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:
Aug. 15, 2017
Filed:
Dec. 16, 2015
Varian Semiconductor Equipment Associates, Inc., Gloucester, MA (US);
Tristan Y. Ma, Lexington, MA (US);
John Hautala, Beverly, MA (US);
Maureen K. Petterson, Salem, MA (US);
Boya Cui, Evanston, IL (US);
Varian Semiconductor Equipment Associates, Inc., Gloucester, MA (US);
Abstract
Provided herein are approaches for patterning a semiconductor device. In an exemplary approach, a method includes providing a set of contact openings through a photoresist formed atop a substrate, and implanting ions into just a sidewall surface of the set of contact openings. In an exemplary approach, the ions are implanted at an implant angle nonparallel with the sidewall surface to prevent the ions from implanting a surface of the substrate within the set of contact openings, and to form a treated layer along an entire height of the contact opening. The method further includes etching the substrate within the set of contact openings after the ions are implanted into the sidewall surface. As a result, by using an angled ion implantation to the contact opening sidewall surface as a pretreatment prior to etching, local critical dimension uniformity is improved.