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. 04, 2014
Filed:
Mar. 02, 2012
Mei Chang, Saratoga, CA (US);
Linh Thanh, Cupertino, CA (US);
BO Zheng, Saratoga, CA (US);
Arvind Sundarrajan, San Jose, CA (US);
John C. Forster, Mountian View, CA (US);
Umesh M. Kellkar, Santa Clara, CA (US);
Murali K. Narasimhan, San Jose, CA (US);
Mei Chang, Saratoga, CA (US);
Linh Thanh, Cupertino, CA (US);
Bo Zheng, Saratoga, CA (US);
Arvind Sundarrajan, San Jose, CA (US);
John C. Forster, Mountian View, CA (US);
Umesh M. Kellkar, Santa Clara, CA (US);
Murali K. Narasimhan, San Jose, CA (US);
Applied Materials, Inc., Santa Clara, CA (US);
Abstract
Methods and apparatus for removing oxide from a surface, the surface comprising at least one of silicon and germanium, are provided. The method and apparatus are particularly suitable for removing native oxide from a metal silicide layer of a contact structure. The method and apparatus advantageously integrate both the etch stop layer etching process and the native oxide removal process in a single chamber, thereby eliminating native oxide growth or other contaminates redeposit during the substrate transfer processes. Furthermore, the method and the apparatus also provides the improved three-step chemical reaction process to efficiently remove native oxide from the metal silicide layer without adversely altering the geometry of the contact structure and the critical dimension of the trenches or vias formed in the contact structure.