Applied Materials, Inc.

Other

Jeng H Hwang

Chentsau Chris Ying

Steve S Y Mak

Guangxiang Jin

Yan Ye

Xiaoyi Chen

Kang-Lie Chiang

Avi Tepman

Peter K Loewenhardt

Diana Xiaobing Ma

Donald J Olgado

Ajay Kumar

Harald Herchen

James S Papanu

Gerald Z Yin

Padmapani Nallan

Gerald Zheyao Yin

Mark Naoshi Kawaguchi

David Palagashvili

True-Lon Lin

Steve S Mak

Se Jin Oh

Luc Van Autryve

Ralph Kerns

Yohei Kawase

Chan Ouk Jung

Steve Y Mak

John W Schaller

Yong Deuk Ko

Haojiang Chen

Seayoul Park

Hideyuki Yamauchi

Chen Tsan Ying

Guang Xiang Jin

A method of etching a noble metal electrode layer disposed on a substrate to produce a semiconductor device including a plurality of electrodes separated by a distance equal to or less than about 0.35 &#x3bc;m and having a noble metal profile equal to or greater than about 80&#xb0;. The method comprises heating the substrate to a temperature greater than about 150&#xb0; C., and etching the noble metal electrode layer by employing a high density inductively coupled plasma of an etchant gas comprising a gas selected from the group consisting of nitrogen, oxygen, a halogen (e.g., chlorine), argon, and a gas selected from the group consisting of BCl, HBr, and SiClmixtures thereof. Masking methods and etching sequences for patterning high density RAM capacitors are also provided.

Masking methods and etching sequences for patterning electrodes of high density RAM capacitors

A method for preventing electrical short circuits in a multi-layer magnetic film stack comprises providing a film stack that includes a layer of magnetic material having an exposed surface. A protective layer is deposited on the exposed surface of the magnetic layer. The protective layer may comprise, for example, a fluorocarbon or a hydrofluorocarbon. The film stack is etched and the protective layer protects the exposed surface from a conductive residue produced while etching the film stack. The method may be used in film stacks to form a magneto-resistive random access memory (MRAM) device.

Method of preventing short circuits in magnetic film stacks

A method and apparatus for etching a magnetic memory cell stack are described. More particularly, HCl is used as a main etchant gas for etching a magnetic memory cell stack. HCl is used in part to reduce corrosion and improve selectivity. Additionally, use of an amorphous carbon or hydrocarbon based polymer resin for a hard mask is described, as well as a post-etch passivation with a water rinse, a water vapor plasma treatment or an ammonia plasma treatment. Moreover, in an embodiment, a diffusion barrier layer dispose most of the magnetic memory cell stack is etched with hydrogen and fluorine containing gas in a separate process chambers.

Etching methods for a magnetic memory cell stack

A method of etching a platinum electrode layer disposed on a substrate to produce a semiconductor device including a plurality of electrodes separated by a distance equal to or less than about 0.3 &mgr;m and having a platinum profile equal to or greater than about 85&deg;. The method comprises heating the substrate to a temperature greater than about 150&deg; C., and etching the platinum electrode layer by employing a high density inductively coupled plasma of an etchant gas comprising chlorine, argon and a gas selected from the group consisting of BCl , HBr, and mixtures thereof. A semiconductor device having a substrate and a plurality of platinum electrodes supported by the substrate. The platinum electrodes have a dimension (e.g., a width) which include a value equal to or less than about 0.3 &mgr;m and a platinum profile equal to or greater than about 85&deg;.

Method of plasma etching platinum

Contaminants are generated during etching processes for forming electrodes of storage capacitors for very high density future memory cells, such as ferroelectric random access memory (FeRAM) cells. These contaminants include significant quantities of noble metals, and in particular iridium and iridium compound particulates. In order to prevent undesirable iridium and iridium compound particulates from adversely affecting subsequent etching processes performed in the chamber, the plasma metal etch chamber is seasoned by exposing interior surfaces of the chamber to a seasoning plasma generated from a gas mixture comprising at least two gases selected from the group consisting of BCl , HBr, and CF . The chamber seasoning method of the invention is also applicable to etch processes involving other noble metals, such as platinum.

Method of reducing particulates in a plasma etch chamber during a metal etch process

A method of etching a platinum electrode layer disposed on a substrate to produce a semiconductor device including a plurality of platinum electrodes. The method comprises heating the substrate to a temperature greater than about 150&deg; C., and etching the platinum electrode layer by employing a plasma of an etchant gas comprising nitrogen and a halogen (e.g. chlorine), and a gas selected from the group consisting of a noble gas (e.g. argon), BCl , HBr, SiCl and mixtures thereof. The substrate may be heated in a reactor chamber having a dielectric window including a deposit-receiving surface having a surface finish comprising a peak-to-valley roughness height with an average height value of greater than about 1000 &angst;.

Method of etching an anisotropic profile in platinum

A simple method of forming a cup capacitor is disclosed. The method typically involves only &ldquo;dry&rdquo; deposition and etching steps, allowing applicants' method to be performed in a single processing apparatus, if so desired. The method includes the following steps: a) providing a semiconductor structure including a dielectric layer overlying a semiconductor substrate, wherein a cup is present in the dielectric layer, the cup having an opening at an upper surface of the dielectric layer; b) depositing a conformal layer of a conductive material over the dielectric layer, including the sidewalls and bottom of the cup; c) depositing a layer of a sacrificial material over the conductive material, in an amount sufficient to fill the cup; d) removing sacrificial material present on an upper surface (field surface) of the conductive layer outside of and adjacent to the cup by plasma etching, using a plasma source gas which selectively etches the sacrificial material relative to the conductive material; e) removing conductive material present on an upper surface (field surface) of the dielectric layer outside of and adjacent to the cup by plasma etching, using a plasma source gas which selectively etches the conductive material relative to the sacrificial material remaining inside of the cup; and f) removing sacrificial layer material remaining inside of the cup by etching, using an etchant which selectively etches the sacrificial material inside of the cup relative to the conductive material inside of the cup.

