公开(公告)号：US10861676B2

公开(公告)日：2020-12-08

申请号：US15912404

申请日：2018-03-05

Applicant: Applied Materials, Inc.

Inventor： Zhenjiang Cui ,  Nitin Ingle ,  Feiyue Ma ,  Hanshen Zhang ,  Siliang Chang ,  Daniella Holm

IPC: H01J37/32 ,  H01L27/10 ,  H01L21/02 ,  H01L27/02 ,  H01L21/285 ,  H01L21/3213 ,  H01L27/11582

Abstract: Exemplary methods for etching a variety of metal-containing materials may include flowing an oxygen-containing precursor into a semiconductor processing chamber. A substrate positioned within the semiconductor processing chamber may include a trench formed between two vertical columns and a metal-containing material arranged within a plurality of recesses defined by the two vertical columns. The plurality of recesses may include a first recess and a second recess adjacent to the first recess. The metal-containing material arranged within the first recess and the metal-containing material arranged within the second recess may be connected by the metal-containing material lining a portion of sidewalls of the trench. The methods may further include oxidizing the metal-containing material with the oxygen-containing precursor. The methods may also include flowing a halide precursor into the semiconductor processing chamber. The methods may further include laterally etching the oxidized metal-containing material lining the portion of the sidewalls of the trench.

公开(公告)号：US10593553B2

公开(公告)日：2020-03-17

申请号：US16056001

申请日：2018-08-06

Applicant: Applied Materials, Inc.

Inventor： Mikhail Korolik ,  Nitin Ingle ,  Dimitri Kioussis

IPC: H01L21/306 ,  H01L21/3065 ,  H01J37/32

Abstract: Exemplary methods for etching a germanium-containing material may include forming a plasma of a fluorine-containing precursor in a remote plasma region of a semiconductor processing chamber. The methods may include flowing effluents of the fluorine-containing precursor through apertures defined in a chamber component. The apertures may be coated with a catalytic material. The methods may include reducing a concentration of fluorine radicals in the plasma effluents with the catalytic material. The methods may also include delivering the plasma effluents to a processing region of the semiconductor processing chamber. A substrate having an exposed region of a germanium-containing material may be housed within the processing region. The methods may further include etching the germanium-containing material.

公开(公告)号：US10566206B2

公开(公告)日：2020-02-18

申请号：US15390955

申请日：2016-12-27

Applicant: Applied Materials, Inc.

Inventor： Mandar Pandit ,  Nitin Ingle

IPC: H01J37/32 ,  H01L21/3065 ,  H01L21/02

Abstract: Processing methods may be performed to remove unwanted materials from a substrate, such as a native oxide material. The methods may include forming an inert plasma within a processing region of a processing chamber. Effluents of the inert plasma may be utilized to modify a surface of an exposed material on a semiconductor substrate within the processing region of the semiconductor chamber. A remote plasma may be formed from a fluorine-containing precursor to produce plasma effluents. The methods may include flowing the plasma effluents to the processing region of the semiconductor processing chamber. The methods may also include removing the modified surface of the exposed material from the semiconductor substrate.

公开(公告)号：US20200013632A1

公开(公告)日：2020-01-09

申请号：US16028928

申请日：2018-07-06

Applicant: Applied Materials, Inc.

Inventor： Zhijun Chen ,  Chia-Ling Kao ,  Anchuan Wang ,  Nitin Ingle

IPC: H01L21/311 ,  H01L21/67

Abstract: Exemplary etching methods may include flowing a hydrogen-containing precursor into a substrate processing region of a semiconductor processing chamber. The methods may include flowing a fluorine-containing precursor into the substrate processing region. The methods may include contacting a substrate housed in the substrate processing region with the hydrogen-containing precursor and the fluorine-containing precursor. The substrate may define a trench. A spacer may be formed along a sidewall of the trench, and the spacer may include a plurality of layers including a first layer of a carbon-containing material, a second layer of an oxygen-containing material, and a third layer of a carbon-containing material. The second layer of the spacer may be disposed between the first layer and third layer of the spacer. The methods may also include removing the oxygen-containing material.

公开(公告)号：US10319603B2

公开(公告)日：2019-06-11

申请号：US15792328

申请日：2017-10-24

Applicant: Applied Materials, Inc.

Inventor： Zhijun Chen ,  Jiayin Huang ,  Anchuan Wang ,  Nitin Ingle

IPC: H01L21/311 ,  H01L21/02

Abstract: Exemplary methods for laterally etching silicon nitride may include flowing a fluorine-containing precursor and an oxygen-containing precursor into a remote plasma region of a semiconductor processing chamber. The methods may include forming a plasma within the remote plasma region to generate plasma effluents of the fluorine-containing precursor and the oxygen-containing precursor. The methods may also include flowing the plasma effluents into a processing region of the semiconductor processing chamber. A substrate may be positioned within the processing region, and the substrate may include a trench formed through stacked layers including alternating layers of silicon nitride and silicon oxide. The methods may also include laterally etching the layers of silicon nitride from sidewalls of the trench while substantially maintaining the layers of silicon oxide. The layers of silicon nitride may be laterally etched less than 10 nm from the sidewalls of the trench.

公开(公告)号：US10062579B2

公开(公告)日：2018-08-28

申请号：US15288898

申请日：2016-10-07

Applicant: Applied Materials, Inc.

