Abstract: Methods for forming silicon nitride hard masks are provided. The silicon nitride hard masks include carbon-doped silicon nitride layers and undoped silicon nitride layers. Carbon-doped silicon nitride layers that are deposited from a mixture comprising a carbon source compound, a silicon source compound, and a nitrogen source in the presence of RF power are provided. Also provided are methods of UV post-treating silicon nitride layers to provide silicon nitride hard masks. The carbon-doped silicon nitride layers and UV post-treated silicon nitride layers have desirable wet etch rates and dry etch rates for hard mask layers.

Abstract: Embodiments described herein provide a method of processing a substrate. The method includes depositing an interface adhesion layer between a conductive material and a dielectric material such that the interface adhesion layer provides increased adhesion between the conductive material and the dielectric material. In one embodiment a method for processing a substrate is provided. The method comprises depositing an interface adhesion layer on a substrate comprising a conductive material, exposing the interface adhesion layer to a nitrogen containing plasma, and depositing a dielectric layer on the interface adhesion layer after exposing the interface adhesion layer to the nitrogen containing plasma.

Abstract: 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.

Abstract: The present invention generally provides a method for forming multilevel interconnect structures, including multilevel interconnect structures that include an air gap. One embodiment provides a method for forming conductive lines in a semiconductor structure comprising forming trenches in a first dielectric layer, wherein air gaps are to be formed in the first dielectric layer, depositing a conformal dielectric barrier film in the trenches, wherein the conformal dielectric barrier film comprises a low k dielectric material configured to serve as a barrier against a wet etching chemistry used in forming the air gaps in the first dielectric layer, depositing a metallic diffusion barrier film over the conformal low k dielectric layer, and depositing a conductive material to fill the trenches.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for generating air gaps in a dielectric material of an interconnect structure. One embodiment provides a method for forming a semiconductor structure comprising depositing a first dielectric layer on a substrate, forming trenches in the first dielectric layer, filling the trenches with a conductive material, planarizing the conductive material to expose the first dielectric layer, depositing a dielectric barrier film on the conductive material and exposed first dielectric layer, depositing a hard mask layer over the dielectric barrier film, forming a pattern in the dielectric barrier film and the hard mask layer to expose selected regions of the substrate, oxidizing at least a portion of the first dielectric layer in the selected region of the substrate, removing oxidized portion of the first dielectric layer to form reversed trenches around the conductive material, and forming air gaps in the reversed trenches while depositing a second dielectric material in the reversed trenches.

Abstract: The present invention generally provides a method for forming a dielectric barrier with lowered dielectric constant, improved etching resistivity and good barrier property. One embodiment provides a method for processing a semiconductor substrate comprising flowing a precursor to a processing chamber, wherein the precursor comprises silicon-carbon bonds and carbon-carbon bonds, and generating a low density plasma of the precursor in the processing chamber to form a dielectric barrier film having carbon-carbon bonds on the semiconductor substrate, wherein the at least a portion of carbon-carbon bonds in the precursor is preserved in the low density plasma and incorporated in the dielectric barrier film.

Abstract: The present invention generally provides apparatus and method for processing a semiconductor substrate. Particularly, embodiments of the present invention relate to a method and apparatus for forming semiconductor devices having a conformal silicon oxide layer formed at low temperature. One embodiment of the present invention provides a method for forming a semiconductor gate structure. The method comprises forming a gate stack on a semiconductor substrate, forming a conformal silicon oxide layer on the semiconductor substrate using a low temperature cyclic method, and forming a spacer layer on the conformal silicon oxide layer.

Abstract: Methods for forming silicon nitride hard masks are provided. The silicon nitride hard masks include carbon-doped silicon nitride layers and undoped silicon nitride layers. Carbon-doped silicon nitride layers that are deposited from a mixture comprising a carbon source compound, a silicon source compound, and a nitrogen source in the presence of RF power are provided. Also provided are methods of UV post-treating silicon nitride layers to provide silicon nitride hard masks. The carbon-doped silicon nitride layers and UV post-treated silicon nitride layers have desirable wet etch rates and dry etch rates for hard mask layers.

Abstract: Methods are provided for depositing a silicon carbide layer having significantly reduced current leakage. The silicon carbide layer may be a barrier layer or part of a barrier bilayer that also includes a barrier layer. Methods for depositing oxygen-doped silicon carbide barrier layers are also provided. The silicon carbide layer may be deposited by reacting a gas mixture comprising an organosilicon compound, an aliphatic hydrocarbon comprising a carbon-carbon double bond or a carbon-carbon triple bond, and optionally, helium in a plasma. Alternatively, the silicon carbide layer may be deposited by reacting a gas mixture comprising hydrogen or argon and an organosilicon compound in a plasma.

Abstract: Methods of forming boron-containing films are provided. The methods include introducing a boron-containing precursor into a chamber and depositing a network comprising boron-boron bonds on a substrate by thermal decomposition or a plasma process. The network may be post-treated to remove hydrogen from the network and increase the stress of the resulting boron-containing film. The boron-containing films have a stress between about ?10 GPa and 10 GPa and may be used as boron source layers or as strain-inducing layers.

Abstract: Adhesion between a copper metallization layer and a dielectric barrier film may be promoted by stabilizing a flow of a silicon-containing precursor in a divert line leading to the chamber exhaust. The stabilized gas flow is then introduced to the processing chamber to precisely form a silicide layer over the copper. This silicidation step creates a network of strong Cu—Si bonds that prevent delamination of the barrier layer, while not substantially altering the sheet resistance and other electrical properties of the resulting metallization structure.

Abstract: Methods are provided for depositing a silicon carbide layer having significantly reduced current leakage. The silicon carbide layer may be a barrier layer or part of a barrier bilayer that also includes a barrier layer. Methods for depositing oxygen-doped silicon carbide barrier layers are also provided. The silicon carbide layer may be deposited by reacting a gas mixture comprising an organosilicon compound, an aliphatic hydrocarbon comprising a carbon-carbon double bond or a carbon-carbon triple bond, and optionally, helium in a plasma. Alternatively, the silicon carbide layer may be deposited by reacting a gas mixture comprising hydrogen or argon and an organosilicon compound in a plasma.

Abstract: Methods are provided for processing a substrate for depositing an adhesion layer having a low dielectric constant between two low k dielectric layers. In one aspect, the invention provides a method for processing a substrate including introducing an organosilicon compound and an oxidizing gas at a first ratio of organosilicon compound to oxidizing gas into the processing chamber, generating a plasma of the oxidizing gas and the organosilicon compound to form an initiation layer on a barrier layer comprising at least silicon and carbon, introducing the organosilicon compound and the oxidizing gas at a second ratio of organosilicon compound to oxidizing gas greater than the first ratio into the processing chamber, and depositing a first dielectric layer adjacent the dielectric initiation layer.

Abstract: Methods for forming boron-containing films are provided. The methods include introducing a boron-containing precursor and a nitrogen or oxygen-containing precursor into a chamber and forming a boron nitride or boron oxide film on a substrate in the chamber. In one aspect, the method includes depositing a boron-containing film and then exposing the boron-containing film to the nitrogen-containing or oxygen-containing precursor to incorporate nitrogen or oxygen into the film. The deposition of the boron-containing film and exposure of the film to the precursor may be performed for multiple cycles to obtain a desired thickness of the film. In another aspect, the method includes reacting the boron-containing precursor and the nitrogen-containing or oxygen-containing precursor to chemically vapor deposit the boron nitride or boron oxide film.

Abstract: A method of fabricating an interconnect structure comprising etching a via into an upper low K dielectric layer and into a hardened portion of a lower low K dielectric layer. The via is defined by a pattern formed in a photoresist layer. The photoresist layer is then stripped, and a trench that circumscribes the via as defined by a hard mask is etched into the upper low K dielectric layer and, simultaneously, the via that was etched into the hardened portion of the lower low K dielectric layer is further etched into the lower low K dielectric layer. The result is a low K dielectric dual damascene structure.

Abstract: The present invention generally provides a method for depositing a low dielectric constant film using an e-beam treatment. In one aspect, the method includes delivering a gas mixture comprising one or more organosilicon compounds and one or more hydrocarbon compounds having at least one cyclic group to a substrate surface at deposition conditions sufficient to deposit a non-cured film comprising the at least one cyclic group on the substrate surface. The method further includes substantially removing the at least one cyclic group from the non-cured film using an electron beam at curing conditions sufficient to provide a dielectric constant less than 2.5 and a hardness greater than 0.5 GPa.

Abstract: Low K dielectric films exhibiting low mechanical stress may be formed utilizing various techniques in accordance with the present invention. In one embodiment, carbon-containing silicon oxide films are formed by plasma-assisted chemical vapor deposition at low temperatures (300° C. or less). In accordance with another embodiment, as-deposited carbon containing silicon oxide films incorporate a porogen whose subsequent liberation reduces film stress.

Abstract: A process to form a copper-silicon-nitride layer on a copper surface on a semiconductor wafer is described. The process may include the step of exposing the wafer to a first plasma made from helium. The process may also include exposing the wafer to a second plasma made from a reducing gas, where the second plasma removes copper oxide from the copper surface, and exposing the wafer to silane, where the silane reacts with the copper surface to selectively form copper silicide. The process may further include exposing the wafer to a third plasma made from ammonia and molecular nitrogen to form the copper silicon nitride layer.

Abstract: Methods are provided for forming a structure that includes an air gap. In one embodiment, a method is provided for forming a damascene structure comprises depositing a porous low dielectric constant layer by a method including reacting an organosilicon compound and a porogen-providing precursor, depositing a porogen-containing material, and removing at least a portion of the porogen-containing material, depositing an organic layer on the porous low dielectric constant layer by reacting the porogen-providing precursor, forming a feature definition in the organic layer and the porous low dielectric constant layer, filing the feature definition with a conductive material therein, depositing a mask layer on the organic layer and the conductive material disposed in the feature definition, forming apertures in the mask layer to expose the organic layer, removing a portion or all of the organic layer through the apertures, and forming an air gap adjacent the conductive material.

Abstract: A method of fabricating an interconnect structure comprising etching a via into an upper low K dielectric layer and into a hardened portion of a lower low K dielectric layer. The via is defined by a pattern formed in a photoresist layer. The photoresist layer is then stripped, and a trench that circumscribes the via as defined by a hard mask is etched into the upper low K dielectric layer and, simultaneously, the via that was etched into the hardened portion of the lower low K dielectric layer is further etched into the lower low K dielectric layer. The result is a low K dielectric dual damascene structure.