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:
Jun. 10, 2014
Filed:
Jul. 16, 2013
Applied Materials, Inc., Santa Clara, CA (US);
Nancy Fung, Livermore, CA (US);
David T. Or, Santa Clara, CA (US);
Qingjun Zhou, San Jose, CA (US);
Lina Zhu, San Jose, CA (US);
Jeremiah T. Pender, San Jose, CA (US);
Srinivas D. Nemani, Sunnyvale, CA (US);
Sean S. Kang, San Ramon, CA (US);
Sergey G. Belostotskiy, Santa Clara, CA (US);
Chinh Dinh, San Jose, CA (US);
Applied Materials, Inc., Santa Clara, CA (US);
Abstract
A method of etching silicon oxide from a trench is described which allows more homogeneous etch rates across a varying pattern on a patterned substrate. The method also provides a more rectilinear profile following the etch process. Methods include a sequential exposure of gapfill silicon oxide. The gapfill silicon oxide is exposed to a local plasma treatment prior to a remote-plasma dry etch which may produce salt by-product on the surface. The local plasma treatment has been found to condition the gapfill silicon oxide such that the etch process proceeds at a more even rate within each trench and across multiple trenches. The salt by-product may be removed by raising the temperature in a subsequent sublimation step.