# US 10,483,109 B2 · Self-aligned spacer formation

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- Number: US 10,483,109 B2
- Document ID: US10483109B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 15/484,917
- Filed: 2017-04-11
- Published: 2017-10-12
- Granted: 2019-11-19
- Earliest claimed: 2016-04-12
- Assignees: Tokyo Electron Limited
- Applicants: Tokyo Electron Limited
- Inventors: Kandabara N. Tapily; Robert D. Clark
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10483109B2

## CPC

- H10P 76/4085: {characterised by the processes involved to create the masks}
- G03F 7/16: Coating processes; Apparatus therefor (applying coatings to base materials in general B05; applying photosensitive compositions to base for photographic purposes G03C1/74)
- G03F 7/168: {Finishing the coated layer, e.g. drying, baking, soaking}
- G03F 7/2004: {characterised by the use of a particular light source, e.g. fluorescent lamps or deep UV light}
- G03F 7/32: Liquid compositions therefor, e.g. developers
- G03F 7/38: Treatment before imagewise removal, e.g. prebaking {(G03F7/265 takes precedence)}
- H10P 76/2043: {using an anti-reflective coating}
- H10P 76/405: {characterised by their composition, e.g. multilayer masks}
- H10P 76/4083: {characterised by their behaviours during the lithography processes, e.g. soluble masks or redeposited masks}
- G03F 7/40: Treatment after imagewise removal, e.g. baking
- H10P: GENERIC PROCESSES OR APPARATUS FOR THE MANUFACTURE OR TREATMENT OF DEVICES COVERED BY CLASS H10
- G03F: PHOTOMECHANICAL PRODUCTION OF TEXTURED OR PATTERNED SURFACES, e.g. FOR PRINTING, FOR PROCESSING OF SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICES; MATERIALS THEREFOR; ORIGINALS THEREFOR; APPARATUS SPECIALLY ADAPTED THEREFOR; (phototypographic composing devices B41B; photosensitive materials or processes for photographic purposes G03C; electrophotography, sensitive layers or processes therefor G03G)

## 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.

## Claims

### Claim 1

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.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein creating the pattern in the sacrificial film comprises:
depositing, imaging, and developing a photo-resist layer;
etching the sacrificial film in accordance with the imaged photo-resist layer; and
removing the photo-resist layer.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein conformally depositing the first spacer layer includes vapor phase deposition.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein removing at least one horizontal portion of the first spacer layer includes removing a horizontal portion over a top surface of the sacrificial film.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein depositing the second spacer layer includes
alternatingly depositing a metal-containing layer containing aluminum or titanium and a SiO2 layer.

### Claim 6 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, further comprising
removing the sacrificial film after selectively depositing the second spacer layer, thereby forming a pattern containing the first and second spacer layers.

### Claim 7 (depends on 6)

The method of claim 6, wherein a thin film is formed between the substrate and the sacrificial film, the method further comprising:
using the vertical portions of the remaining first and second spacer layers as a mask to etch the thin film.

### Claim 8 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, further comprising
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.

### Claim 9 (depends on 8)

The method of claim 8, wherein a thin film is formed between the substrate and the sacrificial film, the method further comprising:
using the vertical portions of the remaining second spacer layer as a mask to etch the thin film.

### Claim 10 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, further comprising
removing the sacrificial film before selectively depositing the second spacer layer; and
removing the first spacer layer, thereby forming a pattern containing the second spacer layer.

### Claim 11 (depends on 10)

The method of claim 10, wherein a thin film is formed between the substrate and the sacrificial film, the method further comprising:
using the vertical portions of the remaining second spacer layer as a mask to etch the thin film.

### Claim 12 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, further comprising
removing the sacrificial film before selectively depositing the second spacer layer.

### Claim 13 (depends on 12)

The method of claim 12, wherein a thin film is formed between the substrate and the sacrificial film, the method further comprising:
using the vertical portions of the remaining first and second spacer layers as a mask to etch the thin film.

### Claim 14 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein the metal-containing layer contains aluminum or titanium.

### Claim 15 (depends on 14)

The method of claim 14, wherein the metal-containing layer is selected from the group consisting of Al, Al2O3, AlN, AlON, an Al-containing precursor, Ti, TiO2, TiON, TiN, a Ti-containing precursor, and combinations thereof.

### Claim 16 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein the second spacer layer comprises a SiO2 layer.

### Claim 17 (depends on 16)

The method of claim 16, wherein the SiO2 layer is deposited using a silanol gas phase exposure.

### Claim 18

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.

### Claim 19 (depends on 18)

The method of claim 18, 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.

### Claim 20

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.