Patent · US Active

Tin oxide thin film spacers in semiconductor device manufacturing

US11784047B2 · kind B2 · utility

7Cited by
38References
17Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventors

Key dates

Filing dateApr 22, 2021
Grant dateOct 10, 2023
Priority date
Expiry dateApr 22, 2041

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC H)Electricity
  • CPC primaryH01J2237/3342
  • WIPO fieldSemiconductors
  • WIPO sectorElectrical engineering

Abstract

Thin tin oxide films can be used in semiconductor device manufacturing. In one implementation, a method of processing a semiconductor substrate includes: providing a semiconductor substrate having a plurality of protruding features residing on an etch stop layer material, and an exposed tin oxide layer in contact with both the protruding features and the etch stop layer material, where the tin oxide layer covers both sidewalls and horizontal surfaces of the protruding features; and then completely removing the tin oxide layer from horizontal surfaces of the semiconductor substrate without completely removing the tin oxide layer residing at the sidewalls of the protruding features. Next, the protruding features can be removed without completely removing the tin oxide layer that resided at the sidewalls of the protruding features, thereby forming tin oxide spacers.

Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.