | Dec 16, 2008 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | May 25, 2026 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC H)Electricity
- CPC primaryH01L21/02274
- WIPO fieldSemiconductors
- WIPO sectorElectrical engineering
Abstract
A plasma treatment process for increasing the tensile stress of a silicon wafer is described. Following deposition of a dielectric layer on a substrate, the substrate is lifted to an elevated position above the substrate receiving surface and exposed to a plasma treatment process which treats both the top and bottom surface of the wafer and increases the tensile stress of the deposited layer. Another embodiment of the invention involves biasing of the substrate prior to plasma treatment to bombard the wafer with plasma ions and raise the temperature of the substrate. In another embodiment of the invention, a two-step plasma treatment process can be used where the substrate is first exposed to a plasma at a processing position directly after deposition, and then raised to an elevated position where both the top and bottom of the wafer are exposed to the plasma.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.