Air gap formation

1. A method of forming air gaps between adjacent raised features on a substrate, the method comprising:

forming a hydrocarbon material in a bottom region between the adjacent raised features using a flowable deposition process, the hydrocarbon material being substantially free of silicon;

forming a silicon-and-nitrogen containing film over the hydrocarbon material using a flowable chemical vapor deposition (CVD) process with a silicon precursor and a radical precursor that are substantially free of carbon, a plasma of the radical precursor generated outside a deposition region after which the radical precursor is transported to the deposition region, the radical precursor and the silicon precursor mixed in the deposition region to deposit the silicon-and-nitrogen containing film over the hydrocarbon material, the silicon-and-nitrogen containing film being substantially free of carbon and filling an upper region between the adjacent raised features and extending over the adjacent raised features; and

curing the hydrocarbon material and the silicon-and-nitrogen containing material at an elevated temperature for a period of time to form the air gaps between the adjacent raised features, the elevated temperature being higher than a decomposition temperature of the hydrocarbon material, wherein the hydrocarbon material is substantially removed during the cure such that at least one of the air gaps extend from a first one of the adjacent raised features to a second one of the adjacent raised features.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the cure includes exposure to an oxygen-containing atmosphere at the elevated temperature.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein a density of the silicon-and-nitrogen containing film increases after the cure and the silicon-and-nitrogen containing film extends over the air gaps.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein the silicon-and-nitrogen containing film includes polysilazane polymers.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein the silicon-and-nitrogen containing film includes a Si—NH—Si backbone.

6. A method of forming air gaps between adjacent raised features on a substrate, the method comprising:

forming a carbon-doped silicon oxide material in a bottom region between the adjacent raised features using a flowable deposition process;

forming a silicon-and-nitrogen containing film over the carbon-doped silicon oxide material using a flowable chemical vapor deposition (CVD) process with a silicon precursor and a radical precursor that are substantially free of carbon, a plasma of the radical precursor generated outside a deposition region after which the radical precursor is transported to the deposition region, the radical precursor and the silicon precursor mixed in the deposition region to deposit the silicon-and-nitrogen containing film being substantially free of carbon and filling an upper region between the adjacent raised features and extending over the adjacent raised features; and

curing the carbon-doped silicon oxide material and the silicon-and-nitrogen containing film at an elevated temperature for a period of time to form the air gaps between the adjacent raised features, wherein the cure removes carbon from the carbon-doped silicon oxide material to provide a porous oxide and the air gap comprises one or more pores of the porous oxide.

7. The method of claim 6 wherein the cure includes exposure to an oxygen-containing atmosphere at the elevated temperature.

8. The method of claim 6 wherein the silicon-and-nitrogen containing film includes polysilazane polymers.

9. The method of claim 6 wherein the silicon-and-nitrogen containing film includes a Si—NH—Si backbone.

10. A method of forming air gaps between adjacent raised features on a substrate, the method comprising:

forming a carbon-containing material in a bottom region between the adjacent raised features using a flowable deposition process;

forming a silicon-and-nitrogen containing film over the carbon-containing material using a flowable deposition process with a silicon precursor and a radical precursor that are substantially free of carbon, a plasma of the radical precursor generated outside a deposition region after which the radical precursor is transported to the deposition region, the radical precursor and the silicon precursor mixed in the deposition region to deposit the silicon-and-nitrogen containing film over the carbon-containing material, the silicon-and-nitrogen containing film being substantially free of carbon and filling an upper region between the adjacent raised features and extending over the adjacent raised features; and

curing the carbon-containing material and the silicon-and-nitrogen containing film at an elevated temperature for a period of time to form the air gaps between the adjacent raised features.

11. The method of claim 10 wherein the carbon-containing material comprises silicon, oxygen, and carbon.

12. The method of claim 10 wherein the carbon-containing material is substantially free of silicon.

13. The method of claim 10 wherein the cure includes exposure to an oxygen-containing atmosphere at the elevated temperature.

14. The method of claim 10 wherein the cure removes carbon from the carbon-containing material to provide a porous oxide and the air gaps comprises one or more pores of the porous oxide.

15. The method of claim 10 wherein the carbon-containing material is substantially removed during the cure such that at least one of the air gaps extend from a first one of the adjacent raised features to a second one of the adjacent raised features.

16. The method of claim 10 wherein after the cure the silicon-and-nitrogen containing film consists essentially of silicon, oxygen, and nitrogen.

17. The method of claim 10 wherein a density of the silicon-and-nitrogen containing film increases after the cure and the silicon-and-nitrogen containing film extends over the air gap.

18. The method of claim 10 wherein the silicon-and-nitrogen containing film includes polysilazane polymers.

19. The method of claim 10 wherein the silicon-and-nitrogen containing film includes a Si—NH—Si backbone.

20. A method of forming air gaps between adjacent raised features on a substrate, the method comprising:

forming a carbon-containing material in a bottom region between the adjacent raised features using a flowable deposition process, the carbon-containing material being substantially free of silicon; thereafter

forming a silicon-and-nitrogen containing film over the carbon-containing material using a flowable chemical vapor deposition (CVD) process, the flowable CVD process comprising:

generating a plasma of a radical precursor in a plasma region;

transporting the radical precursor from the plasma region to a deposition region; and

mixing the radical precursor with a silicon precursor that is substantially free of carbon in the deposition region, the radical precursor and the silicon precursor reacting to deposit the silicon-and-nitrogen containing film over the carbon-containing material, the silicon-and-nitrogen containing film being substantially free of carbon and filling an upper region between the adjacent raised features and extending over the adjacent raised features; thereafter

exposing the carbon-containing material and the silicon-and-nitrogen containing material to an oxygen-containing atmosphere at an elevated temperature for a period of time to form the air gaps between the adjacent raised features, the elevated temperature being higher than a decomposition temperature of the carbon-containing material, wherein the carbon-containing material is substantially removed during the exposure such that at least one of the air gaps extend from a first one of the adjacent raised features to a second one of the adjacent raised features and the silicon-and-nitrogen containing film extends over the air gaps.