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:
Feb. 28, 2023
Filed:
Aug. 31, 2020
Applied Materials, Inc., Santa Clara, CA (US);
National University of Singapore, Singapore, SG;
Vicknesh Sahmuganathan, Singapore, SG;
Jiteng Gu, Singapore, SG;
Eswaranand Venkatasubramanian, Santa Clara, CA (US);
Kian Ping Loh, Singapore, SG;
Abhijit Basu Mallick, Palo Alto, CA (US);
John Sudijono, Singapore, SG;
Zhongxin Chen, Singapore, SG;
Applied Materials, Inc., Santa Clara, CA (US);
Abstract
Methods to manufacture integrated circuits are described. Nanocrystalline diamond is used as a hard mask in place of amorphous carbon. Provided is a method of processing a substrate in which nanocrystalline diamond is used as a hard mask, wherein processing methods result in a smooth surface. The method involves two processing parts. Two separate nanocrystalline diamond recipes are combined—the first and second recipes are cycled to achieve a nanocrystalline diamond hard mask having high hardness, high modulus, and a smooth surface. In other embodiments, the first recipe is followed by an inert gas plasma smoothening process and then the first recipe is cycled to achieve a high hardness, a high modulus, and a smooth surface.