Method and apparatus for non-aggressive plasma-enhanced vapor deposition of dielectric films

摘要

While performing plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposition on a substrate by exposing the substrate in a vacuum to a flow of particles generated by a plasma, which particles react to form a passivation layer on the substrate, a grid is interposed between the plasma and the substrate, thereby reducing the flow of charged particles towards the substrate while conserving a flow of neutral particles. The grid is formed of metal wires that are crossed at a pitch that is less than two or three times the Debye length (λD) of the plasma used, at least at the beginning of deposition. The aging properties of semiconductor components made by such a method is thereby improved.