Method for forming and using stress-tuned silicon oxide films in semiconductor device patterning

1. A method for processing a substrate, the method comprising:

receiving a substrate containing a base layer having a mandrel pattern formed thereon containing a number of features;

conformally depositing a silicon oxide film over the mandrel pattern by

coating surfaces of the substrate with a metal-containing catalyst layer, and

in the absence of any oxidizing and hydrolyzing agent, exposing the substrate to a process gas containing a silanol gas at a substrate temperature that is selected to yield a preferred level of stress in the silicon oxide film;

repeating the coating and exposing steps at least once to increase a thickness of the silicon oxide film;

removing the silicon oxide film from upper surfaces of the mandrel pattern and lower surfaces adjacent the mandrel pattern to leave behind silicon oxide sidewall spacers on sidewalls of the mandrel pattern;

removing the mandrel pattern from the substrate to leave behind the silicon oxide sidewall spacers that form a new pattern having double the number of features of the removed mandrel pattern;

conformally depositing a metal oxide film on the new pattern;

removing the metal oxide film from upper surfaces of the new pattern and lower surfaces adjacent the new pattern to leave behind metal oxide sidewall spacers on sidewalls of the new pattern; and

removing the silicon oxide sidewall spacers from the substrate to leave behind the metal oxide sidewall spacers that form a second new pattern having double the number of features of the removed new pattern.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the substrate temperature is between about 200° C. and about 750° C. and the silicon oxide film has tensile stress.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the substrate temperature is less than about 200° C. or greater than about 750° C. and the silicon oxide film has compressive stress.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the substrate temperature is about 200° C. or about 750° C. and the silicon oxide film is unstressed.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the the metal-containing catalyst layer is selected from the group consisting of Al, Al 2 O 3 , AlN, AlON, an Al-containing precursor, Al-alloys, CuAl, TiAlN, TaAlN, Ti, TiAlC, TiO 2 , TiON, TiN, a Ti-containing precursor, Ti-alloys, a Hf containing precursor, a Zr-containing precursor, and combinations thereof.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the silanol gas is selected from the group consisting of tris(tert-pentoxy) silanol (TPSOL), tris(tert-butoxy) silanol, and bis(tert-butoxy)(isopropoxy) silanol.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the silicon oxide film forms a mixture with a metal oxide containing TiO 2 , Al 2 O 3 , HfO 2 , ZrO 2 , or a combination thereof.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein the preferred level of stress in the silicon oxide film improves the vertical profiles of the silicon oxide sidewall spacers.

9. The method of claim 1 , wherein the metal oxide film contains TiO 2 , Al 2 O 3 , HfO 2 , ZrO 2 , or a combination thereof.

10. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

transferring the second new pattern into the base layer; and

removing the metal oxide sidewall spacers from the substrate.

11. A method for processing a substrate, the method comprising:

receiving a substrate containing a base layer having a mandrel pattern formed thereon comprising a number of features;

conformally depositing a silicon oxide film over the mandrel pattern by:

coating surfaces of the substrate with a metal-containing catalyst layer, and

in the absence of any oxidizing and hydrolyzing agent, exposing the substrate to a process gas containing a silanol gas at a substrate temperature that is selected to yield a preferred level of stress in the silicon oxide film;

conformally depositing a metal oxide film on the silicon oxide film;

thereafter, removing the metal oxide film and the silicon oxide film from upper surfaces of the mandrel pattern and lower surfaces adjacent the mandrel pattern to leave behind metal oxide sidewall spacers and silicon oxide sidewall spacers on sidewalls of the mandrel pattern; and

removing the mandrel pattern from the substrate to leave behind the metal oxide sidewall spacers and the silicon oxide sidewall spacers that form a new pattern having double the number of features of the removed mandrel pattern.

12. The method of claim 11 , wherein the substrate temperature is between about 200° C. and about 750° C. and the silicon oxide film has tensile stress.

13. The method of claim 11 , wherein the substrate temperature is less than about 200° C. or greater than about 750° C. and the silicon oxide film has compressive stress.

14. The method of claim 11 , wherein the substrate temperature is about 200° C. or about 750° C. and the silicon oxide film is unstressed.

15. The method of claim 11 , wherein the the metal-containing catalyst layer is selected from the group consisting of Al, Al 2 O 3 , AlN, AlON, an Al-containing precursor, Al-alloys, CuAl, TiAlN, TaAlN, Ti, TiAlC, TiO 2 , TiON, TiN, a Ti-containing precursor, Ti-alloys, a Hf containing precursor, a Zr-containing precursor, and combinations thereof.

16. The method of claim 11 , wherein the silanol gas is selected from the group consisting of tris(tert-pentoxy) silanol (TPSOL), tris(tert-butoxy) silanol, and bis(tert-butoxy)(isopropoxy) silanol.

17. The method of claim 11 , wherein the metal oxide film contains TiO 2 , Al 2 O 3 , HfO 2 , ZrO 2 , or a combination thereof.

18. The method of claim 11 , further comprising:

transferring the new pattern into the base layer; and

removing the metal oxide sidewall spacers and the silicon oxide sidewall spacers from the substrate.

19. A method for processing a substrate, the method comprising:

receiving a substrate containing a base layer having a mandrel pattern formed thereon containing a number of features;

conformally depositing a silicon oxide film over the mandrel pattern by

coating surfaces of the substrate with a metal-containing catalyst layer, and

in the absence of any oxidizing and hydrolyzing agent, exposing the substrate to a process gas containing a silanol gas at a substrate temperature that is selected to yield a preferred level of stress in the silicon oxide film;

removing the silicon oxide film from upper surfaces of the mandrel pattern and lower surfaces adjacent the mandrel pattern to leave behind silicon oxide sidewall spacers on sidewalls of the mandrel pattern;

removing the mandrel pattern from the substrate to leave behind the silicon oxide sidewall spacers that form a new pattern having double the number of features of the removed mandrel pattern;

conformally depositing a metal oxide film on the new pattern;

removing the metal oxide film from upper surfaces of the new pattern and lower surfaces adjacent the new pattern to leave behind metal oxide sidewall spacers on sidewalls of the new pattern; and

removing the silicon oxide sidewall spacers from the substrate to leave behind the metal oxide sidewall spacers that form a second new pattern having double the number of features of the removed new pattern.

20. The method of claim 19 , wherein the metal oxide film contains TiO 2 , Al 2 O 3 , HfO 2 , ZrO 2 , or a combination thereof.