Lam Research Corporation

Seongjun Heo

Jengyi Yu

Samantha S H Tan

Alan John Jensen

Chen-Wei Liang

Sivananda K Kanakasabapathy

Richard Stephan Wise

Samantha SiamHwa Tan

Hui-Jung Wu

Yang Pan

Boris Volosskiy

Ge Yuan

Siva Krishnan Kanakasabapathy

Jaroslaw Walery Winniczek

Alan Jeffrey Miller

Qing Xu

Frank Lin

Camelia Rusu

Bhaskar Nagabhirava

Samantha Siamhwa Tan

Sang Joon Yoon

Chih-Hsiang Wu

Ying-Ren Chen

Jin Hwan Ham

Tin oxide films are used as spacers and hardmasks in semiconductor device manufacturing. In one method, tin oxide layer (e.g., spacer footing) needs to be selectively etched in a presence of an exposed silicon-containing layer, such as SiOC, SiON, SiONC, amorphous silicon, SiC, or SiN. In order to reduce damage to the silicon-containing layer the process involves passivating the silicon-containing layer towards a tin oxide etch chemistry, etching the tin oxide, and repeating passivation and etch in an alternating fashion. For example, passivation and etch can be each performed between 2-50 times. In one implementation, passivation is performed by treating the substrate with an oxygen-containing reactant, activated in a plasma, and the tin oxide etching is performed by a chlorine-based chemistry, such as using a mixture of Cland BCl.

Alternating etch and passivation process

A method for cleaning surfaces of a substrate processing chamber includes a) supplying a first gas selected from a group consisting of silicon tetrachloride (SiCl), carbon tetrachloride (CCl), a hydrocarbon (CHwhere x and y are integers) and molecular chlorine (Cl), boron trichloride (BCl), and thionyl chloride (SOCl); b) striking plasma in the substrate processing chamber to etch the surfaces of the substrate processing chamber; c) extinguishing the plasma and evacuating the substrate processing chamber; d) supplying a second gas including fluorine species; e) striking plasma in the substrate processing chamber to etch the surfaces of the substrate processing chamber; and f) extinguishing the plasma and evacuating the substrate processing chamber.

Removing metal contamination from surfaces of a processing chamber

Tin oxide films are used as mandrels in semiconductor device manufacturing. In one implementation the process starts by patterning a tin oxide layer using at least one of a hydrogen-based etch chemistry and a chlorine-based etch chemistry, and using patterned photoresist as a mask, thereby providing a substrate having a plurality of protruding tin oxide features (mandrels). Next, a conformal layer of spacer material is formed both on the horizontal surfaces and on the sidewalls of the mandrels. The spacer material is then removed from the horizontal surfaces exposing the tin oxide material of the mandrels, without fully removing the spacer material residing at the sidewalls of the mandrels. Next, mandrels are selectively removed (e.g., using hydrogen-based etch chemistry), while leaving the spacer material that resided at the sidewalls of the mandrels. The resulting spacers can be used for patterning underlying layers on the substrate.

Tin oxide mandrels in patterning

Tin oxide films are used as mandrels in semiconductor device manufacturing. In one implementation the process starts by providing a substrate having a plurality of protruding tin oxide features (mandrels) residing on an exposed etch stop layer. Next, a conformal layer of spacer material is formed both on the horizontal surfaces and on the sidewalls of the mandrels. The spacer material is then removed from the horizontal surfaces exposing the tin oxide material of the mandrels, without fully removing the spacer material residing at the sidewalls of the mandrel (e.g., leaving at least 50%, such as at least 90% of initial height at the sidewall). Next, mandrels are selectively removed (e.g., using hydrogen-based etch chemistry), while leaving the spacer material that resided at the sidewalls of the mandrels. The resulting spacers can be used for patterning the etch stop layer and underlying layers.

A method for selectively etching silicon nitride with respect to silicon oxide is provided. An oxygen free silicon nitride etch gas comprising Hand either CFor CHF(X&#x2267;1, Y&#x2267;1, Z&#x2267;1) is provided. An RF power is provided to form the etch gas into a plasma, wherein the silicon nitride is exposed to the plasma.

Highly selective oxygen free silicon nitride etch

A method is provided for etching silicon in a plasma processing chamber, having an operating pressure and an operating bias. The method includes: performing a first vertical etch in the silicon to create a hole having a first depth and a sidewall; performing a deposition of a protective layer on the sidewall; performing a second vertical etch to deepen the hole to a second depth and to create a second sidewall, the second sidewall including a first trough, a second trough and a peak, the first trough corresponding to the first sidewall, the second trough corresponding to the second sidewall, the peak being disposed between the first trough and the second trough; and performing a third etch to reduce the peak.

Method for achieving smooth side walls after Bosch etch process

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Dublin, CA, United States of America

Seongjun Heo