Selective etch for metal-containing materials

US9711366B2 · kind B2 · utility

Assignee

• Applied Materials, Inc. · US

Inventors

• Nitin K. Ingle · San Jose, US
• Jessica S. Kachian · Portland, US
• Lin Xu · Fremont, US
• Soonam Park · Sunnyvale, US
• Xikun Wang · Sunnyvale, US
• Jeffrey W. Anthis · San Jose, US

Key dates

• Filing date: Jan 6, 2016
• Grant date: Jul 18, 2017
• Expiry date: Jan 6, 2036

Classification

• Technology area (CPC H): Electricity
• CPC primary: H01J2237/3341
• WIPO field: Semiconductors
• WIPO sector: Electrical engineering

Abstract

Methods of selectively etching metal-containing materials from the surface of a substrate are described. The etch selectively removes metal-containing materials relative to silicon-containing films such as silicon, polysilicon, silicon oxide, silicon germanium and/or silicon nitride. The methods include exposing metal-containing materials to halogen containing species in a substrate processing region. A remote plasma is used to excite the halogen-containing precursor and a local plasma may be used in embodiments. Metal-containing materials on the substrate may be pretreated using moisture or another OH-containing precursor before exposing the resulting surface to remote plasma excited halogen effluents in embodiments.