Lam Research Corporation

Novellus Systems Incorporated

Akhil N Singhal

Bart Jan Van Schravendijk

Bhadri N Varadarajan

Patrick A Van Cleemput

Dustin Zachary Austin

James Samuel Sims

Ananda K Banerji

Kevin M McLaughlin

Casey Holder

Martin E Freeborn

Joseph Hung-chi Wei

Nader Shamma

Pei-Chi Liu

Arul N Dhas

Jeongseok Ha

Kareem Boumatar

Karl Frederick Leeser

George Matamis

Ming Chu Li

Raashina Humayun

Mandyam Sriram

Girish Anant Dixit

Samantha SiamHwa Tan

Seshasayee Varadarajan

David Charles Smith

Edward J Augustyniak

Shih-Ked Lee

Yang Pan

Juwen Gao

Yongsik Yu

Qingguo Wu

Arpan Pravin Mahorowala

Christopher Ramsayer

Karthik Subramanian Colinjivadi

Gregory Blachut

Siva Krishnan Kanakasabapathy

Rich Wise

Daniel Boatright

Andrew Liang

Alon Ganany

David C Smith

Brannon Kelley

Jaswinder Guiliani

A method for patterning a substrate includes providing a substrate, and depositing a multi-layer stack including N layers on the substrate. N is an integer greater than one. The N layers include N mean free paths for secondary electrons, respectively. The method includes depositing a photoresist layer on the multi-layer stack, wherein the N mean free paths converge in the photoresist layer. Another method for patterning a substrate includes providing a substrate and depositing a layer on the substrate. The layer includes varying mean free paths for secondary electrons. The method includes depositing a photoresist layer on the layer. The varying mean free paths for secondary electrons converge in the photoresist layer.

Extreme ultraviolet (EUV) lithography using an intervening layer or a multi-layer stack with varying mean free paths for secondary electron generation

An in situ protective coating is deposited on surfaces of chamber components of a reaction chamber at high temperatures. The in situ protective coating may be deposited at a temperature greater than about 200° C. to provide a high quality coating that is resistant to certain types of halogen chemistries, such as fluorine-based species, chlorine-based species, bromine-based species, or iodine-based species. Subsequent coatings or layers may be deposited on the in situ protective coating having different etch selectivities than the underlying in situ protective coating. The in situ protective coating may be deposited throughout the reaction chamber to deposit on surfaces of the chamber components, including on chamber walls.

In situ protective coating of chamber components for semiconductor processing

In some examples, a method of processing a substrate comprises applying a photoresist (PR) onto a surface of the substrate, pre-exposing the PR to ultra violet (UV) light before depositing or etching a metal oxide (MO) layer onto the PR, and depositing or etching a MO layer onto the PR subsequent to pre-exposing the PR to UV light.

Bubble defect reduction

A plasma processing system is provided. The system includes a hydrogen gas supply and a hydrocarbon gas supply and a processing chamber. The system includes a first mass flow controller (MFC) for controlling hydrogen gas flow into the processing chamber and a second MFC for controlling hydrocarbon gas flow into the processing chamber. The system includes a plasma source for generating plasma at the processing chamber. The plasma is for etching SnO. The system includes a controller for regulating the first MFC and the second MFC such that a ratio of hydrocarbon gas flow to the hydrogen gas flow into the processing chamber is between 1% and 60% so that when SnHis produced during said etching SnO. The SnHis configured to react with hydrocarbon gas to produce an organotin compound that is volatilizable in a reaction that is more kinetically favorable than SnHdecomposition into Sn powder. Producing the organotin compound enables suction of Sn out of the processing chamber to prevent Sn powder from being deposited on the surfaces of the processing chamber during said etching SnO.

Method to clean SnOfilm from chamber

An Atomic Layer Deposition (ALD) method to deposit a metal oxide layer onto an organic photoresist on a substrate using a highly reactive organic metal precursor. The deposition method protects the organic photoresist from loss and degradation from exposure to oxygen species during subsequent ALD cycles. The organic metal precursor may be an amino type precursor or a methoxy type precursor.

Deposition tool and method for depositing metal oxide films on organic materials

Various embodiments include methods and chemistries to etch metal-oxide films. In one embodiment, a method of etching tin oxide (SnO) films includes using thionyl chloride (SOCl) chemistry to produce an etch rate of the SnOfilms of up to 10-times higher as compared with Clchemistry for similar flow-rates and process conditions, and gettering oxygen species from the SnOfilms by using the SOCl, thereby forming volatile SOand volatile SnClto provide human safety and machine safety and operations. Other methods, chemistries, and techniques are disclosed.

