Applied Materials, Inc.
METHODS FOR PRODUCING HIGH-DENSITY CARBON FILMS FOR HARDMASKS AND OTHER PATTERNING APPLICATIONS

Abstract:

Embodiments of the present disclosure generally relate to the fabrication of integrated circuits. More particularly, the embodiments described herein provide methods for producing reduced-stress diamond-like carbon films for patterning applications. In one or more embodiments, a method includes flowing a deposition gas containing a hydrocarbon compound into a processing volume of a process chamber having a substrate positioned on an electrostatic chuck and generating a plasma above the substrate in the processing volume by applying a first RF bias to the electrostatic chuck to deposit a stressed diamond-like carbon film on the substrate. The stressed diamond-like carbon film has a compressive stress of -500 MPa or greater. The method further includes heating the stressed diamond-like carbon film to produce a reduced-stress diamond-like carbon film during a thermal annealing process. The reduced-stress diamond-like carbon film has a compressive stress of less than -500 MPa.