Applied Materials, Inc.
Methods of forming amorphous carbon hard mask layers and hard mask layers formed therefrom

Abstract:

Embodiments described herein provide for post deposition anneal of a substrate, having an amorphous carbon layer deposited thereon, to desirably reduce variations in local stresses thereacross. In one embodiment, a method of processing a substrate includes positioning a substrate, having an amorphous carbon layer deposited thereon, in a first processing volume, flowing an anneal gas into the first processing volume, heating the substrate to an anneal temperature of not more than about 450.degree. C., and maintaining the substrate at the anneal temperature for about 30 seconds or more. Herein, the amorphous carbon layer was deposited on the substrate using a method which included positioning the substrate on a substrate support disposed in a second processing volume, flowing a processing gas into the second processing volume, applying pulsed DC power to a carbon target disposed in the second processing volume, forming a plasma of the processing gas, and depositing the amorphous carbon layer on the substrate.