Chemical vapor deposition of high quality flow-like silicon dioxide using a silicon containing precursor and atomic oxygen

Abstract

Methods of depositing a silicon oxide layer on a substrate are described. The methods may include the steps of providing a substrate to a deposition chamber, generating an atomic oxygen precursor outside the deposition chamber, and introducing the atomic oxygen precursor into the chamber. The methods may also include introducing a silicon precursor to the deposition chamber, where the silicon precursor and the atomic oxygen precursor are first mixed in the chamber. The silicon precursor and the atomic oxygen precursor react to form the silicon oxide layer on the substrate, and the deposited silicon oxide layer may be annealed. Systems to deposit a silicon oxide layer on a substrate are also described.

1 . A system to deposit a silicon oxide layer on a substrate, the system comprising:
 a deposition chamber in which the substrate is held;   a remote plasma generating system coupled to the deposition chamber, wherein the plasma generating system is used to generate an atomic oxygen precursor;   a silicon precursor source used to supply a silicon precursor to the deposition chamber; and   precursor handling system used to direct flows of the atomic oxygen precursor and the silicon precursor into the deposition chamber, wherein the precursor handling system keeps the atomic oxygen and silicon precursors from mixing before they enter the deposition chamber.   
   
   
       2 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the remote plasma generating system is a high-density plasma generating system. 
   
   
       3 . The system of  claim 2 , wherein the system comprises an argon gas source and a molecular oxygen gas source coupled to the remote plasma generating system. 
   
   
       4 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein a carrier gas from a carrier gas source is mixed with the silicon precursor before entering the deposition chamber. 
   
   
       5 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the precursor handling system comprises a first inlet and a second inlet formed in the deposition chamber, wherein the first and second inlets are positioned in an orthogonal direction to each other, and wherein the atomic oxygen precursor enters the chamber through the first inlet, and the silicon precursor enters the chamber through the second inlet. 
   
   
       6 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the system comprises an annealing system to anneal the silicon oxide layer. 
   
   
       7 . The system of  claim 6 , wherein the annealing system comprises a thermal annealing system, a steam annealing system, a plasma annealing system, an ultraviolet light annealing system, an e-beam annealing system, or a microwave annealing system. 
   
   
       8 . The method of  claim 6 , wherein the silicon oxide layer is annealed in the deposition chamber. 
   
   
       9 . The method  claim 1 , wherein the system comprises a high-density plasma chemical vapor deposition (HDPCVD) system.