Inventor： Zhijun Chen ,  Jiayin Huang ,  Anchuan Wang ,  Nitin Ingle

IPC: H01L21/311 ,  H01L21/02

CPC classification number: H01L21/31116 ,  H01L21/0217 ,  H01L21/02323

Abstract: Exemplary methods for laterally etching silicon nitride may include flowing a fluorine-containing precursor and an oxygen-containing precursor into a remote plasma region of a semiconductor processing chamber. The methods may include forming a plasma within the remote plasma region to generate plasma effluents of the fluorine-containing precursor and the oxygen-containing precursor. The methods may also include flowing the plasma effluents into a processing region of the semiconductor processing chamber. A substrate may be positioned within the processing region, and the substrate may include a trench formed through stacked layers including alternating layers of silicon nitride and silicon oxide. The methods may also include laterally etching the layers of silicon nitride from sidewalls of the trench while substantially maintaining the layers of silicon oxide. The layers of silicon nitride may be laterally etched less than 10 nm from the sidewalls of the trench.

公开(公告)号：US20160260619A1

公开(公告)日：2016-09-08

申请号：US15155596

申请日：2016-05-16

Applicant: Applied Materials, Inc.

Inventor： Jingchun Zhang ,  Anchuan Wang ,  Nitin Ingle

IPC: H01L21/311 ,  H01J37/32 ,  C09K13/00 ,  H01L21/67

CPC classification number: H01L21/31116 ,  C09K13/00 ,  H01J37/32357 ,  H01J37/32422 ,  H01L21/02164 ,  H01L21/0217 ,  H01L21/3065 ,  H01L21/311 ,  H01L21/32135 ,  H01L21/32136 ,  H01L21/32137 ,  H01L21/67069

Abstract: A method of selectively etching silicon nitride from a substrate comprising a silicon nitride layer and a silicon oxide layer includes flowing a fluorine-containing gas into a plasma generation region of a substrate processing chamber and applying energy to the fluorine-containing gas to generate a plasma in the plasma generation region. The plasma comprises fluorine radicals and fluorine ions. The method also includes filtering the plasma to provide a reactive gas having a higher concentration of fluorine radicals than fluorine ions and flowing the reactive gas into a gas reaction region of the substrate processing chamber. The method also includes exposing the substrate to the reactive gas in the gas reaction region of the substrate processing chamber. The reactive gas etches the silicon nitride layer at a higher etch rate than the reactive gas etches the silicon oxide layer.

公开(公告)号：US10943834B2

公开(公告)日：2021-03-09

申请号：US15918613

申请日：2018-03-12

Applicant: Applied Materials, Inc.

Inventor： Sankuei Lin ,  Ajay Bhatnagar ,  Nitin Ingle

IPC: H01L21/82 ,  H01L21/76 ,  H01L21/02 ,  H01L21/8238 ,  H01L27/092 ,  H01L29/06 ,  H01L29/423 ,  H01L29/417 ,  H01L29/786 ,  H01L21/768 ,  H01L29/08

Abstract: Processing methods may be performed to expose a contact region on a semiconductor substrate. The methods may include selectively removing a first region of a silicon material between source/drain regions of a semiconductor substrate to expose a first region of oxide material. The methods may include forming a liner over the first region of oxide material and contacting second regions of the silicon material proximate the source/drain regions of the semiconductor substrate. The methods may also include selectively removing the second regions of the silicon material proximate the source/drain regions of the semiconductor substrate to expose a second region of the oxide material. The methods may further include selectively removing the second region of the oxide material from a surface of a contact in the semiconductor structure.

公开(公告)号：US20200168463A1

公开(公告)日：2020-05-28

申请号：US16201724

申请日：2018-11-27

Applicant: Applied Materials, Inc.

Inventor： Jungmin Ko ,  Kwang-Soo Kim ,  Tom Choi ,  Nitin Ingle

IPC: H01L21/3065 ,  H01L21/308

Abstract: Exemplary methods of etching semiconductor substrates may include flowing a fluorine-containing precursor into a processing region of a semiconductor processing chamber. The processing region may house a substrate having an exposed region of a first silicon-containing material and an exposed region of a second silicon-containing material. The second silicon-containing material may be exposed within a recessed feature defined by the substrate. The methods may include flowing a silicon-containing precursor into the processing region of the semiconductor processing chamber. The methods may include forming a plasma within the processing region of the semiconductor processing chamber to generate plasma effluents of the fluorine-containing precursor and the silicon-containing precursor. The methods may include contacting the substrate with the plasma effluents. The methods may include removing at least a portion of the second silicon-containing material.

公开(公告)号：US10128086B1

公开(公告)日：2018-11-13

申请号：US15792290

申请日：2017-10-24

Applicant: Applied Materials, Inc.

Inventor： Jiayin Huang ,  Zhijun Chen ,  Anchuan Wang ,  Nitin Ingle

IPC: H01L21/3065 ,  H01L21/3213 ,  H01L21/768 ,  C23C16/455 ,  H01J37/32 ,  C23C16/40 ,  C23C16/34 ,  H01L21/02

Abstract: Exemplary methods for treating a silicon-containing substrate may include flowing plasma effluents of a hydrogen-containing precursor into a processing region of the semiconductor processing chamber. A silicon-containing substrate may be positioned within the processing region and include a trench formed through stacked layers including alternating layers of silicon nitride and silicon oxide exposing a portion of the silicon-containing substrate. The methods may include contacting the exposed portion of the silicon-containing substrate with the plasma effluents. The methods may include flowing an oxygen-containing precursor into the processing region of the semiconductor processing chamber. The methods may include contacting the exposed portion of the silicon-containing substrate with the oxygen-containing precursor. The methods may also include converting the exposed portion of the silicon-containing substrate to silicon oxide.