Abstract: A method of processing a substrate according to a PECVD process is described. Temperature profile of the substrate is adjusted to change deposition rate profile across the substrate. Plasma density profile is adjusted to change deposition rate profile across the substrate. Chamber surfaces exposed to the plasma are heated to improve plasma density uniformity and reduce formation of low quality deposits on chamber surfaces. In situ metrology may be used to monitor progress of a deposition process and trigger control actions involving substrate temperature profile, plasma density profile, pressure, temperature, and flow of reactants.

Abstract: Embodiments of the present technology may include semiconductor processing methods that include depositing a film of semiconductor material on a substrate in a substrate processing chamber. The deposited film may be sampled for defects at greater than or about two non-contiguous regions of the substrate with scanning electron microscopy. The defects that are detected and characterized may include those of a size less than or about 10 nm. The methods may further include calculating a total number of defects in the deposited film based on the sampling for defects in the greater than or about two non-contiguous regions of the substrate. At least one deposition parameter may be adjusted as a result of the calculation. The adjustment to the at least one deposition parameter may reduce the total number of defects in a deposition of the film of semiconductor material.

Abstract: Exemplary semiconductor processing methods may include flowing deposition gases that may include a nitrogen-containing precursor, a silicon-containing precursor, and a carrier gas, into a substrate processing region of a substrate processing chamber. The flow rate ratio of the nitrogen-containing precursor to the silicon-containing precursor may be greater than or about 1:1. The methods may further include generating a deposition plasma from the deposition gases to form a silicon-and-nitrogen containing layer on a substrate in the substrate processing chamber. The silicon-and-nitrogen-containing layer may be treated with a treatment plasma, where the treatment plasma is formed from the carrier gas without the silicon-containing precursor. The flow rate of the carrier gas in the treatment plasma may be greater than a flow rate of the carrier gas in the deposition plasma.

Abstract: Embodiments of the present technology may include semiconductor processing methods that include depositing a film of semiconductor material on a substrate in a substrate processing chamber. The deposited film may be sampled for defects at greater than or about two non-contiguous regions of the substrate with scanning electron microscopy. The defects that are detected and characterized may include those of a size less than or about 10 nm. The methods may further include calculating a total number of defects in the deposited film based on the sampling for defects in the greater than or about two non-contiguous regions of the substrate. At least one deposition parameter may be adjusted as a result of the calculation. The adjustment to the at least one deposition parameter may reduce the total number of defects in a deposition of the film of semiconductor material.

Abstract: A method of processing a substrate according to a PECVD process is described. Temperature profile of the substrate is adjusted to change deposition rate profile across the substrate. Plasma density profile is adjusted to change deposition rate profile across the substrate. Chamber surfaces exposed to the plasma are heated to improve plasma density uniformity and reduce formation of low quality deposits on chamber surfaces. In situ metrology may be used to monitor progress of a deposition process and trigger control actions involving substrate temperature profile, plasma density profile, pressure, temperature, and flow of reactants.

Abstract: A method of processing a substrate according to a PECVD process is described. Temperature profile of the substrate is adjusted to change deposition rate profile across the substrate. Plasma density profile is adjusted to change deposition rate profile across the substrate. Chamber surfaces exposed to the plasma are heated to improve plasma density uniformity and reduce formation of low quality deposits on chamber surfaces. In situ metrology may be used to monitor progress of a deposition process and trigger control actions involving substrate temperature profile, plasma density profile, pressure, temperature, and flow of reactants.

Abstract: Exemplary processing methods may include forming a plasma of a deposition precursor in a processing region of a semiconductor processing chamber. The methods may include adjusting a variable capacitor within 20% of a resonance peak. The variable capacitor may be coupled with an electrode incorporated within a substrate support on which a substrate is seated. The methods may include depositing a material on the substrate.

Abstract: Processing methods disclosed herein comprise forming a nucleation layer and a flowable chemical vapor deposition (FCVD) film on a substrate surface by exposing the substrate surface to a silicon-containing precursor and a reactant. By controlling at least one of a precursor/reactant pressure ratio, a precursor/reactant flow ratio and substrate temperature formation of miniature defects is minimized. Controlling at least one of the process parameters may reduce the number of miniature defects. The FCVD film can be cured by any suitable curing process to form a smooth FCVD film.

Abstract: Exemplary processing methods may include forming a plasma of a deposition precursor in a processing region of a semiconductor processing chamber. The methods may include adjusting a variable capacitor within 20% of a resonance peak. The variable capacitor may be coupled with an electrode incorporated within a substrate support on which a substrate is seated. The methods may include depositing a material on the substrate.

Abstract: Exemplary semiconductor processing methods may include flowing deposition gases that may include a nitrogen-containing precursor, a silicon-containing precursor, and a carrier gas, into a substrate processing region of a substrate processing chamber. The flow rate ratio of the nitrogen-containing precursor to the silicon-containing precursor may be greater than or about 1:1. The methods may further include generating a deposition plasma from the deposition gases to form a silicon-and-nitrogen containing layer on a substrate in the substrate processing chamber. The silicon-and-nitrogen-containing layer may be treated with a treatment plasma, where the treatment plasma is formed from the carrier gas without the silicon-containing precursor. The flow rate of the carrier gas in the treatment plasma may be greater than a flow rate of the carrier gas in the deposition plasma.

Abstract: Embodiments of the present technology may include semiconductor processing methods that include depositing a film of semiconductor material on a substrate in a substrate processing chamber. The deposited film may be sampled for defects at greater than or about two non-contiguous regions of the substrate with scanning electron microscopy. The defects that are detected and characterized may include those of a size less than or about 10 nm. The methods may further include calculating a total number of defects in the deposited film based on the sampling for defects in the greater than or about two non-contiguous regions of the substrate. At least one deposition parameter may be adjusted as a result of the calculation. The adjustment to the at least one deposition parameter may reduce the total number of defects in a deposition of the film of semiconductor material.

