# US 11,993,849 B2 · Carbon hard mask, film forming apparatus, and film forming method

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- Number: US 11,993,849 B2
- Document ID: US11993849B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 17/415,104
- Filed: 2019-12-04
- Published: 2022-02-10
- Granted: 2024-05-28
- Earliest claimed: 2018-12-18
- Assignees: Tokyo Electron Limited; National University Corporation Tokai National Higher Education and Research System
- Applicants: Tokyo Electron Limited; National University Corporation Tokai National Higher Education and Research System
- Inventors: Masaru Hori; Makoto Sekine; Hirotsugu Sugiura; Tsuyoshi Moriya; Satoshi Tanaka; Yoshinori Morisada
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US11993849B2

## CPC

- C23C 16/52: Controlling or regulating the coating process {(C23C16/45557, C23C16/279 take precedence)}
- C23C 16/26: Deposition of carbon only
- C23C 16/45565: {Shower nozzles}
- C23C 16/509: using internal electrodes
- C23C 16/511: using microwave discharges
- H01J 37/32449: {Gas control, e.g. control of the gas flow}
- H01J 37/32816: {Pressure}
- H10P 14/6336: {in the presence of a plasma [PECVD]}
- H10P 14/6902: {composed of carbon, e.g. alpha-C, diamond or hydrogen doped carbon}
- H10P 50/73: {using masks for insulating materials}
- H10P 76/405: {characterised by their composition, e.g. multilayer masks}
- H01J 2237/332: Coating
- C23C: COATING METALLIC MATERIAL; COATING MATERIAL WITH METALLIC MATERIAL; SURFACE TREATMENT OF METALLIC MATERIAL BY DIFFUSION INTO THE SURFACE, BY CHEMICAL CONVERSION OR SUBSTITUTION; COATING BY VACUUM EVAPORATION, BY SPUTTERING, BY ION IMPLANTATION OR BY CHEMICAL VAPOUR DEPOSITION, IN GENERAL (making metal-coated products by extrusion B21C23/22; covering with metal by connecting pre-existing layers to articles, see the relevant places, e.g. B21D39/00, B23K; metallising of glass C03C; metallising mortars, concrete, artificial stone, ceramics or natural stone C04B41/00; enamelling of, or applying a vitreous layer to, metals C23D; treating metal surfaces or coating of metals by electrolysis or electrophoresis C25D; single-crystal film growth C30B; by metallising textiles D06M11/83; decorating textiles by locally metallising D06Q1/04)
- H01J: ELECTRIC DISCHARGE TUBES OR DISCHARGE LAMPS (spark-gaps H01T; electric arc lamps H05B31/00; particle accelerators H05H)
- H10P: GENERIC PROCESSES OR APPARATUS FOR THE MANUFACTURE OR TREATMENT OF DEVICES COVERED BY CLASS H10

## Abstract

According to one embodiment, there is provided a carbon hard mask laminated on an etching target film, in which the concentration ratio of a methylene group CH2 and a methyl group CH3 contained in the carbon hard mask satisfies the expression CH2/(CH2+CH3)≥0.5.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A film forming apparatus comprising: a chamber; a stage provided in the chamber and having an object placed thereon; a gas supply configured to supply a hydrogen gas and a carbon-containing gas into the chamber; a power supply configured to supply power having a predetermined frequency into the chamber to generate plasma of the hydrogen gas and the carbon-containing gas to form a carbon hard mask on the object by active species contained in the plasma; and a pressure adjustment part configured to adjust an internal pressure of the chamber, a controller configured to control: the gas supply, the power supply, and the pressure adjustment part so that a value of a product of electron density (Ne[cm−3]) in the plasma, an excitation temperature (Te[eV]) of hydrogen atoms in the plasma, and a residence time (τ[ms]) of a gas in the plasma satisfies a following expression (1):
0<(Ne×Te2×τ)≤4×108 (1).

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The film forming apparatus of claim 1, further comprising: a volume adjustment part configured to adjust a volume of a space in which the plasma is generated, wherein the residence time (τ) of the hydrogen gas and the carbon-containing gas in the plasma is controlled by changing at least one of flow rates of the hydrogen gas and the carbon-containing gas, an internal pressure of the chamber, and the volume of the space in which the plasma is generated.

### Claim 3

A method of forming a film, comprising: loading an object into a chamber and placing the object on a stage provided in the chamber; supplying a hydrogen gas and a carbon-containing gas into the chamber; and supplying power having a predetermined frequency into the chamber to generate plasma of the hydrogen gas and the carbon-containing gas to form a carbon hard mask on the object by active species contained in the plasma, wherein flow rates of the hydrogen gas and the carbon-containing gas, the frequency and magnitude of power having a predetermined frequency supplied in the chamber, a volume of a space in which the plasma is generated, and an internal pressure of the chamber are controlled so that a value of the product of electron density (Ne[cm−3]) in the plasma, an excitation temperature (Te[eV]) of hydrogen atoms in the plasma, and a residence time (τ[ms]) of a gas in the plasma satisfies a following expression (2):
0<(Ne×Te2×τ)≤4×108 (2).