Patent · US Active

Etching methods with alternating non-plasma and plasma etching processes

US12341017B2 · kind B2 · utility

0Cited by
4References
19Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventors

Key dates

Filing dateOct 26, 2022
Grant dateJun 24, 2025
Priority date
Expiry dateJun 21, 2043

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC H)Electricity
  • CPC primaryH01L21/31144
  • WIPO fieldSemiconductors
  • WIPO sectorElectrical engineering

Abstract

A method for forming an aperture pattern in a substrate, the substrate including a film disposed thereon and a patterned mask layer disposed on the film, comprises 1) exposing the substrate to a vapor of a passivation molecule in a non-plasma condition for a period to form a surface protective layer on the patterned mask layer, 2) exposing the substrate to a plasma activated etch gas and plasma dry etching the substrate to form apertures over the patterned mask layer in the film with the plasma activated etch gas, and 3) repeating step 1) and 2) until a desired aperture pattern is formed in the film, wherein the surface protective layer is also formed on the sidewalls of the apertures formed in the film, wherein the passivation molecule has a boiling point equal to or larger than 20° C.

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