Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.

Gyung-Jin Min

Je-Woo Han

Tae-hyuk Ahn

Jae-hong Park

Jun-ho Yoon

Myeong-Cheol Kim

Dong-Chan Kim

Byeong-Yun Nam

Jung-hyeon Lee

Jeong-sic Jeon

Kyoung-sub Shin

Yong-Moon Jang

Seung-Hoon Park

Ji-Eun Lee

Ki-chul Kim

Han-Mei Choi

Hyun-Chul Kim

Jung-Min Oh

Bong-jin Kuh

Ji-Soo Kim

Yong-Jin Kim

Suk-Ho Joo

Wan-jae Park

In-Gi Kim

Kyung-Yub Jeon

Jin-Young Park

Seung-Young Son

Jong-sung Lim

Yoo-Chul Kong

Eun-Seok Lee

Kye-Hyun Baek

Seong-Soo Lee

Sang-Ryol Yang

Kyoung-hwan Kim

Dae-Hyun Jang

Sang-Yoon Woo

Min-Joon Park

Jin-Suk Hong

Myung-Woo Kim

Tae-Jin Park

Hyun-Kyu Kang

Young-Sub Yoo

Ho-ki Lee

Young-cheul Lee

Byung-Bok Kang

Han-Geun Yu

Seok-Min Kang

Bon-Ok Koo

Sung-Ki Roh

Sung-choon Lee

Deog-Ja Koo

In a method of inspecting a surface of a substrate, a first surface image of the substrate before loaded into a process chamber may be obtained. The first surface image may be processed to detect a defect on the surface of the substrate. Thus, the surfaces of all of the substrate may be inspected during a process may be performed without transferring the substrates.

Method of inspecting a surface of a substrate and apparatus for performing the same

A patterning method using a metal mask includes sequentially forming a lower metal layer and an upper metal layer on an etching object layer, forming an upper metal mask, forming the upper metal mask including patterning the upper metal layer, forming a lower metal mask, forming the lower metal mask including patterning the lower metal layer using the upper metal mask, and patterning the etching object layer using the upper metal mask.

Patterning method using metal mask and method of fabricating semiconductor device including the same patterning method

A method of manufacturing a semiconductor device is disclosed. In the method, a substrate having a first surface and a second surface is provided. The second surface is opposed to the first surface. A via hole is formed to penetrate the substrate from the first surface toward the second surface. The via hole includes a first portion and a second portion. The first portion has a first sidewall which is substantially perpendicular to the first surface. The second portion has a second sidewall which gradually decreases from the first surface toward the second surface, and has a bottom surface that substantially flat. A seed pattern is formed on the first sidewall of the first portion, the second sidewall of the second portion and the bottom surface of the second portion of the via hole. A first thickness (Vt) of the seed pattern on the first sidewall of the first portion is less than a second thickness (VIt) of the seed pattern on the second sidewall of the second portion. A through via is formed to fill the via hole.

Semiconductor devices and methods of manufacturing the same

A method of fabricating a semiconductor device includes providing a substrate that is divided into a first region on which a pattern layer is formed and a second region on which a photo key is formed. A silicon layer is formed on the first region and second region of the substrate. The silicon layer is patterned to form a hole exposing a photo key portion of the second region on which the photo key is formed. A buried oxide layer is formed to fill the hole exposing the photo key portion. The silicon layer is patterned by using the photo key formed under the buried oxide layer to form a silicon pattern layer.

Method of fabricating semiconductor device using photo key

A bowing control pattern is formed on an intermediate layer. A hardmask pattern is formed on the bowing control layer. The hardmask pattern has a first opening, and the bowing control pattern has a second opening. A third opening passes through the intermediate layer and is connected to the second opening. The bowing control pattern includes first and second edges on a lower end of the second opening, and a third edge on an upper end of the second opening. When a first point on the first edge, a second point on the second edge, and a third point on a horizontal line passing through the third edge are defined, an intersecting angle between a first side from the first point to the second point, and a second side from the second point to the third point is from about 50&#xb0; to about 80&#xb0;.

Methods of forming semiconductor device using bowing control layer

Provided is a method of manufacturing a semiconductor device having a capacitor. The method includes forming a composite layer, including sequentially stacking on a substrate alternating layers of first through nth sacrificial layers and first through nth supporting layers. A plurality of openings that penetrate the composite layer are formed. A lower electrode is formed in the plurality of openings. At least portions of the first through nth sacrificial layers are removed to define a support structure for the lower electrode extending between adjacent ones of the plurality of openings and the lower electrode formed therein, the support structure including the first through nth supporting layers and a gap region between adjacent ones of the first through nth supporting layers where the first through nth sacrificial layers have been removed. A dielectric layer is formed on the lower electrode and an upper electrode is formed on the dielectric layer.

Method of fabricating semiconductor device

A method of controlling process distribution of a semiconductor process includes receiving process distribution data representing the process distribution of the semiconductor process, receiving a parameter related to the process distribution, generating a virtual metrology model corresponding to the process distribution based on a relationship between the process distribution data and the parameter, and modifying a process variable affecting the process distribution based on the virtual metrology model.

