Patent ID: 7244658
Filing Date: 2007-07-17
Classification: C23C,H01L

Abstract:
1. A method of depositing a low compressive stress, shallow trench isolation (STI) film with good gap fill characteristics on a substrate, said method comprising: (a) positioning a substrate in a deposition chamber, wherein said substrate comprises at least one isolation trench between adjacent raised surfaces formed by anisotropic etching; (b) providing a gas mixture to the deposition chamber in one or more steps, wherein the gas mixture comprises a silicon source gas, a stress-lowering dopant source gas, at least one fluent source gas, and an oxidizer; (c) reacting the gas mixture in the presence of an electric field to generate a plasma having an ion density of at least 10 (d) and exposing said substrate to said plasma at a temperature greater than about 450° C. under conditions sufficient to thereby deposit a low compressive stress STI film within said isolation trench; wherein said STI film exhibits a compressive stress of less than about 170 MPa.