US 12,410,513 B2
Seamless gapfill of metal nitrides
Subramanian Tamilmani, Fremont, CA (US); Srinivas Gandikota, Santa Clara, CA (US); Jianqiu Guo, San Jose, CA (US); and Luping Li, Santa Clara, CA (US)
Assigned to Applied Materials, Inc., Santa Clara, CA (US)
Filed by Applied Materials, Inc., Santa Clara, CA (US)
Filed on Jun. 8, 2022, as Appl. No. 17/835,463.
Claims priority of provisional application 63/217,492, filed on Jul. 1, 2021.
Claims priority of provisional application 63/208,338, filed on Jun. 8, 2021.
Prior Publication US 2022/0389568 A1, Dec. 8, 2022
Int. Cl. C23C 16/04 (2006.01); C23C 16/30 (2006.01); C23C 16/455 (2006.01); C23C 16/52 (2006.01)
CPC C23C 16/045 (2013.01) [C23C 16/303 (2013.01); C23C 16/45536 (2013.01); C23C 16/45544 (2013.01); C23C 16/52 (2013.01)] 20 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A processing method comprising:
depositing a first film on a substrate surface, the substrate surface having at least one feature thereon, the at least one feature extending a feature depth from the substrate surface to a bottom surface, the at least one feature having a width defined by a first sidewall and a second sidewall, the first film forming conformally on the substrate surface, and on the first sidewall, the second sidewall, and the bottom surface of the at least one feature, and having a void located within the width of the at least one feature;
treating the substrate surface with an oxidizing plasma to oxidize a portion of the first film formed on the substrate surface, and on the first sidewall, the second sidewall, and the bottom surface of the at least one feature, and form an oxidized film;
etching the substrate surface to remove the oxidized film; and
depositing a second film on the substrate surface to fill the at least one feature, the second film substantially free of seams and voids.
 
10. A processing method comprising:
forming a film stack on a substrate, the film stack comprising a plurality of alternating layers of a first material and a second material and the film stack having a stack thickness;
etching the film stack to form an opening extending a depth from a top of the film stack surface to a bottom surface, the opening having a width defined by a first sidewall and a second sidewall;
depositing a first film on the film stack surface, the first film forming conformally on the film stack surface, and on the first sidewall, the second sidewall, and the bottom surface of the opening, and having a void located within the width of the opening;
treating the film stack with an oxidizing plasma to oxidize a portion and form an oxidized film on the film stack surface, and on the first sidewall, the second sidewall, and the bottom surface of the opening;
etching the oxidized film to expose the first film; and
depositing a second film on the film stack surface to fill the opening, the second film substantially free of seams and voids.