公开(公告)号：US11417537B2

公开(公告)日：2022-08-16

申请号：US17197757

申请日：2021-03-10

Applicant: Applied Materials, Inc.

Inventor： Akhil Mehrotra ,  Gene S. Lee ,  Abhijit Patil ,  Shan Jiang ,  Zohreh Hesabi

IPC: H01L21/321 ,  H01L21/3213 ,  H01L21/285 ,  H01L21/3065 ,  H01L21/311

Abstract: A method of removing a metal-containing layer (e.g., tungsten) from a substrate is provided. The method includes generating a first plasma in a process volume of a plasma chamber when a patterned device is disposed on a substrate support in the process volume. The patterned device includes a patterned region and an unpatterned region; a substrate; a tungsten-containing layer formed over the substrate; a supporting layer disposed between the tungsten-containing layer and the substrate. The patterned region includes exposed surfaces of the supporting layer and the unpatterned region does not include any exposed surfaces of the supporting layer. The method further includes depositing a first film over the patterned region of the tungsten-containing layer with the first plasma; and removing portions of the unpatterned region of the tungsten-containing layer with the first plasma without depositing the first film over the unpatterned region.

公开(公告)号：US20250069895A1

公开(公告)日：2025-02-27

申请号：US18236042

申请日：2023-08-21

Applicant: Applied Materials, Inc.

Inventor： Anatoli Chlenov ,  Kenji Takeshita ,  Alok Ranjan ,  Qian Fu ,  Hikaru Watanabe ,  Akhil Mehrotra ,  Lei Liao ,  Zhonghua Yao ,  Sonam Dorje Sherpa

IPC: H01L21/311 ,  H01J37/32

Abstract: Exemplary semiconductor processing methods may include providing a fluorine-containing precursor and a hydrogen-containing precursor to a processing region of a semiconductor processing chamber. A substrate may be housed in the processing region. A layer of a silicon-containing material may be disposed on the substrate. The methods may include forming plasma effluents of the fluorine-containing precursor and the hydrogen-containing precursor. The methods may include contacting the substrate with the plasma effluents of the fluorine-containing precursor and the hydrogen-containing precursor. The contacting may etch a feature in the layer of silicon-containing material. A substrate support pedestal temperature may be maintained at less than or about −20° C. during the semiconductor processing method.

公开(公告)号：US11127599B2

公开(公告)日：2021-09-21

申请号：US16245251

申请日：2019-01-10

Applicant: Applied Materials, Inc.

Inventor： Shan Jiang ,  Gene Lee ,  Akhil Mehrotra ,  Zohreh Hesabi

IPC: H01L21/311 ,  H01J37/32

Abstract: Methods for etching a hardmask layer to transfer features into a material layer using an etch process are provided. The methods described herein advantageously facilitate profile and dimension control of features through a proper sidewall and bottom management scheme during the hardmask open process. In one embodiment, a method for etching a hardmask layer to form features in the hardmask layer includes supplying an etching gas mixture onto a substrate to etch an exposed portion of a hardmask layer exposed by a patterned photoresist layer disposed on the substrate, switching the etching gas mixture to a deposition gas mixture comprising a silicon containing gas to form a passivation layer on sidewalls of the hardmask layer and forming openings in the hardmask layer.

公开(公告)号：US10957558B2

公开(公告)日：2021-03-23

申请号：US16828751

申请日：2020-03-24

Applicant: Applied Materials, Inc.

Inventor： Akhil Mehrotra ,  Gene Lee ,  Abhijit Patil ,  Shan Jiang ,  Zohreh Hesabi

IPC: H01L21/321 ,  H01L21/3213 ,  H01L21/285 ,  H01L21/3065 ,  H01L21/311

Abstract: A method of removing a metal-containing layer (e.g., tungsten) from a substrate is provided. The method includes generating a first plasma in a process volume of a plasma chamber when a patterned device is disposed on a substrate support in the process volume. The patterned device includes a patterned region and an unpatterned region; a substrate; a tungsten-containing layer formed over the substrate; a supporting layer disposed between the tungsten-containing layer and the substrate. The patterned region includes exposed surfaces of the supporting layer and the unpatterned region does not include any exposed surfaces of the supporting layer. The method further includes depositing a first film over the patterned region of the tungsten-containing layer with the first plasma; and removing portions of the unpatterned region of the tungsten-containing layer with the first plasma without depositing the first film over the unpatterned region.

公开(公告)号：US11942332B2

公开(公告)日：2024-03-26

申请号：US17887206

申请日：2022-08-12

Applicant: Applied Materials, Inc.

Inventor： Akhil Mehrotra ,  Gene S. Lee ,  Abhijit Patil ,  Shan Jiang ,  Zohreh Hesabi

IPC: H01L21/32 ,  H01L21/285 ,  H01L21/3065 ,  H01L21/311 ,  H01L21/3213

CPC classification number: H01L21/32137 ,  H01L21/28562 ,  H01L21/3065 ,  H01L21/31122 ,  H01L21/32136

Abstract: A method of removing a metal-containing layer (e.g., tungsten) from a substrate is provided. The method includes generating a first plasma in a process volume of a plasma chamber when a patterned device is disposed on a substrate support in the process volume. The patterned device includes a patterned region and an unpatterned region; a substrate; a tungsten-containing layer formed over the substrate; a supporting layer disposed between the tungsten-containing layer and the substrate. The patterned region includes exposed surfaces of the supporting layer and the unpatterned region does not include any exposed surfaces of the supporting layer. The method further includes depositing a first film over the patterned region of the tungsten-containing layer with the first plasma; and removing portions of the unpatterned region of the tungsten-containing layer with the first plasma without depositing the first film over the unpatterned region.

公开(公告)号：US11817312B2

公开(公告)日：2023-11-14

申请号：US16173988

申请日：2018-10-29

Applicant: APPLIED MATERIALS, INC.

Inventor： Akhil Mehrotra ,  Vinay Shankar Vidyarthi ,  Daksh Agarwal ,  Samaneh Sadighi ,  Jason Kenney ,  Rajinder Dhindsa

IPC: H01L21/02 ,  H01L21/3065 ,  H01J37/32 ,  H01L21/67 ,  H01L21/66 ,  H01L21/308

CPC classification number: H01L21/02274 ,  H01J37/32146 ,  H01L21/0228 ,  H01L21/308 ,  H01L21/3065 ,  H01L21/67069 ,  H01L22/26

Abstract: A method, apparatus and system for processing a wafer in a plasma chamber system, which includes at least a plasma generating element and a biasing electrode, include generating a plasma in the plasma chamber system by applying a source RF source power to the plasma generating element for a first period of time of a pulse period of the RF source power, after the expiration of the first period of time, removing the source RF source power, after a delay after the removal of the RF source power, applying an RF bias signal to the biasing electrode for a second period of time to bias the generated plasma towards the wafer, and after the expiration of the second period of time, removing the RF bias signal from the biasing electrode before a next pulse period of the RF source power. The generated plasma biased toward the wafer is used to process the wafer.