Method of forming a cup capacitor

We have discovered a method of reducing the effect of material sputtered/etched during the preheating of a substrate. One embodiment of the method pertains to preheating a substrate which includes a metal-containing layer which is to be pattern etched subsequent to preheating. The method includes exposing the substrate to a preheating plasma which produces a deposit or residue during preheating which is more easily etched than said metal-containing layer during the subsequent plasma etching of said metal-containing layer.

Plasma heating of a substrate with subsequent high temperature etching

We have discovered a method of reducing the effect of material sputtered/etched during the preheating of a substrate. One embodiment of the method pertains to the preheating of a substrate which includes a material which is to be pattern etched at a temperature in excess of 150&deg; C. The method comprises exposing the substrate to a preheating plasma generated from a plasma source gas which includes a reactive gas that aids in the production of a sputtered/etched residue during the preheating which is more easily etched during a subsequent pattern etching step than the material which is being pattern etched. In another embodiment of the method, the reactive gas in the preheating plasma source gas is slightly reactive with the material which is to etched during the subsequent pattern etching step.

Method of plasma heating and etching a substrate

A method of processing a substrate comprises exposing the substrate to an energized process gas to etch features on the substrate and exposing the substrate to an energized cleaning gas to remove etchant residue and/or remnant resist from the substrate . To enhance the cleaning process, the substrate may be treated before, during or after the cleaning process by exposing the substrate to an energized treating gas comprising a halogen species.

Substrate cleaning apparatus and method

Disclosed herein is a method of etching platinum using a silicon carbide mask. The method comprises providing an etch stack including a patterned silicon carbide layer overlying a layer of platinum, then pattern etching the platinum layer using a plasma generated from a source gas comprising Cl , BCl , and a nonreactive, diluent gas. The silicon carbide mask can be deposited and patterned using standard industry techniques, and can be easily removed without damaging either the platinum or an underlying doped substrate material. The method provides a smooth platinum etch profile and an etch profile angle of about 75&deg; to about 90&deg;. Also disclosed herein are methods of forming semiconductor structures useful in the preparation of DRAM and FeRAM cells.

Method of etching platinum using a silicon carbide mask

A method of etching a metal or metal oxide, including a platinum family metal or a platinum family metal oxide. A wafer is first provided which comprises: (a) a semiconductor substrate, (b) a metal or metal oxide layer over the semiconductor substrate, and (c) a titanium containing patterned mask layer having one or more apertures formed therein positioned over the metal or metal oxide layer. The metal or metal oxide is then etched through the apertures in the mask layer by a plasma etching step that uses plasma source gases comprising the following: (a) a gas that comprises one or more carbon-oxygen bonds (for example, CO gas or CO gas) and (b) a gas that comprises one or more chlorine atoms (for example, Cl gas, carbon tetrachloride gas, silicon tetrachloride gas or boron trichloride gas).

Plasma etching process for metals and metal oxides, including metals and metal oxides inert to oxidation

Etching methods for anisotropic platinum profile

In an embodiment of the present invention, a method is provided of patterning PZT layers or BST layers. For example, a PZT layer or a BST layer is plasma etched through a high-temperature-compatible mask such as a titanium nitride (TiN) mask, using a plasma feed gas comprising as a primary etchant boron trichloride (BCl ) or silicon tetrachloride (SiCi ). Although BCl or SiCl may be used alone as the etchant plasma source gas, it is typically used in combination with an essentially inert gas. Preferably the essentially inert gas is argon. Other potential essentially inert gases which may be used include xenon, krypton, and helium. In some instances O or N , or Cl , or a combination thereof may be added to the primary etchant to increase the etch rate of PZT or BST relative to adjacent materials, such as the high-temperature-compatible masking material. A TiN masking material can easily be removed without damaging underlying oxides. The selectivity of PZT or BST relative to TiN is very good, with the ratio of the etch rate of the PZT film to the etch rate of the TiN mask typically being better than 20:1. In addition, the etch rate for PZT using a BCl &mdash;comprising plasma source gas is typically in excess of 2,000 &angst; per minute. A substrate bias power is applied to direct ions produced from the BCl or SiCl toward the surface to be etched. The bias power is controlled to avoid sputtering of a conductive layer or layers in contact with the PZT layer, so that the surface of the etched PZT is not contaminated by a conductive material, which can cause the semiconductor device which includes the patterned PZT to short out.

Method of patterning lead zirconium titanate and barium strontium titanate

Method for removing or inactivating corrosion-forming etch residues remaining on the surface of a dielectric material after etching a metal layer which is supported by the dielectric material. The surface of the dielectric material which supports the corrosion-forming etch residues is post-etch treated in order to remove the corrosion-forming etch residues. Post-etch treating of the surface of the dielectric material includes disposing the dielectric material in a vacuum chamber having microwave downstream treating gas plasma, or contacting the surface of the dielectric material with deionized water.

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Cupertino, CA, United States of America

Jeng H Hwang