公开(公告)号：US20200312673A1

公开(公告)日：2020-10-01

申请号：US16802554

申请日：2020-02-27

Applicant: Tokyo Electron Limited

Inventor： Yu-Hao Tsai ,  Du Zhang ,  Mingmei Wang ,  Aelan Mosden ,  Matthew Flaugh

IPC: H01L21/3213

Abstract: Methods for the atomic layer etch (ALE) of tungsten or other metal layers are disclosed that use in part sequential oxidation and reduction of tungsten/metal layers to achieve target etch parameters. For one embodiment, a metal layer is first oxidized to form a metal oxide layer and an underlying metal layer. The metal oxide layer is then reduced to form a surface metal layer and an underlying metal oxide layer. The surface metal layer is then removed to leave the underlying metal oxide layer and the underlying metal layer. Further, the oxidizing, reducing, and removing processes can be repeated to achieve a target etch depth. In addition, a target etch rate can also achieved for each process cycle of oxidizing, reducing, and removing.

公开(公告)号：US20200234968A1

公开(公告)日：2020-07-23

申请号：US16739889

申请日：2020-01-10

Applicant: Tokyo Electron Limited

Inventor： Du Zhang ,  Yu-Hao Tsai ,  Mingmei Wang

IPC: H01L21/311 ,  H01L21/3065 ,  H01L21/3213

Abstract: A method for selective plasma etching of silicon oxide relative to silicon nitride. The method includes a) providing a substrate containing a silicon oxide film and a silicon nitride film, b) exposing the substrate to a plasma-excited treatment gas containing 1) H2 and 2) HF, F2, or both HF and F2, to form a silicon oxide surface layer with reduced oxygen content on the silicon oxide film and form an ammonium salt layer on the silicon nitride film, c) exposing the substrate to a plasma-excited halogen-containing gas that reacts with and removes the silicon oxide surface layer from the silicon oxide film, and d) repeating steps b) and c) at least once to further selectively etch the silicon oxide film relative to the ammonium salt layer on the silicon nitride film. The ammonium salt layer may be removed when the desired etching has been achieved.

公开(公告)号：US20250046603A1

公开(公告)日：2025-02-06

申请号：US18362150

申请日：2023-07-31

Applicant: Tokyo Electron Limited

Inventor： Du Zhang ,  Koki Mukaiyama ,  Takatoshi Orui ,  Tomohiko Niizeki ,  Maju Tomura ,  Yoshihide Kihara ,  Mingmei Wang

IPC: H01L21/02 ,  H01L21/3065 ,  H01L21/308

Abstract: A method for processing a substrate that includes: forming a passivation layer over sidewalls of a recess in a carbon-containing layer over a substrate by a cyclic passivation process including a plurality of cycles, each of the plurality of cycles including, exposing the substrate to a first gas including a refractory metal in the absence of a plasma, and after exposing to the first gas, exposing the substrate to a second gas including oxygen or nitrogen.

公开(公告)号：US20240420965A1

公开(公告)日：2024-12-19

申请号：US18337281

申请日：2023-06-19

Applicant: Tokyo Electron Limited

Inventor： Shihsheng Chang ,  Yen-Tien Lu ,  Du Zhang ,  David L. O'Meara ,  Jeffrey Shearer

IPC: H01L21/311 ,  C23C16/30 ,  C23C16/44 ,  C23C16/455 ,  H01L21/3065

Abstract: A method for processing a substrate that includes: patterning a carbon-based hardmask layer over a dielectric layer to form a first recess in the carbon-based hardmask layer, the first recess having a tapered profile such that a width of the first recess at a first height is greater than a width of the first recess at a second height that is lower than the first height; depositing a metal-containing layer over the patterned carbon-based hardmask layer, the metal-containing layer being physically in contact with sidewalls of the patterned carbon-based hardmask layer in the first recess, the metal-containing layer being thicker at the first height than at the second height; and etching the dielectric layer using the patterned carbon-based hardmask layer as an etch mask by an anisotropic plasma etch process to form a second recess in the dielectric layer.

公开(公告)号：US20240112887A1

公开(公告)日：2024-04-04

申请号：US17937151

申请日：2022-09-30

Applicant: Tokyo Electron Limited:

Inventor： Du Zhang ,  Yu-Hao Tsai ,  Masahiko Yokoi ,  Yoshihide Kihara ,  Mingmei Wang

IPC: H01J37/32 ,  H01L21/311

CPC classification number: H01J37/3244 ,  H01L21/31116 ,  H01J37/321 ,  H01J37/32724 ,  H01J2237/2001 ,  H01J2237/3341 ,  H01J2237/3345 ,  H01J2237/3346

Abstract: A method of processing a substrate that includes: flowing dioxygen (O2) and an adsorbate precursor into a plasma processing chamber that is configured to hold the substrate including an organic layer and a patterned etch mask; sustaining an oxygen-rich plasma while flowing the O2 and the adsorbate precursor, oxygen species from the O2 and the adsorbate precursor reacting under the oxygen-rich plasma to form an adsorbate; and exposing the substrate to the oxygen-rich plasma to form a recess in the organic layer, where the adsorbate forms a sidewall passivation layer in the recess.

