Patent ID: 8414747

Claim:
A method of depositing a silicon oxide film on a substrate disposed in a substrate processing chamber, the substrate having a gap formed between adjacent raised surfaces, the method comprising: partially filling the gap with a silicon oxide layer deposited in a high density plasma chemical vapor deposition process that flows a silicon-containing gas, an oxygen-containing gas and molecular hydrogen into the substrate processing chamber, wherein a first portion of the gap is filled by depositing the silicon oxide layer under process conditions that provide a deposition/sputter ratio of between 20 and 100 and a second portion of the gap is filled by depositing the silicon oxide layer under process conditions that provide a deposition/sputter ratio of less than 10; thereafter, removing a portion of the silicon oxide film to reshape the gap by stopping the flows of the silicon-containing and oxygen-containing gases and exposing the film to a high-density plasma formed with a flow of gases, including a flow of molecular hydrogen, having an average molecular weight less than 5 amu; and thereafter, depositing additional silicon oxide material into the gap with a high density plasma chemical vapor deposition process that flows a silicon-containing gas, an oxygen-containing gas and molecular hydrogen into the substrate processing chamber.