Applied Materials, Inc.

Other

Xiaoyi Chen

Ajay Kumar

Chentsau Chris Ying

Padmapani Nallan

Chun Yan

Jeng H Hwang

Michael N Grimbergen

Amitabh Sabharwal

Zhigang Mao

Guowen Ding

Wai-Fan Yau

Banqiu Wu

Madhavi R Chandrachood

Ying Rui

Guangxiang Jin

Simon W Tam

Mohit Kumar Jain

Ramesh Krishnamurthy

Scott Alan Anderson

Ralph Kerns

Jeffrey X Tran

David Knick

Embodiments of the present invention provides methods to etching a mask layer, e.g., an absorber layer, disposed in a film stack for manufacturing a photomask in EUV applications and phase shift and binary photomask applications. In one embodiment, a method of etching an absorber layer disposed on a photomask includes transferring a film stack into an etching chamber, the film stack having a chromium containing layer partially exposed through a patterned photoresist layer, providing an etching gas mixture including Cl, Oand at least one hydrocarbon gas in to a processing chamber, wherein the Cland Ois supplied at a Cl:Oratio greater than about 9, supplying a RF source power to form a plasma from the etching gas mixture, and etching the chromium containing layer through the patterned photoresist layer in the presence of the plasma.

Method for improving CD micro-loading in photomask plasma etching

Embodiments of the disclosure include methods for in-situ chamber cleaning a plasma processing chamber utilized for photomask plasma fabrication process. In one embodiment, a method for in-situ chamber cleaning after a plasma process includes supplying a cleaning gas mixture including at least an oxygen containing gas and a hydrogen containing gas into the plasma processing chamber, controlling the processing pressure at less than 2 millitorr, applying a RF source power to the processing chamber to form a plasma from the cleaning gas mixture, and cleaning the processing chamber in the presence of the plasma.

Methods for in-situ chamber clean in plasma etching processing chamber

A method for etching a chromium layer is provided herein. In one embodiment, a method for etching a chromium layer includes providing a filmstack in an etching chamber, the filmstack having a chromium layer partially exposed through a patterned layer, providing at least one halogen containing process gas to a processing chamber, biasing the layer disposed on a substrate support in the processing chamber with a plurality of power pulses less than 600 Watts, and etching the chromium layer through a patterned mask. The method for plasma etching a chromium layer described herein is particularly suitable for fabricating photomasks.

Method for plasma etching a chromium layer suitable for photomask fabrication

A phase shifting photomask comprising a patterned film stack formed on a transparent substrate and a method of fabricating the photomask are disclosed. In one embodiment, the film stack includes a first layer having a pre-determined value of transparency to light of an illumination source of a lithographic system and a second layer that is substantially transparent to the light and facilitates in the light a pre-determined phase shift.

Phase shifting photomask and a method of fabricating thereof

A method for removal of metallic residue from a substrate after a plasma etch process in a semiconductor substrate processing system by cleaning the substrate in a hydrogen fluoride solution.

Method for removal of metallic residue after plasma etching of a metal layer

A method of patterning a layer of magnetic material to form isolated magnetic regions. The method forms a mask on a film stack comprising a layer of magnetic material such that the protected and unprotected regions are defined. The unprotected regions are etched in a high temperature environment to form isolated magnetic regions.

Method of etching a magnetic material

A method for removal of residues after plasma etching a film stack comprising a first layer and a sacrificial layer. The method treats a substrate containing the film stack after the first layer of the film stack has been etched to remove residue produced during the etching process. The treatment is performed in a buffered oxide etch wet dip solution that removes the residue and the sacrificial layer.

Method for removal of residue from a magneto-resistive random access memory (MRAM) film stack using a sacrificial mask layer

A method for removal of residue after plasma etching a film stack comprising a patterned photoresist material layer, a hard mask layer, a conductive layer, and a magnetic layer, wherein the patterned photoresist material layer and the hard mask layer form a dual mask. The method cleans a substrate containing the film stack after the dual mask of the film stack has been etched to remove residue produced during the etching process. The cleaning step is performed in a solution comprising hydrogen peroxide and ammonium hydroxide that removes the residue.

Method for removing residue from a magneto-resistive random access memory (MRAM) film stack using a dual mask

A method for etching magnetic and ferroelectric materials using a pulsed substrate biasing technique (PSBT) that applies a plurality of processing cycles to the substrate, where each cycle comprises a period of plasma etching without substrate bias and a period of plasma etching with the substrate bias. In exemplary applications, the method is used for fabricating magneto-resistive random access memory (MRAM) and ferroelectric random access memory (FeRAM) devices.

Method of etching magnetic and ferroelectric materials using a pulsed bias source

A method for removing conductive residue from a layer on a semiconductor substrate by exposing the substrate to a gas comprising a fluorine containing gas and a hydrogen containing gas. In one embodiment, the gas is excited to form a plasma that removes the conductive residue during fabrication of a magneto-resistive random access memory (MRAM) device.

Method for removing conductive residue

A method of etching a magnetic material (e.g., nickel-iron alloy (NiFe), cobalt-iron alloy (CoFe), and the like) using a gas mixture comprising a hydrogen halide gas and a fluorocarbon-containing gas is disclosed. The method provides high etch selectivity for the magnetic materials over non-magnetic dielectric materials, such as aluminum oxide (AlO) and the like, as well as to photoresist.

A method of etching a multi-layer magnetic stack (e.g., layers of cobalt-iron alloy (CoFe), ruthenium (Ru), platinum-manganese alloy (PtMn), and the like) of a magneto-resistive random access memory (MRAM) device is disclosed. Each layer of the multi-layer magnetic stack is etched using a process sequence including a plasma etch step followed by a plasma treatment step. The plasma treatment step uses a plasma comprising an inert gas to remove residues formed during the plasma etch step.

Method of fabricating a magneto-resistive random access memory (MRAM) device

A method and apparatus for etching a magnetic memory cell stack are described. More particularly, HCl is used as a main etchant gas for etching a magnetic memory cell stack. HCl is used in part to reduce corrosion and improve selectivity. Additionally, use of an amorphous carbon or hydrocarbon based polymer resin for a hard mask is described, as well as a post-etch passivation with a water rinse, a water vapor plasma treatment or an ammonia plasma treatment. Moreover, in an embodiment, a diffusion barrier layer dispose most of the magnetic memory cell stack is etched with hydrogen and fluorine containing gas in a separate process chambers.

Etching methods for a magnetic memory cell stack

A method of patterning a layer of magnetic material to form isolated magnetic regions. The method forms a mask on a film stack comprising a layer of magnetic material such the protected and unprotected regions are defined. The unprotected regions are oxidized to form isolated magnetic regions.

Growing community of inventors

Foster City, CA, United States of America

Xiaoyi Chen