Reducing line edge roughness
AssigneeLam Research Corporation
InventorsZhi-Song Huang, S.M. Sadjadi, Lumin Li, Conan Chiang
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A method of forming features in an etch layer disposed below a mask with features is provided. The mask is conditioned. The conditioning, comprising providing a conditioning gas consisting essentially of at least one noble gas, forming a plasma from the conditioning gas, and exposing the mask to the plasma from the conditioning gas. The features of the mask are shrunk. Features are etched into the etch layer through the shrunk features of the mask.
Claims20
A method of forming features in an etch layer disposed below a mask with features, comprising:
- conditioning the mask, comprising:
- providing a conditioning gas consisting essentially of at least one noble gas;
- forming a plasma from the conditioning gas;
- and
- exposing the mask to the plasma from the conditioning gas;
- shrinking the features of the mask;
- and
- etching features into the etch layer through the shrunk features of the mask.
An apparatus for forming features in an etch layer, wherein the etch layer is supported by a substrate and wherein the etch layer is covered by an etch mask with mask features with a first CD, comprising:
- a plasma processing chamber, comprising:
- a chamber wall forming a plasma processing chamber enclosure;
- a substrate support for supporting a substrate within the plasma processing chamber enclosure;
- a pressure regulator for regulating the pressure in the plasma processing chamber enclosure;
- at least one electrode for providing power to the plasma processing chamber enclosure for sustaining a plasma;
- a gas inlet for providing gas into the plasma processing chamber enclosure;
- and
- a gas outlet for exhausting gas from the plasma processing chamber enclosure;
- a gas source in fluid connection with the gas inlet, comprising:
- a noble gas source;
- a deposition gas source;
- a profile shaping phase gas source;
- and
- an etching gas source;
- and
- a controller controllably connected to the gas source and the at least one electrode, comprising:
- at least one processor;
- and
- computer readable media, comprising:
- computer readable code for conditioning the etch mask, comprising:
- computer readable code for providing a flow of only noble gas from the noble gas source;
- and
- computer readable code for energizing the at least one electrode to create a plasma from the noble gas;
- computer readable code for stopping the flow of the noble gas to the plasma processing chamber enclosure;
- computer readable code for shrinking features of the etch mask, comprising
- computer readable code for depositing a deposition layer on the mask;
- and
- computer readable code for shaping a profile of the deposited layer;
- and
- computer readable code for etching features into the etch layer through the mask.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.