Etching metal-oxide and protecting chamber components

Various embodiments herein relate to methods, apparatus, and systems for etching a feature in a substrate. Typically the feature is etched in a dielectric-containing stack. The etching process involves cyclically etching the feature and depositing a protective film on sidewalls of the partially etched feature. These stages are repeated until the feature reaches its final depth. The protective film may have a particular composition, for example including at least one of a tungsten carbonitride, a tungsten sulfide, tin, a tin-containing compound, molybdenum, a molybdenum-containing compound, a ruthenium carbonitride, a ruthenium sulfide, an aluminum carbonitride, an aluminum sulfide, zirconium, and a zirconium-containing compound. A number of optional steps may be taken including, for example, doping the mask layer, pre-treating the substrate prior to deposition, removing the protective film from the sidewalls, and oxidizing any remaining protective film.

Metal-containing passivation for high aspect ratio etch

A method for improving EUV lithographic patterning of SnOlayers is provided. One method embodiment includes introducing a hydrophobic surface treatment compound into a processing chamber for modifying a surface of an SnOlayer. The modification increases the hydrophobicity of the SnOlayer. The method also provides for depositing a photoresist layer on the surface of the SnOlayer via spin coating. The modification of the surface of the SnOlayer enhances adhesion of contact between the photoresist and the SnOlayer during and after spin coating.

Modification of SNOsurface for EUV lithography

Provided are apparatuses and methods for performing deposition and etch processes in an integrated tool. An apparatus may include a plasma processing chamber that is a capacitively-coupled plasma reactor, and the plasma processing chamber can include a showerhead that includes a top electrode and a pedestal that includes a bottom electrode. The apparatus may be configured with an RF hardware configuration so that an RF generator may power the top electrode in a deposition mode and power the bottom electrode in an etch mode. In some implementations, the apparatus can include one or more switches so that at least an HFRF generator is electrically connected to the showerhead in a deposition mode, and the HFRF generator and an LFRF generator is electrically connected to the pedestal and the showerhead is grounded in the etch mode.

Apparatus and method for deposition and etch in gap fill

A method for cleaning SnOresidue from a processing chamber is provided as one embodiment. The method embodiment includes introducing hydrocarbon and hydrogen gas at a ratio of 1%-60% into a plasma processing system. The SnOresidue is etched from surfaces the processing chamber using plasma generated by a plasma source, which produces SnHgas. The SnHgas reacts with the hydrocarbon gas to produce an organotin compound that is volatilizable. The method further provides for evacuating the processing chamber of the organotin compound. The introduction of the hydrocarbon gas along with the hydrogen gas at the ratio of 1%-60% reduces a rate of SnHgas decomposition into Sn powder.

Methods and apparatuses suitable for encapsulation layers for memory devices at temperatures less than about 300&#xb0; C. are provided herein. Methods involve introducing a reactive species by pulsing plasma while exposing a substrate to deposition reactants, and post-treating deposited encapsulation films to densify and reduce hydrogen content. Post-treatment methods include periodic exposure to inert plasma without reactants and exposure to ultraviolet radiation at a substrate temperature less than about 300&#xb0; C.

Methods of encapsulation

Methods and apparatuses suitable for depositing low hydrogen content, hermetic, thin encapsulation layers at temperatures less than about 300&#xb0; C. are provided herein. Methods involve pulsing plasma while exposing a substrate to deposition reactants, and post-treating deposited encapsulation films to densify and reduce hydrogen content. Post-treatment methods include periodic exposure to inert plasma without reactants and exposure to ultraviolet radiation at a substrate temperature less than about 300&#xb0; C.

A substrate processing system includes a processing chamber and an upper electrode arranged in the processing chamber. A pedestal is configured to support a substrate during processing and includes a lower electrode. An RF generating system is configured to generate RF plasma between the upper electrode and the lower electrode by supplying an RF voltage. A bias generating circuit is configured to selectively supply a DC bias voltage to one of the upper electrode and the lower electrode. A start of the DC bias voltage is initiated one of a first predetermined period before the RF plasma is extinguished and a second predetermined period after the RF plasma is extinguished. A substrate movement system is configured to move the substrate relative to the pedestal while the DC bias voltage is generated.

Defect control in RF plasma substrate processing systems using DC bias voltage during movement of substrates

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Portland, OR, United States of America

Akhil N Singhal