Patent ID: 8563095

Claim:
A method of forming a passivation layer on features of a substrate, the passivation layer comprising a silicon nitride layer, and the method comprising: (a) providing a substrate having a plurality of high aspect ratio features in a process zone, the high aspect ratio features comprising (i) interconnects or connector bumps, and (ii) a metal-containing material; (b) in an initial soaking stage, providing a soaking gas into the process zone to deposit a thin silicon nitride layer on the substrate, the soaking gas comprising silane, ammonia and nitrogen; (c) in a first stage, (i) forming in the process zone, a deposition gas comprising a silicon-containing gas and a nitrogen-containing gas by introducing a flow of the silicon-containing gas into the process zone and introducing a flow of the nitrogen-containing gas into the process zone, and (ii) energizing the deposition gas to deposit a silicon nitride layer on the features; (d) in a second stage, forming in the process zone, a treatment gas by stopping the flow of the silicon-containing gas while continuing the flow of the nitrogen-containing gas, and energizing the treatment gas to treat the silicon nitride layer; and (e) performing the first and second stages a plurality of times.