Tokyo Electron Limited

Subhadeep Kal

Aelan Mosden

Jeffrey Smith

Anton J deVillers

Kandabara N Tapily

Angelique Denise Raley

Nihar Mohanty

Lars W Liebmann

Daniel Chanemougame

Scott W Lefevre

Gerrit J Leusink

Daisuke Ito

Ivo Otto, Iv

Akiteru Ko

Eric Chih-Fang Liu

Jodi Grzeskowiak

Yusuke Muraki

Matthew Flaugh

Mark I Gardner

H Jim Fulford

Hiroaki Niimi

Kai-Hung Yu

Yu-Hao Tsai

Shan Hu

Toshiharu Wada

Henan Zhang

Paul Gutwin

Takahiro Hakamata

Pingshan Luan

Hamed Hajibabaeinajafabadi

Shinji Irie

Masashi Matsumoto

Jonathan Hollin

Toshiki Kanaki

Cheryl Pereira

Hiroki Niimi

A method of fabricating a field effect transistor (FET) over a substrate that includes: growing a doped p-type semiconductor from a silicon nanosheet of the substrate, the substrate including a layer stack of alternating layers of the silicon nanosheet and a sacrificial layer, and a dummy gate formed over the layer stack, the layer stack including a trench exposing sidewalls of the layer stack, the doped p-type semiconductor and the sacrificial layer being separated by a dielectric inner spacer; removing the dummy gate; and etching the sacrificial layer selectively to the doped p-type semiconductor, the etching including exposing the substrate to a process gas including a fluorocarbon and a fluorine-containing etch gas in the absence of plasma.

Etch selectivity modulation by fluorocarbon treatment

Aspects of the present disclosure provide a self-aligned microfabrication method, which can include providing a substrate having vertically arranged first and second channel structures, forming first and second sacrificial contacts to cover ends of the first and second channel structures, respectively, covering the first and second sacrificial contacts with a fill material, recessing the fill material such that the second sacrificial contact is at least partially uncovered while the first sacrificial contact remains covered, replacing the second sacrificial contact with a cover spacer, removing a remaining portion of the first fill material, uncovering the end of the first channel structure, forming a first source/drain (S/D) contact to cover the end of the first channel structure, covering the first S/D contact with a second fill material, uncovering the end of the second channel structure, and forming a second S/D contact at the end of the second channel structure.

Self-aligned method for vertical recess for 3D device integration

Selective protection and etching is provided which can be utilized in etching of a silicon containing layer with respect to a Ge or SiGe layer. In an example, the layers are stacked, and an oxide is on a side surface of the layers. A treatment is utilized to provide a modified surface or termination surface on side surfaces of the Ge/SiGe layers, and a heat treatment is provided after the gas treatment to selectively sublimate layer portions on side surfaces of the Si containing layers. The gas treatment and heat treatment are preferably in non-plasma environments. Thereafter, a plasma process is performed to form a protective layer on the Ge containing layers, and the Si containing layers can be etched with the plasma.

Selective and isotropic etch of silicon over silicon-germanium alloys and dielectrics; via new chemistry and surface modification

An etch and surface modification is performed in a plasma, in which ions have been removed so that radicals of the plasma form a modified surface of a layer of substrate. A gas chemistry is reacted with the modified surface to form a reacted modified surface, and the reacted modified surface is removed.

Substrate processing with material modification and removal

Etching is selectively performed and selectively is modified using a treatment or pre-treatment with nitrogen radicals, prior to etching. Etching is performed with a gas phase chemistry etch. Different selectivities can also be provided in different processes or different regions (or different devices or different locations) of a substrate by the selective use and non-use of the treatment.

Substrate processing with selective etching

A method for the dry removal of a material on a microelectronic workpiece is described. The method includes receiving a substrate having a working surface exposing a metal layer and having at least one other material exposed or underneath the metal layer; and differentially etching the metal layer relative to the other material by exposing the substrate to a controlled gas-phase environment containing an anhydrous halogen compound.

Gas phase etch with controllable etch selectivity of metals

A method of fabricating a semiconductor device is provided. An initial stack of layers is formed over a substrate. The initial stack alternates between a first material layer and a second material layer that has a different composition from the first material layer. The initial stack is divided into a first stack and a second stack. First GAA transistors are formed in the first stack by using the first material layers as respective channel regions for the first GAA transistors and using the second material layers as respective replacement gates for the first GAA transistors. Second GAA transistors are formed in the second stack by using the second material layers as respective channel regions for the second GAA transistors and using the first material layers as respective replacement gates for the second GAA transistors. The second GAA transistors are vertically offset from the first GAA transistors.

3D complementary metal oxide semiconductor (CMOS) device and method of forming the same

Methods process microelectronic workpieces with inverse extreme ultraviolet (EUV) patterning processes. In part, the inverse patterning techniques are applied to reduce or eliminate defects experienced with conventional EUV patterning processes. The inverse patterning techniques include additional process steps as compared to the conventional EUV patterning processes, such as an overcoat process, an etch back or planarization process, and a pattern removal process. In addition, further example embodiments combine inverse patterning techniques with line smoothing treatments to reduce pattern roughness and achieve a target level of line roughness. By using this additional technique, line pattern roughness can be significantly improved in addition to reducing or eliminating microbridge and/or other defects.

