公开(公告)号：US10170336B1

公开(公告)日：2019-01-01

申请号：US15669326

申请日：2017-08-04

Applicant: Applied Materials, Inc.

Inventor： Zihui Li ,  Chia-Ling Kao ,  Anchuan Wang ,  Nitin K. Ingle

IPC: H01L21/302 ,  H01L21/3213 ,  H01L21/3065 ,  H01L29/66 ,  H01L21/02 ,  H01L21/67 ,  H01L29/40 ,  H01L21/311

Abstract: Embodiments of the present technology may include a method of etching. The method may include flowing a gas through a plasma to form plasma effluents. The method may also include reacting plasma effluents with a first layer defining a first feature. The first feature may include a first sidewall, a second sidewall, and a bottom. The first sidewall, the second sidewall, and the bottom may include the first layer. The first layer may be characterized by a first thickness on the sidewall. The method may further include forming a second layer from the reaction of the plasma effluents with the first layer. The first layer may be replaced by the second layer. The second layer may be characterized by a second thickness. The second thickness may be greater than or equal to the first thickness. The method may also include removing the second layer to expose a third layer.

公开(公告)号：US10062579B2

公开(公告)日：2018-08-28

申请号：US15288898

申请日：2016-10-07

Applicant: Applied Materials, Inc.

Inventor： Zhijun Chen ,  Jiayin Huang ,  Anchuan Wang ,  Nitin Ingle

IPC: H01L21/311 ,  H01L21/02

CPC classification number: H01L21/31116 ,  H01L21/0217 ,  H01L21/02323

Abstract: Exemplary methods for laterally etching silicon nitride may include flowing a fluorine-containing precursor and an oxygen-containing precursor into a remote plasma region of a semiconductor processing chamber. The methods may include forming a plasma within the remote plasma region to generate plasma effluents of the fluorine-containing precursor and the oxygen-containing precursor. The methods may also include flowing the plasma effluents into a processing region of the semiconductor processing chamber. A substrate may be positioned within the processing region, and the substrate may include a trench formed through stacked layers including alternating layers of silicon nitride and silicon oxide. The methods may also include laterally etching the layers of silicon nitride from sidewalls of the trench while substantially maintaining the layers of silicon oxide. The layers of silicon nitride may be laterally etched less than 10 nm from the sidewalls of the trench.

公开(公告)号：US10062578B2

公开(公告)日：2018-08-28

申请号：US14746670

申请日：2015-06-22

Applicant: Applied Materials, Inc.

Inventor： Jingchun Zhang ,  Anchuan Wang ,  Nitin K. Ingle

IPC: B44C1/22 ,  C03C15/00 ,  C03C25/68 ,  C23F1/00 ,  H01L21/306 ,  H01L21/311 ,  H01J37/32 ,  H01L21/3213

CPC classification number: H01L21/31116 ,  H01J37/32422 ,  H01L21/31122 ,  H01L21/32136

Abstract: A method of selectively etching a metal-containing film from a substrate comprising a metal-containing layer and a silicon oxide layer includes flowing a fluorine-containing gas into a plasma generation region of a substrate processing chamber, and applying energy to the fluorine-containing gas to generate a plasma in the plasma generation region. The plasma comprises fluorine radicals and fluorine ions. The method also includes filtering the plasma to provide a reactive gas having a higher concentration of fluorine radicals than fluorine ions, and flowing the reactive gas into a gas reaction region of the substrate processing chamber. The method also includes exposing the substrate to the reactive gas in the gas reaction region of the substrate processing chamber. The reactive gas etches the metal-containing layer at a higher etch rate than the reactive gas etches the silicon oxide layer.

公开(公告)号：US10026597B2

公开(公告)日：2018-07-17

申请号：US15397429

申请日：2017-01-03

Applicant: Applied Materials, Inc.

