US 12,666,893 B2Granted

Sidewall inorganic passivation for dielectric etching via surface modification

AssigneeTokyo Electron Limited

InventorsDu Zhang, Yu-Hao Tsai, Mingmei Wang

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Abstract

A method for processing a substrate that includes: performing a cyclic process including a plurality of cycles, where the cyclic process includes, forming a carbon-containing layer over sidewalls of a recess in a Si-containing dielectric layer of the substrate, the forming including exposing the substrate disposed in a plasma processing chamber to a first plasma generated from a first gas including carbon and hydrogen, modifying a surface of the carbon-containing layer by exposing the substrate to a second plasma generated from a second gas including oxygen, and forming a passivation layer over the modified surface of the carbon-containing layer by exposing the substrate to a third gas including B, Si, or Al.

Claims20

Dependent claims

A method for processing a substrate, the method comprising:

performing a cyclic process comprising a plurality of cycles, wherein one cycle of the cyclic process comprises:
forming a first carbon-containing layer over sidewalls of a recess in a Si-containing dielectric layer of the substrate, the forming comprising exposing the substrate disposed in a plasma processing chamber to a first plasma generated from a first gas comprising carbon and fluorine;
forming a second carbon-containing layer over the first carbon-containing layer, the forming comprising exposing the substrate disposed in the plasma processing chamber to a second plasma generated from a second gas comprising carbon and hydrogen, the second plasma being different from the first plasma, wherein the second carbon-containing layer has a hydrophobic surface essentially terminated with *CH groups;
modifying the hydrophobic surface of the second carbon-containing layer to become a hydrophilic surface terminated with *COH groups, the modifying comprising exposing the substrate to a third plasma generated from a third gas comprising oxygen;
and
forming a passivation layer over the hydrophilic surface of the second carbon-containing layer by exposing the substrate to a fourth gas comprising B, Si, or Al.

3 more elements

A method for processing a substrate, the method comprising:

performing a cyclic passivation process in a plasma processing chamber having a plasma electrode, the cyclic passivation process comprising a plurality of cycles, wherein a cycle of the cyclic passivation process comprises:
powering the plasma electrode to sustain a first plasma generated from a first gas comprising carbon and fluorine;
depositing a first carbonaceous layer over sidewalls of a recess in a Si-containing dielectric layer, the depositing comprising exposing the substrate to the first plasma;
powering the plasma electrode to sustain a second plasma generated from a second gas comprising carbon and hydrogen;
depositing a second carbonaceous layer over the first carbonaceous layer, the depositing of the second carbonaceous layer comprising exposing the substrate to the second plasma, the second carbonaceous layer having a different composition than the first carbonaceous layer, wherein the second carbonaceous layer has a hydrophobic surface essentially terminated with *CH groups;
oxidizing the hydrophobic surface of the second carbonaceous layer to be a hydrophilic surface terminated with *COH groups;
depositing a passivation layer over the second carbonaceous layer by exposing the substrate to a third gas comprising B, Si, or Al without powering the plasma electrode;
and
purging the plasma processing chamber with a fourth gas comprising a hydrogen-containing gas, an oxygen-containing gas, or a nitrogen-containing gas.

6 more elements

A method for processing a substrate, the method comprising:

performing a plurality of cycles of a cyclic etch process to form a recess in a Si-containing dielectric layer of a substrate loaded in a plasma processing chamber, the substrate comprising a patterned etch mask formed over the Si-containing dielectric layer, one of the plurality of cycles of the cyclic etch process comprising:
forming a recess in the Si-containing layer by exposing the substrate to a first plasma generated from a first gas comprising carbon and fluorine, the exposing forming a first carbonaceous layer over sidewalls of the recess;
forming a second carbonaceous layer over the first carbonaceous layer by exposing the substrate to a second plasma generated from a second gas comprising carbon and hydrogen, the second carbonaceous layer having a different composition than the first carbonaceous layer, wherein the second carbonaceous layer has a hydrophobic surface mostly terminated with *CH groups;
modifying the hydrophobic surface of the second carbonaceous layer to be a hydrophilic surface terminated with *COH groups;
depositing a passivation layer over the second carbonaceous layer by exposing the substrate to a third gas comprising B, Si, or Al;
purging the plasma processing chamber with a fourth gas comprising a hydrogen-containing gas, an oxygen-containing gas, or nitrogen-containing gas;
and
extending the recess vertically by a plasma etch process, the passivation layer preventing laterally etching the Si-containing dielectric layer.

5 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application: 17/988,217Filed 16 Nov 2022
Published: US 2024/0162043 A116 May 2024
Granted: 23 Jun 2026
Term ends: Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification6 codes

H10P 50/244
Of Group IV materials: comprising alternated and repeated etching and passivation steps
H10P 14/6319
Non-deposition formation processes: formation by plasma treatments, e.g. plasma oxidation of the substrate
H10P 14/6336
Using decomposition or reaction of gaseous or vapour phase compounds, i.e. chemical vapour deposition: in the presence of a plasma [PECVD]
H10P 14/6532
By exposure to a gas or vapour: by exposure to a plasma