公开(公告)号：US11538692B2

公开(公告)日：2022-12-27

申请号：US17327305

申请日：2021-05-21

Applicant: Tokyo Electron Limited

Inventor： Yunho Kim ,  Du Zhang ,  Shihsheng Chang ,  Mingmei Wang ,  Andrew Metz

IPC: H01L21/311 ,  H01J37/32

Abstract: A method for processing a substrate includes performing a cyclic process including a plurality of cycles, where the cyclic process includes: forming, in a plasma processing chamber, a passivation layer over sidewalls of a recess in a carbon-containing layer, by exposing the substrate to a first gas including boron, silicon, or aluminum, the carbon-containing layer being disposed over a substrate, purging the plasma processing chamber with a second gas including a hydrogen-containing gas, an oxygen-containing gas, or molecular nitrogen, and exposing the substrate to a plasma generated from the second gas, where each cycle of the plurality of cycles extends the recess vertically into the carbon-containing layer.

公开(公告)号：US20220157615A1

公开(公告)日：2022-05-19

申请号：US17515133

申请日：2021-10-29

Applicant: Tokyo Electron Limited

Inventor： Du Zhang ,  Yu-Hao Tsai ,  Mingmei Wang

IPC: H01L21/311

Abstract: A method of high-throughput dry etching of a film by proton-mediated catalyst formation. The method includes providing a substrate having a film thereon containing silicon-oxygen components, silicon-nitrogen components, or both, introducing an etching gas in the process chamber, plasma-exciting the etching gas, and exposing the film to the plasma-excited etching gas to etch the film. In one example, the etching gas contains at least three different gases that include a fluorine-containing gas, a hydrogen-containing gas, and a nitrogen-containing gas, plasma-exciting the etching gas. In another example, the etching gas contains at least four different gases that include a fluorine-containing gas, a hydrogen-containing gas, an oxygen-containing gas, and a silicon-containing gas.

公开(公告)号：US11024508B2

公开(公告)日：2021-06-01

申请号：US16828308

申请日：2020-03-24

Applicant: Tokyo Electron Limited

Inventor： Du Zhang ,  Yu-Hao Tsai ,  Mingmei Wang

IPC: H01L21/3065

Abstract: A method for selective plasma etching of silicon oxide relative to silicon nitride is described. The method includes providing a substrate containing a silicon oxide film and a silicon nitride film, and selectively etching the silicon oxide film relative to the silicon nitride film by: a1) exposing the substrate to a plasma-excited passivation gas containing carbon, sulfur, or both carbon and sulfur, where the plasma-excited passivation gas does not contain fluorine or hydrogen, and b1) exposing the substrate to a plasma-excited etching gas containing a fluorine-containing gas. The method can further include, between a1) and b1), an additional step of a2) exposing the substrate to a plasma-excited additional passivation gas containing a fluorocarbon gas, hydrofluorocarbon gas, a hydrochlorocarbon gas, a hydrochlorofluorocarbon gas, or a hydrocarbon gas, or a combination thereof.

公开(公告)号：US20200321218A1

公开(公告)日：2020-10-08

申请号：US16828308

申请日：2020-03-24

Applicant: Tokyo Electron Limited

Inventor： Du Zhang ,  Yu-Hao Tsai ,  Mingmei Wang

IPC: H01L21/3065

Abstract: A method for selective plasma etching of silicon oxide relative to silicon nitride is described. The method includes providing a substrate containing a silicon oxide film and a silicon nitride film, and selectively etching the silicon oxide film relative to the silicon nitride film by: a1) exposing the substrate to a plasma-excited passivation gas containing carbon, sulfur, or both carbon and sulfur, where the plasma-excited passivation gas does not contain fluorine or hydrogen, and b1) exposing the substrate to a plasma-excited etching gas containing a fluorine-containing gas. The method can further include, between a1) and b1), an additional step of a2) exposing the substrate to a plasma-excited additional passivation gas containing a fluorocarbon gas, hydrofluorocarbon gas, a hydrochlorocarbon gas, a hydrochlorofluorocarbon gas, or a hydrocarbon gas, or a combination thereof.

公开(公告)号：US12237172B2

公开(公告)日：2025-02-25

申请号：US17746406

申请日：2022-05-17

Applicant: Tokyo Electron Limited

Inventor： Du Zhang ,  Christophe Vallee ,  Mingmei Wang

IPC: H01L21/3065 ,  C23F1/12 ,  C23G5/00 ,  H01L21/311 ,  H01L21/3213

Abstract: A method of processing a substrate that includes: loading the substrate in a plasma processing chamber, the substrate having a surface including an oxide, the oxide including an alkaline earth metal; flowing a process gas including CCl4 into the plasma processing chamber; in the plasma processing chamber, forming a fluorine-free plasma from the process gas by applying a source power to a source electrode of the plasma processing chamber; and exposing the substrate to the fluorine-free plasma to etch the oxide of the surface.