The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Oct. 15, 2019
Filed:
Jan. 18, 2018
Tokyo Electron Limited, Minato-ku, Tokyo, JP;
Sonam D. Sherpa, Albany, NY (US);
Alok Ranjan, Austin, TX (US);
Tokyo Electron Limited, Tokyo, JP;
Abstract
Embodiments of the invention describe substrate processing methods using non-polymerizing chemistry to preferentially etch silicon nitride relative to other materials found in semiconductor manufacturing. According to one embodiment, a processing method includes providing in a plasma processing chamber a substrate containing a first material containing silicon nitride and a second material that is different from the first material, forming a plasma-excited process gas containing SF, and exposing the substrate to the plasma-excited process gas to preferentially etch the first material relative to the second material. In one example, the process gas can contain or consist of SFand Ar. In another example, the second material is selected from the group consisting of Si and SiO.