Invention Grant
- Patent Title: Selectively etching metals and metal nitrides conformally
- Patent Title (中): 选择性地蚀刻金属和金属氮化物
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Application No.: US14734222Application Date: 2015-06-09
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Publication No.: US09449843B1Publication Date: 2016-09-20
- Inventor: Mikhail Korolik , Nitin K. Ingle , David Thompson , Jeffrey W. Anthis , David Knapp , Benjamin Schmiege
- Applicant: Applied Materials, Inc.
- Applicant Address: US CA Santa Clara
- Assignee: Applied Materials, Inc.
- Current Assignee: Applied Materials, Inc.
- Current Assignee Address: US CA Santa Clara
- Agency: Kilpatrick Townsend & Stockton LLP
- Main IPC: H01L21/3213
- IPC: H01L21/3213

Abstract:
Methods of selectively etching metals and metal nitrides from the surface of a substrate are described. The etch selectively removes metals and metal nitrides relative to silicon-containing layers such as silicon, polysilicon, silicon oxide, silicon germanium, silicon carbide, silicon carbon nitride and/or silicon nitride. The etch removes material in a conformal manner by including an oxidation operation which creates a thin uniform metal oxide. The thin uniform metal oxide is then removed by exposing the metal oxide to a metal-halogen precursor in a substrate processing region. The metal oxide may be removed to completion and the etch may stop once the uniform metal oxide layer is removed. Etches described herein may be used to uniformly trim back material on high aspect ratio features which ordinarily show higher etch rates near the opening of a gap compared to deep within the gap.
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