Nanocrystalline diamond carbon film for 3D NAND hardmask application

US9865464B2 · kind B2 · utility

Assignee

• Applied Materials, Inc. · US

Inventors

• Yongmei Chen · 丈亭镇, CN
• Christopher S. Ngai · Burlingame, US
• Jingjing Liu · Shanghai, CN
• Jun Xue · San Jose, US
• Chentsau Ying · Cupertino, US
• Ludovic Godet · Sunnyvale, US

Key dates

• Filing date: Nov 10, 2016
• Grant date: Jan 9, 2018
• Expiry date: Nov 10, 2036

Classification

• Technology area (CPC H): Electricity
• CPC primary: H10D64/693
• WIPO field: Semiconductors
• WIPO sector: Electrical engineering

Abstract

A nanocrystalline diamond layer for use in forming a semiconductor device and methods for using the same are disclosed herein. The device can include a substrate with a processing surface and a supporting surface, a device layer formed on the processing surface and a nanocrystalline diamond layer formed on the processing layer, the nanocrystalline diamond layer having an average grain size of between 2 nm and 5 nm. The method can include positioning a substrate in a process chamber, depositing a device layer on a processing surface, depositing a nanocrystalline diamond layer on the device layer, the nanocrystalline diamond layer having an average grain size of between 2 nm and 5 nm, patterning and etching the nanocrystalline diamond layer, etching the device layer to form a feature and ashing the nanocrystalline diamond layer from the surface of the device layer.