Abstract: A silicon nitride film is formed on a substrate in a reaction chamber by introducing trisilane and a reactive nitrogen species into the chamber in separate pulses. A carbon precursor gas is also flowed into the chamber during introduction of the trisilane and/or during introduction of the reactive nitrogen species, or in pulses separate from the trisilane and reactive nitrogen species pulses. The carbon is used as a dopant in the silicon nitride film and advantageously allows a high stress silicon nitride film to be formed.

Abstract: A nitrogen precursor that has been activated by exposure to a remotely excited species is used as a reactant to form nitrogen-containing layers. The remotely excited species can be, e.g., N2, Ar, and/or He, which has been excited in a microwave radical generator. Downstream of the microwave radical generator and upstream of the substrate, the flow of excited species is mixed with a flow of NH3. The excited species activates the NH3. The substrate is exposed to both the activated NH3 and the excited species. The substrate can also be exposed to a precursor of another species to form a compound layer in a chemical vapor deposition. In addition, already-deposited layers can be nitrided by exposure to the activated NH3 and to the excited species, which results in higher levels of nitrogen incorporation than plasma nitridation using excited N2 alone, or thermal nitridation using NH3 alone, with the same process temperatures and nitridation durations.

Abstract: Sequential processes are conducted in a batch reaction chamber to form ultra high quality silicon-containing compound layers, e.g., silicon nitride layers, at low temperatures. Under reaction rate limited conditions, a silicon layer is deposited on a substrate using trisilane as the silicon precursor. Trisilane flow is interrupted. A silicon nitride layer is then formed by nitriding the silicon layer with nitrogen radicals, such as by pulsing the plasma power (remote or in situ) on after a trisilane step. The nitrogen radical supply is stopped. Optionally non-activated ammonia is also supplied, continuously or intermittently. If desired, the process is repeated for greater thickness, purging the reactor after each trisilane and silicon compounding step to avoid gas phase reactions, with each cycle producing about 5-7 angstroms of silicon nitride.