公开(公告)号：US11735467B2

公开(公告)日：2023-08-22

申请号：US17558848

申请日：2021-12-22

Applicant: Applied Materials, Inc.

Inventor： Ashish Pal ,  Gaurav Thareja ,  Sankuei Lin ,  Ching-Mei Hsu ,  Nitin K. Ingle ,  Ajay Bhatnagar ,  Anchuan Wang

IPC: H01L21/764 ,  H01L21/8238 ,  H01L29/06 ,  H01L29/66 ,  H01L29/78 ,  H01L27/092 ,  H01L29/417

CPC classification number: H01L21/764 ,  H01L21/823814 ,  H01L21/823821 ,  H01L21/823864 ,  H01L21/823878 ,  H01L27/0924 ,  H01L29/0649 ,  H01L29/6656 ,  H01L29/66795 ,  H01L29/785 ,  H01L29/7851 ,  H01L29/41791

Abstract: Processing methods may be performed to form an airgap spacer on a semiconductor substrate. The methods may include forming a spacer structure including a first material and a second material different from the first material. The methods may include forming a source/drain structure. The source/drain structure may be offset from the second material of the spacer structure by at least one other material. The methods may also include etching the second material from the spacer structure to form the airgap. The source/drain structure may be unexposed to etchant materials during the etching.

公开(公告)号：US11728177B2

公开(公告)日：2023-08-15

申请号：US17173329

申请日：2021-02-11

Applicant: Applied Materials, Inc.

Inventor： Baiwei Wang ,  Oliver Jan ,  Rohan Puligoru Reddy ,  Xiaolin Chen ,  Zhenjiang Cui ,  Anchuan Wang

IPC: H01L21/3213 ,  H01J37/32 ,  H01L21/3065 ,  H01L21/02

CPC classification number: H01L21/32136 ,  H01J37/32357 ,  H01L21/02614 ,  H01L21/3065 ,  H01L21/30655 ,  H01J2237/3341

Abstract: Exemplary etching methods may include flowing an oxygen-containing precursor into a remote plasma region of a semiconductor processing chamber while striking a plasma to produce oxygen plasma effluents. The methods may include contacting a substrate housed in a processing region with the oxygen plasma effluents. The substrate may define an exposed region of titanium nitride. The contacting may produce an oxidized surface on the titanium nitride. The methods may include flowing a halogen-containing precursor into a remote plasma region of a semiconductor processing chamber while striking a plasma to produce halogen plasma effluents. The methods may include contacting the oxidized surface on the titanium nitride with the halogen plasma effluents. The methods may include removing the oxidized surface on the titanium nitride.

公开(公告)号：US11462411B2

公开(公告)日：2022-10-04

申请号：US17242375

申请日：2021-04-28

Applicant: Applied Materials, Inc.

Inventor： Gaurav Thareja ,  Keyvan Kashefizadeh ,  Xikun Wang ,  Anchuan Wang ,  Sanjay Natarajan ,  Sean M. Seutter ,  Dong Wu

IPC: H01L21/283 ,  H01L29/49 ,  H01L21/28 ,  H01L29/45

Abstract: A semiconductor device fabrication process includes forming gates on a substrate having a plurality of openings, each gate having a conducting layer a first metal and a gate dielectric layer of a first dielectric material, partially filling the openings with a second dielectric material, forming a first structure on the substrate in a processing system without breaking vacuum, depositing a third dielectric material over the first structure, and forming a planarized surface of the gates and a surface of the third dielectric material that is disposed over the first structure. The forming of the first structure includes forming trenches by removing second portions of the second dielectric material within each opening, forming recessed active regions in the trenches by partially filling the trenches with a second metal, forming a liner over each recessed active region, and forming a metal cap layer over each liner.

公开(公告)号：US20220254648A1

公开(公告)日：2022-08-11

申请号：US17173329

申请日：2021-02-11

Applicant: Applied Materials, Inc.

Inventor： Baiwei Wang ,  Oliver Jan ,  Rohan Puligoru Reddy ,  Xiaolin Chen ,  Zhenjiang Cui ,  Anchuan Wang

IPC: H01L21/3213 ,  H01J37/32

Abstract: Exemplary etching methods may include flowing an oxygen-containing precursor into a remote plasma region of a semiconductor processing chamber while striking a plasma to produce oxygen plasma effluents. The methods may include contacting a substrate housed in a processing region with the oxygen plasma effluents. The substrate may define an exposed region of titanium nitride. The contacting may produce an oxidized surface on the titanium nitride. The methods may include flowing a halogen-containing precursor into a remote plasma region of a semiconductor processing chamber while striking a plasma to produce halogen plasma effluents. The methods may include contacting the oxidized surface on the titanium nitride with the halogen plasma effluents. The methods may include removing the oxidized surface on the titanium nitride.

公开(公告)号：US20220084832A1

公开(公告)日：2022-03-17

申请号：US17018206

申请日：2020-09-11

Applicant: Applied Materials, Inc.

