公开(公告)号：US20240339316A1

公开(公告)日：2024-10-10

申请号：US18746799

申请日：2024-06-18

Applicant: Applied Materials, Inc.

Inventor： Aykut AYDIN ,  Rui CHENG ,  Karthik JANAKIRAMAN ,  Abhijit Basu MALLICK ,  Takehito KOSHIZAWA ,  Bo QI

IPC: H01L21/02

CPC classification number: H01L21/02123 ,  H01L21/02211 ,  H01L21/02271

Abstract: Embodiments of the present disclosure generally relate to processes for forming silicon- and boron-containing films for use in, e.g., spacer-defined patterning applications. In an embodiment, a spacer-defined patterning process is provided. The process includes disposing a substrate in a processing volume of a processing chamber, the substrate having patterned features formed thereon, and flowing a first process gas into the processing volume, the first process gas comprising a silicon-containing species, the silicon-containing species having a higher molecular weight than SiH4. The process further includes flowing a second process gas into the processing volume, the second process gas comprising a boron-containing species, and depositing, under deposition conditions, a conformal film on the patterned features, the conformal film comprising silicon and boron.

公开(公告)号：US20220122835A1

公开(公告)日：2022-04-21

申请号：US17075967

申请日：2020-10-21

Applicant: Applied Materials, Inc.

Inventor： Jui-Yuan HSU ,  Pramit MANNA ,  Bhaskar KUMAR ,  Karthik JANAKIRAMAN

IPC: H01L21/02 ,  H01L21/033

Abstract: Embodiments of the present disclosure generally relate to methods of forming hardmasks. Embodiments described herein enable, e.g., formation of carbon-containing hardmasks having reduced film stress. In an embodiment, a method of processing a substrate is provided. The method includes positioning a substrate in a processing volume of a processing chamber and depositing a diamond-like carbon (DLC) layer on the substrate. After depositing the DLC layer, the film stress is reduced by performing a plasma treatment, wherein the plasma treatment comprises applying a radio frequency (RF) bias power of about 100 W to about 10,000 W.

公开(公告)号：US20210407802A1

公开(公告)日：2021-12-30

申请号：US17035265

申请日：2020-09-28

Applicant: Applied Materials, Inc.

Inventor： Jui-Yuan HSU ,  Pramit MANNA ,  Karthik JANAKIRAMAN

IPC: H01L21/033 ,  C23C16/50 ,  C23C16/27 ,  C23C16/56

Abstract: Embodiments of the present disclosure generally relate to the fabrication of integrated circuits. More particularly, the embodiments described herein provide methods for producing reduced-stress diamond-like carbon films for patterning applications. In one or more embodiments, a method includes flowing a deposition gas containing a hydrocarbon compound into a processing volume of a process chamber having a substrate positioned on an electrostatic chuck and generating a plasma above the substrate in the processing volume by applying a first RF bias to the electrostatic chuck to deposit a stressed diamond-like carbon film on the substrate. The stressed diamond-like carbon film has a compressive stress of −500 MPa or greater. The method further includes heating the stressed diamond-like carbon film to produce a reduced-stress diamond-like carbon film during a thermal annealing process. The reduced-stress diamond-like carbon film has a compressive stress of less than −500 MPa.

公开(公告)号：US20200043722A1

公开(公告)日：2020-02-06

申请号：US16514534

申请日：2019-07-17

Applicant: Applied Materials, Inc.

Inventor： Rui CHENG ,  Karthik JANAKIRAMAN ,  Zubin HUANG ,  Diwakar N. KEDLAYA

IPC: H01L21/02 ,  H01L21/033

Abstract: Embodiments of the present disclosure relate to deposition methods for dielectric layers with zero pattern loading characteristics. In one embodiment, the method includes depositing a conformal dielectric layer on the substrate having a patterned area and a blanket area by exposing the substrate to a deposition precursor and a tuning gas simultaneously without the presence of plasma in a process chamber, wherein the deposition precursor is reacted to form a chemical reaction by-product, and the chemical reaction by-product is the same as the tuning gas, and wherein the deposition precursor and the tuning gas are provided at an amount that is more than required for the deposition reaction to occur at the patterned area and the blanket area.

