Applied Materials, Inc.

Mattson Technology, Inc

Beijing E-town Semiconductor Technology, Co., Ltd

Haichun Yang

Xinliang Lu

Hua Chung

Mei Yin Chang

Michael Xiaoxuan Yang

Chien-Teh Kao

Qi Zhang

Ting Xie

Schubert S Chu

Kavita Shah

Li-Qun Xia

Hichem M'Saad

Mihaela A Balseanu

Shawming Ma

Derek R Witty

Zhenbin Ge

David T Or

Victor Nguyen

Nan Lu

Haochen Li

Bin Dong

Systems and methods for thermal treatment of a workpiece are provided. In one example, a method for conducting a treatment process on a workpiece, such as a thermal treatment process, an annealing treatment process, an oxidizing treatment process, or a reducing treatment process in a processing apparatus is provided. The processing apparatus includes a plasma chamber and a processing chamber. The plasma chamber and the processing chamber are separated by a plurality of separation grids or grid plates. The separation grids or grid plates operable to filter ions generated in the plasma chamber. The processing chamber has a workpiece support operable to support a workpiece.

Methods for the treatment of workpieces

Systems and methods for etching titanium containing layers on a workpiece are provided. In one example, a method includes placing the workpiece on a workpiece support in a processing chamber. The workpiece includes a first layer and a second layer. The first layer is a titanium containing layer. The method includes admitting a process gas into the processing chamber. The process gas includes an ozone gas and a fluorine containing gas. The method includes exposing the first layer and the second layer on the workpiece to the process gas to at least partially etch the first layer at a greater etch rate relative to the second layer.

Selective etch process using hydrofluoric acid and ozone gases

Methods for processing a workpiece are provided. The workpiece can include a ruthenium layer and a copper layer. In one example implementation, a method for processing a workpiece can include supporting a workpiece on a workpiece support. The method can include performing an ozone etch process on the workpiece to at least a portion of the ruthenium layer. The method can also include performing a hydrogen radical treatment process on a workpiece to remove at least a portion of an oxide layer on the copper layer.

Processing of workpieces using ozone gas and hydrogen radicals

Systems and methods for processing a workpiece are provided. In one example, a method includes exposing the workpiece to a first gas mixture when the workpiece is at a first temperature to conduct a doped silicate glass etch process. The first gas mixture can include hydrofluoric acid (HF) vapor. The doped silicate glass etch process at least partially removes the doped silicate glass layer at a first etch rate that is greater than a second etch rate associated with removal of the at least one second layer. The method can include heating the workpiece to a second temperature. The second temperature is greater than the first temperature. The method can include exposing the workpiece to a second gas mixture when the workpiece is at a second temperature to remove a residue from the workpiece.

Silicon oxide selective dry etch process

Processes for removing photoresist layer(s) from a workpiece, such as a semiconductor are provided. In one example implementation, a method for processing a workpiece can include supporting a workpiece on a workpiece support. The workpiece can have a photoresist layer and a low-k dielectric material layer. The method can include performing a hydrogen radical etch process on the workpiece to remove at least a portion of the photoresist layer. The method can also include exposing the workpiece to an ozone process gas to remove at least a portion of the photoresist layer.

Processing of workpieces using hydrogen radicals and ozone gas

Formation of BPSG surface defects upon exposure to atmosphere is prevented by a plasma treatment method for converting boron and/or phosphorus materials separated from silicon near the surface of the doped glass layer to gas phase compounds. The treatment plasma is generated from a treatment process gas containing one of (a) a fluorine compound or (b) a hydrogen compound.

Plasma treatment method for preventing defects in doped silicon oxide surfaces during exposure to atmosphere

Methods for etching dielectric layers comprising silicon and nitrogen are provided herein. In some embodiments, such methods may include providing a substrate having a dielectric layer comprising silicon and nitrogen disposed thereon, forming reactive species from a process gas comprising hydrogen (H) and nitrogen trifluoride (NF) using a remote plasma; and etching the dielectric layer using the reactive species. In some embodiments, an oxide layer is disposed adjacent to the dielectric layer. In some embodiments, the flow rate ratio of the process gas can be adjusted such that an etch selectivity of the dielectric layer to at least one of the oxide layer or the substrate is between about 0.8 to about 4.

