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US 6,190,989 B1Granted
Method for patterning cavities and enhanced cavity shapes for semiconductor devices
AssigneeMicron Technology, Inc.
InventorCeredig Roberts
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A method of forming an opening within a surface of a semiconductor substrate while minimizing the effects of lithographic rounding. A semiconductor substrate is patterned using a first hard mask with features aligned in a first direction and a second soft mask with features aligned in a second direction.
Claims22
A method of forming a container opening within a surface of a semiconductor substrate, comprising the steps of:
- locating a first mask layer over said semiconductor substrate;
- while said first mask layer is located over said semiconductor substrate, removing portions of said first mask layer to form a first mask having features aligned in a first direction;
- providing a second mask having features aligned in a second direction;
- and
- etching said container opening in said semiconductor surface using said first and second masks in combination, wherein substantially all of said first mask remains intact after said etching of said container opening.
2 more elements
A method of forming container capacitors on a semiconductor substrate, comprising the steps of:
- locating a first mask layer over said semiconductor substrate;
- while said first mask layer is located over said semiconductor substrate, removing portions of said first mask layer to form a hard mask having features aligned in a first direction;
- subsequently, providing a soft mask having features aligned in a second direction;
- etching container cells within said substrate using said hard mask and said soft mask, wherein substantially all of said hard mask remains intact after said etching of said container cells;
- and
- providing conductive material within said container cells.
3 more elements
A method of fabricating DRAM comprising the steps of:
- providing a first insulating layer selected from the group consisting of polysilicon, BPSG and PSG;
- locating a first mask layer over said first insulating layer;
- while said first mask layer is located over said first insulating layer, removing portions of said first mask layer to form a hard mask on said first insulating layer, said hard mask having features aligned in a first direction;
- subsequently, providing a soft mask having features aligned in a second direction;
- etching container cells within said first insulating layer using said soft mask and said hard mask, wherein substantially all of said hard mask remains intact after said etching of said container cells;
- and
- providing conductive material within said container cells, wherein said conductive material comprises HSG.
4 more elements
A method of forming container cells comprising the steps of:
- providing a first layer of material;
- locating a hard mask layer over said first layer of material;
- while said hard mask layer is located over said first layer of material, removing portions of said hard mask layer to produce a hard mask having features aligned in a first direction;
- subsequently, providing a layer of photoresist over said hard mask and said first layer of material;
- exposing said layer of photoresist to a light source to produce a soft mask having features which are aligned in a second direction;
- etching container cells within said first layer of material using said hard mask and said soft mask, wherein substantially all of said hard mask remains intact after said etching of said container cells;
- and
- providing conductive material within said container cells.
5 more elements
A method of forming container cells comprising the steps of:
- providing a first layer of material;
- providing a hard mask layer over said first layer of material;
- patterning said hard mask layer to produce a hard mask having features aligned in a first direction;
- providing a layer of photoresist over said hard mask and said first layer of material;
- exposing said layer of photoresist to a light source to produce a soft mask having features which are aligned in a second direction;
- etching container cells within said first layer of material using said hard mask and said soft mask, wherein substantially all of said hard mask remains intact after said etching of said container cells;
- and
- providing conductive material within said container cells;
- wherein each container cell is comprised of at least four container walls forming the periphery of the container cell and on container floor which is the bottom surface within the container cell.
6 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.