公开(公告)号：US20170372953A1

公开(公告)日：2017-12-28

申请号：US15633366

申请日：2017-06-26

Applicant: Applied Materials, Inc.

Inventor： Susmit Singha ROY ,  Kelvin CHAN ,  Hien Minh LE ,  Sanjay KAMATH ,  Abhijit Basu MALLICK ,  Srinivas GANDIKOTA ,  Karthik JANAKIRAMAN

IPC: H01L21/768 ,  H01L21/02 ,  H01L21/285

CPC classification number: H01L21/28506 ,  C23C16/0272 ,  C23C16/06 ,  C23C16/402 ,  C23C16/505 ,  C23C28/322 ,  C23C28/34 ,  C23C28/345 ,  C23C28/42 ,  H01L21/02164 ,  H01L21/02274 ,  H01L21/02304 ,  H01L21/02315 ,  H01L21/0245 ,  H01L21/02458 ,  H01L21/02491 ,  H01L21/02697 ,  H01L21/28556 ,  H01L21/28568 ,  H01L21/32051 ,  H01L21/76876 ,  H01L27/11582

Abstract: Implementations described herein generally relate to a method for forming a metal layer and to a method for forming an oxide layer on the metal layer. In one implementation, the metal layer is formed on a seed layer, and the seed layer helps the metal in the metal layer nucleate with small grain size without affecting the conductivity of the metal layer. The metal layer may be formed using plasma enhanced chemical vapor deposition (PECVD) and nitrogen gas may be flowed into the processing chamber along with the precursor gases. In another implementation, a barrier layer is formed on the metal layer in order to prevent the metal layer from being oxidized during subsequent oxide layer deposition process. In another implementation, the metal layer is treated prior to the deposition of the oxide layer in order to prevent the metal layer from being oxidized.

公开(公告)号：US20170194174A1

公开(公告)日：2017-07-06

申请号：US15388149

申请日：2016-12-22

Applicant: Applied Materials, Inc.

Inventor： Karthik JANAKIRAMAN ,  Juan Carlos ROCHA-ALVAREZ ,  Hari K. PONNEKANTI ,  Mukund SRINIVASAN

IPC: H01L21/67 ,  H01J37/32 ,  H01L21/677 ,  H01L21/683 ,  H01L23/552

CPC classification number: H01L21/67184 ,  H01J37/32082 ,  H01J37/32449 ,  H01J37/32532 ,  H01J37/32651 ,  H01J37/32715 ,  H01L21/67103 ,  H01L21/67167 ,  H01L21/67178 ,  H01L21/6719 ,  H01L21/67207 ,  H01L21/6831 ,  H01L21/6838 ,  H01L21/68771 ,  H01L21/68785 ,  H01L23/552

Abstract: A method and apparatus for processing substrates includes a chamber defining a plurality of processing regions, a heater disposed centrally within each pair of processing regions, each heater having a first major surface and a second major surface opposing the first major surface, each of the first major surfaces defining a first substrate receiving surface and each of the second major surfaces defining a second substrate receiving surface, and a showerhead positioned in an opposing relationship to each of the first substrate receiving surfaces and each of the second substrate receiving surfaces of the heaters.

公开(公告)号：US20220406594A1

公开(公告)日：2022-12-22

申请号：US17352039

申请日：2021-06-18

Applicant: Applied Materials, Inc.

Inventor： Aykut AYDIN ,  Rui CHENG ,  Karthik JANAKIRAMAN ,  Abhijit B. MALLICK ,  Takehito KOSHIZAWA ,  Bo QI

IPC: H01L21/02

Abstract: Embodiments of the present disclosure generally relate to processes for forming silicon- and boron-containing films for use in, e.g., spacer-defined patterning applications. In an embodiment, a spacer-defined patterning process is provided. The process includes disposing a substrate in a processing volume of a processing chamber, the substrate having patterned features formed thereon, and flowing a first process gas into the processing volume, the first process gas comprising a silicon-containing species, the silicon-containing species having a higher molecular weight than SiH4. The process further includes flowing a second process gas into the processing volume, the second process gas comprising a boron-containing species, and depositing, under deposition conditions, a conformal film on the patterned features, the conformal film comprising silicon and boron.

