Lam Research Corporation

Novellus Systems Incorporated

Faisal Yaqoob

Pilyeon Park

Joon Hong Park

Ivan L Berry, Iii

Dengliang Yang

Helen H Zhu

Ivelin A Angelov

Kwame Eason

Mark Naoshi Kawaguchi

Ji Zhu

Linda N Marquez

Hsiao-Wei Chang

A substrate processing system for selectively etching a layer on a substrate includes an upper chamber region, an inductive coil arranged around the upper chamber region and a lower chamber region including a substrate support to support a substrate. A gas distribution device is arranged between the upper chamber region and the lower chamber region and includes a plate with a plurality of holes. A cooling plenum cools the gas distribution device and a purge gas plenum directs purge gas into the lower chamber. A surface to volume ratio of the holes is greater than or equal to 4. A controller selectively supplies an etch gas mixture to the upper chamber and a purge gas to the purge gas plenum and strikes plasma in the upper chamber to selectively etch a layer of the substrate relative to at least one other exposed layer of the substrate.

Ultrahigh selective nitride etch to form FinFET devices

Methods for controlled isotropic etching of layers of silicon oxide and germanium oxide with atomic scale fidelity are provided. The methods make use of NO activation of an oxide surface. Once activated, a fluorine-containing gas or vapor etches the activated surface. Etching is self-limiting as once the activated surface is removed, etching stops since the fluorine species does not spontaneously react with the un-activated oxide surface. These methods may be used in interconnect pre-clean applications, gate dielectric processing, manufacturing of memory devices, or any other applications where accurate removal of one or multiple atomic layers of material is desired.

Isotropic atomic layer etch for silicon oxides using no activation

Provided are methods and apparatuses for removing a polysilicon layer on a wafer, where the wafer can include a nitride layer, a low-k dielectric layer, an oxide layer, and other films. A plasma of a hydrogen-based species and a fluorine-based species is generated in a remote plasma source, and the wafer is exposed to the plasma at a relatively low temperature to limit the formation of solid byproduct. In some implementations, the wafer is maintained at a temperature below about 60&#xb0; C. The polysilicon layer is removed at a very high etch rate, and the selectivity of polysilicon over the nitride layer and the oxide layer is very high. In some implementations, the wafer is supported on a wafer support having a plurality of thermal zones configured to define a plurality of different temperatures across the wafer.

Ultrahigh selective polysilicon etch with high throughput

A method for selectively etching a silicon nitride layer on a substrate includes arranging a substrate on a substrate support of a substrate processing chamber. The substrate processing chamber includes an upper chamber region, an inductive coil arranged outside of the upper chamber region, a lower chamber region including the substrate support and a gas dispersion device. The gas dispersion device includes a plurality of holes in fluid communication with the upper chamber region and the lower chamber region. The method includes supplying an etch gas mixture to the upper chamber region and striking inductively coupled plasma in the upper chamber region by supplying power to the inductive coil. The etch gas mixture etches silicon nitride, promotes silicon dioxide passivation and promotes polysilicon passivation. The method includes selectively etching the silicon nitride layer on the substrate and extinguishing the inductively coupled plasma after a predetermined period.

Systems and methods for ultrahigh selective nitride etch

Methods of selectively etching silicon nitride on a semiconductor substrate by providing silicon to the plasma to achieve high etch selectivity of silicon nitride to silicon-containing materials are provided. Methods involve providing silicon from a solid or fluidic silicon source or both. A solid silicon source may be upstream of a substrate, such as at or near a showerhead of a process chamber, or in a remote plasma generator. A silicon gas source may be flowed to the plasma during etch.

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Fremont, CA, United States of America

Faisal Yaqoob