Lam Research Corporation

Sangjun Cho

Sean S Kang

Tom K Choi

Taejoon Han

Bi-Ming Yen

Prabhakara Gopaladasu

Jian Wu

Steven Chuang

Hsu-Cheng Huang

Sriharsha Jayanti

A method for etching an organic carbon based layer below a silicon containing hardmask is provided. An etch gas is provided comprising oxygen and a halogen containing component, and a passivation component, wherein a ratio by volume of total flow rate of the etch gas to flow rate of the halogen containing component is between 10,000:1 to 10:1. The etch gas is formed into a plasma, wherein the organic carbon based layer and the silicon contain hardmask are exposed to the plasma and wherein the plasma selectively etches the organic carbon based layer with respect to the silicon containing hardmask.

Method for generating vertical profiles in organic layer etches

A method for etching features in a silicon layer is provided. A hard mask layer is formed over the silicon layer. A photoresist layer is formed over the hard mask layer. The hard mask layer is opened. The photoresist layer is stripped by providing a stripping gas; forming a plasma with the stripping gas by providing a high frequency RF power and a low frequency RF power, wherein the low frequency RF power has a power less than 50 watts; and stopping the stripping gas when the photoresist layer is stripped. The opening the hard mask layer and the stripping the photoresist layer are performed in a same chamber.

In-situ photoresist strip during plasma etching of active hard mask

Particles are trapped away from a wafer transport zone in a chamber. A first electrode is on one side of the zone. A second electrode is on an opposite side of the zone. A power supply connected across the electrodes establishes an electrostatic field between the electrodes. The field traps particles at the electrodes, away from the zone. For transporting the wafer from the chamber, the second electrode mounts the wafer for processing, and the first electrode is opposite to the second electrode defining a process space. The zone is in the space with a separate part of the space separating the zone from each electrode. Particles are urged away from the wafer by simultaneously terminating plasma processing of the wafer, connecting the second electrode to ground, applying a positive DC potential to the first electrode, and de-chucking the wafer from the second electrode into the zone.

Methods of and apparatus for reducing amounts of particles on a wafer during wafer de-chucking

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Pleasanton, CA, United States of America

Sangjun Cho