Highly etch selective amorphous carbon film
Methods and techniques for deposition of amorphous carbon films on a substrate are provided. In one example, the method includes depositing an amorphous carbon film on an underlayer positioned on a susceptor in a first processing region. The method further includes implanting a dopant or the inert species into the amorphous carbon film in a second processing region. The implant species, energy, dose & temperature in some combination may be used to enhance the hardmask hardness. The method further includes patterning the doped amorphous carbon film. The method further includes etching the underlayer.
1. A method of forming an amorphous carbon film, comprising:
depositing an amorphous carbon film on an underlayer positioned on a susceptor in a first processing region;
forming a doped amorphous carbon film by implanting a dopant or an inert species into the amorphous carbon film in a second processing region, wherein the dopant or the inert species is selected from carbon, boron, nitrogen, silicon, phosphorous, argon, helium, neon, krypton, xenon, beryllium, germanium, or combinations thereof, wherein a target temperature during implanting the dopant or the inert species is between about 10 degrees Celsius and about 100 degrees Celsius;
patterning the doped amorphous carbon film; and
etching the underlayer.
2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the underlayer comprises a single layer or a dielectric stack.
3. The method of claim 1 , wherein depositing the amorphous carbon film on the underlayer comprises:
flowing a hydrocarbon-containing gas mixture into the first processing region; and
generating an RF plasma in the first processing region to form the amorphous carbon film on the underlayer.
4. The method of claim 3 , wherein a distance between a gas distribution showerhead positioned in the first processing region and the susceptor is between about 200 mils and about 1,000 mils.
5. The method of claim 4 , wherein a pressure within the first processing region is between about 4 Torr and about 8 Torr.
6. The method of claim 1 , wherein an implant energy utilized to energize the dopant or the inert species is between about 5 keV and about 300 keV.
7. The method of claim 6 , wherein an ion dosage is between about 1×10 13 ions/cm 2 and about 5×10 16 ions/cm 2 .
8. The method of claim 6 where implanting the dopant or the inert species into the patterned amorphous carbon film is performed at an angle between about 1 degree and about 80 degrees.
9. A method of forming an amorphous carbon film, comprising:
depositing an amorphous carbon film on an underlayer positioned on a susceptor in a first processing region;
forming a doped amorphous carbon film by implanting a dopant or an inert species into the amorphous carbon film in a second processing region, wherein the dopant or the inert species is selected from carbon, boron, nitrogen, silicon, phosphorous, argon, helium, neon, krypton, xenon, beryllium, germanium, or combinations thereof, wherein a target temperature during implanting the dopant or the inert species is between about 10 degrees Celsius and about 100 degrees Celsius;
patterning the doped amorphous carbon film; and
etching the underlayer, wherein the doped amorphous carbon film has a refractive index at 633 nm of from about 2.1 to about 2.2.
10. The method of claim 9 , wherein the doped amorphous carbon film has a k-value at 633 nm of less than 1.0.
11. The method of claim 9 , wherein the doped amorphous carbon film has a Young's modulus (GPa) of from about 70 to about 200 GPa.
12. The method of claim 11 , wherein the doped amorphous carbon film has a hardness (GPa) of from about 14 GPa to about 22 GPa.
13. The method of claim 12 , wherein the doped amorphous carbon film has a stress (MPa) of from about −600 MPa to about 0 MPa.
14. The method of claim 13 , wherein the doped amorphous carbon film has a density (g/cc) from about 1.95 g/cc to about 2.1 g/cc.
15. The method of claim 14 , wherein the doped amorphous carbon film has a thickness between about 10 Å and about 50,000 Å.
16. A method of forming an amorphous carbon film, comprising:
depositing an amorphous carbon film on an underlayer positioned on a susceptor in a first processing region;
forming a doped amorphous carbon film by implanting a carbon dopant into the amorphous carbon film in a second processing region, wherein a target temperature during implanting the carbon dopant is between about 10 degrees Celsius and about 100 degrees Celsius;
patterning the doped amorphous carbon film; and
etching the underlayer, wherein the doped amorphous carbon film has a hardness (GPa) of from about 14 GPa to about 22 GPa.
17. The method of claim 16 , wherein the doped amorphous carbon film has a refractive index at 633 nm of from about 2.1 to about 2.2.
18. The method of claim 17 , wherein the doped amorphous carbon film has a k-value at 633 nm of less than 1.0.
19. The method of claim 16 , wherein the doped amorphous carbon film has a Young's modulus (GPa) of from about 70 to about 200 GPa.
20. The method of claim 19 , wherein the doped amorphous carbon film has:
a stress (MPa) of from about −600 MPa to about 0 MPa;
a density (g/cc) from about 1.95 g/cc to about 2.1 g/cc; and
a thickness between about 10 Å and about 50,000 Å.