Inventor： Chirantha Rodrigo ,  Jingchun Zhang ,  Lili Ji ,  Anchuan Wang ,  Nitin K. Ingle

IPC: H01J37/32 ,  H01L21/311 ,  C23C16/44 ,  H01L21/67

Abstract: The present disclosure provides methods for cleaning chamber components post substrate etching. In one example, a method for cleaning includes activating an etching gas mixture using a plasma to create an activated etching gas mixture, the etching gas mixture comprising hydrogen-containing precursor and a fluorine-containing precursor and delivering the activated etching gas mixture to a processing region of a process chamber, the process chamber having an edge ring positioned therein, the edge ring comprising a catalyst and anticatalytic material, wherein the activated gas removes the anticatalytic material from the edge ring.

公开(公告)号：US09991134B2

公开(公告)日：2018-06-05

申请号：US14246915

申请日：2014-04-07

Applicant: APPLIED MATERIALS, INC.

Inventor： Anchuan Wang ,  Xinglong Chen ,  Zihui Li ,  Hiroshi Hamana ,  Zhijun Chen ,  Ching-Mei Hsu ,  Jiayin Huang ,  Nitin K. Ingle ,  Dmitry Lubomirsky ,  Shankar Venkataraman ,  Randhir Thakur

IPC: C23C16/44 ,  H01J37/32 ,  H01L21/02 ,  H01L21/263 ,  H01L21/268 ,  H01L21/306 ,  H01L21/3065 ,  H01L21/3105 ,  H01L21/311 ,  H01L21/3213 ,  H01L21/324 ,  H01L21/67 ,  H01L21/677 ,  H01L21/683

CPC classification number: H01L21/324 ,  C23C16/4405 ,  H01J37/32357 ,  H01J37/32862 ,  H01L21/02041 ,  H01L21/02057 ,  H01L21/0206 ,  H01L21/263 ,  H01L21/2686 ,  H01L21/30604 ,  H01L21/3065 ,  H01L21/3105 ,  H01L21/31111 ,  H01L21/31116 ,  H01L21/31144 ,  H01L21/32136 ,  H01L21/32137 ,  H01L21/67069 ,  H01L21/67075 ,  H01L21/6708 ,  H01L21/67109 ,  H01L21/67115 ,  H01L21/67184 ,  H01L21/6719 ,  H01L21/67196 ,  H01L21/67201 ,  H01L21/67207 ,  H01L21/67248 ,  H01L21/67253 ,  H01L21/67288 ,  H01L21/67703 ,  H01L21/67739 ,  H01L21/67742 ,  H01L21/6831

Abstract: Systems, chambers, and processes are provided for controlling process defects caused by moisture contamination. The systems may provide configurations for chambers to perform multiple operations in a vacuum or controlled environment. The chambers may include configurations to provide additional processing capabilities in combination chamber designs. The methods may provide for the limiting, prevention, and correction of aging defects that may be caused as a result of etching processes performed by system tools.

公开(公告)号：US09875907B2

公开(公告)日：2018-01-23

申请号：US15235048

申请日：2016-08-11

Applicant: APPLIED MATERIALS, INC.

Inventor： Fei Wang ,  Mikhail Korolik ,  Nitin K. Ingle ,  Anchuan Wang ,  Robert Jan Visser

IPC: H01L21/311 ,  H01L21/461 ,  H01L21/02 ,  H01L21/033 ,  H01J37/32 ,  H01L21/3105

CPC classification number: H01L21/31116 ,  H01J37/3244 ,  H01L21/02164 ,  H01L21/0217 ,  H01L21/0337 ,  H01L21/3105 ,  H01L21/31144

Abstract: Methods of etching silicon nitride faster than silicon oxide are described. Exposed portions of silicon nitride and silicon oxide may both be present on a patterned substrate. A self-assembled monolayer (SAM) is selectively deposited over the silicon oxide but not on the exposed silicon nitride. Molecules of the self-assembled monolayer include a head moiety and a tail moiety, the head moiety forming a bond with the OH group on the exposed silicon oxide portion and the tail moiety extending away from the patterned substrate. A subsequent gas-phase etch using anhydrous vapor-phase HF may then be used to selectively remove silicon nitride much faster than silicon oxide because the SAM has been found to delay the etch and reduce the etch rate.