Methods for EUV inverse patterning in processing of microelectronic workpieces

A method for the dry removal of a material on a microelectronic workpiece is described. The method includes receiving a workpiece having a surface exposing a target layer composed of silicon and either (1) organic material or (2) both oxygen and nitrogen, and selectively removing at least a portion of the target layer from the workpiece. The selective removal includes exposing the surface of the workpiece to a chemical environment containing N, H, and F at a first setpoint temperature to chemically alter a surface region of the target layer, and then, elevating the temperature of the workpiece to a second setpoint temperature to remove the chemically treated surface region of the target layer.

Gas phase etch with controllable etch selectivity of Si-containing arc or silicon oxynitride to different films or masks

Aspects of the disclosure provide a method for forming a semiconductor apparatus. The method includes forming a first field-effect transistor (FET) that includes a first gate on a substrate of the semiconductor apparatus. The method includes forming a second FET that is stacked on the first FET along a direction substantially perpendicular to the substrate and includes a second gate. The method includes forming a first routing track and a second routing track that is electrically isolated from the first routing track. Each of the first and second routing tracks is provided on a routing plane stacked on the second FET along the direction. A first conductive trace configured to conductively couple the first gate of the first FET to the first routing track can be formed. A second conductive trace configured to conductively couple the second gate of the second FET to the second routing track can be formed.

Semiconductor apparatus having stacked gates and method of manufacture thereof

In certain embodiments, a method of forming a semiconductor device includes forming a patterned resist layer over a hard mask layer using an extreme ultraviolet (EUV) lithography process. The hard mask layer is disposed over a substrate. The method includes patterning the hard mask layer using the patterned resist layer as an etch mask. The method includes smoothing the hard mask layer by forming, using a first atomic layer etch step, a first layer by converting a first portion of the hard mask layer, and by removing, using a second atomic layer etch step, the first layer.

Forming a semiconductor feature using atomic layer etch

A method and system for the dry removal of a material on a microelectronic workpiece are described. The method includes receiving a workpiece having a surface exposing a target layer to be at least partially removed, placing the workpiece on a workpiece holder in a dry, non-plasma etch chamber, and selectively removing at least a portion of the target layer from the workpiece. The selective removal includes operating the dry, non-plasma etch chamber to perform the following: exposing the surface of the workpiece to a chemical environment at a first setpoint temperature in the range of 35 degrees C. to 100 degrees C. to chemically alter a surface region of the target layer, and then, elevating the temperature of the workpiece to a second setpoint temperature at or above 100 degrees C. to remove the chemically treated surface region of the target layer.

Gas phase etching system and method

Embodiments provide a non-plasma etch, such as a gas-phase and/or remote plasma etch, of titanium-containing material layers with tunable selectivity to other material layers. A substrate is received within a process chamber, and the substrate has exposed material layers including a titanium-containing material layer and at least one additional material layer. The additional material layer is selectively etched with respect to the titanium-containing material layer by exposing the substrate to a controlled environment including a halogen-containing gas. For one embodiment, the halogen-containing gas includes a fluorine-based gas. For one embodiment, the titanium-containing material layer is a titanium or a titanium nitride material layer. For one embodiment, the additional material layer includes tungsten, tungsten oxide, hafnium oxide, silicon oxide, silicon-germanium, silicon, silicon nitride, and/or aluminum oxide. A non-selective etch with respect to the titanium-containing material layer can be performed by modulating the process parameters such as temperature.

Non-plasma etch of titanium-containing material layers with tunable selectivity to alternate metals and dielectrics

A method of fabricating a semiconductor device is provided. The method includes forming BPR structures filled with a replacement BPR material, first S/D structures, first replacement silicide layers, and a pre-metallization dielectric that covers the first replacement silicide layers and the first S/D structures. The method also includes forming first interconnect openings in the pre-metallization dielectric and first replacement interconnect layers in the first interconnect openings. The first replacement interconnect layers are connected to the first replacement silicide layers. A thermal process is executed. The method further includes replacing, from a first side of the first wafer, a first group of the first replacement interconnect layers, a first group of the first replacement silicide layers, and the replacement BPR material, and replacing, from a second side of the first wafer, a second group of the first replacement interconnect layers, and a second group of the first replacement silicide layers.

Reverse contact and silicide process for three-dimensional semiconductor devices

A first source/drain (S/D) structure of a first transistor is formed on a substrate and positioned at a first end of a first channel structure of the first transistor. A first substitute silicide layer is deposited on a surface of the first S/D structure and made of a first dielectric. A second dielectric is formed to cover the first substitute silicide layer and the first S/D structure. A first interconnect opening is formed subsequently in the second dielectric to uncover the first substitute silicide layer. The first interconnect opening is filled with a first substitute interconnect layer, where the first substitute interconnect layer is made of a third dielectric. Further, a thermal processing of the substrate is executed. The first substitute interconnect layer and the first substitute silicide layer are removed. A first silicide layer is formed on the surfaces of the first S/D structure.

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Albany, NY, United States of America

Subhadeep Kal