Method of controlling semiconductor process distribution

A method of manufacturing a semiconductor device comprises forming memory cells on a memory cell region, alternately forming a sacrificial layer and an insulating interlayer on a connection region for providing wirings configured to electrically connect the memory cells, forming an etching mask pattern including etching mask pattern elements on a top sacrificial layer, forming blocking sidewalls on either sidewalls of each of the etching mask pattern element, forming a first photoresist pattern selectively exposing a first blocking sidewall furthermost from the memory cell region and covering the other blocking sidewalls, etching the exposed top sacrificial layer and an insulating interlayer to expose a second sacrificial layer, forming a second photoresist pattern by laterally removing the first photoresist pattern to the extent that a second blocking sidewall is exposed, and etching the exposed top and second sacrificial layers and the insulating interlayers to form a staircase shaped side edge portion.

Methods of manufacturing a semiconductor device and a semiconductor memory device thereby

An etching end point of a plasma etch is determined by defining an etch-stop condition. A layer formed on a substrate is etched using a plasma. A luminous intensity of the plasma is measured to determine a first luminous intensity. The luminous intensity is measured again after a predetermined time to determine a second luminous intensity. A determination is made whether a disturbance occurs. Compensation is applied to the measured luminous intensity if the disturbance occurs. A determination is made whether the measured luminous intensity or the compensated luminous intensity satisfies the etch stop condition.

Methods of determining an etching end point based on compensation for etching disturbances

A semiconductor memory device having self-aligned contacts, capable of preventing a short-circuit between contacts for bit lines and contacts for storage electrodes and improving a process margin, and a method of fabricating the same are provided. The semiconductor memory device having self-aligned contacts includes a plurality of gate electrode patterns arranged in parallel on a semiconductor substrate, in which a plurality of first spacers are formed along the sidewalls of the gate electrode patterns, a first interdielectric layer formed on the entire surface of a resultant in which the first spacers are formed, a plurality of bit line patterns arranged in parallel on the first interdielectric layer to be perpendicular to the gate electrode patterns, in which a plurality of second spacers are formed along the sidewalls of the bit line patterns, a plurality of contacts for bit lines self-aligned with the first spacers, a second interdielectric layer formed on the entire surface of a resultant in which the second spacers are formed, and a plurality of contacts for storage electrodes simultaneously self-aligned with the second and first spacers.

Semiconductor memory device having self-aligned contacts and method of fabricating the same

In a method of forming a self-aligned contact, gates are formed on a semiconductor substrate in a striped pattern. Bit lines are formed in a striped pattern that extends cross-wise to the gates. The bit lines are isolated from one another by a first interlayer insulation layer. Next, a second interlayer insulation layer is formed between the bit lines, and a photoresist film pattern is formed on the second interlayer insulation layer. The photoresist film pattern is used for forming contact holes extending between the gates down to conductive pads. The contact holes are filled to form conductive plugs that contact the conductive pads. The photoresist film pattern is formed as a series of stripes which extend parallel to the gates. The stripes of photoresist expose segments of the bit lines and the portions of the second interlayer insulation layer disposed directly above the conductive film pads, thereby securing a sufficient alignment margin, and exposing a large underlying area to be etched in forming the contact holes. To form a semiconductor device, a third interlayer insulation layer, an etch stop layer, an oxide layer and a hard mask layer are formed on the conductive plugs. Next, a second photoresist film pattern is formed on the hard mask layer. The hard mask layer and the oxide layer are etched using the second photoresist film pattern as an etching mask until the etch stop layer is exposed. Second contact holes for use in forming capacitor lower electrodes are formed by sequentially removing the exposed etching stop layer and the exposed third interlayer insulation layer using the hard mask layer as an etching mask, until the second contact holes expose the conductive plugs.

Method of forming a self-aligned contact, and method of fabricating a semiconductor device having a self-aligned contact

A method of forming an interlevel dielectric layer of a semiconductor device includes filling the gap between conductive lines without the generation of voids or cracks. In the method of forming the interlevel dielectric layer of the semiconductor device, a conductive line is formed on a semiconductor substrate. A polysilazane-family SOG layer is deposited on the semiconductor substrate on which the conductive line is formed. The polysilazane-family SOG layer is baked and etched back until the upper part of the conductive line is exposed using a C-F-family gas having a high C to F ratio, resulting in high etch selectivity ratio of the SOG layer to a silicon nitride layer. A silicon oxide layer, serving as an interlevel dielectric layer, is formed by thermally treating the polysilazane-family SOG layer remaining after the etch back process.

Method of forming interlevel dielectric layer of semiconductor device

A method of manufacturing a semiconductor device including various contact studs is provided. According to the method, a plurality of contact holes for various metal contact studs aligned to a bit line, a gate, a semiconductor substrate, or an electrode are formed simultaneously after a capacitor formation process. In this case, an etch stop pattern provided for stopping a selective etching process for forming the contact holes covers the bit line or conductive plugs formed on the semiconductor substrate. The thickness of a first etch stop pattern formed on the bit line or an electrode is similar or substantially the same as a second etch stop pattern formed on conductive plugs. To this end, the method involves selectively removing a capping insulating layer on the bit line for a self aligned contact (SAC) process for forming a conductive pad connected to a capacitor and then depositing a separate etch stop layer. Alternatively, the method may involve reducing the thickness of the capping insulating layer to use it as the first etch stop pattern and forming another second etch stop pattern. In this case, a process of patterning an upper electrode of a capacitor is performed, followed by a process of etching the capping insulating layer.

Method of manufacturing semiconductor memory device including various contact studs

Growing community of inventors

Seongnam-si, South Korea

Gyung-Jin Min