A flowable chemical vapor deposition method including depositing a dielectric film precursor on a substrate in a flowable form; depositing an oligomerization agent on the substrate; forming a dielectric film from the dielectric film precursor; and curing the dielectric film under a pressure greater than atmospheric pressure. A method including depositing a dielectric film precursor as a liquid on a substrate in the presence of an oligomerization agent; treating the deposited dielectric film precursor to inhibit outgassing; and curing the dielectric film precursor to form a dielectric film. A method including delivering a dielectric film precursor as a vapor to a substrate including gap structures between device features; condensing the dielectric film precursor on the substrate to a liquid; flowing the liquid into the gap structures; and curing the dielectric film precursor under a pressure of 15 pounds per square inch gauge or greater.

A method may include depositing a carbon layer on a substrate using physical vapor deposition, wherein the carbon layer exhibits compressive stress, and is characterized by a first stress value; and directing a dose of low-mass species into the carbon layer, wherein, after the directing, the carbon layer exhibits a second stress value, less compressive than the first stress value.

A fabricating method of a stop layer includes providing a substrate. The substrate is divided into a memory region and a peripheral circuit region. Two conductive lines are disposed within the peripheral circuit region. Then, an atomic layer deposition is performed to form a silicon nitride layer to cover the conductive lines. Later, after forming the silicon nitride layer, a silicon carbon nitride layer is formed to cover the silicon nitride layer. The silicon carbon nitride layer serves as a stop layer.

There is provided a method of forming a predetermined film by alternately supplying a film-forming raw material gas and a reaction gas onto a workpiece by an atomic layer deposition (ALD), the method including: beginning an ALD-based film formation at a first temperature at which an adsorption of the film-forming raw material gas occurs; continuing the ALD-based film formation while increasing the first temperature; and completing the ALD-based film formation at a second temperature at which a decomposition of the film-forming raw material gas occurs.

Embodiments disclosed herein relate to cluster tools for forming and filling trenches in a substrate with a flowable dielectric material. In one or more embodiments, a cluster tool for processing a substrate contains a load lock chamber, a first vacuum transfer chamber coupled to the load lock chamber, a second vacuum transfer chamber, a cooling station disposed between the first vacuum transfer chamber and the second vacuum transfer chamber, a factory interface coupled to the load lock chamber, a plurality of first processing chambers coupled to the first vacuum transfer chamber, wherein each of the first processing chambers is a deposition chamber capable of performing a flowable layer deposition, and a plurality of second processing chambers coupled to the second vacuum transfer chamber, wherein each of the second processing chambers is a plasma chamber capable of performing a plasma curing process.

A nitrogen plasma treatment is used on an adhesion layer of a contact plug. As a result of the nitrogen plasma treatment, nitrogen is incorporated into the adhesion layer. When a contact plug is deposited in the opening, an interlayer of a metal nitride is formed between the contact plug and the adhesion layer. A nitrogen plasma treatment is used on an opening in an insulating layer. As a result of the nitrogen plasma treatment, nitrogen is incorporated into the insulating layer at the opening. When a contact plug is deposited in the opening, an interlayer of a metal nitride is formed between the contact plug and the insulating layer.

Implementations disclosed herein relate to methods for forming and filling trenches in a substrate with a flowable dielectric material. In one implementation, the method includes subjecting a substrate having at least one trench to a deposition process to form a flowable layer over a bottom surface and sidewall surfaces of the trench in a bottom-up fashion until the flowable layer reaches a predetermined deposition thickness, subjecting the flowable layer to a first curing process, the first curing process being a UV curing process, subjecting the UV cured flowable layer to a second curing process, the second curing process being a plasma or plasma-assisted process, and performing sequentially and repeatedly the deposition process, the first curing process, and the second curing process until the plasma cured flowable layer fills the trench and reaches a predetermined height over a top surface of the trench.

Embodiments disclosed herein include methods of forming high quality silicon nitride 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/cm.sup.2 or greater, approximately 10 W/cm.sup.2 or greater, or approximately 20 W/cm.sup.2 or greater.

Embodiments described herein generally relate to methods of manufacturing an oxide/polysilicon (OP) stack of a 3D memory cell for memory devices, such as NAND devices. The methods generally include treatment of the oxide and/or polysilicon materials with precursors during PECVD processes to lower the dielectric constant of the oxide and reduce the resistivity of the polysilicon. In one embodiment, the oxide material is treated with octamethylcyclotetrasiloxane (OMCTS) precursor. In another embodiment, germane (GeH.sub.4) is introduced to a PECVD process to form Si.sub.xGe.sub.(1x) films with dopant. In yet another embodiment, a plasma treatment process is used to nitridate the interface between layers of the OP stack. The precursors and plasma treatment may be used alone or in any combination to produce OP stacks with low dielectric constant oxide and low resistivity polysilicon.

A method of modifying a layer in a semiconductor device is provided. The method includes depositing a low quality film on a semiconductor substrate, and exposing a surface of the low quality film to a first process gas comprising helium while the substrate is heated to a first temperature, and exposing a surface of the low quality film to a second process gas comprising oxygen gas while the substrate is heated to a second temperature that is different than the first temperature. The electrical properties of the film are improved by undergoing the aforementioned processes.