Applied Materials, Inc.

Other

Kang-Lie Chiang

Yan Ye

Douglas A Buchberger, Jr

Xiaoye Zhao

Dan Katz

Robert B Hagen

Daniel John Hoffman

Matthew L Miller

Jeng H Hwang

Shiang-Bau Wang

Ananda H Kumar

Hamid Noorbakhsh

Chentsau Chris Ying

Michael D Armacost

Gerardo Delgadino

Nitin Khurana

Steve S Y Mak

Greg A Blackburn

Pallavi Zhang

Li-Qun Xia

James D Carducci

Olivier Luere

Gerald Zheyao Yin

Jinhan Choi

Jang Gyoo Yang

Guangxiang Jin

Chia-Ling Kao

Mahmoud Dahimene

Hoiman Raymond Hung

Giuseppina Conti

Melissa Hagen

Embodiments of the present disclosure provide a method, system, and computer program product for monitoring a service life of a chamber component. In one example, the method includes receiving one or more power measurements of a semiconductor processing chamber from one or more sensors positioned about the semiconductor processing chamber. The processor compares the one or more power measurements to one or more threshold values corresponding to the service life of the chamber component. The processor determines whether the one or more power measurements exceed the threshold values. If the processor determines that the one or more power measurements exceed the threshold values, the processor takes remedial measures for the service life of the chamber component.

Process kit erosion and service life prediction

Local and global reduction of critical dimension (CD) asymmetry in etch processing is described. In an example, a method of etching a wafer of to form a plurality of staircase structures with reduced local and global asymmetry involves forming a photoresist layer on a plurality of micron-scale semiconductor structures. The photoresist layer is then trimmed with a high pressure and pulsed plasma etch process performed in a reverse MESA mode.

Local and global reduction of critical dimension (CD) asymmetry in etch processing

Methods for forming an ultra thin structure using a method that includes multiple cycles of polymer deposition of photoresist (PDP) process and etching process. The embodiments described herein may be advantageously utilized to fabricate a submicron structure on a substrate having a critical dimension less than 55 nm and beyond. In one embodiment, a method of forming a submicron structure on a substrate may include providing a substrate having a patterned photoresist layer disposed on a film stack into an etch chamber, wherein the film stack includes at least a hardmask layer disposed on a dielectric layer, performing a polymer deposition process to deposit a polymer layer on the pattered photoresist layer, thus reducing a critical dimension of an opening in the patterned photoresist layer, and etching the underlying hardmask layer through the opening having the reduced dimension.

Methods for forming ultra thin structures on a substrate

A plasma reactor for processing a semiconductor workpiece, includes a reactor chamber having a chamber wall and containing a workpiece support for holding the semiconductor support, the electrode comprising a portion of the chamber wall, an RF power generator for supplying power at a frequency of the generator to the overhead electrode and capable of maintaining a plasma within the chamber at a desired plasma ion density level. The overhead electrode has a capacitance such that the overhead electrode and the plasma formed in the chamber at the desired plasma ion density resonate together at an electrode-plasma resonant frequency, the frequency of the generator being at least near the electrode-plasma resonant frequency. The reactor further includes a set of MERIE magnets surrounding the plasma process area overlying the wafer surface that produce a slowly circulating magnetic field which stirs the plasma to improve plasma ion density distribution uniformity.

MERIE plasma reactor with overhead RF electrode tuned to the plasma with arcing suppression

A plasma reactor for processing a semiconductor workpiece, includes reactor chamber having a chamber wall and containing a workpiece support for holding the semiconductor support, the electrode comprising a portion of the chamber wall, an RF power generator for supplying power at a frequency of the generator to the overhead electrode and capable of maintaining a plasma within the chamber at a desired plasma ion density level. The overhead electrode has a capacitance such that the overhead electrode and the plasma formed in the chamber at the desired plasma ion density resonate together at an electrode-plasma resonant frequency, the frequency of the generator being at least near the electrode-plasma resonant frequency. The reactor further includes a set of MERIE magnets surrounding the plasma process area overlying the wafer surface that produce a slowly circulating magnetic field which stirs the plasma to improve plasma ion density distribution uniformity.

A plasma reactor for processing a semiconductor workpiece, includes a reactor chamber having a chamber wall and containing a workpiece support for holding the semiconductor workpiece, an overhead electrode overlying said workpiece support, the electrode comprising a portion of said chamber wall, an RF power generator for supplying power at a frequency of said generator to said overhead electrode and capable of maintaining a plasma within said chamber at a desired plasma ion density level. The overhead electrode has a capacitance such that said overhead electrode and the plasma formed in said chamber at said desired plasma ion density resonate together at an electrode-plasma resonant frequency, said frequency of said generator being at least near said electrode-plasma resonant frequency. The reactor further includes an insulating layer formed on a surface of said overhead electrode facing said workpiece support, a capacitive insulating layer between said RF power generator and said overhead electrode, and a metal foam layer overlying and contacting a surface of said overhead electrode that faces away from said workpiece support.

Plasma reactor with overhead RF electrode tuned to the plasma with arcing suppression

A method of treating a dielectric layer having a low dielectric constant, where the dielectric layer has been processed in a manner that causes a change in the dielectric constant of an affected region of the layer. The treatment of the affected region may comprise etching, sputtering, annealing, or combinations thereof. The treatment returns the dielectric constant of the dielectric layer to substantially the dielectric constant that existed before processing.

Method for modifying dielectric characteristics of dielectric layers

A plasma reactor for processing a semiconductor wafer includes a side wall and an overhead ceiling defining a chamber, a workpiece support cathode within the chamber having a working surface facing the ceiling for supporting a semiconductor workpiece, process gas inlets for introducing a process gas into the chamber and an RF bias power generator having a bias power frequency. There is a bias power feed point at the working surface and an RF conductor is connected between the RF bias power generator and the bias power feed point at the working surface. A dielectric sleeve surrounds a portion of the RF conductor, the sleeve having an axial length along the RF conductor, a dielectric constant and an axial location along the RF conductor, the length, dielectric constant and location of the sleeve being such that the sleeve provides a reactance that enhances plasma ion density uniformity over the working surface. In accordance with a further aspect, the reactor can include an annular RF coupling ring having an inner diameter corresponding generally to a periphery of the workpiece, the RF coupling ring extending a sufficient portion of a distance between the working surface and the overhead electrode to enhance plasma ion density near a periphery of the workpiece.

Capacitively coupled plasma reactor with uniform radial distribution of plasma

Merie plasma reactor with overhead RF electrode tuned to the plasma with arcing suppression

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

The invention is embodied in a plasma reactor for processing a semiconductor wafer, the reactor having a gas distribution plate including a front plate in the chamber and a back plate on an external side of the front plate, the gas distribution plate comprising a gas manifold adjacent the back plate, the back and front plates bonded together and forming an assembly. The assembly includes an array of holes through the front plate and communicating with the chamber, at least one gas flow-controlling orifice through the back plate and communicating between the manifold and at least one of the holes, the orifice having a diameter that determines gas flow rate to the at least one hole. In addition, an array of pucks is at least generally congruent with the array of holes and disposed within respective ones of the holes to define annular gas passages for gas flow through the front plate into the chamber, each of the annular gas passages being non-aligned with the orifice.

Gas distribution plate electrode for a plasma receptor

Gas distribution plate electrode for a plasma reactor

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.

Method for preventing corrosion of a dielectric material

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;.

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San Jose, CA, United States of America

Kang-Lie Chiang