Methods for depositing gap filling fluids and related systems and devices

1. A method of filling a gap comprising:

introducing in a reactor chamber a substrate provided with a gap, the gap comprising a recess and a lateral space extending substantially laterally from the recess;

introducing a precursor into the reactor chamber;

introducing a co-reactant into the reactor chamber; and,

generating a plasma in the reactor chamber; whereby the precursor and the co-reactant react to form a gap filling fluid that at least partially fills the recess and the lateral space of the gap,

wherein the method comprises a plurality of cycles, a cycle comprising a gap filling fluid deposition step and a curing step, wherein the curing step comprises subjecting the substrate to a direct plasma; and

wherein the curing step comprises subjecting the substrate to a micro pulsed plasma comprising a plurality of micro pulse cycles, a micro pulse cycle comprising a plasma on pulse and a plasma off pulse.

2. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the co-reactant comprises at least one of nitrogen and ammonia.

3. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the co-reactant comprises a noble gas.

4. The method according to claim 3 , wherein the noble gas comprises Ar.

5. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the precursor comprises a cyclosilazane precursor.

6. The method according to claim 5 , wherein the cyclosilazane precursor is selected from the group consisting of a cyclotrisilazane precursor, a cyclotetrasilazane precursor, and a cyclopentasilazane precursor.

7. The method according to claim 5 , wherein the cyclosilazane precursor has the structure of formula (i):

wherein any one of R1 to R9 are each independently selected from the group consisting of hydrogen and C1 to C5 branched or linear alkyl, alkenyl, alkynyl, and alkylamine.

8. The method according to claim 5 , wherein the cyclosilazane precursor does not contain any oxygen.

9. The method according to claim 5 , wherein the cyclosilazane precursor does not contain any halogens.

10. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the reactor chamber is maintained at a pressure of at least 900 Pa to at most 1200 Pa.

11. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the reactor chamber is maintained at a temperature of at least 50° C. to at most 75° C.

12. The method according to claim 1 , wherein introducing the precursor and the co-reactant occurs simultaneously.

13. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the co-reactant is provided continuously, wherein the precursor is provided in a plurality of precursor pulses, wherein the plasma is generated in a plurality of plasma pulses, and wherein the precursor pulses and the plasma pulses are separated by purge steps.

14. The method according to claim 1 , wherein no gasses other than the cyclosilazane precursor, ammonia, and nitrogen are introduced into the reactor chamber while introducing the precursor, introducing the co-reactant, and generating the plasma.

15. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the direct plasma is a noble gas plasma.

16. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the substrate is a 300 mm silicon wafer, and wherein a plasma gas flow rate of at least 5.0 slm is maintained during the micro pulsed plasma.

17. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the method comprises curing the gap filling fluid, and wherein curing the gap filling fluid comprises subjecting the substrate to an indirect plasma after the gap has been filled with the gap filling fluid.

18. A system comprising:

one or more reaction chambers;

a gas injection system fluidly coupled to at least one of the one or more reaction chambers;

a first gas source for introducing a precursor and optionally a carrier gas in the reactor chamber;

a second gas source for introducing a mixture of one or more further gasses into the reactor chamber;

an exhaust; and

a controller,

wherein the controller is configured to control gas flow into the gas injection system to carry out a method according to claim 1 .