公开(公告)号：US11158517B2

公开(公告)日：2021-10-26

申请号：US16739889

申请日：2020-01-10

Applicant: Tokyo Electron Limited

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

IPC: H01L21/3105 ,  H01L21/311 ,  H01L21/3213 ,  H01L21/3065

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：US11152217B2

公开(公告)日：2021-10-19

申请号：US16902582

申请日：2020-06-16

Applicant: Tokyo Electron Limited

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

IPC: H01L21/306 ,  H01L21/3105

Abstract: A method for selective etching of silicon oxide relative to silicon nitride includes exposing a substrate to a first gas that forms a first layer on the silicon oxide film and a second layer on the silicon nitride film, where the first gas contains boron, aluminum, or both boron and aluminum, exposing the substrate to a nitrogen-containing gas that reacts with the first layer to form a first nitride layer on the silicon oxide film and reacts with the second layer to form a second nitride layer on the silicon nitride film, where a thickness of the second nitride layer is greater than a thickness of the first nitride layer. The method further includes exposing the substrate to an etching gas that etches the first nitride layer and silicon oxide film, where the second nitride layer protects the silicon nitride film from etching by the etching gas.

公开(公告)号：US12131914B2

公开(公告)日：2024-10-29

申请号：US17521958

申请日：2021-11-09

Applicant: Tokyo Electron Limited ,  Université d'Orléans

Inventor： Du Zhang ,  Hojin Kim ,  Shigeru Tahara ,  Kaoru Maekawa ,  Mingmei Wang ,  Jacques Faguet ,  Remi Dussart ,  Thomas Tillocher ,  Philippe Lefaucheux ,  Gaëlle Antoun

IPC: H01L21/311 ,  H01L21/02

CPC classification number: H01L21/31116 ,  H01L21/0212 ,  H01L21/02274 ,  H01L21/0228

Abstract: A method for processing a substrate that includes: loading the substrate in a plasma processing chamber; performing a cyclic plasma etch process including a plurality of cycles, where each cycle of the plurality of cycles includes: generating a first plasma from a first gas mixture including a fluorosilane and oxygen; performing a deposition step by exposing the substrate to the first plasma to form a passivation film including silicon and fluorine; generating a second plasma from a second gas mixture including a noble gas; and performing an etch step by exposing the substrate to the second plasma.

公开(公告)号：US11887815B2

公开(公告)日：2024-01-30

申请号：US17307691

申请日：2021-05-04

Applicant: Tokyo Electron Limited

Inventor： Yunho Kim ,  Yanxiang Shi ,  Mingmei Wang

IPC: H01J37/32 ,  H01J37/18 ,  H01L21/67

CPC classification number: H01J37/32266 ,  H01J37/18 ,  H01J37/3211 ,  H01J37/3222 ,  H01J37/32091 ,  H01J37/32119 ,  H01J37/32229 ,  H01J37/32715 ,  H01J2237/327 ,  H01J2237/334 ,  H01L21/67069

Abstract: In one example, a plasma processing system includes a vacuum system, a plasma processing chamber including a chamber cavity coupled to the vacuum system, a substrate holder including a surface disposed inside the chamber cavity, a radio frequency (RF) source electrode coupled to an RF power source, the RF source electrode configured to ignite plasma in the chamber cavity. The system includes a microwave source coupled to a microwave oscillator, and a conductive spatial uniformity component including a plurality of through openings, where the conductive spatial uniformity component includes a major surface electromagnetically coupled to the microwave source, the major surface configured to couple microwave power to the plasma in the chamber cavity.

公开(公告)号：US20230374670A1

公开(公告)日：2023-11-23

申请号：US17746406

申请日：2022-05-17

Applicant: Tokyo Electron Limited

Inventor： Du Zhang ,  Christophe Vallee ,  Mingmei Wang

IPC: C23F1/12

CPC classification number: C23F1/12

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.

