Tokyo Electron Limited

Ryuichi Asako

Mitsuaki Iwashita

Masahiro Tabata

Takao Funakubo

Takeo Nakano

Hirokazu Ueda

Naoki Umeshita

Masanobu Honda

Toru Hisamatsu

Shigeru Tahara

Sho Kumakura

Shinya Ishikawa

Kazuhiro Kubota

Gousuke Shiraishi

Yuki Chiba

Yusuke Ohsawa

Dipak Aryal

Eiichi Nishimura

Tatsuya Yamaguchi

Kenji Sekiguchi

Minoru Honda

Kaoru Maekawa

Koji Akiyama

Satoru Shimura

Katie Lutker-Lee

Kazuyuki Mitsuoka

Paul Abel

Tamotsu Morimoto

Takashi Hayakawa

Hiroyuki Nagai

Xinghua Sun

Yasushi Fujii

Yoji Iizuka

Naotsugu Hoshi

Antonio Luis Pacheco Rotondaro

Hiroshi Nagahata

Hajime Nakabayashi

Tadashi Onishi

Toshihiko Shindo

Kazuya Kato

Kazuki Yamada

Seiichi Takayama

Antonio Rotondaro

Kenichi Uki

Tomohito Yamaji

Takashi Yamamura

Embodiments of improved methods and processes are provided for patterning a semiconductor substrate using direct self-assembly (DSA) of ionic liquid crystals (ILCs). In the disclosed embodiments, an ILC solution comprising ILCs is deposited on a variety of substrate surfaces. An upper surface of the ILC solution is exposed to a gas phase, non-polar solvent (such as, e.g., hexane gas). The gas phase, non-polar solvent provides an ambient environment that promotes self-assembly of the ILCs into vertically layered ILC structures.

Methods for forming vertically layered ionic liquid crystal (ILC) structures on a semiconductor substrate

A substrate processing method includes: preparing a substrate having a metal film exposed on a surface of the substrate; and forming a film of an ionic self-association material on a surface of the metal film by supplying the ionic self-association material to the surface of the substrate, the ionic self-association material having fluidity with a hydrophilic group and a hydrophobic group.

Substrate processing method and substrate processing system

A vacuum processing apparatus includes a decompressable process container; a supply port configured to supply, to the process container, an ionic liquid that absorbs an oxidizing gas; and a discharge port configured to discharge the ionic liquid supplied to the process container. A recess is provided at a joint portion between members constituting the process container. The supply port is configured to supply the ionic liquid to the recess, and the discharge port is configured to discharge the ionic liquid supplied to the recess.

Vacuum processing apparatus and oxidizing gas removal method

A pattern formation method includes: forming a photosensitive hard mask made of a transition metal oxide film on a surface of a substrate; exposing the photosensitive hard mask to EUV light in a desired pattern; causing a state change in an exposed region by heat generated during exposure; and selectively removing either a region where the state change has occurred or a region where the state change has not occurred.

Pattern formation method and photosensitive hard mask

A substrate processing method includes forming a film of an ionic liquid on a surface of a substrate, on which a pattern is formed, by supplying the ionic liquid to the surface of the substrate, wherein the ionic liquid has a cation containing a hydrocarbon chain having six or more carbon atoms, and wherein at least one hydrogen atom in the hydrocarbon chain is substituted with a fluorine atom.

Substrate processing method and ionic liquid

A disclosed etching method includes (a) etching a titanium nitride film with a first plasma, and (b) etching the titanium nitride film with a second plasma. The first plasma is generated from a first processing gas, and the second plasma is generated from a second processing gas. One of the first processing gas and the second processing gas contains a chlorine-containing gas and a fluorocarbon gas, and the other of the first processing gas and the second processing gas contains a chlorine-containing gas and does not contain a fluorocarbon gas. A repetition of a cycle including the operations (a) and (b) is performed. The repetition of the cycle is stopped in a state where the titanium nitride film is partially etched in a film thickness direction thereof.

Etching method and plasma processing apparatus

A substrate processing method is provided. In the method, a substrate is provided. A monomer that is chemically bonded to the substrate is supplied onto the substrate. An initiator for polymerizing the monomer is supplied to the substrate having the supplied monomer thereon, thereby forming a polymer film.

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 is provided. In the method, a substrate having a first region and a second region on a substrate surface is provided. A film deposition material to form a first chemical bond in the first region and a second chemical bond in the second region is supplied to the substrate surface. The second bond has a second bond energy lower than a first bond energy of the first chemical bond. A film is selectively formed in the first region by supplying an energy lower than the first bond energy of the first chemical bond and higher than the second bond energy of the second chemical bond.

A plasma processing method is performed in a state where a focus ring is disposed on a supporting table to surround an edge of a substrate by a plasma processing apparatus. The plasma processing apparatus includes a chamber and the supporting table provided in the chamber and configured to support the substrate mounted thereon. The plasma processing method includes forming an organic film on the focus ring to reduce a difference between a position of an upper surface of the focus ring in a vertical direction and a reference position, and performing plasma processing on the substrate after the formation of the organic film.

Plasma processing method

There is provided a method for etching an organic region of a substrate. In the method, an organic film is formed on a surface in a chamber of a plasma processing apparatus. The surface extends out around a region where the substrate is to be disposed in the chamber of the plasma processing apparatus, and the organic region is etched by chemical species from plasma in the chamber.

Method for etching organic region

Method of processing substrate

There is disclosed a method for cleaning a component of a plasma processing apparatus which is disposed in an inner space defined by a processing chamber of the plasma processing apparatus. The cleaning method comprises: forming a film on the surface of the component, wherein a compound forming the film is generated by polymerization of a first compound contained in a first gas and a second compound contained in a second gas, the first compound being isocyanate and the second compound being amine or a compound having a hydroxyl group; transferring the component from the processing chamber to a heating chamber after substrate treatment is performed in the inner space; and heating the component so that depolymerization of the compound forming the film occurs.

Method for cleaning components of plasma processing apparatus

There is disclosed a method for cleaning a component of a plasma processing apparatus, a surface of the component being included in a surface that defines an inner space formed in a chamber of the plasma processing apparatus. The cleaning method comprises: forming a film on the surface of the component by supplying a first gas and a second gas into the inner space, wherein a compound forming the film is generated by polymerization of a first compound contained in the first gas and a second compound contained in the second gas, the first compound being isocyanate and the second compound being amine or a compound having a hydroxyl group; and removing, after substrate treatment is performed in the inner space, a deposit formed on the film during the substrate treatment by heating the component so that depolymerization of the compound forming the film occurs.

Embodiments are disclosed for processing microelectronic workpieces having patterned structures that include ultra-low dielectric constant (k) (ULK) material layers. In particular, embodiments are disclosed that deposit protective layers to protect ULK features during etch processing of patterned structures within substrates for microelectronic workpieces. For certain embodiments, these protective layers are deposited in-situ within the etch chamber.

Manufacturing methods to protect ULK materials from damage during etch processing to obtain desired features

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Miyagi, Japan

Ryuichi Asako