Patent · US Expired

Method for rounding corners and removing damaged outer surfaces of a trench

US6599842B2 · kind B2 · utility

3Cited by
10References
21Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventors

Key dates

Filing dateNov 29, 1999
Grant dateJul 29, 2003
Priority date
Expiry dateNov 29, 2019

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC H)Electricity
  • CPC primaryH01L21/3065
  • WIPO fieldSemiconductors
  • WIPO sectorElectrical engineering

Abstract

A method for processing a substrate disposed in a substrate processing chamber to modify the contour of a trench formed on the substrate. The substrate processing chamber is the type that has a coil and a plasma generation system including a source power system operatively coupled to the coil and a bias power system operatively coupled to the substrate process chamber. The method includes transferring the substrate into the substrate process chamber. Thereafter, the substrate is exposed to a plasma formed from a first process gas consisting essentially of a sputtering agent by applying RF energy from the source power system to the coil. The plasma is biased toward the substrate by applying bias power to the substrate process chamber. Thereafter, the substrate is exposed to a plasma formed from a second process gas without applying bias power or applying minimal bias power to the substrate process chamber.

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