Patent ID: 6326064
Filing Date: 2001-12-04
Classification: C23C

Abstract:
A process for growing a SiO.sub.x film having reduced intrinsic stress, comprising the steps of:providing a substrate in a reaction zone;simultaneously introducing a carbon-free silicon reactant, a halogen etchant, and an oxygen reactant into the reaction zone;growing the film on the substrate by decomposing the silicon reactant and plasma phase reacting the decomposed gas on a surface of the substrate, the growing film comprising atoms in ordered and disordered crystallographic states; andreducing intrinsic stress in the film by removing atoms from the growing film in the disordered crystallographic state, the disordered atoms being removed by plasma phase reacting a chemically active species of the halogen etchant with the growing film, the film growing and intrinsic stress reducing steps being performed simultaneously, the intrinsic stress reducing step reducing a magnitude of intrinsic stress in the film to no greater than 200 MPa and the intrinsic stress reducing step etching the film at a rate of at least 20% of a rate at which the film is grown during the film growing step.