Lam Research Corporation

Applied Materials, Inc.

Jisoo Kim

S M Reza Sadjadi

Sangheon Lee

Dongho Heo

Zhisong Huang

Robert Charatan

Peter Cirigliano

Eric A Hudson

Peter K Loewenhardt

Hamid Noorbakhsh

Jason C Della Rosa

Vladimir Knyazik

Wonseok Lee

Conan Chiang

Usama Dadu

Binet A Worsham

Supriya Goyal

Dae-Han Choi

Sm Reza Sadjadi

Reza Sadjadi

Bi-Ming Yen

Dae-han Choi

Srinivas D Nemani

Thorsten B Lill

Eric H Lenz

Sean S Kang

Andras Kuthi

William Thie

Lumin Li

Chi Hong Ching

Jun Shinagawa

Mang-Mang Ling

Khoi Doan

Daehan Choi

Rajindar Dhindsa

Jong Shon

Biming Yen

Embodiments of showerheads having a detachable gas distribution plate are provided herein. In some embodiments, a showerhead for use in a semiconductor processing chamber may include a base having a first side and a second side opposing the first side; a gas distribution plate disposed proximate the second side of the base, wherein the gas distribution plate is formed from a material having an electrical resistivity between about 60 ohm-cm to 90 ohm-cm; a clamp disposed about a peripheral edge of the gas distribution plate to removably couple the gas distribution plate to the base; and a thermal gasket disposed in a gap between the base and gas distribution plate.

Showerhead having a detachable high resistivity gas distribution plate

Embodiments of showerheads having a detachable gas distribution plate are provided herein. In some embodiments, a showerhead for use in a semiconductor processing chamber may include a body having a first side and a second side opposing the first side; a gas distribution plate disposed proximate the second side of the body, wherein the gas distribution plate is formed from a material having an electrical resistivity between about 60 ohm-cm to 90 ohm-cm; a clamp disposed about a peripheral edge of the gas distribution plate to removably couple the gas distribution plate to the body; and a thermal gasket disposed in a gap between the body and gas distribution plate.

A method for etching a layer in a processing chamber is provided. A plurality of cycles is provided, where each cycle comprises a deposition phase, a clearing phase, and an etching phase. The deposition phase comprises flowing a deposition gas comprising a fluorocarbon or hydrofluorocarbon gas into the processing chamber, maintaining a deposition phase pressure of at least 50 mTorr, transforming the deposition gas into a plasma, and stopping the deposition phase. The clearing phase comprises flowing a clearing gas comprising a halogen containing gas into the processing chamber, maintaining a clearing phase pressure of less than 40 mTorr, transforming the clearing gas into a plasma, and stopping the clearing phase. The etching phase comprises flowing an etching gas comprising a halogen containing gas into the processing chamber, maintaining an etching phase pressure of at least 30 mTorr, transforming the etching gas into a plasma, and stopping the etching phase.

High aspect ratio etch

A method for depositing a conformal film on a substrate in a plasma processing chamber of a plasma processing system, the substrate being disposed on a chuck, the chuck being coupled to a cooling apparatus, is disclosed. The method includes flowing a first gas mixture into the plasma processing chamber at a first pressure, wherein the first gas mixture includes at least carbon, and wherein the first gas mixture has a condensation temperature. The method also includes cooling the chuck below the condensation temperature using the cooling apparatus thereby allowing at least some of the first gas mixture to condense on a surface of the substrate. The method further includes venting the first gas mixture from the processing chamber; flowing a second gas mixture into the plasma processing chamber, the second gas mixture being different in composition from the first gas mixture; and striking a plasma to form the conformal film.

Apparatus for the deposition of a conformal film on a substrate and methods therefor

Embodiments of the invention provide methods and apparatus for fabricating magnetic tunnel junction (MTJ) structures on a substrate in magnetoresistive random access memory applications. In one embodiment, a method of forming a MTJ structure on a substrate includes providing a substrate having a insulating tunneling layer disposed between a first and a second ferromagnetic layer disposed on the substrate, wherein the first ferromagnetic layer is disposed on the substrate followed by the insulating tunneling layer and the second ferromagnetic layer sequentially, supplying an ion implantation gas mixture to implant ions into the first ferromagnetic layer exposed by openings defined by the second ferromagnetic layer, and etching the implanted first ferromagnetic layer.

