Lam Research Corporation

Lab Research Corporation

Mark Henry Wilcoxson

Andrew D Bailey, Iii

Eric A Hudson

Seokmin Yun

Mark Naoshi Kawaguchi

Mike Ravkin

Ji Zhu

Cheng-Yu (Sean) Lin

Kalman Pelhos

Leon Ginzburg

Eric H Lenz

Andras Kuthi

Katrina Mikhaylichenko

Robert J O'Donnell

John M deLarios

Alexander A Yatskar

John Martin De Larios

Mikhail Korolik

S M Reza Sadjadi

Arnold Kholodenko

Douglas L Keil

Alan M Schoepp

Jason A Ryder

Wan-Lin Chen

Russell Martin

Merrett Wong

Hyung Joo Shin

Stephan Hoffmann

Jeffrey G Gasparitsch

Hyunjong Shim

John Patrick Holland

John Boyd

Fritz C Redeker

Qian Fu

Peter K Loewenhardt

Arthur M Howald

Hyungsuk Alexander Yoon

David J Hemker

David S Mui

John P Parks

John M Boyd

Dragan Valentin Podlesnik

James V Tietz

Jorge Luque

Reza Sadjadi

Sangheon Lee

Peter Cirigliano

Shenjian Liu

Shrikant Lohokare

Michael G R Smith

Thomas S Choi

Leonid Belau

Scott Briggs

Glenn W Gale

Charles N Ditmore

Yizhak Sabba

Denis Syomin

Seong Hwan Cho

Randy Johnson

Andrew D Iii Bailey

Andreas Kuthi

Iii Andrew D Bailey

Michael GR Smith

Various embodiments herein relate to methods, apparatus and systems for forming a recessed feature in a dielectric-containing stack on a semiconductor substrate. In many embodiments, a mask shrink layer is deposited on a patterned mask layer to thereby narrow the openings in the mask layer. The mask shrink layer may be deposited through a vapor deposition process including, but not limited to, atomic layer deposition or chemical vapor deposition. The mask shrink layer can result in narrower, more vertically uniform etched features. In some embodiments, etching is completed in a single etch step. In some other embodiments, the etching may be done in stages, cycled with a deposition step designed to deposit a protective sidewall coating on the partially etched features. Metal-containing films are particularly suitable as mask shrink films and protective sidewall coatings.

Mask shrink layer for high aspect ratio dielectric etch

Various embodiments herein relate to methods, apparatus and systems for forming a recessed feature in a dielectric-containing stack on a semiconductor substrate. Separate etching and deposition operations are employed in a cyclic manner. Each etching operation partially etches the feature. Each deposition operation forms a protective coating (e.g., a metal-containing coating) on the sidewalls of the feature to prevent lateral etch of the dielectric material during the etching operations. The protective coating may be deposited using methods that result in formation of the protective coating along substantially the entire length of the sidewalls. The protective coating may be deposited using particular reaction mechanisms that result in substantially complete sidewall coating. Metal-containing coatings have been shown to provide particularly good resistance to lateral etch during the etching operation. In some cases, a bilayer approach may be used to deposit the protective coating on sidewalls of partially etched features.

Technique to deposit metal-containing sidewall passivation for high aspect ratio cylinder etch

A method for etching features in a silicon oxide containing etch layer disposed below a patterned mask in a chamber is provided. An etch gas comprising a tungsten containing gas is flowed into the chamber. The etch gas comprising the tungsten containing gas is formed into a plasma. The silicon oxide etch layer is exposed to the plasma formed from the etch gas comprising the tungsten containing gas. Features are etched in the silicon oxide etch layer while exposed to the plasma formed from the etch gas comprising the tungsten containing gas.

Method for etching features in dielectric layers

A method and system for cleaning a surface of a substrate after an etching operation includes determining a plurality of process parameters associated with the surface of the substrate. A plurality of application chemistries are identified based on the process parameters. The plurality of application chemistries includes a first application chemistry as an emulsion having a first immiscible liquid combined with a second immiscible liquid and solid particles distributed within the first immiscible liquid. The plurality of application chemistries including the first application chemistry are applied to the surface of the substrate such that the combined chemistries enhance the cleaning process by substantially removing the particulate and polymer residue contaminants from the surface of the substrate while preserving the characteristics of the features and of the low-k dielectric material through which the features are formed.

Method of dielectric film treatment

Apparatus and methods for removing particle contaminants from a solid surface includes providing a layer of a viscoelastic material on the solid surface. The viscoelastic material is applied as a thin film and exhibits substantial liquid-like characteristics. The viscoelastic material at least partially binds with the particle contaminants. A high velocity liquid is applied to the viscoelastic material, such that the viscoelastic material exhibits solid-like behavior. The viscoelastic material is thus dislodged from the solid surface along with the particle contaminants, thereby cleaning the solid surface of the particle contaminants.