Inventor： Zhenjiang Cui ,  Anchuan Wang

IPC: H01L21/3065 ,  C23F1/12

Abstract: Exemplary etching methods may include flowing a fluorine-containing precursor and a hydrogen-containing precursor into a remote plasma region of a semiconductor processing chamber. The hydrogen-containing precursor may be flowed at a flow rate of at least 2:1 relative to the flow rate of the fluorine-containing precursor. The methods may include forming a plasma of the fluorine-containing precursor and the hydrogen-containing precursor to produce plasma effluents. The methods may include flowing the plasma effluents into a substrate processing region housing a substrate. The substrate may include an exposed region of a tantalum or titanium material and an exposed region of a silicon-containing material or a metal. The methods may include contacting the substrate with the plasma effluents. The methods may include removing the tantalum or titanium material selectively to the silicon-containing material or the metal.

公开(公告)号：US11004687B2

公开(公告)日：2021-05-11

申请号：US16442797

申请日：2019-06-17

Applicant: Applied Materials, Inc.

Inventor： Gaurav Thareja ,  Keyvan Kashefizadeh ,  Xikun Wang ,  Anchuan Wang ,  Sanjay Natarajan ,  Sean M. Seutter ,  Dong Wu

IPC: H01L21/28 ,  H01L29/49 ,  H01L29/45 ,  H01L21/283

Abstract: A semiconductor device fabrication process includes forming gates on a substrate having a plurality of openings, each gate having a conducting layer a first metal and a gate dielectric layer of a first dielectric material, partially filling the openings with a second dielectric material, forming a first structure on the substrate in a processing system without breaking vacuum, depositing a third dielectric material over the first structure, and forming a planarized surface of the gates and a surface of the third dielectric material that is disposed over the first structure. The forming of the first structure includes forming trenches by removing second portions of the second dielectric material within each opening, forming recessed active regions in the trenches by partially filling the trenches with a second metal, forming a liner over each recessed active region, and forming a metal cap layer over each liner.

公开(公告)号：US20180350619A1

公开(公告)日：2018-12-06

申请号：US15792376

申请日：2017-10-24

Applicant: Applied Materials, Inc.

Inventor： Zhijun Chen ,  Lin Xu ,  Anchuan Wang ,  Nitin Ingle

IPC: H01L21/311 ,  H01L21/67

Abstract: Exemplary cleaning or etching methods may include flowing a fluorine-containing precursor into a remote plasma region of a semiconductor processing chamber. Methods may include forming a plasma within the remote plasma region to generate plasma effluents of the fluorine-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 region of exposed oxide and a region of exposed metal. Methods may also include providing a hydrogen-containing precursor to the processing region. The methods may further include removing at least a portion of the exposed oxide.

公开(公告)号：US20180350617A1

公开(公告)日：2018-12-06

申请号：US15609483

申请日：2017-05-31

Applicant: Applied Materials, Inc.

Inventor： Zhijun Chen ,  Lin Xu ,  Anchuan Wang ,  Nitin Ingle

IPC: H01L21/311

Abstract: Exemplary cleaning or etching methods may include flowing a fluorine-containing precursor into a remote plasma region of a semiconductor processing chamber. Methods may include forming a plasma within the remote plasma region to generate plasma effluents of the fluorine-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 region of exposed oxide and a region of exposed metal. Methods may also include providing a hydrogen-containing precursor to the processing region. The methods may further include removing at least a portion of the exposed oxide.

公开(公告)号：US20180102255A1

公开(公告)日：2018-04-12

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：US09768034B1

公开(公告)日：2017-09-19

申请号：US15349530

申请日：2016-11-11

Applicant: Applied Materials, Inc.

Inventor： Lin Xu ,  Zhijun Chen ,  Jiayin Huang ,  Anchuan Wang

IPC: B44C1/22 ,  C03C15/00 ,  C03C25/68 ,  C23F1/00 ,  H01L21/3213 ,  H01L21/3065 ,  H01L21/67 ,  H01J37/32 ,  B08B7/00

CPC classification number: H01L21/32136 ,  B08B7/00 ,  H01J37/32009 ,  H01J37/32357 ,  H01J37/3244 ,  H01J37/32862 ,  H01J2237/334 ,  H01L21/02057 ,  H01L21/3065 ,  H01L21/31116 ,  H01L21/67069

Abstract: Exemplary cleaning or etching methods may include flowing a fluorine-containing precursor into a remote plasma region of a semiconductor processing chamber. Methods may include forming a plasma within the remote plasma region to generate plasma effluents of the fluorine-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 region of exposed oxide. Methods may also include providing a hydrogen-containing precursor to the processing region. The methods may further include removing at least a portion of the exposed oxide while maintaining a relative humidity within the processing region below about 50%. Subsequent to the removal, the methods may include increasing the relative humidity within the processing region to greater than or about 50%. The methods may further include removing an additional amount of the exposed oxide.