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US 11,380,578 B2Granted
Formation of angled gratings
AssigneeApplied Materials, Inc.
InventorsRutger Meyer Timmerman Thijssen, Joseph C. Olson, Morgan Evans
Life of this patent
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Abstract
Systems and methods discussed herein can be used to form gratings at various slant angles across a grating material on a single substrate by determining an ion beam angle and changing the angle of an ion beam among and between ion beam angles to form gratings with varying angles and cross-sectional geometries. The substrate can be rotated around a central axis, and one or more process parameters, such as a duty cycle of the ion beam, can be modulated to form a grating with a depth gradient.
Claims20
A method of forming a grating, comprising:
- etching a hardmask layer to form a plurality of openings, the hardmask layer being disposed over a grating material layer that is disposed on a substrate;
- forming a first grating in the grating material layer through the plurality of openings of the hardmask layer, wherein the first grating has a first shape vector and a first grating vector, wherein forming the first grating comprises:
- determining a first ion beam angle ϑ1 relative to a first slant angle ϑ1′ and an angle φ1 which is between the first shape vector and the first grating vector;
- positioning a first portion of the grating material layer in a path of an ion beam at the first ion beam angle ϑ1 relative to the substrate, the substrate being retained on a platen;
- and
- modulating a process parameter when the ion beam is at the first ion beam angle ϑ1 to form a first plurality of fins of the first grating having the first shape vector, the first grating vector, and the first slant angle ϑ1′ relative to a surface normal of the substrate such that the first plurality of fins are formed at the first slant angle ϑ1′.
3 more elements
A method of forming a grating, comprising:
- etching a first grating material layer to form a first feature in the first grating material layer disposed on a substrate;
- depositing an etch stop layer in the first feature;
- depositing a second grating material layer on the etch stop layer;
- depositing a hardmask layer on the second grating material layer;
- etching the hardmask layer to form a plurality of openings;
- and
- forming a first grating in the second grating material layer through the plurality of openings, wherein the first grating has a first shape vector and a first grating vector, wherein forming the first grating comprises:
- determining a first ion beam angle ϑ1 relative to a first slant angle ϑ1′ and an angle φ1 which is between the first shape vector and the first grating vector;
- positioning a first portion of the substrate relative to an ion beam at the first ion beam angle ϑ1, the substrate being retained on a platen and the first ion beam angle ϑ1 being measured relative to a plane parallel to the platen;
- and
- modulating a process parameter when the ion beam is at the first ion beam angle ϑ1 and in contact with the first portion of the substrate.
8 more elements
A method of forming a grating, comprising:
- etching a plurality of openings in a hardmask layer, the hardmask layer being disposed on a grating material layer and the grating material layer being disposed on a substrate,
- etching, through the plurality of openings in the hardmask layer, the substrate, to form a first grating in the grating material layer, the first grating comprising a plurality of fins formed in a recess, wherein the first grating is has a first shape vector and a first grating vector, wherein forming the first grating comprises:
- determining a first ion beam angle ϑ1 relative to a first slant angle ϑ1′ and an angle φ1 which is between the first shape vector and the first grating vector;
- positioning a first portion of the grating material layer relative to an ion beam at the first ion beam angle ϑ1, the ion beam being adjustable within an angle of about 15° to about 75° relative to a plane parallel to the substrate, the substrate being retained on a platen;
- and
- rotating the substrate about a central axis of the platen to a first rotation angle between the ion beam and the first grating vector of the first grating when the ion beam is at the first ion beam angle ϑ1;
- and
- etching the first grating at a first angle to remove a top portion of the plurality of fins to form a wedge, wherein the first shape vector is a wedge vector.
5 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.