Patent ID: 6209484
Filing Date: 2001-04-03
Classification: C23C,G03F,H01L

Abstract:
A substrate processing system capable of processing a substrate, comprising:a housing forming a chamber, the substrate disposed in said chamber;a gas distribution system for introducing process gases into said chamber;a plasma generation system for generating a plasma from said process gases;a controller for controlling said gas distribution system and said plasma generation system; anda memory coupled to said controller comprising a computer readable medium having a computer readable program embodied therein for directing operation of said substrate processing system to deposit an etch stop layer, said computer readable program comprising:a first set of computer instructions for controlling said gas distribution system to introduce process gases into said chamber, said process gases comprising a silicon-containing gas, an oxygen-containing gas and an inert gas; anda second set of computer instructions for controlling said plasma generation system to form a plasma from said process gases to deposit said etch stop layer over an underlying layer formed over the substrate; anda third set of computer instructions for controlling said plasma generation system to maintain said plasma for a period of time sufficient in length to deposit said etch stop layer to a thickness which enables said etch stop layer to reduce reflection and refraction of incident radiant energy within a photosensitive layer formed over said etch stop layer and which enables said etch stop layer to substantially protect said underlying layer from exposure to an etchant used to etch an overlying layer deposited over said etch stop layer.