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A method and apparatus for modifying the profile of narrow, high-aspect-ratio gaps on a semiconductor substrate are used to fill the gaps in a void-free manner. Differential heating characteristics of a substrate in a high-density plasma chemical vapor deposition (HDP-CVD) system helps to prevent th

A method and apparatus for modifying the profile of narrow, high-aspect-ratio gaps on a semiconductor substrate are used to fill the gaps in a void-free manner. Differential heating characteristics of a substrate in a high-density plasma chemical vapor deposition (HDP-CVD) system helps to prevent the gaps from being pinched off before they are filled. The power distribution between coils forming the plasma varies the angular dependence of the sputter etch component of the plasma, and thus may be used to modify the gap profile, independently or in conjunction with differential heating. A heat source may be applied to the backside of a substrate during the concurrent deposition/etch process to further enhance the profile modification characteristics of differential heating.

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1. A method for forming a layer on a process wafer in a chamber during a high-density plasma chemical vapor deposition (HDP-CVD) process, said method comprising steps of: (a) flowing a process gas suitable for forming a plasma into the chamber to form a layer on a front side of the process wafer;

1. A method for forming a layer on a process wafer in a chamber during a high-density plasma chemical vapor deposition (HDP-CVD) process, said method comprising steps of: (a) flowing a process gas suitable for forming a plasma into the chamber to form a layer on a front side of the process wafer; and (b) heating a susceptor wafer supporting the process wafer to heat a backside of the process wafer during the HDP-CVD deposition process. 2. The method of claim 1 wherein the susceptor wafer is heated by the plasma. 3. The method of claim 1 wherein step (b) of heating the susceptor wafer supporting the process wafer is performed with a lamp. 4. The method of claim 1 wherein the plasma is formed from both inductively coupled energy and from capacitively coupled energy. 5. The method of claim 1 wherein the susceptor wafer has a larger cross-sectional area than the process wafer. 6. The method of claim 1 wherein an area of the susceptor wafer is not covered by the process wafer. 7. The method of claim 1 wherein the process wafer is thermally floating with respect to the susceptor wafer. 8. The method of claim 1 wherein step (b) of heating the susceptor wafer supporting the process wafer is performed with a heater integrated with a wafer support structure, the wafer support structure supporting the susceptor wafer in the chamber. 9. The method of claim 1 wherein the susceptor wafer is chucked to a wafer support structure. 10. The method of claim 8 wherein the susceptor wafer is built into the wafer support structure. 11. The method of claim 9 herein a heat-transfer gas thermally couples the susceptor wafer to the wafer support structure. 12. A method for forming a layer on a process wafer in a chamber having a support structure during a high-density plasma chemical vapor deposition (HDP-CVD) process, said method comprising steps of: (a) flowing a process gas suitable for forming a plasma into the chamber to form a layer on a front side of the process wafer; and (b) heating a susceptor wafer supporting the process wafer to heat a backside of the process wafer during the HDP-CVD deposition process, wherein the susceptor wafer is disposed over the support structure.