Applied Materials, Inc.

Larry Gao

Nancy Fung

Chi-I Lang

Gene S Lee

Shan Jiang

Akhil Mehrotra

Hailong Zhou

Zohreh Hesabi

Abhijit Patil

Embodiments disclosed within include a method for etching a hardmask layer includes forming a photoresist layer comprising an organometallic material on a hardmask layer comprising a metal-containing material, exposing the photoresist layer to ultraviolet radiation through a mask having a selected pattern, removing un-irradiated areas of the photoresist layer to pattern the photoresist layer, forming a passivation layer comprising a carbon-containing material selectively on a top surface of the patterned photoresist layer, including selectively depositing passivation material over a top surface of a patterned photoresist layer trimming undesired portions of the passivation material, and etching the hardmask layer exposed by the patterned photoresist layer having the passivation layer formed thereon.

Selective deposition of carbon on photoresist layer for lithography applications

A method for etching a hardmask layer includes forming a photoresist layer comprising an organometallic material on a hardmask layer comprising a metal-containing material, exposing the photoresist layer to ultraviolet radiation through a mask having a selected pattern, removing un-irradiated areas of the photoresist layer to pattern the photoresist layer, forming a passivation layer comprising a carbon-containing material selectively on a top surface of the patterned photoresist layer, and etching the hardmask layer exposed by the patterned photoresist layer having the passivation layer formed thereon.

A method of etching a hardmask layer formed on a substrate is provided. The method includes supplying an etching gas mixture to a processing region of a processing chamber. A device is disposed in the processing region when the etching gas mixture is supplied to the processing region. The device comprises a substrate and a hardmask layer formed over the substrate. The etching gas mixture comprises a fluorine-containing gas, a silicon-containing gas, and an oxygen-containing gas. The method further includes providing RF power to the etching gas mixture to form a plasma in the processing region. The plasma is configured to etch exposed portions of the hardmask layer.

Method of etching hardmasks containing high hardness materials

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Fremont, CA, United States of America

Larry Gao