Abstract: A method of forming a film stack with reduced defects is provided and includes positioning a substrate on a substrate support within a processing chamber and sequentially depositing polysilicon layers and silicon oxide layers to produce the film stack on the substrate. The method also includes supplying a current of greater than 5 ampere (A) to a plasma profile modulator while generating a deposition plasma within the processing chamber, exposing the substrate to the deposition plasma while depositing the polysilicon layers and the silicon oxide layers, and maintaining the processing chamber at a pressure of greater than 2 Torr to about 100 Torr while depositing the polysilicon layers and the silicon oxide layers.

Abstract: A method of forming a film stack with reduced defects is provided and includes positioning a substrate on a substrate support within a processing chamber and sequentially depositing polysilicon layers and silicon oxide layers to produce the film stack on the substrate. The method also includes supplying a current of greater than 5 ampere (A) to a plasma profile modulator while generating a deposition plasma within the processing chamber, exposing the substrate to the deposition plasma while depositing the polysilicon layers and the silicon oxide layers, and maintaining the processing chamber at a pressure of greater than 2 Torr to about 100 Torr while depositing the polysilicon layers and the silicon oxide layers.

Abstract: Embodiments described herein provide a method for sealing a porous low-k dielectric film. The method includes forming a sealing layer on the porous low-k dielectric film using a cyclic process. The cyclic process includes repeating a sequence of depositing a sealing layer on the porous low-k dielectric film and treating the sealing layer until the sealing layer achieves a predetermined thickness. The treating of each intermediate sealing layer generates more reactive sites on the surface of each intermediate sealing layer, which improves the quality of the resulting sealing layer.

Abstract: Embodiments described herein provide a method for sealing a porous low-k dielectric film. The method includes forming a sealing layer on the porous low-k dielectric film using a cyclic process. The cyclic process includes repeating a sequence of depositing a sealing layer on the porous low-k dielectric film and treating the sealing layer until the sealing layer achieves a predetermined thickness. The treating of each intermediate sealing layer generates more reactive sites on the surface of each intermediate sealing layer, which improves the quality of the resulting sealing layer.

Abstract: Disclosed is a structure and method for forming a structure including a SiCOH layer having increased mechanical strength. The structure includes a substrate having a layer of dielectric or conductive material, a layer of oxide on the layer of dielectric or conductive material, the oxide layer having essentially no carbon, a graded transition layer on the oxide layer, the graded transition layer having essentially no carbon at the interface with the oxide layer and gradually increasing carbon towards a porous SiCOH layer, and a porous SiCOH (pSiCOH) layer on the graded transition layer, the porous pSiCOH layer having an homogeneous composition throughout the layer. The method includes a process wherein in the graded transition layer, there are no peaks in the carbon concentration and no dips in the oxygen concentration.

Abstract: Disclosed is a structure and method for forming a structure including a SiCOH layer having increased mechanical strength. The structure includes a substrate having a layer of dielectric or conductive material, a layer of oxide on the layer of dielectric or conductive material, the oxide layer having essentially no carbon, a graded transition layer on the oxide layer, the graded transition layer having essentially no carbon at the interface with the oxide layer and gradually increasing carbon towards a porous SiCOH layer, and a porous SiCOH (pSiCOH) layer on the graded transition layer, the porous pSiCOH layer having an homogeneous composition throughout the layer. The method includes a process wherein in the graded transition layer, there are no peaks in the carbon concentration and no dips in the oxygen concentration.

Abstract: Disclosed is a structure and method for forming a structure including a SiCOH layer having increased mechanical strength. The structure includes a substrate having a layer of dielectric or conductive material, a layer of oxide on the layer of dielectric or conductive material, the oxide layer having essentially no carbon, a graded transition layer on the oxide layer, the graded transition layer having essentially no carbon at the interface with the oxide layer and gradually increasing carbon towards a porous SiCOH layer, and a porous SiCOH (pSiCOH) layer on the graded transition layer, the porous pSiCOH layer having an homogeneous composition throughout the layer. The method includes a process wherein in the graded transition layer, there are no peaks in the carbon concentration and no dips in the oxygen concentration.

Abstract: A method of forming a cap layer over a dielecrtic layer on a substrate including forming a plasma from a process gas including oxygen and tetraethoxysilane, and depositing the cap layer on the dielectric layer, where the cap layer comprises a thickness of about 600 ? or less, and a compressive stress of about 200 MPa or more. Also, a method of forming a cap layer over a dielectric layer on a substrate including forming a process gas by flowing together about 200 mgm to about 8000 mgm of tetraethoxysilane, about 2000 to about 20000 sccm of oxygen (O2), and about 2000 sccm to about 20000 sccm of carrier gas, generating a plasma from the process gas, where one or more RF generators supply about 50 watts to about 100 watts of low frequency RF power to the plasma, and about 100 watts to about 600 watts of high frequency RF power to the plasma, and depositing the cap layer on the dielectric layer.

Abstract: A method for depositing a low dielectric constant film is provided by positioning a substrate within a processing chamber having a powered electrode, and flowing into the processing chamber an initiation gas mixture of a flow rate of one or more organosilicon compounds and a flow rate of one or more oxidizing gases to deposit an initiation layer by applying an RF power to the electrode. The organosilicon compound flow rate is then ramped-up to a final flow rate to deposit a first transition layer, upon which one or more porogen compounds is introduced and the flow rate porogen compound is ramped up to a final deposition rate while depositing a second transition layer. A porogen doped silicon oxide layer is then deposited by flowing the final porogen and organosilicon flow rates until the RF power is turned off.

Abstract: A method of forming a cap layer over a dielectric layer on a substrate including forming a plasma from a process gas including oxygen and tetraethoxysilane, and depositing the cap layer on the dielectric layer, where the cap layer comprises a thickness of about 600 ? or less, and a compressive stress of about 200 MPa or more. Also, a method of forming a cap layer over a dielectric layer on a substrate including forming a process gas by flowing together about 200 mgm to about 8000 mgm of tetraethoxysilane, about 2000 to about 20000 sccm of oxygen (O2), and about 2000 sccm to about 20000 sccm of carrier gas, generating a plasma from the process gas, where one or more RF generators supply about 50 watts to about 100 watts of low frequency RF power to the plasma, and about 100 watts to about 600 watts of high frequency RF power to the plasma, and depositing the cap layer on the dielectric layer.

Abstract: Methods for cleaning semiconductor processing chambers used to process carbon-containing films, such as amorphous carbon films, barrier films comprising silicon and carbon, and low dielectric constant films including silicon, oxygen, and carbon are provided. The methods include using a remote plasma source to generate reactive species that clean interior surfaces of a processing chamber in the absence of RF power in the chamber. The reactive species are generated from an oxygen-containing gas, such as O2, and/or a halogen-containing gas, such as NF3. An oxygen-based ashing process may also be used to remove carbon deposits from the interior surfaces of the chamber before the chamber is exposed to the reactive species from the remote plasma source.