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US 2026/0229456 A1Published application
System and Method for Atomic Layer Etching Using Capacitively Coupled Plasma with Enhanced Synergy
AssigneeInspiring Atoms Pte Ltd
InventorYang Pan
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Abstract
Disclosed herein are systems and methods for an atomic layer etching (ALE) process that includes a surface modification step and a sputtering step. An improved capacitively coupled plasma (CCP) source with sidewall coils is utilized to enhance plasma density and reduce ion bombardment during the surface modification step. During the sputtering step, the CCP process chamber operates with the sidewall coils deactivated.
Claims20
A process system for conducting an atomic layer etching (ALE) process, comprising:
- a process chamber configured to operate under vacuum conditions, comprising a sidewall constructed from dielectric materials;
- a chuck located within the process chamber, configured to support a substrate during an ALE process;
- a showerhead configured to receive and distribute process gases into the process chamber, wherein the showerhead is grounded;
- one or more RF power generators coupled to the chuck to supply power to a capacitively coupled plasma (CCP) source, which uses the chuck as the anode and the grounded showerhead as the cathode;
- one or more sidewall coils positioned along an external surface of the sidewall of the process chamber;
- and
- a system controller configured to operate the process chamber in a surface modification step and a sputtering step, wherein the sidewall coils are activated during the surface modification step and deactivated during the sputtering step.
4 more elements
A method for processing a substrate using an ALE process, comprising:
- a. providing a process chamber under vacuum conditions configured to conduct an ALE process, wherein the process chamber includes a CCP source using a chuck as an anode and a grounded showerhead as a cathode, wherein one or more sidewall coils positioned along a dielectric sidewall provide additional RF power during the surface modification step;
- b. receiving and distributing a first process gas into the process chamber via the grounded showerhead;
- c. supplying a first RF power at a first frequency to the sidewall coils and optionally supplying a second RF power at second frequency to the anode;
- d. conducting the surface modification step of the ALE process;
- e. optionally purging the first process gas from the process chamber;
- f. receiving and distributing a second process gas into the process chamber via the grounded showerhead;
- g. supplying a third RF power at a third frequency to the anode;
- h. optionally applying a tailored waveform generator to the anode during the sputtering step;
- i. conducting the sputtering step of the ALE process;
- j. optionally purging the second process gas from the process chamber;
- and
- k. repeating steps (b) through (j) for a predetermined number of cycles to complete the ALE process.
9 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.