Method of plasma activated deposition of a conformal film on a substrate surface

1. A method of depositing a film on a substrate surface, comprising:

providing a substrate in a reaction chamber;

selecting a silicon-containing reactant from a precursor group consisting of di-tert-butyl diazidosilane, tris(dimethylamido)silylazide, and bis(tert-butylhydrazido)diethylsilane;

introducing the silicon-containing reactant in vapor phase into the reaction chamber; and

introducing a second reactant in vapor phase into the reaction chamber.

2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

introducing the silicon-containing reactant under conditions allowing the silicon-containing reactant to adsorb onto the substrate surface; and

exposing the substrate surface to plasma to drive a reaction between the silicon-containing reactant and the second reactant on the substrate surface to form the film.

3. The method of claim 1 , further comprising introducing the second reactant into the reaction chamber while the silicon-containing reactant is adsorbed on the substrate surface and without first sweeping the silicon-containing reactant out of the reaction chamber.

4. The method of claim 1 , further comprising flowing the second reactant to the substrate surface at one of a constant flow rate, a non-constant flow rate and an intermittent flow rate.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein:

the film comprises SiN;

the film forms a conformal structure; and

deposition of the film is performed at a temperature less than or equal to 400° C.

6. A method of depositing a film on a substrate surface, comprising:

(a) providing a substrate in a reaction chamber,

(b) selecting a silicon-containing reactant from a precursor group consisting of di-tert-butyl diazidosilane, bis(ethylmethylamido)silane, bis(diisopropylamino)silane, bis(tert-butylhydrazido)diethylsilane, tris(dimethylamido)silylazide, tris(dimethylamido)silylamide, ethylsilicon triazide, diisopropylaminosilane, and hexakis(dimethylamido)disilazane;

(c) introducing the silicon-containing reactant in vapor phase into the reaction chamber under conditions allowing the silicon-containing reactant to adsorb onto the substrate surface;

(d) introducing a second reactant in vapor phase into the reaction chamber while the silicon-containing reactant is adsorbed on the substrate surface, wherein the second reactant is introduced without first sweeping the silicon-containing reactant out of the reaction chamber;

(e) exposing the substrate surface to plasma to drive a reaction between the silicon-containing reactant and the second reactant on the substrate surface to form the film; and

(f) sweeping out the second reactant in vapor phase prior to (e).

7. The method of claim 6 , wherein the plasma is ignited while at least one of the silicon-containing reactant and the second reactant is in a gas phase while being exposed to the substrate.

8. The method of claim 6 , wherein the silicon-containing reactant and the second reactant do not react with one another in the vapor phase.

9. The method of claim 6 , wherein:

the film comprises SiN film; and

deposition of the film is performed at a temperature less than or equal to 400° C.

10. The method of claim 6 , further comprising flowing the second reactant to the substrate surface at a non-constant flow rate during (d).

11. The method of claim 6 , wherein the silicon-containing reactant and the second reactant co-exist in vapor phase, and wherein the silicon-containing reactant and the second reactant do not appreciably react with one another until exposure to plasma in (e).

12. The method of claim 6 , wherein the film formed in (e) forms a conformal structure.

13. The method of claim 6 , further comprising, after (e), depositing additional film directly on a portion of the film by chemical vapor deposition.

14. The method of claim 6 , further comprising flowing the second reactant to the substrate surface at one of a constant flow rate, a non-constant flow rate and an intermittent flow rate.

15. A method of depositing a film on a substrate surface, comprising:

(a) providing a substrate in a reaction chamber;

(b) selecting a silicon-containing reactant from a precursor group consisting of di-tert-butyl diazidosilane, bis(ethylmethylamido)silane, bis(diisopropylamino)silane, bis(tert-butylhydrazido)diethylsilane, tris(dimethylamido)silylazide, tris(dimethylamido)silylamide, ethylsilicon triazide, diisopropylaminosilane, and hexakis(dimethylamido)disilazane;

(c) introducing the silicon-containing reactant in vapor phase into the reaction chamber under conditions allowing the silicon-containing reactant to adsorb onto the substrate surface;

(d) introducing a second reactant in vapor phase into the reaction chamber while the silicon-containing reactant is adsorbed on the substrate surface;

(e) exposing the substrate surface to plasma to drive a reaction between the silicon-containing reactant and the second reactant on the substrate surface to form the film; and

(f) exposing the substrate surface to the second reactant after sweeping the silicon-containing reactant out of the reaction chamber but prior to (e).