Applied Materials, Inc.

Heng Wang

Jiao Yang

Jon Christian Farr

Alfredo Granados

Ruizhe Ren

Zhigang Wang

Zhi Gang Wang

Rui Zhe Ren

An apparatus and method for etching a material layer with a cyclic etching and deposition process. The method for etching a material layer on a substrate includes: (a) etching at least a portion of a material layer () on a substrate () in an etch chamber () to form an open feature () having a bottom surface () and sidewalls in the material layer (); (b) forming a protection layer () on the sidewalls and the bottom surface () of the open feature () from a protection layer () gas mixture comprising at least one carbon-fluorine containing gas; (c) selectively removing the protection layer () formed on the bottom surface () of the open feature () from a bottom surface () open gas mixture comprising the carbon-fluorine containing gas; and (d) continuingly etching the material layer () from the bottom surface () of the open feature () until a desired depth of the open feature () is reached.

Methods for etching a material layer for semiconductor applications

A method of cyclic etching, comprising: (A) depositing, prior to cyclically etching a substrate through a mask opening, a pre-etch protection layer conformally over the mask, sidewalls of the mask defining the mask opening; and an exposed portion of the substrate exposed through the mask opening, the pre-etch protection layer deposited to a first thickness; and (B) cyclically etching the substrate by: (i) depositing a protection layer in the opening of the mask, the protection layer deposited to a second thickness that is less than half of the first thickness; (ii) etching through a portion of the protection layer disposed on the substrate and etching the substrate; and (iii) repeating (i) and (ii) until an end point is reached.

Method of depositing a pre-etch protective layer

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Shaanxi, China

Heng Wang