AVS 46th International Symposium
    Manufacturing Science and Technology Group Tuesday Sessions
       Session MS-TuA

Paper MS-TuA10
Design of a Dual Frequency PECVD Reactor for Advanced Integrated Circuits Processing

Tuesday, October 26, 1999, 5:00 pm, Room 611

Session: Interconnect and Integration
Presenter: S. Raoux, Applied Materials
Authors: S. Raoux, Applied Materials
M. Mudholkar, Applied Materials
W.N. Taylor, Applied Materials
M.A. Fodor, Applied Materials
J. Huang, Applied Materials
D. Silvetti, Applied Materials
K. Fairbairn, Applied Materials
Correspondent: Click to Email
A capacitively-coupled PECVD reactor was designed using a high-temperature AlN ceramic heater with an embedded RF electrode. The first electrode (at the wafer) is biased at low frequency (350kHz) to control ion bombardment during film growth. The second RF electrode (or showerhead) is biased at 13.56MHz and has conical holes providing a (soft) hollow cathode effect for intense molecule dissociation and ionization efficiency. In this paper, we present advances in Si3N4 film deposition using a dual frequency RF plasma and SiH4, NH3 and N2 as precursor gases. We investigate the relation between ion energy and dual frequency plasma impedance, and correlate plasma potential with the film density and etch integrity. A SPICE (Simulation Program with Integrated Circuits Emphasis) model of the plasma reactor was determined. The model is compared to experimental data, and it is shown that the film stress is correlated to the phase angle (I/V) of the low frequency bias and to the heater electrode capacitance. We will present applications of this reactor for deposition of low-temperature (400C) Inter-Metal-Dielectric films and High Temperature processes (550C) for Pre-Metal-Dielectric films.