# US 11,908,691 B2 · Techniques to engineer nanoscale patterned features using ions

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- Number: US 11,908,691 B2
- Document ID: US11908691B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 17/951,758
- Filed: 2022-09-23
- Published: 2023-01-19
- Granted: 2024-02-20
- Earliest claimed: 2015-06-25
- Assignees: Applied Materials, Inc.
- Applicants: Varian Semiconductor Equipment Associates, Inc.
- Inventors: Simon Ruffell; John Hautala; Adam Brand; Huixiong Dai
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US11908691B2

## CPC

- H10P 76/204: {of organic photoresist masks}
- H10P 50/695: {characterised by the process involved to create the mask, e.g. lift-off masks or sidewalls or to modify the mask}
- H10P 76/4085: {characterised by the processes involved to create the masks}
- H10W 20/089: {using processes for implementing desired shapes or dispositions of the openings, e.g. double patterning}
- H10P: GENERIC PROCESSES OR APPARATUS FOR THE MANUFACTURE OR TREATMENT OF DEVICES COVERED BY CLASS H10
- H10W: GENERIC PACKAGES, INTERCONNECTIONS, CONNECTORS OR OTHER CONSTRUCTIONAL DETAILS OF DEVICES COVERED BY CLASS H10

## Abstract

A method of patterning a substrate. The method may include providing a surface feature on the substrate, the surface feature having a first dimension along a first direction within a substrate plane, and a second dimension along a second direction within the substrate plane, wherein the second direction is perpendicular to the first direction; and directing first ions in a first exposure to the surface feature along the first direction at a non-zero angle of incidence with respect to a perpendicular to the substrate plane, in a presence of a reactive ambient containing a reactive species; wherein the first exposure etches the surface feature along the first direction, wherein after the directing, the surface feature retains the second dimension along the second direction, and wherein the surface feature has a third dimension along the first direction different than the first dimension.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A method of enhancing lithographic patterning of a substrate, comprising:
providing a layer on the substrate, the substrate defining a substrate plane, the layer comprising a plurality of trenches, isolated from one another, the plurality of trenches defining a first spacing that is larger than a target spacing; and
performing a directional ion etch to selectively etch the plurality of trenches along a first direction with respect to a second direction within the substrate plane, wherein the directional ion etch etches an entire thickness of the layer, wherein the plurality of trenches define a second spacing, equal to the target spacing, after the performing the directional ion etch.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein the performing the directional ion etch comprises directing ions to the substrate at a non-zero angle with respect to a perpendicular to the substrate plane.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein the layer is a first layer, the method further comprising: after the directional ion etch performing a transfer etch to transfer the plurality of trenches into a second layer, subjacent the first layer, wherein the transfer etch takes place in a vertical direction along a perpendicular to the substrate plane.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein a position of the plurality of trenches is not shifted after the directional ion etch.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein a position of the plurality of trenches is shifted after the directional ion etch.

### Claim 6 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein the layer is a first layer, and wherein the directional ion etch selectively etches the first layer with respect to a second layer, subjacent the first layer.

### Claim 7 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein the performing the directional ion etch comprises directing a ribbon beam to the substrate, the ribbon beam having a short axis parallel to the first direction, and having a long axis extending along the second direction.