公开(公告)号：US11183383B2

公开(公告)日：2021-11-23

申请号：US16825514

申请日：2020-03-20

Applicant: Lam Research Corporation

Inventor： David Charles Smith ,  Richard Wise ,  Arpan Mahorowala ,  Patrick van Cleemput ,  Bart J. van Schravendijk

IPC: C23C16/455 ,  H01L21/033 ,  H01L21/3213 ,  H01L21/311 ,  C23C16/40 ,  C23C16/56 ,  H01L21/02 ,  H01L21/027 ,  H01L21/67 ,  H01J37/32

Abstract: Thin tin oxide films are used as spacers in semiconductor device manufacturing. In one implementation, thin tin oxide film is conformally deposited onto a semiconductor substrate having an exposed layer of a first material (e.g., silicon oxide or silicon nitride) and a plurality of protruding features comprising a second material (e.g., silicon or carbon). For example, 10-100 nm thick tin oxide layer can be deposited using atomic layer deposition. Next, tin oxide film is removed from horizontal surfaces, without being completely removed from the sidewalls of the protruding features. Next, the material of protruding features is etched away, leaving tin oxide spacers on the substrate. This is followed by etching the unprotected portions of the first material, without removal of the spacers. Next, underlying layer is etched, and spacers are removed. Tin-containing particles can be removed from processing chambers by converting them to volatile tin hydride.

公开(公告)号：US20200219725A1

公开(公告)日：2020-07-09

申请号：US16825514

申请日：2020-03-20

Applicant: Lam Research Corporation

Inventor： David Charles Smith ,  Richard Wise ,  Arpan Mahorowala ,  Patrick van Cleemput ,  Bart J. van Schravendijk

IPC: H01L21/033 ,  H01L21/3213 ,  C23C16/455 ,  H01L21/311 ,  C23C16/40 ,  H01J37/32 ,  C23C16/56 ,  H01L21/02 ,  H01L21/027 ,  H01L21/67

Abstract: Thin tin oxide films are used as spacers in semiconductor device manufacturing. In one implementation, thin tin oxide film is conformally deposited onto a semiconductor substrate having an exposed layer of a first material (e.g., silicon oxide or silicon nitride) and a plurality of protruding features comprising a second material (e.g., silicon or carbon). For example, 10-100 nm thick tin oxide layer can be deposited using atomic layer deposition. Next, tin oxide film is removed from horizontal surfaces, without being completely removed from the sidewalls of the protruding features. Next, the material of protruding features is etched away, leaving tin oxide spacers on the substrate. This is followed by etching the unprotected portions of the first material, without removal of the spacers. Next, underlying layer is etched, and spacers are removed. Tin-containing particles can be removed from processing chambers by converting them to volatile tin hydride.

公开(公告)号：US20240234152A9

公开(公告)日：2024-07-11

申请号：US18547481

申请日：2022-02-18

Applicant: Lam Research Corporation

Inventor： Lawrence Schloss ,  Joshua Collins ,  Griffin John Kennedy ,  Hanna Bamnolker ,  Sang-Hyeob Lee ,  Patrick van Cleemput ,  Sanjay Gopinath

IPC: H01L21/285 ,  C23C16/02 ,  C23C16/14 ,  C23C16/455 ,  C23C16/46 ,  C23C16/52

CPC classification number: H01L21/28568 ,  C23C16/02 ,  C23C16/14 ,  C23C16/45527 ,  C23C16/45544 ,  C23C16/46 ,  C23C16/52

Abstract: Provided herein are low resistance metallization stack structures for 3D-NAND applications and related methods of fabrication. In some embodiments, thin metal oxynitride nucleation layers are deposited on dielectric material followed by deposition of a pure metal conductor using process conditions that increase non-molybdenum component element content at the oxynitride-dielectric interface. Certain embodiments of the methods described below convert less than all of the metal oxynitride nucleation layer to a pure metal layer, further lowering the resistivity.

