# US 10,319,591 B2 · Geometric control of bottom-up pillars for patterning applications

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- Number: US 10,319,591 B2
- Document ID: US10319591B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 15/805,753
- Filed: 2017-11-07
- Published: 2018-05-10
- Granted: 2019-06-11
- Earliest claimed: 2016-11-08
- Assignees: Applied Materials, Inc.
- Applicants: Applied Materials, Inc.
- Inventors: Ziqing Duan; Abhijit Basu Mallick
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10319591B2

## CPC

- H10P 76/4085: {characterised by the processes involved to create the masks}
- H10P 14/6308: {of Group IV semiconductors}
- H10P 50/283: {by chemical means}
- H10P 95/062: {involving a dielectric removal step}
- H10W 20/01: {Manufacture or treatment}
- H10W 20/056: {by filling conductive material into holes, grooves or trenches}
- H10W 20/063: {by forming conductive members before forming protective insulating material}
- H10W 20/069: {by forming self-aligned vias or self-aligned contact plugs}
- H10W 20/0693: {by forming self-aligned vias}
- H10W 20/0696: {by using sacrificial placeholders, e.g. using sacrificial plugs}
- H10W 20/083: {the openings being via holes penetrating underlying conductors}
- H10P: GENERIC PROCESSES OR APPARATUS FOR THE MANUFACTURE OR TREATMENT OF DEVICES COVERED BY CLASS H10
- H10W: GENERIC PACKAGES, INTERCONNECTIONS, CONNECTORS OR OTHER CONSTRUCTIONAL DETAILS OF DEVICES COVERED BY CLASS H10

## 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.

## Claims

### Claim 1

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.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, further comprising forming the first pillar.

### Claim 3 (depends on 2)

The method of claim 2, wherein forming the first pillar comprises depositing a first pillar material in the feature and expanding the first pillar material straight up to extend from the substrate surface.

### Claim 4 (depends on 3)

The method of claim 3, wherein expanding the first pillar material comprises one or more of oxidizing or nitriding the first pillar material.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein removing the first film to expose the first pillar top comprises a chemical-mechanical planarization process.

### Claim 6 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein removing the first pillar material comprises etching the first pillar material.

### Claim 7 (depends on 6)

The method of claim 6, wherein etching the first pillar material comprises exposing the first pillar material to a metal halide compound.

### Claim 8 (depends on 7)

The method of claim 7, wherein the metal halide compound has a different metal than the first pillar material.

### Claim 9 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein the second pillar is different from the first pillar material.

### Claim 10 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein removing the second film to expose the first film and the top of the second pillar comprises a chemical-mechanical planarization process.

### Claim 11 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein removing the first film to leave the substrate with the second pillar comprises etching the first film.

### Claim 12 (depends on 11)

The method of claim 11, wherein etching the first film comprises exposing the first film to a metal halide compound.

### Claim 13

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.

### Claim 14 (depends on 13)

The method of claim 13, wherein forming the first pillar comprises depositing a first pillar material in the feature and expanding the first pillar material straight up to extend from the substrate surface.

### Claim 15 (depends on 14)

The method of claim 14, wherein expanding the first pillar material comprises one or more of oxidizing or nitriding the first pillar material.

### Claim 16 (depends on 13)

The method of claim 13, wherein removing the first film to expose the first pillar top comprises a chemical-mechanical planarization process.

### Claim 17 (depends on 13)

The method of claim 13, wherein removing the second film to expose the first film and the top of the second pillar comprises a chemical-mechanical planarization process.

### Claim 18 (depends on 13)

The method of claim 13, wherein etching the first pillar material and the first film comprises exposing the first pillar material and the first film to a metal halide compound.

### Claim 19 (depends on 18)

The method of claim 18, wherein the metal halide compound has a different metal than the first pillar material or the first film.

### Claim 20

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.