公开(公告)号：US20230307242A1

公开(公告)日：2023-09-28

申请号：US17704372

申请日：2022-03-25

Applicant: Tokyo Electron Limited

Inventor： Yu-Hao Tsai ,  Du Zhang ,  Mingmei Wang ,  Takatoshi Orui ,  Motoi Takahashi ,  Masahiko Yokoi ,  Koki Tanaka ,  Yoshihide Kihara

IPC: H01L21/3065

CPC classification number: H01L21/3065

Abstract: A method of processing a substrate includes patterning a mask over a dielectric layer and etching openings in the dielectric layer. The dielectric layer is disposed over the substrate. The etching includes flowing an etchant, a polar or H-containing gas, and a phosphorus-halide gas. The method may further include forming contacts by filling the openings with a conductive material.

公开(公告)号：US20230081862A1

公开(公告)日：2023-03-16

申请号：US17471971

申请日：2021-09-10

Applicant: Tokyo Electron Limited

Inventor： Yanxiang Shi ,  Yu-Hao Tsai ,  Katie Lutker-Lee ,  Angelique Raley ,  Mingmei Wang

IPC: H01J37/32 ,  H01L21/3065 ,  H01L21/66

Abstract: A method for plasma processing that includes: loading a dummy wafer between a focus ring positioned within a plasma process chamber; depositing a material layer over the focus ring by a plasma deposition process within the plasma process chamber; removing the dummy wafer from the plasma process chamber, and loading a substrate to be processed between the focus ring with the material layer within the plasma process chamber and performing a plasma process on the substrate.

公开(公告)号：US20220246386A1

公开(公告)日：2022-08-04

申请号：US17307691

申请日：2021-05-04

Applicant: Tokyo Electron Limited

Inventor： Yunho Kim ,  Yanxiang Shi ,  Mingmei Wang

IPC: H01J37/18 ,  H01J37/32

Abstract: In one example, a plasma processing system includes a vacuum system, a plasma processing chamber including a chamber cavity coupled to the vacuum system, a substrate holder including a surface disposed inside the chamber cavity, a radio frequency (RF) source electrode coupled to an RF power source, the RF source electrode configured to ignite plasma in the chamber cavity. The system includes a microwave source coupled to a microwave oscillator, and a conductive spatial uniformity component including a plurality of through openings, where the conductive spatial uniformity component includes a major surface electromagnetically coupled to the microwave source, the major surface configured to couple microwave power to the plasma in the chamber cavity.

公开(公告)号：US11232954B2

公开(公告)日：2022-01-25

申请号：US16819918

申请日：2020-03-16

Applicant: Tokyo Electron Limited

Inventor： Yu-Hao Tsai ,  Mingmei Wang

IPC: H01L21/3065 ,  H01L21/02

Abstract: Substrate processing techniques are described in which an etch protection layer that is formed as part of an etch process forms in a self-limiting nature. Thus, over deposition effects are minimized, particularly in the corners of etched polygonal holes. In one embodiment, the layer being etched contains silicon and the protective layer comprises a silicon oxide (SixOy). The process may include the use of a cyclical series of etch and protective layer formation steps. In the case of a silicon oxide based protective layer, a thin protective layer of silicon oxide may be formed in a limiting and controllable manner due to the nature of the oxygen atom interaction with silicon and newly formed silicon oxide protective layers. In this manner, a polygonal hole may be formed without detrimental over deposition of a protective layer in corners of the hole.

公开(公告)号：US20210287908A1

公开(公告)日：2021-09-16

申请号：US16819918

申请日：2020-03-16

Applicant: Tokyo Electron Limited

Inventor： Yu-Hao Tsai ,  Mingmei Wang

IPC: H01L21/3065 ,  H01L21/02

Abstract: Substrate processing techniques are described in which an etch protection layer that is formed as part of an etch process forms in a self-limiting nature. Thus, over deposition effects are minimized, particularly in the corners of etched polygonal holes. In one embodiment, the layer being etched contains silicon and the protective layer comprises a silicon oxide (SixOy). The process may include the use of a cyclical series of etch and protective layer formation steps. In the case of a silicon oxide based protective layer, a thin protective layer of silicon oxide may be formed in a limiting and controllable manner due to the nature of the oxygen atom interaction with silicon and newly formed silicon oxide protective layers. In this manner, a polygonal hole may be formed without detrimental over deposition of a protective layer in corners of the hole.