Tokyo Electron Limited

Masahiro Tabata

Toru Hisamatsu

Sho Kumakura

Yoshihide Kihara

Masanobu Honda

Ryuichi Asako

Shinya Ishikawa

Takao Funakubo

Takayuki Hoshi

Maju Tomura

Takayuki Katsunuma

Michiko Nakaya

Hironari Sasagawa

Masahiro Tadokoro

In an embodiment, in the method for processing a workpiece including an etching target layer containing silicon oxide, a mask provided on the etching target layer, and an opening provided in the mask and exposing the etching target layer, according to the embodiment, the etching target layer is etched by removing the etching target layer for each atomic layer through repetitive execution of a sequence of generating plasma of a first processing gas containing nitrogen, forming a mixed layer containing ions included in the plasma on an atomic layer on an exposed surface of the etching target layer, generating plasma of a second processing gas containing fluorine, and removing the mixed layer by radicals included in the plasma. The plasma of the second processing gas contains the radicals that remove the mixed layer containing silicon nitride.

Method for processing workpiece

An apparatus for processing a substrate is provided. The apparatus includes a processing apparatus and a controller. The processing apparatus includes a chamber. The controller includes a memory and a processor coupled to the memory. The memory stores computer-executable instructions for controlling the processor to control a process of the processing apparatus. The process includes first forming a first film in a first region of the substrate in the chamber by chemical vapor deposition. The process further includes second forming a second film in a second region of the substrate in the chamber by atomic layer deposition. The first forming and the second forming are performed without moving the substrate out of the chamber.

Apparatus for processing substrate

A substrate processing apparatus includes: a chamber having at least one gas inlet and at least one gas outlet; a substrate support disposed in the chamber; and a controller. The controller causes (a) placing a substrate on the substrate support, the substrate including a base layer and a first layer formed on the base layer; (b) etching the first layer to form a recess in the first layer; (c) when determined that the recess satisfies a predetermined condition, forming a first film on a bottom surface of the recess by forming an inhibitor on the bottom surface of the recess, a predetermined gas species being not adsorbed to the first film; (c) after (b), forming a second film on a side wall of the recess using the predetermined gas species as a precursor gas; and (d) etching the first layer through the recess.

Plasma processing method and plasma processing apparatus

A plasma processing method executed by a plasma processing apparatus includes a first step, a second step, and an etching step. In the first step, the plasma processing apparatus forms a first film on a processing target in which a plurality of openings having a predetermined pattern are formed. In the second step, the plasma processing apparatus forms a second film having an etching rate lower than that of the first film on the processing target on which the first film is formed, and having different film thicknesses on the side surfaces of the openings according to the sizes of the openings. In the etching step, the plasma processing apparatus performs etching from above the second film under a predetermined processing condition until a portion of the first film is removed from at least a portion of the processing target.

Based on the fact that a film thickness of a film formed in a film formation processing of repeatedly performing a first sequence varies according to a temperature of the surface on which the film is to be formed, the film formation processing is performed after the temperature of each region of the surface of the wafer is adjusted to reduce a deviation of a trench on the surface of the wafer, so that the film is very precisely formed on the inner surface of the trench while reducing the deviation of the trench on the surface of the wafer. When the trench width is narrower than a reference width, an etching processing of repeatedly performing a second sequence is performed in order to expand the trench width, so that the surface of the film provided in the inner surface of the trench is isotropically and uniformly etched.

Workpiece processing method

An apparatus for processing a substrate is provided. The apparatus includes a chamber having at least one gas inlet and at least one gas outlet, a substrate support in the chamber, a plasma generator and a controller configured to cause (a) placing a substrate on the substrate support, the substrate including a target layer having a recess, (b) exposing the substrate to a silicon-containing precursor, thereby forming an adsorption layer on a sidewall of the recess, (c) generating a plasma from a gas mixture in the chamber, the gas mixture including an oxygen-containing gas and a halogen-containing gas, (d) exposing the substrate to the plasma, thereby forming a protection layer on the adsorption layer while etching a bottom of the recess and (e) repeating (b) to (d) in sequence.

