Effect of Bias Frequency on Bottom-Up SiO₂ Gap-Filling Using Plasma-Enhanced Atomic Layer Deposition

High-aspect-ratio patterns are required for next-generation three-dimensional (3D) semiconductor devices. However, it is challenging to eliminate voids and seams during gap-filling of these high-aspect-ratio patterns, such as deep trenches, especially for nanoscale high-aspect-ratio patterns. In this study, a SiO₂ plasma-enhanced atomic layer deposition process incorporated with ion collision using bias power to the substrate was used for bottom-up trench gap-filling. The effect of bias power frequency on SiO₂ trench gap-filling was then investigated. Results showed that changes in bias power frequency did not significantly change the process rate, such as SiO₂ growth per cycle. At relatively low bias power frequencies, high-energy ions formed an overhang at the entrance of the high-aspect-ratio trench pattern through sputter etching and redeposition, blocking the pattern entrance. However, at relatively high-frequency bias power, overhang formation due to sputtering did not occur. In the trench interior, due to a scattering effect of ions, deposition was thicker at the bottom of the trench than that at the top, achieving bottom-up gap-filling and void-free gap-filling.