Surface Chemistry of Vapor-Phase Materials Synthesis, PV98-28, p. 153,The Electrochemical Society, 1998. IN SITU STUDIES OF TEOS/OZONE CVD:

INTRODUCTION TEOS/ozone chemistries fulfill the low thermal budget requirements of ULSI processing, retain many of the desirable properties of other TEOS-based processes, and exhibit self-planarizing characteristics superior to any other oxide deposition process (13) . Two unresolved issues exist for TEOS/ozone processes. First, the as-deposited films are hygroscopic, retaining residual silanols (Si-OH) and water. Annealing, the normal route to remove silanols and water from oxide thin films is not viable for TEOS/ozone applications as it negates the advantages of low temperature processing. Second, TEOS/ozone processes operating near the temperature limits to minimize water and silanol concentrations exhibit narrow windows for low-particulate processing. Processderived particles are due to parasitic side reactions (4) that are enhanced at elevated temperature. Successful production processes thus require a fine balance of conditions to accommodate diametrically opposed thermal proce