Applied Materials, Inc.

Zahra H Amini

Ian Scot Latchford

Robert L Jarecki, Jr

Chester A Szwejkowski

Gary D Tipton

Robert B Campbell

Jennifer M Webb

A near substrate reactant homogenization apparatus reduces the excess reactive species in a region at or near the edge of a substrate surface to provide a uniform reactant concentration over the substrate, thereby improving etch rate uniformity over the substrate. The near substrate reactant homogenization apparatus has a substantially planar surface that is parallel to said substrate surface and that extends beyond the substrate edge, at or below the substrate surface. In a first preferred embodiment of the invention, the temperature of the gas absorber area is changed to promote recombination or condensation of excess reactive species at the substrate edge, where the excess species are removed. In another, equally preferred embodiment of the invention, the gas absorber area is formed of a porous material having a large surface area. Excess reactive species enter the porous structure and are subsequently recombined. In a third equally preferred embodiment of the invention, a gas curtain of a laminar inert or reactive gas may also be used along the substrate surface perimeter, either alone or in conjunction with the first or second embodiments of the invention, to form a diffusive barrier that suppresses the flux of excess reactive species at the substrate's edge.

Near Substrate reactant Homogenization apparatus

A process is disclosed for the removal of residual oxide and/or silicon materials from a semiconductor wafer such as silicon-rich oxide residues or polysilicon stringers from the sidewalls of lines or steps formed over semiconductor wafers during the construction of integrated circuit structures without removing the wafer from the vacuum apparatus used in forming the lines on the wafer using a high pressure magnetically enhanced plasma etch using an NF.sub.3 -containing gas containing at least about 40 volume % NF.sub.3 as the etchant gas.

Dry process for removal of undesirable oxide and/or silicon residues

The invention comprises an improvement in the process wherein a polysilicon layer, which is formed over a step on an integrated circuit structure and masked with a photoresist, is anisotropically etched to remove the exposed portions of the polysilicon layer leaving residues of polysilicon adjacent to the step and residues of a polymerized silicon/oxide-containing material adjacent the sidewalls of the masked portions of the polysilicon layer. The improvement comprises treating the integrated circuit substrate with a dilute hydroxide solution to remove both the polysilicon residues and the residues of polymerized silicon/oxide-containing material.

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Cupertino, CA, United States of America

Zahra H Amini