Lam Research Corporation

Sung Cho

Gowri Kamarthy

Qinghua Zhong

Linda B Braly

An apparatus for forming spacers is provided. A plasma processing chamber is provided, comprising a chamber wall, a substrate support, a pressure regulator, an antenna, a bias electrode, a gas inlet, and a gas outlet. A gas source comprises an oxygen gas source and an anisotropic etch gas source. A controller comprises a processor and computer readable media. The computer readable media comprises computer readable code for placing a substrate of the plurality of substrates in a plasma etch chamber, computer readable code for providing a plasma oxidation treatment to form a silicon oxide coating over the spacer layer, computer readable code for sputtering silicon to form silicon oxide with the oxygen plasma, computer readable code for providing an anisotropic main etch, computer readable code for etching the spacer layer, computer readable code for removing the substrate from the plasma etch chamber after etching the spacer layer.

Profile and CD uniformity control by plasma oxidation treatment

A method of forming spacers from a non-silicon oxide, silicon containing spacer layer with horizontal surfaces and sidewall surfaces over a substrate is provided. A plasma oxidation treatment is provided to form a silicon oxide coating over the spacer layer, wherein the silicon oxide coating provides a horizontal coating on the horizontal surfaces and sidewall coatings on the sidewall surfaces of the spacer layer. An anisotropic main etch that selectively etches horizontal surfaces of the spacer layer and silicon oxide coating with respect to sidewall surfaces of the spacer layer and the sidewall coatings of the silicon oxide coating is provided. The spacer layer is etched, wherein the sidewall coatings of the silicon oxide coating protect sidewall surfaces of the spacer layer.

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Fremont, CA, United States of America

Sung Cho