Films of desired composition and film properties
Provided are methods and systems for providing silicon-containing films. The composition of the silicon-containing film can be controlled by the choice of the combination of precursors and the ratio of flow rates between the precursors. The silicon-containing films can be deposited on a substrate by flowing two different organo-silicon precursors to mix together in a reaction chamber. The organo-silicon precursors react with one or more radicals in a substantially low energy state to form the silicon-containing film. The one or more radicals can be formed in a remote plasma source.
1. A method of depositing a silicon-carbon-containing film, the method comprising:
flowing a first organo-silicon precursor to a substrate in a reaction chamber;
flowing a second organo-silicon precursor to the substrate in the reaction chamber, wherein the second organo-silicon precursor has a chemistry that is different than the first organo-silicon precursor, wherein each of the first and second organo-silicon precursors comprises one or both of a silicon-silicon (Si—Si) bond and a silicon-hydrogen (Si—H) bond; and
introducing hydrogen radicals generated from a remote plasma source into the reaction chamber, wherein the hydrogen radicals are generated from a source gas of hydrogen (H 2 ), wherein the hydrogen radicals react with the first and second organo-silicon precursors to deposit the silicon-carbon-containing film on the substrate, wherein a composition of the silicon-carbon-containing film is controlled based at least in part on the chemistry of the second organo-silicon precursor, and wherein the second organo-silicon precursor further comprises one or both of a silicon-oxygen (Si—O) bond and a silicon-nitrogen (Si—N) bond.
2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the composition of the silicon-carbon-containing film is further controlled based at least in part on a flow rate of the second organo-silicon precursor relative to the first organo-silicon precursor.
3. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
varying a ratio of flow rates between the first organo-silicon precursor and the second organo-silicon precursor over time during deposition of the silicon-carbon-containing film, thereby tuning the composition of the silicon-carbon-containing film.
4. The method of claim 3 , wherein the composition of the silicon-carbon-containing film is graded so that relative atomic concentrations of silicon, carbon, nitrogen, and oxygen at an upper surface of the silicon-carbon-containing film are different than at a lower surface of the silicon-carbon-containing film.
5. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
after flowing the second organo-silicon precursor, flowing a third organo-silicon precursor to the substrate in the reaction chamber instead of the second organo-silicon precursor, wherein the third organo-silicon precursor has a chemistry that is different than the second organo-silicon precursor, wherein the radicals react with the first and third organo-silicon precursor to modify the composition of the silicon-carbon-containing film on the substrate.
6. The method of claim 1 , wherein an effective dielectric constant of the silicon-carbon-containing film is between 8.5 and 2.5.
7. The method of claim 1 , wherein an effective dielectric constant of the silicon-carbon-containing film is less than 2.5.
8. The method of claim 1 , wherein the first organo-silicon precursor and the second organo-silicon precursor are flowed simultaneously together towards the substrate.
9. The method of claim 1 , wherein the first organo-silicon precursor and the second organo-silicon precursor are flowed sequentially towards the substrate.
10. The method of claim 1 , wherein the hydrogen radicals are in a ground state in an environment adjacent to the substrate, and wherein the environment adjacent to the substrate is free or substantially free of ions and ultraviolet (UV) radiation.
11. The method of claim 1 , wherein the hydrogen radicals have sufficient energy to break Si—H bonds and Si—Si bonds but preserve at least one of Si—O bonds, Si—C bonds, or Si—N bonds in the first and second organo-silicon precursors.
12. The method of claim 1 , wherein the silicon-carbon-containing film is deposited over exposed metal on the substrate without oxidizing the exposed metal.
13. The method of claim 1 , wherein the composition of the silicon-carbon-containing film is controlled to obtain a desired wet or dry etch rate.
14. The method of claim 1 , wherein the composition of the silicon-carbon-containing film is controlled to obtain a desired density.
15. The method of claim 1 , wherein at least one of the first organo-silicon precursor or the second organo-silicon precursor comprises a siloxane, wherein the siloxane comprises pentamethyldisiloxane (PMDSO) or tetramethyldisiloxane (TMDSO).
16. The method of claim 1 , wherein the silicon-carbon-containing film is deposited at a temperature between 50° C. and 500° C. and at a pressure between 0.5 Torr and 10 Torr.
17. A method of depositing a silicon-carbon-containing film, the method comprising:
flowing a first precursor to a substrate in a reaction chamber, wherein the first precursor comprises one or both of a silicon-silicon (Si—Si) bond and a silicon-hydrogen (Si—H) bond;
flowing a second precursor to the substrate in the reaction chamber, wherein the second precursor has a chemistry that is different than the first precursor;
introducing hydrogen radicals from a remote plasma source into the reaction chamber, wherein the hydrogen radicals react with the first and second precursors to deposit the silicon-carbon-containing film on the substrate, wherein the hydrogen radicals are generated from a source gas of hydrogen (H 2 ); and
varying a ratio of flow rates between the first precursor and the second precursor over time during deposition of the silicon-carbon-containing film, thereby tuning a composition of the silicon-carbon-containing film across a thickness of the silicon-carbon-containing film.
18. The method of claim 17 , wherein the second precursor comprises a silicon-carbon (Si—C) bond and one or both of a silicon-silicon (Si—Si) bond and a silicon-hydrogen (Si—H) bond.
19. The method of claim 18 , wherein the second precursor further comprises one or both of a silicon-oxygen (Si—O) bond or a silicon-nitrogen (Si—N) bond.
20. The method of claim 17 , wherein the silicon-carbon-containing film has a varying concentration of oxygen and nitrogen between an upper surface and a lower surface of the silicon-carbon-containing film.
21. The method of claim 17 , wherein the hydrogen radicals generated from the remote plasma source are generated from a capacitively coupled plasma in the remote plasma source.
22. The method of claim 17 , wherein the composition of the silicon-carbon-containing film is tuned to obtain a desired wet or dry etch rate.
23. The method of claim 17 , wherein the composition of the silicon-carbon-containing film is tuned to obtain a desired density.
24. The method of claim 17 , wherein the silicon-carbon-containing film is porous, wherein a porosity of the silicon-carbon-containing film is between about 20% and about 50%.
25. The method of claim 17 , wherein the silicon-carbon-containing film is a hermetic or diffusion barrier.
26. The method of claim 17 , wherein the hydrogen radicals react with the first and second precursors in an environment adjacent to the substrate that is free or substantially free of ions and ultraviolet (UV) radiation.
27. A method of depositing a silicon-carbon-containing film, the method comprising:
flowing a first precursor to a substrate in a reaction chamber, wherein the first precursor comprises one or both of a silicon-silicon (Si—Si) bond and a silicon-hydrogen (Si—H) bond;
flowing a second precursor to the substrate in the reaction chamber, wherein the second precursor has a chemistry that is different than the first precursor;
introducing hydrogen radicals from a remote plasma source into the reaction chamber, wherein the hydrogen radicals react with the first and second precursors to deposit the silicon-carbon-containing film on the substrate, wherein the hydrogen radicals are generated from a source gas of hydrogen (H 2 ); and
changing a composition of the second precursor over time during deposition of the silicon-carbon-containing film, thereby tuning a composition of the silicon-carbon-containing film across a thickness of the silicon-carbon-containing film.
28. The method of claim 27 , wherein the hydrogen radicals have sufficient energy to break Si—H bonds and Si—Si bonds but preserve at least one of Si—O, Si—C, or Si—N bonds in the first and second precursors.
29. The method of claim 27 , wherein the silicon-carbon-containing film has a varying concentration of oxygen and nitrogen between an upper surface and a lower surface of the silicon-carbon-containing film.