# US 10,504,729 B2 · Methods for controlling an end-to-end distance in semiconductor device

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- Number: US 10,504,729 B2
- Document ID: US10504729B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 16/402,620
- Filed: 2019-05-03
- Published: 2019-08-22
- Granted: 2019-12-10
- Earliest claimed: 2017-11-29
- Assignees: Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company, Ltd.
- Applicants: Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co., Ltd.
- Inventors: Yu-Lien Huang; Tsai-Chun Li; Huan-Just Lin; Huang-Ming Chen; Yang-Cheng Wu; Cheng-Hua Yang
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10504729B2

## CPC

- H10P 76/4088: {Processes for improving the resolution of the masks}
- G03F 7/2004: {characterised by the use of a particular light source, e.g. fluorescent lamps or deep UV light}
- G03F 7/36: Imagewise removal not covered by groups G03F7/30 - G03F7/34, e.g. using gas streams, using plasma
- H01J 37/32422: {Arrangement for selecting ions or species in the plasma}
- H10D 84/0149: {Manufacturing their interconnections or electrodes, e.g. source or drain electrodes}
- H10D 84/0158: {the components including FinFETs}
- H10D 84/038: {using silicon technology, e.g. SiGe}
- H10P 50/283: {by chemical means}
- H10P 50/287: {by chemical means}
- H10P 50/73: {using masks for insulating materials}
- H10P 72/0421: {for drying etching}
- H10P 76/2041: {Photolithographic processes}
- H10P 76/4083: {characterised by their behaviours during the lithography processes, e.g. soluble masks or redeposited masks}
- H10P 76/4085: {characterised by the processes involved to create the masks}
- H10W 20/069: {by forming self-aligned vias or self-aligned contact plugs}
- H10W 20/0698: {Local interconnections}
- H10W 20/083: {the openings being via holes penetrating underlying conductors}
- H01J 37/321: {the radio frequency energy being inductively coupled to the plasma}
- H01J 37/32715: {Workpiece holder}
- H01J 2237/20214: Rotation
- H01J 2237/20228: Mechanical X-Y scanning
- H01J 2237/334: Etching
- 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)
- H01J: ELECTRIC DISCHARGE TUBES OR DISCHARGE LAMPS (spark-gaps H01T; electric arc lamps H05B31/00; particle accelerators H05H)
- H10D: INORGANIC ELECTRIC SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICES
- H10W: GENERIC PACKAGES, INTERCONNECTIONS, CONNECTORS OR OTHER CONSTRUCTIONAL DETAILS OF DEVICES COVERED BY CLASS H10

## Abstract

Embodiments of the present disclosure may be used for patterning a layer in a 5 nm node or beyond fabrication to achieve an end-to-end distance below 35 nm. Compared to the state of the art technology, embodiments of the present disclosure reduce cycle time and cost of production from three lithographic processes and four etching processes to one lithographic process and three etch processes.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A method of forming a semiconductor device, the method comprising:
forming a first layer over a substrate;
forming a first mask layer over the first layer;
patterning the first mask layer to form a first opening in the first mask layer, the first opening having a first dimension along a first axis and a second dimension along a second axis, the first axis being perpendicular to the second axis;
etching the first mask layer to increase the first opening to have a third dimension along the first axis and a fourth dimension along the second axis, wherein a difference between the first dimension and the third dimension is greater than a difference between the second dimension and the fourth dimension; and
etching the first layer using the first mask layer as a mask.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein the etching is performed at least in part by an angled ion beam.

### Claim 3 (depends on 2)

The method of claim 2, wherein the angled ion beam has an impinging angle between about 10 degrees and 30 degrees relative to an axis perpendicular to an upper surface of the substrate.

### Claim 4 (depends on 2)

The method of claim 2, wherein the angled ion beam is generated from a plasma of an etching gas, wherein the etching gas includes a fluorine-containing gas.

### Claim 5 (depends on 4)

The method of claim 4, wherein the fluorine-containing gas comprises tetrafluoromethane (CF4), nitrogen hexafluoroethane (C2F6), trifluoromethane (CHF3), difluoromethane (CH2F2), octofluoropropane (C3F8), or octofluorocyclobutane (C4F8), Octafluorocyclopentene (C5F8).

### Claim 6 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein etching the first mask layer comprises:
performing a first directional etch in a first direction along the first axis; and
performing a second directional etch in a second direction along the first axis, the second direction being opposite the first direction.

### Claim 7

A method of forming a semiconductor device, the method comprising:
forming a first layer over a substrate;
forming a first mask layer over the first layer;
patterning the first mask layer to form a first opening, the first opening having a first dimension along a first line and a second dimension along a second line, the first line being perpendicular to the second line;
performing a directional etch along the first line, the directional etch increasing the first dimension of the first opening to a third dimension; and
etching the first layer using the first mask layer as a mask.

### Claim 8 (depends on 7)

The method of claim 7, wherein performing the directional etch comprises:
performing a first directional etch in a first direction along the first line; and
performing a second directional etch in a second direction along the first line, the first direction being different than the first direction.

### Claim 9 (depends on 7)

The method of claim 7, wherein the first opening has an aspect ratio between about 1.0 to about 10, and wherein the directional etch has an impinging angle of between 10 degrees and 30 degrees, wherein the impinging angle is relative a line perpendicular to a surface of the first mask layer.

### Claim 10 (depends on 7)

The method of claim 7, wherein the directional etch comprises an only directional etch performed between patterning the first mask layer and etching the first layer.

### Claim 11 (depends on 10)

The method of claim 10, wherein the directional etch etches in a single direction.

### Claim 12 (depends on 10)

The method of claim 10, wherein the directional etch etches in two directions simultaneously.

### Claim 13 (depends on 7)

The method of claim 7, wherein the directional etch comprises etching using a directional ion beam, wherein an angle of the directional ion beam is a spread in a range of angles, wherein the angle is measured relative to a line perpendicular to an upper surface of the first mask layer.

### Claim 14 (depends on 13)

The method of claim 13, wherein the range of angles is about 10 degrees.

### Claim 15

A method of forming a semiconductor device, the method comprising:
forming a first layer over a substrate;
forming a first mask layer over the first layer;
forming a first opening in the first mask layer, the first opening having a first dimension along a first line and a second dimension along a second line;
performing a first directional etch to increase the first opening in a first direction of the first line;
performing a second directional etch to increase the first opening in a second direction of the first line, the first direction being opposite the second direction; and
prior to performing any additional etchings, etching the first layer using the first layer using the first mask layer as a mask to form a second opening in the first layer.

### Claim 16 (depends on 15)

The method of claim 15, wherein the second opening has a third dimension along the first line and a fourth dimension along the second line, wherein a difference between the second dimension and the fourth dimension is less than 3 nm.

### Claim 17 (depends on 15)

The method of claim 15, wherein forming the first opening is performed using an extreme ultraviolet (EUV) lithographic process.

### Claim 18 (depends on 15)

The method of claim 15, wherein the first directional etch and the second directional etch are performed using an ion beam.

### Claim 19 (depends on 18)

The method of claim 18, wherein the ion beam has a spread angle of about 10 degrees or 5 degrees.

### Claim 20 (depends on 15)

The method of claim 15, wherein the first directional etch and the second directional etch are performed simultaneously.