公开(公告)号：US20250079128A1

公开(公告)日：2025-03-06

申请号：US18241008

申请日：2023-08-31

Applicant: Tokyo Electron Limited

Inventor： Ya-Ming Chen ,  Shyam Sridhar ,  Peter Lowell George Ventzek ,  Mitsunori Ohata

IPC: H01J37/32

Abstract: A method for plasma processing a substrate, where the method includes generating a plasma in a plasma chamber within which the substrate is held during processing, where generating the plasma includes: flowing a discharge gas through the plasma chamber; coupling a radio frequency (RF) source signal to a first RF electrode, where the coupling ionizes the discharge gas; and coupling a bias signal to a second RF electrode, the bias signal being a periodic series of bias pulses, each period having a bias-ON time and a bias-OFF time, where a bias voltage waveform is applied during the bias-ON time; generating a pulsed DC magnetic field in the plasma chamber, by coupling a magnetizing signal to an electromagnet, the magnetizing signal being a periodic series of current pulses; and prior to coupling the magnetizing signal, synchronizing the periodic series of current pulses with the bias signal to flow a DC magnetizing current during the bias-ON time.

公开(公告)号：US20230377849A1

公开(公告)日：2023-11-23

申请号：US17841443

申请日：2022-06-15

Applicant: Tokyo Electron Limited

Inventor： Shyam Sridhar ,  Ya-Ming Chen ,  Peter Lowell George Ventzek ,  Mitsunori Ohata ,  Alok Ranjan

IPC: H01J37/32 ,  H01L21/3065 ,  H01L21/311

CPC classification number: H01J37/32449 ,  H01J37/32146 ,  H01L21/3065 ,  H01L21/31116 ,  H01J2237/3343 ,  H01J2237/332

Abstract: A method of processing a substrate that includes: loading the substrate in a plasma processing chamber, the substrate including an underlying layer; maintaining a steady state flow of a process gas into the plasma processing chamber in the plasma processing chamber; generating a plasma in the plasma processing chamber; exposing the substrate to the plasma to etch the underlying layer; and pulsing a first additional gas, using a first effusive gas injector, towards a first region of the substrate to disrupt the steady state flow of the process gas over the first region, the pulsing locally changing a composition of the plasma near the first region.

公开(公告)号：US20230343592A1

公开(公告)日：2023-10-26

申请号：US17660111

申请日：2022-04-21

Applicant: Tokyo Electron Limited

Inventor： Shihsheng Chang ,  Andrew Metz ,  Yun Han ,  Ya-Ming Chen ,  Kai-Hung Yu ,  Eric Chih-Fang Liu

IPC: H01L21/033

CPC classification number: H01L21/0332

Abstract: A method of fabricating an amorphous carbon layer (ACL) mask includes forming an ACL on an underlying layer. The ACL includes a soft ACL portion that has a first hardness and a hard ACL portion that has a second hardness. The soft ACL portion underlies the hard ACL portion. The second hardness is greater than the first hardness. The method further includes forming a patterned layer over the ACL and forming an ACL mask by etching through both the soft ACL portion and the hard ACL portion of the ACL to expose the underlying layer using the patterned layer as an etch mask. Forming the ACL may include depositing one or both of the soft ACL portion and the hard ACL portion. Processing conditions may also be varied while forming the ACL to create a hardness gradient that transitions from softer to harder.

公开(公告)号：US12217935B2

公开(公告)日：2025-02-04

申请号：US17807076

申请日：2022-06-15

Applicant: Tokyo Electron Limited

Inventor： Ya-Ming Chen ,  Shyam Sridhar ,  Peter Lowell George Ventzek ,  Alok Ranjan

IPC: H01J37/32

Abstract: A plasma processing method includes generating a plasma within a processing chamber using source power to ignite a glow phase of the plasma, generating low-energy ions at a substrate supported by a substrate holder in the processing chamber from the plasma using lower-frequency radio frequency bias power applied during the glow phase, and generating high-energy ions at the substrate using higher-frequency radio frequency bias power applied during an afterglow phase of the plasma. The frequency of the higher-frequency radio frequency bias power is greater than the frequency of the lower-frequency radio frequency bias power.

公开(公告)号：US12040176B2

公开(公告)日：2024-07-16

申请号：US17706408

申请日：2022-03-28

Applicant: Tokyo Electron Limited

Inventor： Shihsheng Chang ,  Andrew Metz ,  Yun Han ,  Minjoon Park ,  Ya-Ming Chen

IPC: H01L21/02 ,  H10B43/20

CPC classification number: H01L21/02115 ,  H01L21/02172 ,  H01L21/02488 ,  H01L21/02592 ,  H10B43/20

Abstract: A semiconductor device structure includes a dielectric layer formed on a silicon substrate, an amorphous carbon layer (ACL) formed on the dielectric layer, and a charge dissipation layer formed between the ACL and the dielectric layer. The charge dissipation layer is formed from a material having a resistivity lower than the resistivity of the ACL. Methodologies to fabricate the semiconductor device structure are also disclosed and include forming the dielectric layer on the silicon substrate, forming the charge dissipation layer on the dielectric layer, and forming the ACL on the charge dissipation layer. Alternative semiconductor device structures and fabrication methodologies are also disclosed.

