Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Comp. Ltd.

Li-Chih Chaio

Jen-Cheng Liu

Yi-Nien Su

Yi-Chen Huang

Jun-Lung Huang

Yin-Shen Chu

Ching-Hui Ma

Hong-Ming Chen

A method for improving a photolithographic patterning process to avoid undeveloped photoresist contamination in a semiconductor manufacturing process including providing a first semiconductor feature having an anisotropically etched opening including sidewalls. The first semiconductor feature further provide an overlying photoresist layer photolithographically patterned for anisotropically etching a second semiconductor feature opening overlying and encompassing the first semiconductor feature; blanket depositing a polymeric passivation layer over the overlying photoresist layer including covering at least a portion of the sidewalls including polymeric containing residues; and, removing the polymeric passivation layer including a substantial portion of the polymeric containing residues from at least a portion of the sidewalls prior to anisotropically etching the second semiconductor feature.

Method for removing polymeric residue contamination on semiconductor feature sidewalls

A method for plasma etching is disclosed with improved etching selectivity for a nitride containing DARC and a low-k dielectric layer. Plasma chemistry is controlled by adjusting a nitrogen to oxygen ratio to achieve improved etching selectivity in both nitride containing and low-k dielectric layers. Nitrogen to oxygen ratios are adjusted to control etching of for example, a DARC nitride containing layer, and Carbon to fluorine ratios are additionally adjusted to control etching in a low-k dielectric layer.

Method for improved plasma etching control

Growing community of inventors

Tooyang, Taiwan

Li-Chih Chaio