Lam Research Corporation
DIELECTRIC GAPFILL USING ATOMIC LAYER DEPOSITION (ALD), INHIBITOR PLASMA AND ETCHING

Abstract:

A plasma generating system generates plasma in a processing chamber. A controller is configured to: a) perform atomic layer deposition (ALD) N times to deposit film in a feature of the substrate; b) after performing a) M of the N times, supply an inhibitor plasma gas to the processing chamber and strike plasma in the processing chamber to create a passivated surface more on upper portions of the feature as compared to lower portions of the feature to inhibit the atomic layer deposition in the upper portions of the feature as compared to the lower portions of the feature; c) supply an etch gas to the processing chamber to etch the film more in the upper portions of the feature than in the lower portions in the feature of the substrate following b); and d) repeat a) to c) one or more times to gapfill the feature without voids.