公开(公告)号：US20220262643A1

公开(公告)日：2022-08-18

申请号：US17179103

申请日：2021-02-18

Applicant: Applied Materials, Inc.

Inventor： Krishna NITTALA ,  Sarah Michelle BOBEK ,  Kwangduk Douglas LEE ,  Ratsamee LIMDULPAIBOON ,  Dimitri KIOUSSIS ,  Karthik JANAKIRAMAN

IPC: H01L21/308 ,  H01L21/324 ,  H01L21/3065 ,  H01L21/67

Abstract: Aspects generally relate to methods, systems, and apparatus for processing substrates using one or more amorphous carbon hardmask layers. In one aspect, film stress is altered while facilitating enhanced etch selectivity. In one implementation, a method of processing a substrate includes depositing one or more amorphous carbon hardmask layers onto the substrate, and conducting a rapid thermal anneal operation on the substrate after depositing the one or more amorphous carbon hardmask layers. The rapid thermal anneal operation lasts for an anneal time that is 60 seconds or less. The rapid thermal anneal operation includes heating the substrate to an anneal temperature that is within a range of 600 degrees Celsius to 1,000 degrees Celsius. The method includes etching the substrate after conducting the rapid thermal anneal operation.

公开(公告)号：US20200321210A1

公开(公告)日：2020-10-08

申请号：US16797111

申请日：2020-02-21

Applicant: Applied Materials, Inc.

Inventor： Meenakshi GUPTA ,  Rui CHENG ,  Srinivas GUGGILLA ,  Karthik JANAKIRAMAN ,  Diwakar N. KEDLAYA ,  Zubin HUANG

IPC: H01L21/027 ,  H01L21/32 ,  H01L21/02

Abstract: Embodiments for processing a substrate are provided and include a method of trimming photoresist to provide photoresist profiles with smooth sidewall surfaces and to tune critical dimensions (CD) for the patterned features and/or a subsequently deposited dielectric layer. The method can include depositing a sacrificial structure layer on the substrate, depositing a photoresist on the sacrificial structure layer, and patterning the photoresist to produce a crude photoresist profile on the sacrificial structure layer. The method also includes trimming the photoresist with a plasma to produce a refined photoresist profile covering a first portion of the sacrificial structure layer while a second portion of the sacrificial structure layer is exposed, etching the second portion of the sacrificial structure layer to form patterned features disposed on the substrate, and depositing a dielectric layer on the patterned features.

公开(公告)号：US20180294144A1

公开(公告)日：2018-10-11

申请号：US15939363

申请日：2018-03-29

Applicant: Applied Materials, Inc.

Inventor： Joseph F. AUBUCHON ,  Nattaworn NUNTAWORANUCH ,  Yi YANG ,  Truong NGUYEN ,  Karthik JANAKIRAMAN ,  Sanjeev BALUJA

IPC: H01J37/32 ,  H01L21/02 ,  C23C16/513 ,  C23C16/455 ,  C23C16/34

Abstract: Implementations of the disclosure relate to a processing system. In one implementation, the processing system includes a lid, a gas distribution plate disposed below the lid, the gas distribution plate having through holes arranged across the diameter of the gas distribution plate, a pedestal disposed below the gas distribution plate, the pedestal and the gas distribution plate defining a plasma excitation region therebetween, a first RPS unit having a first gas outlet coupled to a first gas inlet disposed at the lid, the first gas outlet being in fluid communication with the plasma excitation region, and a second RPS unit having a second gas outlet coupled to a second gas inlet disposed at the lid, wherein the second gas outlet is in fluid communication with the plasma excitation region, and the second RPS unit has an ion filter disposed between the second gas outlet and the second gas inlet.