公开(公告)号：US09837284B2

公开(公告)日：2017-12-05

申请号：US15453786

申请日：2017-03-08

Applicant: Applied Materials, Inc.

Inventor： Zhijun Chen ,  Anchuan Wang ,  Nitin K. Ingle

IPC: H01L21/302 ,  H01L21/311 ,  H01J37/32

CPC classification number: H01L21/31116 ,  H01J37/32082 ,  H01J37/32357 ,  H01J2237/3341

Abstract: A method of etching exposed silicon oxide on patterned heterogeneous structures is described and includes a gas phase etch using plasma effluents formed in a remote plasma. The remote plasma excites a fluorine-containing precursor in combination with an oxygen-containing precursor. Plasma effluents within the remote plasma are flowed into a substrate processing region where the plasma effluents combine with water vapor or an alcohol. The combination react with the patterned heterogeneous structures to remove an exposed silicon oxide portion faster than an exposed silicon nitride portion. The inclusion of the oxygen-containing precursor may suppress the silicon nitride etch rate and result in unprecedented silicon oxide etch selectivity.

公开(公告)号：US09831097B2

公开(公告)日：2017-11-28

申请号：US15043955

申请日：2016-02-15

Applicant: Applied Materials, Inc.

Inventor： Nitin K. Ingle ,  Anchuan Wang ,  Zihui Li ,  Mikhail Korolik

IPC: H01L21/3065 ,  H01L21/308

CPC classification number: H01L21/3065 ,  H01J37/32357 ,  H01L21/3081 ,  H01L21/31116 ,  H01L21/31122 ,  H01L21/32137

Abstract: The present disclosure provides methods for etching a silicon material in a device structure in semiconductor applications. In one example, a method for etching features in a silicon material includes performing a remote plasma process formed from an etching gas mixture including HF gas without nitrogen etchants to remove a silicon material disposed on a substrate.

公开(公告)号：US09659791B2

公开(公告)日：2017-05-23

申请号：US14801542

申请日：2015-07-16

Applicant: Applied Materials, Inc.

Inventor： Xikun Wang ,  David Cui ,  Anchuan Wang ,  Nitin K. Ingle

IPC: H01L21/302 ,  H01L21/461 ,  B44C1/22 ,  C03C15/00 ,  C03C25/68 ,  C23F1/00 ,  C23F3/00 ,  H01L21/3213 ,  H01L21/768 ,  H01L21/02 ,  H01L21/311 ,  H01L21/3065

CPC classification number: H01L21/32138 ,  H01J37/32449 ,  H01L21/02071 ,  H01L21/3065 ,  H01L21/31122 ,  H01L21/32135 ,  H01L21/32136 ,  H01L21/7684

Abstract: Methods are described for etching metal layers that are difficult to volatize, such as cobalt, nickel, and platinum to form an etched metal layer with reduced surface roughness. The methods include pretreating the metal layer with a local plasma formed from a hydrogen-containing precursor. The pretreated metal layer is then reacted with a halogen-containing precursor to form a halogenated metal layer having a halogenated etch product. A carbon-and-nitrogen-containing precursor reacts with the halogenated etch product to form a volatile etch product that can be removed in the gas phase from the etched surface of the metal layer. The surface roughness may be reduced by performing one or more plasma treatments on the etching metal layer after a plurality of etching sequences. Surface roughness is also reduced by controlling the temperature and length of time the metal layer is reacting with the etchant precursors.

公开(公告)号：US09653310B1

公开(公告)日：2017-05-16

申请号：US14961495

申请日：2015-12-07

Applicant: Applied Materials, Inc.

Inventor： Zihui Li ,  Xing Zhong ,  Anchuan Wang ,  Nitin K. Ingle

IPC: H01L21/302 ,  H01L21/461 ,  H01L21/3065

CPC classification number: H01L21/3065 ,  H01J37/32165 ,  H01J37/32183 ,  H01J37/32357 ,  H01J37/32449 ,  H01L21/32137

Abstract: The present disclosure provides methods for etching features in a silicon material includes performing a remote plasma process formed from an etching gas mixture including chlorine containing gas to remove a silicon material disposed on a substrate.