SiO
Methods for processing a substrate are described herein. Methods can include positioning a substrate in a processing chamber, maintaining the processing chamber at a temperature below 400° C., flowing a reactant gas comprising either a silicon hydride or a silicon halide and an oxidizing precursor into the process chamber, applying a microwave power to create a microwave plasma from the reactant gas, and depositing a silicon oxide layer on at least a portion of the exposed surface of a substrate.
1. A method of depositing a film on a substrate, comprising:
positioning a substrate in a processing chamber;
maintaining the processing chamber at a temperature below 200° C;
flowing a reactant gas comprising a silane precursor and an oxidizing precursor into the process chamber, wherein the oxidizing precursor is selected from a group comprising O 2 , O 3 , and N 2 O and wherein the silane precursor to oxidizing precursor gas ratio is between 7:1 and 33:1;
applying a microwave power through one or more antennas to create a microwave plasma from the reactant gas, wherein the reactant gas is mixed prior to forming the microwave plasma; and
depositing a silicon oxide layer on at least a portion of the exposed surface of a substrate.
2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the oxidizing precursor comprises O 2 .
3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the silane precursor comprises SiH 4 .
4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the amount of hydrogen in the silicon oxide layer is less than 2 atomic percent.
5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the silane precursor is delivered at a flow rate per substrate surface area from 0.027 sccm/cm 2 to 0.082 sccm/cm 2 .
6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the gas ratio is selected to deliver a stoichiometrically equal mix of silane precursor and oxidizing precursor for depositing the silicon oxide layer to the substrate.
7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the microwave power is delivered at between 3500 and 4500 watts per antenna.
8. A method of depositing a film on a substrate, comprising:
positioning a substrate in a processing chamber, wherein the processing chamber is configured to deliver microwave energy from at least two positions;
maintaining the processing chamber at a temperature less than 200° C.;
mixing SiH 4 and O 2 to create a processing gas, wherein the SiH 4 to O 2 gas ratio is between 7:1 and 33:1;
flowing the processing gas into the processing chamber;
applying a microwave power to the processing gas to create a microwave plasma; and
depositing a silicon oxide layer on at least a portion of the exposed surface of a substrate.
9. The method of claim 8 , wherein the amount of hydrogen in the silicon oxide layer is less than 2 atomic percent.
10. The method of claim 8 , wherein the SiH 4 is delivered at a flow rate per substrate surface area from 0.027 sccm/cm 2 to 0.082 sccm/cm 2 .
11. The method of claim 8 , wherein the gas ratio is selected to deliver a stoichiometrically equal mix of SiH 4 and O 2 for depositing the silicon oxide layer to the substrate.
12. The method of claim 8 , wherein the microwave power is delivered at between 3500 and 4500 watts per antenna.
13. The method of claim 8 , wherein the temperature is maintained at 130° C.