Asm IP Holding B.v.

Aditya Walimbe

Fei Wang

Xing Lin

Chuang Wei

Woo Jung Shin

Bubesh Babu Jotheeswaran

Rajeev Reddy Kosireddy

Aditya Chaudhury

Yen Chun Fu

Prahlad Kulkarni

Qu Jin

Amin Azimi

Xiaoda Sun

In some embodiments, a method for semiconductor processing preclean includes removing an oxide layer from a substrate using anhydrous hydrogen fluoride in combination with water vapor. A system for the preclean may be configured to separate the anhydrous hydrogen fluoride and the water vapor until they are delivered to a common volume near the substrate. Corrosion within components of the system may be limited by purification of anhydrous hydrogen fluoride, passivation of components, changing component materials, and heating components. Passivation may be achieved by filling a gas delivery component with anhydrous hydrogen fluoride and allowing the anhydrous hydrogen fluoride to remain in the gas delivery component to form a passivation layer. Consistent water vapor delivery may be achieved in part by heating components using heaters.

Semiconductor processing preclean methods and apparatus

An apparatus and methods for selectively etching a particular layer are disclosed. The apparatus and methods are directed towards maintaining the etch rate of the particular layer, while keeping intact a non-etched layer. The etching process may be accomplished by co-flowing a hydrogen precursor gas and a fluorine precursor gas into a remote plasma unit. A resulting gas mixture may then be flowed onto the substrate having a silicon oxide layer as an etch layer and a silicon nitride layer as a non-etched layer, for example. A reaction between the resulting gas mixture and the particular layer takes place, resulting in etching of the silicon oxide layer while maintaining the silicon nitride layer in the above example.

Apparatus and methods for selectively etching films

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Tempe, AZ, United States of America

Aditya Walimbe