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US 6,958,295 B1Granted
Method for using a hard mask for critical dimension growth containment
AssigneeTegal Corporation
InventorsStephen P. DeOrnellas, Leslie G. Jerde, Alferd Cofer
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A method for containing the critical dimension growth of the feature on a semiconductor substrate includes placing a substrate with a hard mask comprised of a reactive metal or an oxidized reactive metal in a chamber and etching the wafer. The method further includes using a hard mask which has a low sputter yield and a low reactivity to the etch chemistry of the process.
Claims36
A method for etching a pattern on a workpiece including the steps of:
- selecting a workpiece with a hard mask deposited over a layer to be etched, which hard mask is comprised of a reactive metal;
- processing the workpiece in a reactor using an etch step and exposing the hard mask to the etch;
- and
- slowing the rate of erosion of the hard mask by providing energy to the reactor in order to increase a rate of oxidation of the hard mask.
1 more element
A method for etching a pattern on a workpiece including the steps of:
- selecting a workpiece with a hard mask deposited over a layer to be etched, wherein said hard mask has a low reactivity to the etch chemistry of an etch process;
- processing the workpiece in a reactor using the said etch chemistry in order to etch the layer and exposing the hard mask to the etch chemistry;
- and
- providing energy to the reactor in order to increase a rate of oxidation of the hard mask in order to slow down the rate of erosion of the hard mask.
1 more element
A method for etching a pattern on a workpiece including the steps of:
- selecting a workpiece with a hard mask deposited over a layer to be etched, wherein said hard mask has a low sputter yield and a low reactivity to the etch chemistry of an etch process;
- processing the workpiece in a reactor using the said etch chemistry in order to etch the layer and exposing the hard mask to the etch chemistry;
- and
- providing energy to the reactor in order to increase a rate of oxidation of the hard mask in order to slow down the rate of erosion of the hard mask.
1 more element
A method for etching a pattern on a workpiece including the steps of:
- selecting a workpiece with a hard mask deposited over a layer to be etched, which hard mask is comprised of at least one of titanium, titanium compounds, aluminum, aluminum compounds, tantalum, tantalum compounds, tungsten, tungsten compounds, cobalt, cobalt compounds, molybdenum, and molybdenum compounds;
- processing the workpiece in the reactor using an etch step and exposing the hard mask to the etch step;
- and
- providing energy to the reactor in order to increase a rate of oxidation of the hard mask in order to slow down the rate of erosion of the hard mask.
1 more element
A method for etching a pattern on a workpiece including the steps of:
- depositing on a substrate workpiece and over a layer to be etched a hard mask comprising at least one of a reactive metal, an oxide of a reactive metal, a nitride of a reactive metal, a fluoride of a reactive metal, a boride of a reactive metal, and a carbide of a reactive metal;
- processing the workpiece in the reactor using an etch step and exposing the hard mask to the etch step;
- and
- providing energy to the reactor in order to increase a rate of oxidation of the hard mask in order to slow down the rate of erosion of the hard mask.
1 more element
A method for etching a pattern on a workpiece including the steps of:
- depositing on a workpiece and over a layer to be etched a hard mask, wherein said hard mask has at least one of a low sputter yield and a low reactivity to the etch chemistry of an etch process;
- processing the workpiece in the reactor using the said etch chemistry in order to etch the layer and exposing the hard mask to the etch chemistry;
- and
- providing energy to the reactor in order to increase a rate of oxidation of the hard mask in order to slow down the rate of erosion of the hard mask.
1 more element
A method for etching a pattern on a workpiece including the steps of:
- depositing on a workpiece and over a layer to be etched, a hard mask which comprises at least one of titanium, titanium compounds, aluminum, aluminum compounds, tantalum, tantalum compounds, tungsten, tungsten compounds, cobalt, cobalt compounds, molybdenum, and molybdenum compounds;
- processing the workpiece in the reactor using an etch step and exposing the hard mask to the etch step;
- and
- providing energy to the reactor in order to increase a rate of oxidation of the hard mask in order to slow down the rate of erosion of the hard mask.
1 more element
A method for etching a pattern on a workpiece including the steps of:
- selecting a workpiece with a hard mask consisting of one of a reactive metal, an oxide of a reactive metal, a nitride of a reactive metal, a fluoride of a reactive metal, a boride of a reactive metal, and a carbide of a reactive metal, and a compound comprising any combination of an oxide, a fluoride, a nitride, a carbide, and a boride of a reactive metal, deposited over a layer to be etched;
- processing the workpiece in the reactor using an etch step and exposing the hard mask to the etch step;
- and
- providing energy to the reactor in order to increase a rate of oxidation of the hard mask in order to slow down the rate of erosion of the hard mask.
1 more element
A method for etching a pattern on a workpiece including the steps of:
- selecting a workpiece with a hard mask consisting of one of a reactive metal, an oxide of a reactive metal, a nitride of a reactive metal, a fluoride of a reactive metal, a boride of a reactive metal, and a carbide of a reactive metal, and a compound comprising any combination of an oxide, a fluoride, a nitride, a carbide, and a boride of a reactive metal, deposited over a layer to be etched;
- processing the workpiece in the reactor using an etch step and exposing the hard mask to the etch step;
- and
- providing energy to the reactor in order to increase a rate of oxidation of the hard mask in order to slow down the rate of erosion of the hard mask.
1 more element
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.