公开(公告)号：US20230154752A1

公开(公告)日：2023-05-18

申请号：US17525860

申请日：2021-11-12

Applicant: Tokyo Electron Limited

Inventor： Ya-Ming Chen ,  Katie Lutker-Lee ,  Eric Chih-Fang Liu ,  Angelique Raley ,  Stephanie Oyola-Reynoso ,  Shihsheng Chang

IPC: H01L21/033 ,  H01L21/311

CPC classification number: H01L21/0337 ,  H01L21/31122 ,  H01J37/3211

Abstract: Methods are provided herein for forming spacers on a patterned substrate. A self-aligned multiple patterning (SAMP) process is utilized for patterning structures, spacers formed adjacent mandrels, on a substrate. In one embodiment, a novel approach of etching titanium oxide (TiO2) spacers is provided. Highly anisotropic etching of the spacer along with a selective top deposition is provided. In one embodiment, an inductively coupled plasma (ICP) etch tool is utilized. The etching process may be achieved as a one-step etching process. More particularly, a protective layer may be selectively formed on the top of the spacer to protect the mandrel as well as minimize the difference of the etching rates of the spacer top and the spacer bottom. In one embodiment, the techniques may be utilized to etch TiO2 spacers formed along amorphous silicon mandrels using an ICP etch tool utilizing a one-step etch process.

公开(公告)号：US12300468B2

公开(公告)日：2025-05-13

申请号：US17841443

申请日：2022-06-15

Applicant: Tokyo Electron Limited

Inventor： Shyam Sridhar ,  Ya-Ming Chen ,  Peter Lowell George Ventzek ,  Mitsunori Ohata ,  Alok Ranjan

IPC: H01L21/3065 ,  H01J37/32 ,  H01L21/311

Abstract: A method of processing a substrate that includes: loading the substrate in a plasma processing chamber, the substrate including an underlying layer; maintaining a steady state flow of a process gas into the plasma processing chamber in the plasma processing chamber; generating a plasma in the plasma processing chamber; exposing the substrate to the plasma to etch the underlying layer; and pulsing a first additional gas, using a first effusive gas injector, towards a first region of the substrate to disrupt the steady state flow of the process gas over the first region, the pulsing locally changing a composition of the plasma near the first region.

公开(公告)号：US20240258108A1

公开(公告)日：2024-08-01

申请号：US18160779

申请日：2023-01-27

Applicant: Tokyo Electron Limited

Inventor： Ya-Ming Chen ,  Eric Chih-Fang Liu ,  Shihsheng Chang ,  Petr Biolsi

IPC: H01L21/033 ,  G03F7/20 ,  H01J37/32 ,  H01L21/027

CPC classification number: H01L21/0337 ,  G03F7/70033 ,  H01J37/32449 ,  H01L21/0276 ,  H01J37/32082 ,  H01J2237/3341 ,  H01L21/0332 ,  H01L21/31116 ,  H01L21/31122 ,  H01L21/31138

Abstract: A method for processing a substrate includes: forming a mandrel over the substrate including an underlying layer, the mandrel having a top surface and sidewalls, the substrate including an exposed surface including a portion of the underlying layer; conformally depositing a spacer material over the substrate, the spacer material covering the top surface and the sidewalls of the mandrel and the portion of the underlying layer; in a plasma processing chamber, exposing the substrate to a plasma generated in the plasma processing chamber from a first halogen-containing process gas, a second halogen-containing process gas, and a carbon-containing passivating agent, the exposing anisotropically etching the spacer material; and removing the mandrel to form free-standing spacers from sidewall portions of the spacer material covering the sidewalls of the mandrel.

公开(公告)号：US12009211B2

公开(公告)日：2024-06-11

申请号：US17525860

申请日：2021-11-12

Applicant: Tokyo Electron Limited

Inventor： Ya-Ming Chen ,  Katie Lutker-Lee ,  Eric Chih-Fang Liu ,  Angelique Raley ,  Stephanie Oyola-Reynoso ,  Shihsheng Chang

IPC: H01L21/033 ,  H01J37/32 ,  H01L21/311

CPC classification number: H01L21/0337 ,  H01L21/31122 ,  H01J37/3211 ,  H01J2237/3341

Abstract: Methods are provided herein for forming spacers on a patterned substrate. A self-aligned multiple patterning (SAMP) process is utilized for patterning structures, spacers formed adjacent mandrels, on a substrate. In one embodiment, a novel approach of etching titanium oxide (TiO2) spacers is provided. Highly anisotropic etching of the spacer along with a selective top deposition is provided. In one embodiment, an inductively coupled plasma (ICP) etch tool is utilized. The etching process may be achieved as a one-step etching process. More particularly, a protective layer may be selectively formed on the top of the spacer to protect the mandrel as well as minimize the difference of the etching rates of the spacer top and the spacer bottom. In one embodiment, the techniques may be utilized to etch TiO2 spacers formed along amorphous silicon mandrels using an ICP etch tool utilizing a one-step etch process.

公开(公告)号：US20230411116A1

公开(公告)日：2023-12-21

申请号：US17807076

申请日：2022-06-15

Applicant: Tokyo Electron Limited

Inventor： Ya-Ming Chen ,  Shyam Sridhar ,  Peter Lowwell George Ventzek ,  Alok Ranjan

IPC: H01J37/32

CPC classification number: H01J37/32018 ,  H01J2237/334 ,  H01J37/32165

Abstract: A plasma processing method includes generating a plasma within a processing chamber using source power to ignite a glow phase of the plasma, generating low-energy ions at a substrate supported by a substrate holder in the processing chamber from the plasma using lower-frequency radio frequency bias power applied during the glow phase, and generating high-energy ions at the substrate using higher-frequency radio frequency bias power applied during an afterglow phase of the plasma. The frequency of the higher-frequency radio frequency bias power is greater than the frequency of the lower-frequency radio frequency bias power.