US 2020/0006080 A1 · IN-SITU DEPOSITION AND ETCH PROCESS AND APPARATUS FOR PRECISION PATTERNING OF SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICES

Abstract

A first material layer, a second material layer, and a photoresist layer may be formed over a substrate. The second material layer may be patterned by transfer of a lithographic pattern therethrough. A conformal spacer layer may be formed over the patterned second material layer in a chamber enclosure of an in-situ deposition-etch apparatus. Spacer films may be formed by anisotropically etching the conformal spacer layer in the chamber enclosure of the in-situ deposition-etch apparatus. The first material layer may be anisotropically etched using a combination of the patterned second material layer and the spacer films as an etch mask in the in-situ deposition-etch apparatus. A high fidelity pattern may be transferred into the first material layer with reduced line edge roughness, reduced line width roughness, and without enlargement of lateral dimensions of openings in the first material layer.

Claims20

Dependent claims

A method of patterning a structure, comprising:

forming a first material layer, a second material layer, and a photoresist layer over a substrate;
lithographically patterning the photoresist layer;
forming a patterned second material layer by transferring a pattern in the photoresist layer through the second material layer using a first anisotropic etch process;
depositing a conformal spacer layer over the patterned second material layer in a chamber enclosure of an in-situ deposition-etch apparatus;
forming spacer films by anisotropically etching the conformal spacer layer in the chamber enclosure of the in-situ deposition-etch apparatus;
and
anisotropically etching portions of the first material layer located between the substrate and bottom surfaces of the spacer films using a combination of the patterned second material layer and the spacer films as an etch mask in the in-situ deposition-etch apparatus.

4 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

In-situ deposition and etch process and apparatus for precision patterning of semiconductor devices

Life of this patent

In-situ deposition and etch process and apparatus for precision patterning of semiconductor devices

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims20