# US 11,443,954 B2 · Method and apparatus for controlling a shape of a pattern over a substrate > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 11,443,954 B2 - Document ID: US11443954B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 16/709,430 - Filed: 2019-12-10 - Published: 2021-06-10 - Granted: 2022-09-13 - Earliest claimed: 2019-12-10 - Assignees: Tokyo Electron Limited - Applicants: Tokyo Electron Limited - Inventors: Takayuki Katsunuma - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US11443954B2 ## CPC - H10P 50/287: {by chemical means} - H10P 14/6314: {of a metallic layer} - H10P 50/73: {using masks for insulating materials} - H10P 72/0421: {for drying etching} - H10P 72/0604: {Process monitoring, e.g. flow or thickness monitoring} - H10P: GENERIC PROCESSES OR APPARATUS FOR THE MANUFACTURE OR TREATMENT OF DEVICES COVERED BY CLASS H10 ## Abstract An apparatus and method process a substrate in a first session and a second session. In the first session, a hybrid gas application cycle is performed in a chamber that holds the substrate. A first gas is introduced for a first time period so components of the first gas adsorb onto the substrate. Subsequently, a second gas is introduced for a second time period so the second gas reacts with the components of the first gas to provide a protective layer on sidewalls of a pattern of the substrate, and the second gas etches a bottom portion of the pattern, a ratio of the first time period to the second time period being a use-ratio. Then, in a second session, the hybrid gas application cycle is repeated with a different use-ratio that corresponds with a vertical dimension of the pattern. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A method of processing a substrate comprising: etching and forming a recess in the substrate to form a pattern of the substrate; in a first session, performing a hybrid gas application cycle in a chamber that holds the substrate having the recess formed therein, including introducing a first gas as a precursor for a first time period in the chamber so the precursor adsorbs onto sidewalls of the pattern of the substrate, and subsequently, introducing a second gas as a reaction gas for a second time period in a condition so the reaction gas reacts with the precursor to provide a protective layer on the sidewalls of the pattern of the substrate and, at the same time, the reaction gas etches away the protective layer and a portion of the substrate at a bottom portion of the pattern so that the protective layer is formed only on the sidewalls of the pattern, a ratio of the first time period to the second time period being a use-ratio; and in a second session, repeating the hybrid gas application cycle with a different use-ratio that corresponds with a vertical dimension of the pattern. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the precursor is a silicon-containing gas, and the reaction gas is an oxygen radical gas. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the pattern is a hole and the use-ratio for the first session is set to be less than the different use-ratio for the second session so as to form the hole with a tapered shape. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the pattern is a hole and the use-ratio used in the first session is set to be greater than the different use-ratio for the second session so as to form the hole with wider dimension toward a bottom of the hole. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, further comprising: in the first session, repeating the hybrid gas application cycle while maintaining the use-ratio. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, further comprising: performing a third session by repeating the hybrid gas application cycle with a greater use-ratio than the use-ratio of the first session and the different use-ratio of the second session. ### Claim 7 (depends on 6) The method of claim 6, wherein a number of hybrid gas application cycles performed in the first session is greater than that for the second session, and the use-ratio in the first session is greater than the different use-ratio in the second session. ### Claim 8 (depends on 7) The method of claim 7, wherein a number of hybrid gas application cycles performed in the second session is greater than that for the third session, and the different use-ratio in the second session is greater than that for the third session. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the hybrid gas application cycle includes applying at least one of the first gas or the second gas as a plasma. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the introducing a second gas comprises introducing the second gas after a predetermined time after the first time period has elapsed. ### Claim 11 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, further comprising: in the first session, performing an intermediate step between the introducing the first gas and the introducing the second gas. ### Claim 12 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the chamber used in the step of introducing the first gas is a different chamber than that used in the step of introducing the second gas. ### Claim 13 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the second gas is an O-containing gas. ### Claim 14 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the use-ratio for the first session differs from the use-ratio for the second session by a factor of 1.5. ### Claim 15 A method of processing a substrate comprising: etching and forming a recess in the substrate to form a pattern of the substrate; in a first session, performing a hybrid gas application cycle in a chamber that holds the substrate having the recess formed therein, including introducing a first gas as a precursor for a first time period in the chamber so the precursor absorbs onto sidewalls of the pattern of the substrate, subsequently, introducing a second gas as a reaction gas in a first condition so the reaction gas reacts with the precursor to provide a protective layer on the sidewalls of the pattern of the substrate, and subsequently introducing another reaction gas in a second condition for a second time period so as to etch away the protective layer and a portion of the substrate at a bottom portion of the pattern, a ratio of the first time period to the second time period being a use-ratio; and in a second session, repeating the hybrid gas application cycle with a different use-ratio that corresponds with a vertical dimension of the pattern so as to control a shape along the vertical dimension of the pattern, wherein the another reaction gas is different from the second gas and the second condition is different from the first condition. ### Claim 16 (depends on 15) The method of claim 15, further comprising: in the first session, repeating the hybrid gas application cycle while maintaining the use-ratio. ### Claim 17 (depends on 15) The method of claim 15, wherein the hybrid gas application cycle includes applying at least one of the first gas or the second gas as a plasma. ### Claim 18 (depends on 15) The method of claim 15, wherein the use-ratio for the first session differs from the use-ratio for the second session by a factor of 1.5.