公开(公告)号：US20200219758A1

公开(公告)日：2020-07-09

申请号：US16825473

申请日：2020-03-20

Applicant: Lam Research Corporation

Inventor： Patrick van Cleemput ,  Seshasayee Varadarajan ,  Bart J. van Schravendijk

IPC: H01L21/768 ,  H01L29/417 ,  H01L29/66 ,  H01L21/67 ,  H01L21/311 ,  H01L21/02 ,  H01L29/78

Abstract: Tin oxide films are used to create air gaps during semiconductor substrate processing. Tin oxide films, disposed between exposed layers of other materials, such as SiO2 and SiN can be selectively etched using a plasma formed in an Hz-containing process gas. The etching creates a recessed feature in place of the tin oxide between the surrounding materials. A third material, such as SiO2 is deposited over the resulting recessed feature without fully filling the recessed feature, forming an air gap. A method for selectively etching tin oxide in a presence of SiO2, SiC, SiN, SiOC, SiNO, SiCNO, or SiCN, includes, in some embodiments, contacting the substrate with a plasma formed in a process gas comprising at least about 50% Hz. Etching of tin oxide can be performed without using an external bias at the substrate and is preferably performed at a temperature of less than about 100° C.

公开(公告)号：US20250115998A1

公开(公告)日：2025-04-10

申请号：US18985663

申请日：2024-12-18

Applicant: Lam Research Corporation

Inventor： Ravi Vellanki ,  Eric H. Lenz ,  Vinayakaraddy Gulabal ,  Sanjay Gopinath ,  Michal Danek ,  Prodyut Majumder ,  Novy Tjokro ,  Yen-Chang Chen ,  Shruti Vivek Thombare ,  Gorun Butail ,  Patrick van Cleemput

IPC: C23C16/455 ,  C23C16/06 ,  H01L21/3205

Abstract: Various showerheads and methods are provided. A showerhead may include a faceplate partially defined by a front surface and a back surface, a back plate having a gas inlet, a first conical frustum surface, and a second conical frustum surface, a plenum volume fluidically connected to the gas inlet and at least partially defined by the gas inlet, the back surface of the faceplate, the first conical frustum surface, and the second conical frustum surface, and a baffle plate positioned within the plenum volume, and having a plurality of baffle plate through-holes extending through the baffle plate. The second conical frustum surface may be positioned radially outwards from the first conical frustum surface with respect to a center axis of the showerhead, and the second conical frustum surface may be positioned along the center axis farther from the gas inlet than the first conical frustum surface.

公开(公告)号：US20240136192A1

公开(公告)日：2024-04-25

申请号：US18547481

申请日：2022-02-18

Applicant: Lam Research Corporation

Inventor： Lawrence Schloss ,  Joshua Collins ,  Griffin John Kennedy ,  Hanna Bamnolker ,  Sang-Hyeob Lee ,  Patrick van Cleemput ,  Sanjay Gopinath

IPC: H01L21/285 ,  C23C16/02 ,  C23C16/14 ,  C23C16/455 ,  C23C16/46 ,  C23C16/52

CPC classification number: H01L21/28568 ,  C23C16/02 ,  C23C16/14 ,  C23C16/45527 ,  C23C16/45544 ,  C23C16/46 ,  C23C16/52

Abstract: Provided herein are low resistance metallization stack structures for 3D-NAND applications and related methods of fabrication. In some embodiments, thin metal oxynitride nucleation layers are deposited on dielectric material followed by deposition of a pure metal conductor using process conditions that increase non-molybdenum component element content at the oxynitride-dielectric interface. Certain embodiments of the methods described below convert less than all of the metal oxynitride nucleation layer to a pure metal layer, further lowering the resistivity.

公开(公告)号：US11637037B2

公开(公告)日：2023-04-25

申请号：US16825473

申请日：2020-03-20

Applicant: Lam Research Corporation

Inventor： Patrick van Cleemput ,  Seshasayee Varadarajan ,  Bart J. van Schravendijk

IPC: H01L21/768 ,  H01L29/417 ,  H01L29/66 ,  H01L21/67 ,  H01L21/311 ,  H01L21/02 ,  H01L29/78

Abstract: Tin oxide films are used to create air gaps during semiconductor substrate processing. Tin oxide films, disposed between exposed layers of other materials, such as SiO2 and SiN can be selectively etched using a plasma formed in an Hz-containing process gas. The etching creates a recessed feature in place of the tin oxide between the surrounding materials. A third material, such as SiO2 is deposited over the resulting recessed feature without fully filling the recessed feature, forming an air gap. A method for selectively etching tin oxide in a presence of SiO2, SiC, SiN, SiOC, SiNO, SiCNO, or SiCN, includes, in some embodiments, contacting the substrate with a plasma formed in a process gas comprising at least about 50% Hz. Etching of tin oxide can be performed without using an external bias at the substrate and is preferably performed at a temperature of less than about 100° C.