Patent ID: 7628897

Claim:
A method for depositing a film on a substrate disposed in a substrate processing chamber, the substrate having a trench formed between adjacent raised surfaces, the method comprising: depositing a first portion of the film over the substrate from a first gaseous mixture flowed into the processing chamber by chemical-vapor deposition; thereafter, etching the first portion by flowing an etchant gas comprising a halogen precursor, a hydrogen precursor, and an oxygen precursor into the process chamber, with halogen precursor being flowed into the processing chamber at a flow rate between 10 and 1000 sccm and the hydrogen precursor being flowed into the processing chamber at a flow rate between 50 sccm and 500 sccm to control chemical interaction between the halogen precursor and the hydrogen precursor to provide a desired etch rate; and thereafter, depositing a second portion of the silicate glass film over the substrate from a second gaseous mixture flowed into the processing chamber by chemical-vapor deposition.