US 11,894,230 B2 · Tribological properties of diamond films

Abstract

Methods to manufacture integrated circuits are described. Nanocrystalline diamond is used as a hard mask in place of amorphous carbon. Provided is a method of processing a substrate in which nanocrystalline diamond is used as a hard mask, wherein processing methods result in a smooth surface. The method involves two processing parts. Two separate nanocrystalline diamond recipes are combined—the first and second recipes are cycled to achieve a nanocrystalline diamond hard mask having high hardness, high modulus, and a smooth surface. In other embodiments, the first recipe is followed by an inert gas plasma smoothening process and then the first recipe is cycled to achieve a high hardness, a high modulus, and a smooth surface.

Claims6

Dependent claims

A memory device comprising:

a memory stack comprising a plurality of alternating layers of a first material and a second material on a substrate;
a first nanocrystalline diamond layer on the memory stack, the first nanocrystalline diamond layer having a first thickness, a first roughness of greater than about 25 nm, a first hardness, an sp3 content of greater than 80%, and a crystal size in a range of from 2 nm to 5 nm;
a second nanocrystalline diamond layer on the first nanocrystalline diamond layer, the second nanocrystalline diamond layer having a second thickness, an sp3 content of greater than 80%, a crystal size in a range of from 2 nm to 5 nm, and a second roughness of less than about 15 nm;
and
a memory channel extending from a top surface of the memory stack to the substrate.

2 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application

18/101,317Filed 25 Jan 2023 · division

Priority

31 Aug 2020

Published

US 2023/0170217 A11 Jun 2023

Granted

6 Feb 2024

Term ends

Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification12 codes

C23C 16/272
Diamond only: using DC, AC or RF discharges
H10P 76/405
Of masks comprising inorganic materials: characterised by their composition, e.g. multilayer masks
C23C 16/452
Characterised by the method used for generating reactive gas streams, e.g. by evaporation or sublimation of precursor materials: by activating…
H10B 41/27
With source and drain on different levels, e.g. with sloping channels: the channels comprising vertical portions, e.g. U-shaped channels

Family

Application17/007,441Parent of this division · filed 31 Aug 2020

US 2023/0170217 A1Pre-grant publication · published 1 Jun 2023

US 11,594,416 B2Parent of this division

US 2022/0068643 A1Published application

US 11,894,230 B2This patent

From the US filing history. Foreign family members aren’t listed.

Tribological properties of diamond films

Life of this patent

Tribological properties of diamond films

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims6