Abstract: A reaction chamber apparatus includes a vertically movable heater-susceptor with an attached annular attached flow ring that performs as a gas conduit. The outlet port of the flow ring extends below the bottom of a wafer transport slot valve when the susceptor is in its process (higher) position, while the gas conduit formed by the flow ring has an external surface at its edge that isolates the outer space of the reactor above the wafer from the confined reaction space. In some cases, the outer edge of the gas conduit is in proximity to a ring attached to the reactor lid and, together, the ring and conduit act as a tongue-in-groove (TIG) configuration. In some cases, the TIG design may have a staircase contour, thereby limiting diffusion-backflow of downstream gases to the outer space of the reactor.

Abstract: A gas distribution system for a reactor having at least two distinct gas source orifice arrays displaced from one another along an axis defined by a gas flow direction from the gas source orifice arrays towards a work-piece deposition surface such that at least a lower one of the gas source orifice arrays is located between a higher one of the gas source orifice arrays and the work-piece deposition surface. Orifices in the higher one of the gas source orifice arrays may spaced an average of 0.2-0.8 times a distance between the higher one of the gas source orifice arrays and the work-piece deposition surface, while orifices in the lower one of the gas source orifice arrays may be spaced an average of 0.1-0.4 times a distance between the higher one of the gas source orifice arrays and the work-piece deposition surface.

Abstract: A multi-stage precursor vessel system for an atomic layer deposition (ALD) system in which a precursor is transferred from a first, low temperature reservoir chamber into a second (or subsequent) chamber at higher temperature, which second (or subsequent) chamber is used to create a highest possible vapor pressure of the precursor allowed by its temperature without decomposition in the timeframe of its residence therein.

Abstract: A process is provided for depositing an silicon oxide film on a substrate disposed in a process chamber. A process gas that includes a halogen source, a fluent gas, a silicon source, and an oxidizing gas reactant is flowed into the process chamber. A plasma having an ion density of at least 1011 ions/cm3 is formed from the process gas. The silicon oxide film is deposited over the substrate with a halogen concentration less than 1.0%. The silicon oxide film is deposited with the plasma using a process that has simultaneous deposition and sputtering components. The flow rate of the halogen source to the process chamber to the flow rate of the silicon source to the process chamber is substantially between 0.5 and 3.0.

Abstract: A method of filling a gap formed between adjacent raised surfaces on a substrate. In one embodiment the method comprises depositing a boron-doped silica glass (BSG) layer over the substrate to partially fill the gap using a thermal CVD process; exposing the BSG layer to a steam ambient at a temperature above the BSG layer's Eutectic temperature; removing an upper portion of the BSG layer by exposing the layer to a fluorine-containing etchant; and depositing an undoped silica glass (USG) layer over the BSG layer to fill the remainder of the gap.

Abstract: A process is provided for depositing an undoped silicon oxide film on a substrate disposed in a process chamber. A process gas that includes SiF4, a fluent gas, a silicon source, and an oxidizing gas reactant is flowed into the process chamber. A plasma having an ion density of at least 1011 ions/cm3 is formed from the process gas. The undoped silicon oxide film is deposited over the substrate with the plasma using a process that has simultaneous deposition and sputtering components.

Abstract: A variety of techniques may be employed, separately or in combination, to improve the gap-filling performance of a dielectric material formed by chemical vapor deposition (CVD). In one approach, a first dielectric layer is deposited using sub-atmospheric chemical vapor deposition (SACVD), followed by a second dielectric layer deposited by high density plasma chemical vapor deposition (HDP-CVD) or plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposition (PECVD). In another approach, a SACVD dielectric layer is deposited in the presence of reactive ionic species flowed from a remote plasma chamber into the processing chamber, which performs etching during the deposition process. In still another approach, high aspect trenches may be filled utilizing SACVD in combination with oxide layers deposited at high temperatures.

Abstract: A process is provided for depositing an undoped silicon oxide film on a substrate disposed in a process chamber. A process gas that includes SiF4, H2, a silicon source, and an oxidizing gas reactant is flowed into the process chamber. A plasma having an ion density of at least 1011 ions/cm3 is formed from the process gas. The undoped silicon oxide film is deposited over the substrate with the plasma using a process that has simultaneous deposition and sputtering components. A temperature of the substrate during such depositing is greater than 450° C.