Amorphous carbon deposition method for improved stack defectivity

US8227352B2 · kind B2 · utility

Assignee

• Applied Materials, Inc. · US

Inventors

• Hang Yu · Woodland, US
• Deenesh Padhi · Sunnyvale, US
• Man-Ping Cai · Saratoga, US
• Naomi Yoshida · Sunnyvale, US
• Li Yan Miao · San Francisco, US
• Siu F. Cheng · Culver City, US
• Shahid Shaikh · Houston, US
• Sohyun Park · Santa Clara, US
• Heung Lak Park · San Jose, US
• Bok Hoen Kim · San Jose, US

Key dates

• Filing date: Apr 25, 2011
• Grant date: Jul 24, 2012
• Expiry date: Apr 25, 2031

Classification

• Technology area (CPC H): Electricity
• CPC primary: H01L21/0338
• WIPO field: Semiconductors
• WIPO sector: Electrical engineering

Abstract

Embodiments described herein relate to materials and processes for patterning and etching features in a semiconductor substrate. In one embodiment, a method of forming a composite amorphous carbon layer for improved stack defectivity on a substrate is provided. The method comprises positioning a substrate in a process chamber, introducing a hydrocarbon source gas into the process chamber, introducing a diluent source gas into the process chamber, introducing a plasma-initiating gas into the process chamber, generating a plasma in the process chamber, forming an amorphous carbon initiation layer on the substrate, wherein the hydrocarbon source gas has a volumetric flow rate to diluent source gas flow rate ratio of 1:12 or less; and forming a bulk amorphous carbon layer on the amorphous carbon initiation layer, wherein a hydrocarbon source gas used to form the bulk amorphous carbon layer has a volumetric flow rate to a diluent source gas flow rate of 1:6 or greater to form the composite amorphous carbon layer.