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US 10,319,591 B2Granted
Geometric control of bottom-up pillars for patterning applications
AssigneeApplied Materials, Inc.
InventorsZiqing Duan, Abhijit Basu Mallick
Life of this patent
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Abstract
Processing methods comprising selectively replacing a first pillar material with a second pillar material in a self-aligned process are described. The first pillar material may be grown orthogonally to the substrate surface and replaced with a second pillar material to leave a substantially similar shape and alignment as the first pillar material.
Claims20
A processing method comprising:
- providing a substrate with a substrate surface having at least one feature extending into the substrate from the substrate surface, the feature having a bottom and sidewalls, the substrate comprising a first material, a first pillar is positioned within the feature and extends out of the feature to a first pillar top so that sides of the first pillar are substantially coplanar with the sidewalls of the feature;
- depositing a first film on the substrate surface so that the first film covers the substrate surface, the sides of the first pillar outside of the feature and the first pillar top;
- removing the first film to expose the first pillar top through the first film;
- removing the first pillar material, to leave an empty feature in the substrate and a passage through the first film;
- depositing a second film on the first film so that the second film fills the feature in the substrate and the passage through the first film to form a second pillar;
- removing the second film to expose the first film and a top of the second pillar;
- and
- removing the first film to leave the substrate with the second pillar extending out of the feature and so that a portion of sides of the second pillar are outside the feature.
5 more elements
A processing method comprising:
- providing a substrate with a substrate surface having at least one feature extending into the substrate from the substrate surface, the feature having a bottom and sidewalls, and a depth defined from the substrate surface to the bottom of the feature, the substrate comprising a first material;
- forming a first pillar within the feature and extending out of the feature to a first pillar top to a height greater than the depth of the feature;
- depositing a first film on the substrate surface so that the first film covers the substrate surface, sides of the first pillar material extending out of the feature and the first pillar material;
- removing the first film to expose the first pillar top through the first film;
- etching the first pillar material to leave an empty feature in the substrate and a passage through the first film;
- depositing a second film on the first film so that the second film fills the feature in the substrate and the passage through the first film to form a second pillar comprising a material different than the first pillar;
- removing the second film to expose the first film and a top of the second pillar;
- and
- etching the first film to leave the substrate with the second pillar extending out of the feature.
6 more elements
A processing method comprising:
- providing a substrate with a substrate surface;
- forming at least one feature in the substrate, the at least one feature extending a depth into the substrate from the substrate surface, the feature having a bottom and sidewalls;
- forming a first pillar in the feature comprising depositing a metal in the feature and expanding the metal to extend out of the feature to a first pillar top having a height greater than the depth of the feature;
- depositing a first film on the substrate surface so that the first film covers the substrate surface, sides of the first pillar outside of the feature and the first pillar material;
- removing the first film by chemical-mechanical planarization to expose the first pillar top through the first film;
- etching the first pillar material by exposing the first material to a metal halide compound to leave an empty feature in the substrate and a passage through the first film;
- depositing a second film on the first film so that the second film fills the feature in the substrate and the passage through the first film to form a second pillar made of a material different than the first material;
- removing the second film to expose the first film and a top of the second pillar by chemical-mechanical planarization;
- and
- etching the first film by exposing the first film to a metal halide compound to leave the substrate with the second pillar extending out of the feature.
7 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.