Cyclic spacer etching process with improved profile control

US9478433B1 · kind B1 · utility

Assignee

• Applied Materials, Inc. · US

Inventors

• Qingjun Zhou · Sunnyvale, US
• Jungmin Ko · Seoul, KR
• Tom Choi · Sunnyvale, US
• Sean S. Kang · San Ramon, US
• Jeremiah T. Pender · San Jose, US
• Srinivas D. Nemani · Sunnyvale, US
• Ying Zhang · Santa Clara, US

Key dates

• Filing date: Dec 14, 2015
• Grant date: Oct 25, 2016
• Expiry date: Dec 14, 2035

Classification

• Technology area (CPC H): Electricity
• CPC primary: H01L21/32137
• WIPO field: Semiconductors
• WIPO sector: Electrical engineering

Abstract

Embodiments described herein relate to methods for patterning a substrate. Patterning processes, such as double patterning and quadruple patterning processes, may benefit from the embodiments described herein which include performing an inert plasma treatment on a spacer material, performing an etching process on a treated region of the spacer material, and repeating the inert plasma treatment and the etching process to form a desired spacer profile. The inert plasma treatment process may be a biased process and the etching process may be an unbiased process. Various processing parameters, such as process gas ratios and pressures, may be controlled to influence a desired spacer profile.