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US 11,112,694 B2Granted
Methods of forming variable-depth device structures
AssigneeApplied Materials, Inc.
InventorsAndre P. LaBonte, Ludovic Godet, Rutger Meyer Timmerman Thijssen
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Abstract
A method for forming a device structure is disclosed. The method of forming the device structure includes forming a variable-depth structure in a device material layer using cyclic-etch process techniques. A plurality of device structures is formed in the variable-depth structure to define vertical or slanted device structures therein. The variable-depth structure and the vertical or slanted device structures are formed using an etch process.
Claims27
A method, comprising:
- forming a gray-tone resist over a device material, the forming the gray-tone resist comprising:
- disposing a resist material over the device material;
- and
- developing the resist material to form a gray-tone pattern;
- performing a cyclic-etch process, the cyclic-etch process comprising:
- etching a resist segment of the gray-tone pattern using a resist etch process selective to the resist material;
- etching a device segment of the device material using a device pattern etch process selective to the device material;
- and
- repeating the resist etch process for subsequent resist segments of the gray-tone pattern and etching subsequent device segments to form a device material pattern, the top surface of the device material pattern having a gradient;
- disposing a hardmask over the device material;
- patterning the hardmask to expose segments of the device material;
- and
- etching exposed segments of the device material to form a plurality of device structures having a variable depth corresponding to the gradient.
10 more elements
A method, comprising:
- disposing a device material layer over a surface of a substrate, the surface of the substrate having an etch stop layer;
- disposing a hardmask over the device material layer and patterning the hardmask to expose segments of the device material layer;
- forming a gray-tone resist over the hardmask, the forming the gray-tone resist comprising:
- disposing a resist material over the hardmask;
- and
- developing the resist material to form a gray-tone pattern;
- and
- performing a cyclic-etch process, the cyclic-etch process comprising:
- etching a resist segment of the gray-tone pattern using a resist etch process selective to the resist material;
- etching an exposed segment of the device material layer using a device etch process selective to a device material of the device material layer;
- and
- repeating the resist etch process for subsequent resist segments of the gray-tone pattern and repeating the device etch process for subsequent exposed device segments of the device material layer to form a plurality of device structures having a variable depth.
9 more elements
A method, comprising:
- disposing a hardmask over a surface of a substrate and patterning the hardmask to expose segments of the substrate;
- forming a gray-tone resist over the hardmask, the forming the gray-tone resist comprising:
- disposing a resist material over the hardmask;
- and
- developing the resist material to form a gray-tone pattern using laser ablation;
- and
- performing a cyclic-etch process, the cyclic-etch process comprising:
- etching a resist segment of the gray-tone pattern using a resist etch process selective to the resist material;
- etching an exposed segment of the substrate using a device etch process selective to the substrate material;
- and
- repeating the resist etch process for subsequent resist segments of the gray-tone pattern and repeating the device etch process to exposed segments of the substrate material layer to form a plurality of device structures in the substrate having a variable depth.
8 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.