Abstract: Embodiments described herein generally related to methods for forming a flowable low-k dielectric layer over a trench formed on a surface of a patterned substrate. The methods include delivering a silicon and carbon containing precursor into a substrate processing region of a substrate processing chamber for a first period of time and a second period of time, flowing an oxygen-containing precursor into a remote plasma region of a plasma source while igniting a remote plasma to form a radical-oxygen precursor, flowing the radical-oxygen precursor into the substrate processing region at a second flow rate after the first period of time has elapsed and during the second period of time, and exposing the silicon and carbon containing dielectric precursor to electromagnetic radiation for a third period of time after the second period of time has elapsed.

Abstract: Implementations of the present disclosure provide methods for processing substrates in a processing chamber. In one implementation, the method includes (a) depositing a dielectric layer on a first substrate at a first chamber pressure using a first high-frequency RF power, (b) depositing sequentially a dielectric layer on N substrates subsequent to the first substrate at a second chamber pressure, wherein N is an integral number of 5 to 10, and wherein depositing each substrate of N substrates comprises using a second high-frequency RF power that has a power density of about 0.21 W/cm2 to about 0.35 W/cm2 lower than that of the first high-frequency RF power, (c) performing a chamber cleaning process without the presence of a substrate, and (d) repeating (a) to (c).

Abstract: A method of processing a substrate according to a PECVD process is described. Temperature profile of the substrate is adjusted to change deposition rate profile across the substrate. Plasma density profile is adjusted to change deposition rate profile across the substrate. Chamber surfaces exposed to the plasma are heated to improve plasma density uniformity and reduce formation of low quality deposits on chamber surfaces. In situ metrology may be used to monitor progress of a deposition process and trigger control actions involving substrate temperature profile, plasma density profile, pressure, temperature, and flow of reactants.

Abstract: A method of processing a substrate according to a PECVD process is described. Temperature profile of the substrate is adjusted to change deposition rate profile across the substrate. Plasma density profile is adjusted to change deposition rate profile across the substrate. Chamber surfaces exposed to the plasma are heated to improve plasma density uniformity and reduce formation of low quality deposits on chamber surfaces. In situ metrology may be used to monitor progress of a deposition process and trigger control actions involving substrate temperature profile, plasma density profile, pressure, temperature, and flow of reactants.

Abstract: Embodiments described herein generally related to methods for forming a flowable low-k dielectric layer over a trench formed on a surface of a patterned substrate. The methods include delivering a silicon and carbon containing precursor into a substrate processing region of a substrate processing chamber for a first period of time and a second period of time, flowing an oxygen-containing precursor into a remote plasma region of a plasma source while igniting a remote plasma to form a radical-oxygen precursor, flowing the radical-oxygen precursor into the substrate processing region at a second flow rate after the first period of time has elapsed and during the second period of time, and exposing the silicon and carbon containing dielectric precursor to electromagnetic radiation for a third period of time after the second period of time has elapsed.

Abstract: Methods for depositing hardmask materials and films, and more specifically, for depositing phosphorus-doped, silicon nitride films are provided. A method of depositing a material on a substrate in a processing chamber includes exposing a substrate to a deposition gas in the presence of RF power to deposit a phosphorus-doped, silicon nitride film on the substrate during a plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposition (PE-CVD) process. The deposition gas contains one or more silicon precursors, one or more nitrogen precursors, one or more phosphorus precursors, and one or more carrier gases. The phosphorus-doped, silicon nitride film has a phosphorus concentration in a range from about 0.1 atomic percent (at %) to about 10 at %.

Abstract: Implementations of the present disclosure provide methods for processing substrates in a processing chamber. In one implementation, the method includes (a) depositing a dielectric layer on a first substrate at a first chamber pressure using a first high-frequency RF power, (b) depositing sequentially a dielectric layer on N substrates subsequent to the first substrate at a second chamber pressure, wherein N is an integral number of 5 to 10, and wherein depositing each substrate of N substrates comprises using a second high-frequency RF power that has a power density of about 0.21 W/cm2 to about 0.35 W/cm2 lower than that of the first high-frequency RF power, (c) performing a chamber cleaning process without the presence of a substrate, and (d) repeating (a) to (c).

Abstract: Embodiments described herein relate to methods of forming silicon nitride films. In one embodiment, a first process gas set including a silicon-containing gas and a first nitrogen-containing gas is flowed into the process chamber. An initiation layer is deposited by applying a first radio frequency power to the first process gas set at a first frequency and a first power level. The first flow of the first nitrogen-containing gas of the first process gas set is discontinued and a second process gas set including the silicon-containing gas, a second nitrogen-containing gas, and a hydrogen-containing gas is flowed into the process chamber. A bulk silicon nitride layer is deposited on the initiation layer by applying a second RF power to the second process gas set at a second frequency higher than the first frequency and a second power level higher than the first power level.

Abstract: Embodiments of the present disclosure generally relate to an improved method for forming a dielectric film stack used for inter-level dielectric (ILD) layers in a 3D NAND structure. In one embodiment, the method comprises providing a substrate having a gate stack deposited thereon, forming on exposed surfaces of the gate stack a first oxide layer using a first RF power and a first process gas comprising a TEOS gas and a first oxygen-containing gas, and forming over the first oxide layer a second oxide layer using a second RF power and a second process gas comprising a silane gas and a second oxygen-containing gas.