Selective etching of silicon nitride

Embodiments of the invention generally provide methods for depositing and compositions of tantalum carbide nitride materials. The methods include deposition processes that form predetermined compositions of the tantalum carbide nitride material by controlling the deposition temperature and the flow rate of a nitrogen-containing gas during a vapor deposition process, including thermal decomposition, CVD, pulsed-CVD, or ALD. In one embodiment, a method for forming a tantalum-containing material on a substrate is provided which includes heating the substrate to a temperature within a process chamber, and exposing the substrate to a nitrogen-containing gas and a process gas containing a tantalum precursor gas while depositing a tantalum carbide nitride material on the substrate. The method further provides that the tantalum carbide nitride material is crystalline and contains interstitial carbon and elemental carbon having an interstitial/elemental carbon atomic ratio of greater than 1, such as about 2, 3, 4, or greater.

Vapor deposition processes for tantalum carbide nitride materials

A thermal anneal process for preventing formation of certain BPSG surface defects following an etch or silicon clean step using a fluorine and hydrogen chemistry. The thermal anneal process is carried out while protecting the wafer from moisture, by heating the wafer to a sufficiently high temperature for a sufficient duration of time to thermally diffuse boron and/or phosphorus materials separated from silicon near the surface of the doped glass layer into the bulk of the layer. The thermal anneal process is completed by cooling the wafer to a sufficiently low temperature to fix the distribution of the boron and/or phosphorus materials in bulk of the doped glass layer.

Thermal annealing method for preventing defects in doped silicon oxide surfaces during exposure to atmosphere

A method for forming a structure includes forming at least one feature across a surface of a substrate. A nitrogen-containing dielectric layer is formed over the at least one feature. A first portion of the nitrogen-containing layer on at least one sidewall of the at least one feature is removed at a first rate and a second portion of the nitrogen-containing layer over the substrate adjacent to a bottom region of the at least one feature is removed at a second rate. The first rate is greater than the second rate. A dielectric layer is formed over the nitrogen-containing dielectric layer.

Methods and systems for forming at least one dielectric layer

Embodiments described herein provide methods for removing native oxide surfaces on substrates while simultaneously passivating the underlying substrate surface. In one embodiment, a method is provided which includes positioning a substrate containing an oxide layer within a processing chamber, adjusting a first temperature of the substrate to about 80&#xb0; C. or less, generating a cleaning plasma from a gas mixture within the processing chamber, such that the gas mixture contains ammonia and nitrogen trifluoride having an NH/NFmolar ratio of about 10 or greater, and condensing the cleaning plasma onto the substrate. A thin film, containing ammonium hexafluorosilicate, is formed in part, from the native oxide during a plasma clean process. The method further includes heating the substrate to a second temperature of about 100&#xb0; C. or greater within the processing chamber while removing the thin film from the substrate and forming a passivation surface thereon.

Passivation layer formation by plasma clean process to reduce native oxide growth

Embodiments of the invention generally provide compositions of tantalum carbide nitride materials. In one embodiment, a composition of a tantalum carbide nitride material is provided which includes the chemical formula of TaCN, wherein x is within a range from about 0.20 to about 0.50 and y is within a range from about 0.20 to about 0.55, an interstitial/elemental carbon atomic ratio of about 2 or greater, and a crystalline structure. In some examples, the composition provides that x is within a range from about 0.25 to about 0.40, preferably, from about 0.30 to about 0.40, and y is within a range from about 0.30 to about 0.50, preferably, from about 0.35 to about 0.50. The interstitial/elemental carbon atomic ratio may be about 3, about 4, or greater. The composition further may have a sheet resistance within a range from about 1&#xd7;10&#x3a9;/sq to about 1&#xd7;10&#x3a9;/sq.

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Santa Clara, CA, United States of America

Haichun Yang