Abstract: Exemplary methods of semiconductor processing may include etching one or more features partially through a stack of layers formed on a substrate. The methods may include halting the etching prior to penetrating fully through the stack of layers formed on the substrate. The methods may include forming a layer of carbon-containing material along the stack of layers on the substrate. The layer of carbon-containing material may include a metal. The methods may include etching the one or more features fully through the stack of layers on the substrate.

Abstract: Exemplary processing methods may include flowing a first deposition precursor into a substrate processing region to form a first portion of an initial compound layer. The first deposition precursor may include an aldehyde reactive group. The methods may include removing a first deposition effluent including the first deposition precursor from the substrate processing region. The methods may include flowing a second deposition precursor into the substrate processing region. The second deposition precursor may include an amine reactive group, and the amine reactive group may react with the aldehyde reactive group to form a second portion of the initial compound layer. The methods may include removing a second deposition effluent including the second deposition precursor from the substrate processing region. The methods may include annealing the initial compound layer to form an annealed carbon-containing material on the surface of the substrate.

Abstract: Embodiments of the present disclosure generally relate to fabricating electronic devices, such as memory devices. In one or more embodiments, a method for forming a device includes forming a film stack on a substrate, where the film stack contains a plurality of alternating layers of oxide layers and nitride layers and has a stack thickness, and etching the film stack to a first depth to form a plurality of openings between a plurality of structures. The method includes depositing an etch protection liner containing amorphous-silicon on the sidewalls and the bottoms of the structures, removing the etch protection liner from at least the bottoms of the openings, forming a plurality of holes by etching the film stack in the openings to further extend each bottom of the openings to a second depth of the hole, and removing the etch protection liner from the sidewalls.

Abstract: Exemplary methods of semiconductor processing may include providing a silicon-containing precursor and a carbon-containing precursor to a processing region of a semiconductor processing chamber. The carbon-containing precursor may be characterized by a carbon-carbon double bond or a carbon-carbon triple bond. A substrate may be disposed within the processing region of the semiconductor processing chamber. The methods may include providing a boron-containing precursor to the processing region of the semiconductor processing chamber. The methods may include thermally reacting the silicon-containing precursor, the carbon-containing precursor, and the boron-containing precursor at a temperature above about 250° C. The methods may include forming a silicon-and-carbon-containing layer on the substrate.

Abstract: Exemplary methods of semiconductor processing may include providing a boron-and-carbon-and-nitrogen-containing precursor to a processing region of a semiconductor processing chamber. A substrate may be disposed within the processing region of the semiconductor processing chamber. The methods may include generating a capacitively-coupled plasma of the boron-and-carbon-and-nitrogen-containing precursor. The methods may include forming a boron-and-carbon-and-nitrogen-containing layer on the substrate. The boron-and-carbon-and-nitrogen-containing layer may be characterized by a dielectric constant below or about 3.5.

Abstract: Exemplary methods of semiconductor processing may include providing a silicon-containing precursor and an oxygen-containing precursor to a processing region of a semiconductor processing chamber. A substrate may be disposed within the processing region of the semiconductor processing chamber. The methods may include providing a carbon-containing precursor to the processing region of the semiconductor processing chamber. The carbon-containing precursor may be characterized by a carbon-carbon double bond or a carbon-carbon triple bond. The methods may include thermally reacting the silicon-containing precursor, the oxygen-containing precursor, and the carbon-containing precursor at a temperature below about 650° C. The methods may include forming a silicon-and-oxygen-and-carbon-containing layer on the substrate.

Abstract: Methods for depositing a silicon-containing film on a substrate are described. The method comprises heating a processing chamber to a temperature greater than or equal to 200° C.; maintaining the processing chamber at a pressure of less than or equal to 300 Torr; coflowing a silicon precursor and nitrous oxide (N2O) into the processing chamber, and depositing a conformal silicon-containing film on the substrate. The silicon-containing film has dielectric constant (k-value) in a range of from about 3.8 to about 4.0, has a breakdown voltage of greater than 8 MV/cm at a leakage current of 1 mA/cm2 and has a leakage current of less than 1 nA/cm2 at 2 MV/cm.

Abstract: Methods for filling a substrate feature with a carbon gap fill, while leaving a void, are described. Methods comprise flowing a process gas into a high density plasma chemical vapor deposition (HDP-CVD) chamber, the chamber housing a substrate having at least one feature, the process gas comprising a hydrocarbon reactant, generating a plasma, and depositing a carbon film.

Abstract: An exemplary method may include delivering a boron-containing precursor to a processing region of a semiconductor processing chamber. The method may also include forming a plasma within the processing region of the semiconductor processing chamber from the boron-containing precursor. The method may further include depositing a boron-containing material on a substrate disposed within the processing region of the semiconductor processing chamber. The boron-containing material may include greater than 50% of boron. In some embodiments, the boron-containing material may include substantially all boron. In some embodiments, the method may further include delivering at least one of a germanium-containing precursor, an oxygen-containing precursor, a silicon-containing precursor, a phosphorus-containing precursor, a carbon-containing precursor, and/or a nitrogen-containing precursor to the processing region of the semiconductor processing chamber.

Abstract: Exemplary processing methods may include flowing a first deposition precursor into a substrate processing region to form a first portion of an initial compound layer. The first deposition precursor may include an aldehyde reactive group. The methods may include removing a first deposition effluent including the first deposition precursor from the substrate processing region. The methods may include flowing a second deposition precursor into the substrate processing region. The second deposition precursor may include an amine reactive group, and the amine reactive group may react with the aldehyde reactive group to form a second portion of the initial compound layer. The methods may include removing a second deposition effluent including the second deposition precursor from the substrate processing region. The methods may include annealing the initial compound layer to form an annealed carbon-containing material on the surface of the substrate.

Abstract: Exemplary methods of semiconductor processing may include providing a boron-containing precursor to a processing region of a semiconductor processing chamber. A substrate may be disposed within the processing region of the semiconductor processing chamber. The methods may include providing a carbon-containing precursor to the processing region of the semiconductor processing chamber. The carbon-containing precursor may be characterized by a carbon-carbon double bond or a carbon-carbon triple bond. The methods may include thermally reacting the boron-containing precursor and the carbon-containing precursor at a temperature below about 650° C. The methods may include forming a boron-and-carbon-containing layer on the substrate.

Abstract: Hydrogen free (low-H) silicon dioxide layers are disclosed. Some embodiments provide methods for forming low-H layers using hydrogen-free silicon precursors and hydrogen-free oxygen sources. Some embodiments provide methods for tuning the stress profile of low-H silicon dioxide films. Further, some embodiments of the disclosure provide oxide-nitride stacks which exhibit reduced stack bow after anneal.

Abstract: An exemplary method may include delivering a boron-containing precursor to a processing region of a semiconductor processing chamber. The method may also include forming a plasma within the processing region of the semiconductor processing chamber from the boron-containing precursor. The method may further include depositing a boron-containing material on a substrate disposed within the processing region of the semiconductor processing chamber. The boron-containing material may include greater than 50% of boron. In some embodiments, the boron-containing material may include substantially all boron. In some embodiments, the method may further include delivering at least one of a germanium-containing precursor, an oxygen-containing precursor, a silicon-containing precursor, a phosphorus-containing precursor, a carbon-containing precursor, and/or a nitrogen-containing precursor to the processing region of the semiconductor processing chamber.