# US 2021/0280419 A1 · Wafer processing method

> Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt

- Number: US 2021/0280419 A1
- Document ID: US20210280419A1
- Status: Published application
- Kind: A1
- Application number: 17/190,818
- Filed: 2021-03-03
- Published: 2021-09-09
- Earliest claimed: 2020-03-06
- Assignees: Tokyo Electron Limited
- Applicants: Tokyo Electron Limited
- Inventors: Noriaki OKABE; Takuya SEINO; Ryota KOZUKA; Yasuhiro HAMADA; Yuutaro KISHI
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20210280419A1

## CPC

- H10P 76/405: {characterised by their composition, e.g. multilayer masks}
- H10P 50/283: {by chemical means}
- H10P 50/692: {characterised by their composition, e.g. multilayer masks or materials}
- H10P 50/71: {using masks for conductive or resistive materials}
- H10P 50/73: {using masks for insulating materials}
- H10P 14/6342: {Liquid deposition, e.g. spin-coating, sol-gel techniques or spray coating}
- H10P 14/69394: {the material containing titanium, e.g. TiO2}
- H10P 14/69395: {the material containing zirconium, e.g. ZrO2}
- H10P 50/268: {of silicon-containing layers}
- H10P: GENERIC PROCESSES OR APPARATUS FOR THE MANUFACTURE OR TREATMENT OF DEVICES COVERED BY CLASS H10

## Abstract

A method of processing a wafer includes preparing a wafer having a substrate and a silicon-containing film formed on the substrate; forming a hard mask on the silicon-containing film; forming a pattern on the hard mask by etching the hard mask; and etching the silicon-containing film using the hard mask on which the pattern is formed, wherein the hard mask has a first film formed on the silicon-containing film and containing tungsten, and a second film formed on the first film and containing zirconium or titanium and oxygen.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A method of processing a wafer, the method comprising:
preparing a wafer having a substrate and a silicon-containing film formed on the substrate;
forming a hard mask on the silicon-containing film;
forming a patterned hard mask by etching the hard mask; and
etching the silicon-containing film using the patterned hard mask,
wherein the hard mask has a first film formed on the silicon-containing film and containing tungsten, and a second film formed on the first film and containing zirconium or titanium and oxygen.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein each of the first film and the second film is an amorphous film.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein the first film further contains silicon.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein the etching of the silicon-containing film is anisotropic etching using plasma of a fluorocarbon-based gas or plasma of a hydrofluorocarbon-based gas.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein the silicon-containing film is a monolayer film having one of a single crystal silicon film, a polycrystalline silicon film, a silicon oxide film, and a silicon nitride film, or a multilayer film having two or more of the single crystal silicon film, the polycrystalline silicon film, the silicon oxide film, and the silicon nitride.

### Claim 6

A method of processing a wafer, the method comprising:
preparing a wafer having a substrate and a silicon-containing film formed on the substrate;
forming a first film containing tungsten on the silicon-containing film;
forming a second film containing zirconium or titanium and oxygen on the first film;
forming a patterned first film by etching the first film using the second film as a mask; and
etching the silicon-containing film using the patterned first film as a mask.

### Claim 7 (depends on 6)

The method of claim 6, wherein forming the first film includes forming the first film on the silicon-containing film by sputtering.

### Claim 8 (depends on 7)

The method of claim 7, wherein forming the second film includes forming the second film on the first film by a coating process.

### Claim 9 (depends on 8)

The method of claim 8, wherein the coating process is a spin coating process.

### Claim 10 (depends on 9)

The method of claim 9, wherein the etching of the first film is anisotropic etching using plasma of a gas containing halogen atoms.

### Claim 11 (depends on 10)

The method of claim 10, wherein each of the first film and the second film is an amorphous film.

### Claim 12 (depends on 11)

The method of claim 11, wherein the first film further contains silicon.

### Claim 13 (depends on 6)

The method of claim 6, wherein forming the first film includes forming the first film on the silicon-containing film by a chemical vapor deposition method.

### Claim 14 (depends on 6)

The method of claim 6, wherein forming the second film includes forming the second film on the first film by a coating process.

### Claim 15 (depends on 6)

The method of claim 6, wherein forming the second film includes forming the second film on the first film by a chemical vapor deposition method or an atomic layer deposition method.

### Claim 16 (depends on 6)

The method of claim 6, wherein the etching of the first film is anisotropic etching using plasma of a gas containing halogen atoms.

### Claim 17 (depends on 6)

The method of claim 6, wherein each of the first film and the second film is an amorphous film.

### Claim 18 (depends on 6)

The method of claim 6, wherein the first film further contains silicon.

### Claim 19 (depends on 6)

The method of claim 6, wherein the etching of the silicon-containing film is anisotropic etching using plasma of a fluorocarbon-based gas or plasma of a hydrofluorocarbon-based gas.

### Claim 20 (depends on 6)

The method of claim 6, wherein the silicon-containing film is a monolayer film having one of a single crystal silicon film, a polycrystalline silicon film, a silicon oxide film, and a silicon nitride film, or a multilayer film having two or more of the single crystal silicon film, the polycrystalline silicon film, the silicon oxide film, and the silicon nitride.