Applied Materials, Inc.

Ajay Bhatnagar

Nitin K Ingle

Sankuei Lin

Anchuan Wang

Shankar Venkataraman

Gaurav Thareja

Ching-Mei Hsu

Ashish Pal

John C Forster

Praburam Gopalraja

Xinyu Fu

Chen-An Chen

Won B Bang

Jick M Yu

Jing Tang

Kedar Sapre

Processing methods may be performed to expose a contact region on a semiconductor substrate. The methods may include selectively removing a first region of a silicon material between source/drain regions of a semiconductor substrate to expose a first region of oxide material. The methods may include forming a liner over the first region of oxide material and contacting second regions of the silicon material proximate the source/drain regions of the semiconductor substrate. The methods may also include selectively removing the second regions of the silicon material proximate the source/drain regions of the semiconductor substrate to expose a second region of the oxide material. The methods may further include selectively removing the second region of the oxide material from a surface of a contact in the semiconductor structure.

Replacement contact process

Processing methods may be performed to form an airgap spacer on a semiconductor substrate. The methods may include forming a spacer structure including a first material and a second material different from the first material. The methods may include forming a source/drain structure. The source/drain structure may be offset from the second material of the spacer structure by at least one other material. The methods may also include etching the second material from the spacer structure to form the airgap. The source/drain structure may be unexposed to etchant materials during the etching.

Airgap formation processes

Embodiments described herein generally relate to forming a semiconductor structure. In one embodiment, a method of forming a semiconductor structure is formed herein. The method includes exposing an oxide layer of the semiconductor structure, depositing a polysilicon layer on the semiconductor structure, filling a first gap formed by exposing the oxide layer, depositing a hard mask on the polysilicon layer, selectively removing the hard mask and the polysilicon layer, depositing an oxide layer on the semiconductor structure, filling a second gap formed by selectively removing the hard mask and polysilicon layer, exposing the polysilicon layer deposited on the semiconductor structure, selectively removing the polysilicon layer from the first gap, and selectively removing an etch stop layer from a surface of a contact in the semiconductor structure.

Contact process flow

A method of etching a substrate comprises forming on the substrate, a plurality of double patterning features composed of silicon oxide, silicon nitride, or silicon oxynitride. The substrate having the double patterning features is provided to a process zone. An etching gas comprising nitrogen tri-fluoride, ammonia and hydrogen is energized in a remote chamber. The energized etching gas is introduced into the process zone to etch the double patterning features to form a solid residue on the substrate. The solid residue is sublimated by heating the substrate to a temperature of at least about 100&#xb0; C.

Double patterning etching process

A plasma cleaning method particularly useful for removing photoresist and oxide residue from a porous low-k dielectric with a high carbon content prior to sputter deposition. A remote plasma source produces a plasma primarily of hydrogen radicals. The hydrogen pressure may be kept relatively low, for example, at 30 milliTorr. Optionally, helium may be added to the processing gas with the hydrogen partial pressure held below 150 milliTorr. Superior results are obtained with 70% helium in 400 milliTorr of hydrogen and helium. Preferably, an ion filter, such as a magnetic filter, removes hydrogen and other ions from the output of the remote plasma source and a supply tube from the remote plasma source includes a removable dielectric liner in combination with dielectric showerhead and manifold liner.

Remote plasma pre-clean with low hydrogen pressure

A corrosion resistant part comprising a protective coating formed upon a component part. The protective coating comprises magnesium fluoride, which is substantially pure and substantially dense. Preferably, the coating is at least about 99% pure and at least about 85% dense. For example, such a coating can be formed upon the component part at a temperature of at least about 250&deg; C. and a pressure of not more than about 1&times;10 torr. The resulting coating is effective in protecting the surfaces of an aluminum nitride heater against corrosion within a fluorine-containing environment inside a chemical vapor deposition chamber.

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Saratoga, CA, United States of America

Ajay Bhatnagar