Method of fin patterning
AssigneeApplied Materials, Inc.
InventorJungmin Ko
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Embodiments of the present invention may include a semiconductor patterning method involving forming a fin on a substrate, where the fin may have a sloped sidewall. The fin may be characterized by an initial height and a first width measured proximate a midpoint of the initial height. The method may include forming a masking layer above the fin, and the method may involve removing a first portion of the masking layer. The method may include decreasing the first width of the fin while maintaining the initial height.
Claims20
A semiconductor patterning method comprising:
- forming a fin on a substrate, wherein the fin comprises a sloped sidewall and is characterized by an initial height and a first width measured proximate a midpoint of the initial height;
- forming a masking layer above the fin;
- removing a first portion of the masking layer;
- and
- decreasing the first width of the fin while maintaining the initial height, wherein:
- the substrate has a top surface adjacent to the fin, and
- the top surface is substantially flat subsequent to decreasing the first width.
A semiconductor patterning method comprising
- patterning a feature on a substrate, the feature having a first top surface and a sloped sidewall, wherein:
- the substrate has a second top surface adjacent to the feature, and the second top surface has a concave profile;
- forming a non-conformal masking layer over the sloped sidewall and the first top surface of the feature;
- flattening the concave profile;
- removing a portion of the non-conformal masking layer on the sloped sidewall;
- and
- shaping a part of the sloped sidewall to be closer to vertical.
A semiconductor patterning method comprising:
- forming a fin on a substrate, wherein:
- the fin comprises silicon,
- the fin has a sloped sidewall,
- the fin is characterized by an initial height, a first width proximate a midpoint of the initial height, and a second width at the initial height, and
- the substrate has a concave surface adjacent to the fin;
- forming a non-conformal masking layer on top of the fin, wherein:
- the non-conformal masking layer comprises a dielectric material, and
- forming the non-conformal masking layer comprises leveling the concave surface;
- removing a first portion of the non-conformal masking layer to expose the sloped sidewall while retaining a second portion of the non-conformal masking layer on top of the fin;
- and
- sputtering the sloped sidewall to shape the sloped sidewall to be closer to vertical while maintaining the initial height of the fin, wherein subsequent to sputtering the sloped sidewall, the first width is less than about 115% of the second width.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.