Lam Research Corporation

Scott Briggs

John Patrick Holland

Eric A Hudson

Alexei Marakhtanov

Sean S Kang

Felix Leib Kozakevich

Mark Henry Wilcoxson

Aaron Eppler

Kenneth Lucchesi

Bi-Ming Yen

Siyi Li

Leonid Belau

Tri Le

Sm Rega Sadjadi

Systems and methods for cleaning an edge ring pocket are described herein. One of the methods includes providing one or more process gases to a plasma chamber, supplying a low frequency (LF) radio frequency (RF) power to an edge ring that is located adjacent to a chuck of the plasma chamber. The LF RF power is supplied while the one or more process gases are supplied to the plasma chamber to maintain plasma within the plasma chamber. The supply of the LF RF power increases energy of plasma ions near the edge ring pocket to remove residue in the edge ring pocket. The LF RF power is supplied during the time period in which a substrate is not being processed within the plasma chamber.

Systems and methods for cleaning an edge ring pocket

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 of trimming the critical dimension of an isolated line to a greater extent than a dense line is provided. A mask is formed of an organic material over the etch layer wherein the mask has at least a first region with a first pattern density and a second region with a second pattern density. A surface area of the organic material in the first region is measured. A surface area of the organic material in the second region is measured. A reverse bias trim of the mask is provided, wherein a ratio of a trim rate of the organic material in the first region to a trim rate of the organic material in the second region is related to a ratio of the measured surface area of the organic material in the first region to the measured surface area of the organic material in the second region.

Negative bias critical dimension trim

The invention is a method of etching an integrated circuit (IC) structure that includes a metal hard mask layer. The etching of the metal hard mask layer is performed by first feeding a gas mixture comprising a fluorine containing gas and oxygen (O) gas to a reactor. The method then proceeds to generate a plasma that etches the metal hard mask layer. The method can be applied to either performing a via etch or a trench etch. Additionally, the invention teaches the removal of a photoresist layer without affecting the metal hard mask layer.

Etching a metal hard mask for an integrated circuit structure

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Menlo Park, CA, United States of America

Scott Briggs