Method of particle contaminant removal

A substrate is moved below a substrate cleaning module in a direction extending from a leading edge to a trailing edge of the substrate cleaning module. A cleaning material is dispensed downward toward a top surface of the substrate along the leading edge of the substrate cleaning module. A rinsing material is dispensed downward toward the top surface of the substrate along the trailing edge of the substrate cleaning module to generate a rinsing meniscus. Vacuum suction is applied at a vacuum suction location along a bottom surface of the substrate cleaning module and parallel to the leading and trailing edges of the substrate cleaning module. The vacuum location is positioned between a dispense location of the cleaning material and a dispense location of the rinsing material. A plenum region located between the dispense location of the cleaning material and the vacuum location is vented.

Method for substrate cleaning including movement of substrate below substrate cleaning module

Apparatus and methods for removing particle contaminants from a surface of a substrate includes coating a layer of a viscoelastic material on the surface. The viscoelastic material is coated as a thin film and exhibits substantial liquid-like characteristic. An external force is applied to a first area of the surface coated with the viscoelastic material such that a second area of the surface coated with the viscoelastic material is not substantially subjected to the applied force. The force is applied for a time duration that is shorter than a intrinsic time of the viscoelastic material so as to access solid-like characteristic of the viscoelastic material. The viscoelastic material exhibiting solid-like characteristic interacts at least partially with at least some of the particle contaminants present on the surface. The viscoelastic material along with at least some of the particle contaminants is removed from the first area of the surface while the viscoelastic material is exhibiting solid-like characteristics.

A first application of a cleaning material is made to a surface of a substrate. The cleaning material includes one or more viscoelastic materials for entrapping contaminants present on the surface of the substrate. A first application of a rinsing fluid is made to the surface of the substrate so as to rinse the cleaning material from the surface of the substrate. The first application of the rinsing fluid is also performed to leave a residual thin film of the rinsing fluid on the surface of the substrate. A second application of the cleaning material is made to the surface of the substrate having the residual thin film of rinsing fluid present thereon. A second application of the rinsing fluid is then made to the surface of the substrate so as to rinse the cleaning material from the surface of the substrate.

Multi-stage substrate cleaning method and apparatus

A carrier for supporting a substrate during processing by a meniscus fowled by upper and lower proximity heads is described. The carrier includes a frame having an opening sized for receiving a substrate and a plurality of support pins for supporting the substrate within the opening. The opening is slightly larger than the substrate such that a gap exists between the substrate and the opening. Means for reducing a size and frequency of entrance and/or exit marks on substrates is provided, the means aiding and encouraging liquid from the meniscus to evacuate the gap. A method for reducing the size and frequency of entrance and exit marks is also provided.

Carrier for reducing entrance and/or exit marks left by a substrate-processing meniscus

A method is provided for processing a wafer used in fabricating semiconductor devices. The method can comprise forming high-aspect ratio features on the wafer, which is followed by wet processing and drying. During drying, pattern collapse can occur. This pattern collapse can be repaired to allow for additional processing of the wafer. In some instance, pattern collapse can be repaired via etching where the etching breaks bonds that can have formed during pattern collapse.

Method and apparatus for pattern collapse free wet processing of semiconductor devices

An apparatus, system and method for removing a damaged material from a low-k dielectric film layer include identifying a control chemistry, the control chemistry configured to selectively remove the damaged material from the low-k dielectric film layer, the damaged material being in a region where a feature was formed through the low-k dielectric film layer; establishing a plurality of process parameters characterizing aspects of the damaged material to be removed and applying the control chemistry to the low-k dielectric film layer, the application of the control chemistry being defined based on the established process parameters of the damaged material, such that the damaged material is substantially removed from the areas around the feature and the areas around the feature are substantially defined by low-k characteristics of the low-k dielectric film layer.

Method of damaged low-k dielectric film layer removal

An apparatus, system and method for cleaning a substrate edge include a bristle brush unit that cleans bevel polymers deposited on substrate edges using frictional contact in the presence of cleaning chemistry. The bristle brush unit is made up of a plurality of outwardly extending vanes and is mounted on a rotating shaft. An abrasive material is distributed throughout and within the outwardly extending vanes of the bristle brush unit to provide the frictional contact. The bristle brush unit cleans the edge of the substrate by allowing frictional contact of the plurality of abrasive particles with the edge of the substrate in the presence of fluids, such as cleaning chemistry, to cut, rip and tear the bevel polymer from the edge of the substrate.

Apparatus for isolated bevel edge clean and method for using the same

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Oakland, CA, United States of America

Mark Henry Wilcoxson