A process for depositing a silicon carbon nitride film on a substrate can include a plurality of complete deposition cycles, each complete deposition cycle having a SiN sub-cycle and a SiCN sub-cycle. The SiN sub-cycle can include alternately and sequentially contacting the substrate with a silicon precursor and a SiN sub-cycle nitrogen precursor. The SiCN sub-cycle can include alternately and sequentially contacting the substrate with carbon-containing precursor and a SiCN sub-cycle nitrogen precursor. The SiN sub-cycle and the SiCN sub-cycle can include atomic layer deposition (ALD). The process for depositing the silicon carbon nitride film can include a plasma treatment. The plasma treatment can follow a completed plurality of complete deposition cycles.

A method includes etching a semiconductor substrate to form a semiconductor strip and a recess, with a sidewall of the semiconductor strip being exposed to the recess, depositing a dielectric layer into the recess, and depositing a capping layer over the dielectric layer. The capping layer extends into the recess, and comprises silicon oxynitride. The method further includes filling remaining portions of the recess with dielectric materials, performing an anneal process to remove nitrogen from the capping layer, and recessing the dielectric materials, the capping layer, and the dielectric layer. The remaining portions of the dielectric materials, the capping layer, and the dielectric layer form an isolation region. A portion of the semiconductor strip protrudes higher than a top surface of the isolation region to form a semiconductor fin.

Provided are methods and apparatuses for densifying a silicon carbide film using remote plasma treatment. Operations of remote plasma deposition and remote plasma treatment of the silicon carbide film alternatingly occur to control film density. A first thickness of silicon carbide film is deposited followed by a remote plasma treatment, and then a second thickness of silicon carbide film is deposited followed by another remote plasma treatment. The remote plasma treatment can flow radicals of source gas in a substantially low energy state, such as radicals of hydrogen in a ground state, towards silicon carbide film deposited on a substrate. The radicals of source gas in the substantially low energy state promote cross-linking and film densification in the silicon carbide film.

Provided are methods for pre-cleaning a substrate. A substrate having tungsten oxide (WO.sub.x) thereon is soaked in tungsten fluoride (WF.sub.6), which reduces the tungsten oxide (WO.sub.x) to tungsten (W). Subsequently, the substrate is treated with hydrogen, e.g., plasma treatment or thermal treatment, to reduce the amount of fluorine present so that fluorine does not invade the underlying insulating layer.

A method for fabricating a layer structure in a trench includes: simultaneously forming a dielectric film containing a Si—N bond on an upper surface, and a bottom surface and sidewalls of the trench, wherein a top/bottom portion of the film formed on the upper surface and the bottom surface and a sidewall portion of the film formed on the sidewalls are given different chemical resistance properties by bombardment of a plasma excited by applying voltage between two electrodes between which the substrate is place in parallel to the two electrodes; and substantially removing the sidewall portion of the film by wet etching which removes the sidewall portion of the film more predominantly than the top/bottom portion according to the different chemical resistance properties.

Methods of filling a gap with a dielectric material including using an inhibitor plasma during deposition. The inhibitor plasma increases a nucleation barrier of the deposited film. When the inhibitor plasma interacts with material in the feature, the material at the bottom of the feature receives less plasma treatment than material located closer to a top portion of the feature or in field. Deposition at the top of the feature is then selectively inhibited and deposition in lower portions of the feature proceeds with less inhibition or without being inhibited. As a result, bottom-up fill is enhanced, which can create a sloped profile that mitigates the seam effect and prevents void formation. In some embodiments, an underlying material at the top of the feature is protected using an integrated liner. In some embodiments, a hydrogen chemistry is used during gap fill to reduce seam formation.

Described herein are compositions and methods using same for forming a silicon-containing film or material such as without limitation a silicon oxide, silicon nitride, silicon oxynitride, a carbon-doped silicon nitride, or a carbon-doped silicon oxide film in a semiconductor deposition process, such as without limitation, a plasma enhanced atomic layer deposition of silicon-containing film.

Provided is a method for forming a silicon oxycarbonitride film (SiOCN) with varying proportions of each element, using a disilane precursor under vapor deposition conditions, wherein the percent carbon incorporation into the SiOCN film may be varied between about 5 to about 60%, by utilizing co-reactants chosen from oxygen, ammonia, and nitrous oxide gas. The carbon-enriched SiOCN films thus formed may be converted to pure silicon dioxide films after an etch stop protocol by treatment with O.sub.2 plasma.

A semiconductor device structure and a formation method are provided. The method includes forming a sacrificial base layer over a substrate and forming a semiconductor stack over the sacrificial base layer. The semiconductor stack has multiple sacrificial layers and multiple semiconductor layers laid out alternately. The method also includes forming a gate stack to partially cover the sacrificial base layer, the semiconductor layers, and the sacrificial layers. The method further includes removing the sacrificial base layer to form a recess between the substrate and the semiconductor stack. In addition, the method includes forming a metal-containing dielectric structure to partially or completely fill the recess. The metal-containing dielectric structure has multiple sub-layers.

A method of descumming a dielectric layer is provided. In an embodiment the dielectric layer is deposited over a substrate, and a photoresist is applied, exposed, and developed after the photoresist has been applied. Once the pattern of the photoresist is transferred to the underlying dielectric layer, a descumming process is performed, wherein the descumming process utilizes a mixture of a carbon-containing precursor, a descumming precursor, and a carrier gas. The mixture is ignited into a treatment plasma, and the treatment plasma is applied to the dielectric layer in order to descum the dielectric layer.