Applied Materials, Inc.

Akhil Mehrotra

Gene S Lee

Shan Jiang

Zohreh Hesabi

Abhijit Patil

Hailong Zhou

Rajinder Dhindsa

Chi-I Lang

Nancy Fung

Jason Andrew Kenney

Jonathan Sungehul Kim

Larry Gao

Daksh Agarwal

Vinay Shankar Vidyarthi

Samaneh Sadighi

A method of removing a metal-containing layer (e.g., tungsten) from a substrate is provided. The method includes generating a first plasma in a process volume of a plasma chamber when a patterned device is disposed on a substrate support in the process volume. The patterned device includes a patterned region and an unpatterned region; a substrate; a tungsten-containing layer formed over the substrate; a supporting layer disposed between the tungsten-containing layer and the substrate. The patterned region includes exposed surfaces of the supporting layer and the unpatterned region does not include any exposed surfaces of the supporting layer. The method further includes depositing a first film over the patterned region of the tungsten-containing layer with the first plasma; and removing portions of the unpatterned region of the tungsten-containing layer with the first plasma without depositing the first film over the unpatterned region.

Methods of etching metal-containing layers

A method, apparatus and system for processing a wafer in a plasma chamber system, which includes at least a plasma generating element and a biasing electrode, include generating a plasma in the plasma chamber system by applying a source RF source power to the plasma generating element for a first period of time of a pulse period of the RF source power, after the expiration of the first period of time, removing the source RF source power, after a delay after the removal of the RF source power, applying an RF bias signal to the biasing electrode for a second period of time to bias the generated plasma towards the wafer, and after the expiration of the second period of time, removing the RF bias signal from the biasing electrode before a next pulse period of the RF source power. The generated plasma biased toward the wafer is used to process the wafer.

Delayed pulsing for plasma processing of wafers

Methods for etching a hardmask layer to transfer features into a material layer using an etch process are provided. The methods described herein advantageously facilitate profile and dimension control of features through a proper sidewall and bottom management scheme during the hardmask open process. In one embodiment, a method for etching a hardmask layer to form features in the hardmask layer includes supplying an etching gas mixture onto a substrate to etch an exposed portion of a hardmask layer exposed by a patterned photoresist layer disposed on the substrate, switching the etching gas mixture to a deposition gas mixture comprising a silicon containing gas to form a passivation layer on sidewalls of the hardmask layer and forming openings in the hardmask layer.

Methods for etching a hardmask layer

A method of etching a hardmask layer formed on a substrate is provided. The method includes supplying an etching gas mixture to a processing region of a processing chamber. A device is disposed in the processing region when the etching gas mixture is supplied to the processing region. The device comprises a substrate and a hardmask layer formed over the substrate. The etching gas mixture comprises a fluorine-containing gas, a silicon-containing gas, and an oxygen-containing gas. The method further includes providing RF power to the etching gas mixture to form a plasma in the processing region. The plasma is configured to etch exposed portions of the hardmask layer.

Method of etching hardmasks containing high hardness materials

Methods for etching a bottom anti-reflective coating (BARC) and/or an anti-reflective coating (ARC) and/or a dielectric anti-reflective coating (DARC) to form high aspect ratio features using an etch process are provided. The methods described herein advantageously facilitate profile and dimension control of features with high aspect ratios through a proper sidewall and bottom management scheme during the bottom anti-reflective coating (BARC) and/or an anti-reflective coating (ARC) and/or a dielectric anti-reflective coating (DARC) open process. In one embodiment, a method for etching a dielectric anti-reflective coating (DARC) layer to form features in the DARC layer includes supplying an etching gas mixture onto a DARC layer disposed on a substrate, wherein the substrate is disposed on a substrate support pedestal assembly disposed in a processing chamber, controlling a temperature of the substrate support pedestal assembly greater than 110 degrees Celsius, and etching the DARC layer disposed on the substrate.

Methods for high temperature etching a material layer using protection coating

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Sunnyvale, CA, United States of America

Akhil Mehrotra