Generation of a deposit can be suppressed and high selectivity can be acquired when etching a first region made of silicon nitride selectively against a second region made of silicon oxide. A method includes preparing a processing target object having the first region and the second region within a chamber provided in a chamber main body of a plasma processing apparatus; generating plasma of a first gas including a gas containing hydrogen within the chamber to form a modified region by modifying a part of the first region with active species of the hydrogen; and generating plasma of a second gas including a gas containing fluorine within the chamber to remove the modified region with active species of the fluorine.

Apparatus for selectively etching first region made of silicon nitride against second region made of silicon oxide

An etching method includes a step of selectively forming deposit on a top surface of a mask disposed on a film of a substrate, a step of etching the film after the step of forming the deposit, a step of forming a layer of chemical species included in plasma of a processing gas, on the substrate, and a step of supplying ions from plasma of an inert gas to the substrate so that the chemical species react with the film.

Film etching method for etching film

A technique regarding film formation capable of forming a three-dimensional pattern successfully is provided. A film forming method for a processing target object is provided. The processing target object has a supporting base body and a processing target layer. The processing target layer is provided on a main surface of the supporting base body and includes protrusion regions. Each protrusion region is extended upwards from the main surface, and an end surface of each protrusion region is exposed when viewed from above the main surface. The film forming method includes a first process of forming a film on the end surface of each protrusion region; and a second process of selectively exposing one or more end surfaces by anisotropically etching the film formed through the first process.

Film forming method

A substrate includes an etching target film as a target of etching and a first film. The first film is formed on the etching target film and is made of a material having an etching rate smaller than an etching rate of the etching target film. The first film has multiple first openings formed at a first distance therebetween in one direction of a surface of the first film. The first film has a second opening formed at an outside of the multiple first openings in the one direction while being spaced apart from an outermost one of the first openings by a second distance equivalent to the first distance. The second opening has a width larger than a width of the first openings and a depth smaller than a depth of the first openings.

Substrate and substrate processing method

A method of processing a substrate is provided. The substrate includes an etching target region and a patterned region. The patterned region is provided on the etching target region. In the method, an organic film is formed on a surface of the substrate. Subsequently, the etching target region is etched by plasma generated from a processing gas. The organic film is formed in a state that the substrate is placed in a processing space within a chamber. When the organic film is formed, a first gas containing a first organic compound is supplied toward the substrate, and then, a second gas containing a second organic compound is supplied toward the substrate. An organic compound constituting the organic film is generated by polymerization of the first organic compound and the second organic compound.

Apparatus for substrate processing

A method of processing a target object is provided. The target object includes a first protrusion portion, a second protrusion portion, and a groove portion provided on a main surface of the target object and defined by the first protrusion portion and the second protrusion portion and an inner surface of the groove portion is included in the main surface of the target object. The method comprises forming a protection film conformally on the main surface of the target object after the forming of the protection film conformally, repeatedly performing a plasma etching on a bottom portion of the groove portion of the target object and performing the forming of the protection film and the performing of the plasma etching N times (N is an integer equal to or larger than 2). The protection film is formed depending on a shape of the groove portion which has been changed by the plasma etching.

Method of processing target object

A plasma processing method executed by a plasma processing apparatus includes steps of an opening formation, a first film formation, a second film formation, and an etching. In the opening formation, the plasma processing apparatus performs etching on a substrate including a base layer and a first layer formed on the base layer so as to form an opening in the first layer. When determined that the opening satisfies a predetermined condition, in the first film formation, the plasma processing apparatus forms an inhibitor on a bottom surface of the opening so as to form a first film to which a predetermined gas species is not adsorbed. After the formation of the first film, the plasma processing apparatus forms a second film on the side wall of the opening in the second film formation. The plasma processing apparatus also performs etching in the opening in the etching.

Growing community of inventors

Miyagi, Japan

Masahiro Tabata