Methods for etching materials used in MRAM applications

A method for etching a dielectric layer is provided. A patterned mask with mask features is formed over a dielectric layer. The mask has isolated areas and dense areas of the mask features. The mask is trimmed by a plurality of cycles, where each cycle includes depositing a deposition layer, and selectively etching the deposition layer and the patterned mask. The selective etching selectively trims the isolated areas of the mask with respect to the dense areas of the mask. The dielectric layer is etched using the thus trimmed mask. The mask is removed.

Mask trimming

A method and apparatus for vacuum processing of a workpiece, the apparatus including a flow equalizer disposed in a vacuum processing chamber between a workpiece support pedestal and a pump port located in a wall of the vacuum processing chamber. In an embodiment, the flow equalizer has a first annular surface concentric about the workpiece support pedestal to provide conductance symmetry about the workpiece support even when the pump port is asymmetrically positioned within the vacuum processing chamber. In an embodiment, the flow equalizer has a second annular surface facing a lower surface of the workpiece support pedestal to restrict conductance as the flow equalizer is moved is response to a chamber pressure control signal. In an embodiment, the apparatus for vacuum processing of a workpiece includes tandem vacuum processing chambers sharing a vacuum pump with each tandem chamber including a flow equalizer to reduce cross-talk between the tandem chambers.

Vacuum processing chambers incorporating a moveable flow equalizer

A method for forming a feature in an etch layer is provided. A photoresist layer is formed over the etch layer. The photoresist layer is patterned to form photoresist features with photoresist sidewalls. A control layer is formed over the photoresist layer and bottoms of the photoresist features. A conformal layer is deposited over the sidewalls of the photoresist features and control layer to reduce the critical dimensions of the photoresist features. Openings in the control layer are opened with a control layer breakthrough chemistry. Features are etched into the etch layer with an etch chemistry, which is different from the control layer break through chemistry, wherein the control layer is more etch resistant to the etch with the etch chemistry than the conformal layer.

Critical dimension reduction and roughness control

A method for etching an etch layer disposed over a substrate and below an antireflective coating (ARC) layer and a patterned organic mask with mask features is provided. The substrate is placed in a process chamber. The ARC layer is opened. An oxide spacer deposition layer is formed. The oxide spacer deposition layer on the organic mask is partially removed, where at least the top portion of the oxide spacer deposition layer is removed. The organic mask and the ARC layer are removed by etching. The etch layer is etched through the sidewalls of the oxide spacer deposition layer. The substrate is removed from the process chamber.

Pitch reduction using oxide spacer

A feature in a layer is provided. A photoresist layer is formed over the layer. The photoresist layer is patterned to form photoresist features with photoresist sidewalls, where the photoresist features have a first critical dimension. A fluorine-containing conformal layer is deposited over the sidewalls of the photoresist features to reduce the critical dimensions of the photoresist features. Fluorine is removed from the conformal layer, while the remaining conformal layer is left in place. Features are etched into the layer, wherein the layer features have a second critical dimension, which is less than the first critical dimension.

De-fluoridation process

A method for etching a dielectric layer disposed below an antireflection layer (ARL) is provided. The method comprises (a) forming a patterned mask with mask features over the ARL, the mask having isolated areas and dense areas of the mask features, (b) trimming and opening, and (c) etching the dielectric layer using the trimmed mask. The trimming and opening comprises a plurality of cycles, where each cycle includes (b1) a trim-etch phase which etches the ARL in a bottom of the mask features and selectively trims the isolated areas of the mask with respect to the dense areas, and (b2) a deposition-etch phase which deposits a deposition layer on the mask while further etching the ARL in the bottom of the mask features. The trimming and opening result in a net trimming of the mask in the isolated areas.

Mask trimming with ARL etch

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Pleasanton, CA, United States of America

Jisoo Kim