BACKGROUND

1) Field

Embodiments relate to a modular high-frequency plasma source, and more particular to a method of forming thin films with the modular high-frequency plasma source.

2) Description of Related Art

The rapid shrinking of electronic devices towards increased speed and density lead to the reduction of the thicknesses of thin films deposited by one or more of chemical vapor deposition (CVD), plasma enhanced CVD (PECVD), atomic layer deposition (ALD), and plasma enhanced ALD (PEALD). Particularly, the lower film thickness has limited the effectiveness of film functionality, such as hermeticity, electrical resistance, and others.

Furthermore, efforts to improve the functionality of thin films is not without issue. Since the films are thin, treatments to the films may negatively impact underlying layers. Accordingly, while existing methods allow for the deposition of such thin films, such thin films do not currently have the desired characteristics to provide devices with such scaled down dimensions.

SUMMARY

Embodiments disclosed herein include methods of forming high quality films. In an embodiment, a method of depositing a film on a substrate may comprise forming a silicon nitride film over a surface of the substrate in a first processing volume with a deposition process, and treating the silicon nitride film in a second processing volume, wherein treating the silicon nitride film comprises exposing the film to a plasma induced by a modular high-frequency plasma source. In an embodiment, a sheath potential of the plasma is less than 100 V, and a power density of the high-frequency plasma source is approximately 5 W/cm2or greater, approximately 10 W/cm2or greater, or approximately 20 W/cm2or greater.

Embodiments may also include a method of depositing a film on a substrate that comprises depositing a film comprising silicon over a surface of the substrate in a first processing volume. In an embodiment the method may further comprise treating the film with a first plasma process, where the first plasma process is an RF induced plasma comprising nitrogen and helium to form a silicon nitride film. In an embodiment the method may further comprise exposing the silicon nitride film to a second plasma process, where the second plasma process is an RF induced plasma comprising species suitable for etching the silicon nitride film. In an embodiment, the method may further comprise treating the silicon nitride film with a third plasma process in a second processing volume, where the third plasma process comprises a plasma induced by a modular high-frequency plasma source.

Embodiments may also comprise a method of forming a high quality silicon nitride film. The method may comprise (a) depositing a film comprising silicon over a surface of a substrate with a plasma enhanced chemical vapor deposition (PECVD) process in a first processing volume, (b) treating the film comprising silicon in-situ with a first RF plasma, where the RF plasma comprises nitrogen and helium to form a silicon nitride film, (c) etching the silicon nitride with a second RF plasma, wherein the second RF plasma comprises one or more of fluorine, chlorine, nitrogen, and carbon, and (d) treating the silicon nitride film with a microwave plasma, where the microwave plasma is induced by a modular microwave plasma source.

The above summary does not include an exhaustive list of all embodiments. It is contemplated that all systems and methods are included that can be practiced from all suitable combinations of the various embodiments summarized above, as well as those disclosed in the Detailed Description below and particularly pointed out in the claims filed with the application. Such combinations have particular advantages not specifically recited in the above summary.

