# US 11,444,180 B2 · Method of forming uniform fin features

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- Number: US 11,444,180 B2
- Document ID: US11444180B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 16/988,712
- Filed: 2020-08-09
- Published: 2022-02-10
- Granted: 2022-09-13
- Earliest claimed: 2020-08-09
- Assignees: Nanya Technology Corporation
- Applicants: Nanya Technology Corporation
- Inventors: Ying-Cheng Chuang
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US11444180B2

## CPC

- H10D 30/024: {of fin field-effect transistors [FinFET]}
- H10P 50/696: {Process specially adapted to improve the resolution of the mask}
- H10D 84/0158: {the components including FinFETs}
- H10D 84/038: {using silicon technology, e.g. SiGe}
- H10D: INORGANIC ELECTRIC SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICES
- H10P: GENERIC PROCESSES OR APPARATUS FOR THE MANUFACTURE OR TREATMENT OF DEVICES COVERED BY CLASS H10

## Abstract

A method for forming a semiconductor structure includes: providing a structure including a substrate and a target layer disposed on the substrate, and the target layer includes a central area and a periphery area; forming a plurality of linear fin features within the central area in which the linear fin features are substantially parallel to each other and include edge imbalance portions; and removing the edge imbalance portions of the linear fin features to obtain linear uniform fin features.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A method for forming a semiconductor structure comprising:
providing a substrate and a target layer disposed on the substrate, and the target layer comprises a central area and a periphery area;
forming a plurality of linear fin features within the central area, wherein the linear fin features are substantially parallel to each other and comprise edge imbalance portions, wherein each linear fin feature comprises a uniform portion, and each imbalance portion has a width lager than that of the uniform portion; and
removing the edge imbalance portions of the linear fin features to obtain linear uniform fin features.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, further comprising forming a hard mask between the substrate and the target layer.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein the target layer includes SiN.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein forming the linear fin features in the central area comprises performing a first litho-etch process to the central area of the target layer.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein removing the edge imbalance portions of the linear fin features to obtain linear uniform fin features comprises:
forming a patterned photoresist layer to cover the target layer, wherein the patterned photoresist layer comprises an opening which exposes the edge imbalance portions of the linear fin features;
removing the edge imbalance portions; and
removing the patterned photoresist layer.

### Claim 6 (depends on 5)

The method of claim 5, wherein the opening has a width ranging from about 100 nm to about 1 μm.

### Claim 7 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, further comprising:
etching the linear uniform fin features such that each linear uniform fin feature is divided into segment fin features, and abutting two of the segment fin features are spaced apart by a trench.

### Claim 8 (depends on 7)

The method of claim 7, further comprising growing an isolation structure in the trench.

### Claim 9 (depends on 8)

The method of claim 8, further comprising performing a polish treatment to the isolation structure to expose the segment fin features.

### Claim 10 (depends on 7)

The method of claim 7, wherein etching the linear uniform fin features such that each linear uniform fin feature is divided into segment fin features comprises:
performing a second litho-etch process to each linear uniform fin feature to obtain the segment fin features.