Self-aligned spacer formation
AssigneeTokyo Electron Limited
InventorsKandabara N. Tapily, Robert D. Clark
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Abstract
A method of self-aligned spacer formation is described. According to one embodiment of the invention, a substrate processing method is provided, where the method includes forming a sacrificial film over a substrate, creating a pattern in the sacrificial film, conformally depositing a first spacer layer over the patterned sacrificial film, removing horizontal portions of the first spacer layer while substantially leaving vertical portions of the first spacer layer, and selectively depositing a second spacer layer on the first spacer layer.
Claims20
A substrate processing method, comprising:
- forming a sacrificial film over a substrate;
- creating a pattern in the sacrificial film;
- conformally depositing a first spacer layer over the patterned sacrificial film;
- removing horizontal portions of the first spacer layer while substantially leaving vertical portions of the first spacer layer;
- and
- thereafter, performing a gas phase exposure, thereby selectively depositing a second spacer layer on the first spacer layer and not on the patterned sacrificial film, wherein the first spacer layer comprises a metal-containing layer that catalyzes the selective deposition of the second spacer layer on the first spacer layer.
A substrate processing method, comprising:
- forming a sacrificial film over a substrate;
- creating a pattern in the sacrificial film;
- conformally depositing a first spacer layer over the patterned sacrificial film;
- removing horizontal portions of the first spacer layer while substantially leaving vertical portions of the first spacer layer;
- thereafter, selectively depositing a second spacer layer on the first spacer layer, wherein the selectively depositing the second spacer layer on the first spacer layer forms horizontal portions of the second spacer layer over a top surface of the first spacer layer;
- removing the sacrificial film after selectively depositing the second spacer layer;
- and
- removing the first spacer layer, thereby forming a pattern containing the second spacer layer, wherein removing the first spacer layer includes
- removing the horizontal portions of the second spacer layer over the top surface of the first spacer layer to expose the first spacer layer;
- and
- removing the exposed first spacer layer.
A substrate processing method, comprising:
- forming a sacrificial film over a substrate;
- creating a pattern in the sacrificial film;
- conformally depositing a first spacer layer over the patterned sacrificial film;
- removing horizontal portions of the first spacer layer while substantially leaving vertical portions of the first spacer layer;
- removing the sacrificial film;
- thereafter, performing a gas phase exposure, thereby selectively depositing a second spacer layer on the first spacer layer;
- removing the first spacer layer, thereby forming a pattern containing the second spacer layer, wherein removing the first spacer layer includes
- removing horizontal portions of the second spacer layer over a top surface of the first spacer layer to expose the first spacer layer;
- and
- removing the exposed first spacer layer.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.