US 9,437,447 B2Granted

Method for patterning a substrate for planarization

AssigneeTokyo Electron Limited

InventorAnton J. deVilliers

Life of this patent

Estimating the term…

Loading patent…

Abstract

Techniques disclosed herein include increasing pattern density for creating high-resolution contact openings, slots, trenches, and other features. A conformal spacer is applied on a bi-layer or tri-layer mandrel (multi-layer) or other relief feature. The conformal spacer thus wraps around the mandrels and is also deposited on an underlying layer. A fill material is deposited to fill gaps or spaces between sidewall spacers. A CMP planarization step then removes substrate stack material down to a material interface of the bi-layer or tri-layer mandrel, with a middle or lower material of the mandrel being a CMP-stop material. This technique essentially cuts off or removes rounded features such as upper portions of sidewall spacers, thereby providing a spacer material with a planar top surface that can be uniformly etched and transferred to underlying layers.

Claims20

Dependent claims

A method of patterning a substrate for planarization, the method comprising:

providing a substrate having a relief pattern of structures located on a target layer, structures in the relief pattern of structures comprising at least two layers of material including an upper material layer positioned on a planarization stop material layer, the upper material layer differing from the planarization stop material layer;
depositing a conformal film on exposed surfaces of the target layer and on exposed surfaces of the structures such that sidewall depositions result on vertical surfaces of both the upper material layer and the planarization stop material layer of the structures;
etching the conformal film such that the conformal film is at least removed from portions of target layer surfaces at locations between sidewall depositions of the conformal film;
depositing a fill material that at least partially fills spaces defined between the sidewall depositions of the conformal film;
and
planarizing the substrate by removing conformal film material, upper material layer, and fill material above a top surface of the planarization stop material layer such that a planar surface is formed at the top surface of the planarization stop material layer.

3 more elements

A method of patterning a substrate for planarization, the method comprising:

providing a substrate having a relief pattern of structures located on a target layer, structures in the relief pattern of structures comprising at least three layers of material including a lower material layer positioned on the target layer, a planarization stop material layer positioned on the lower material layer, and an upper material layer positioned on the planarization stop material layer, the planarization stop material layer differing from the upper material layer and the lower material layer;
depositing a conformal film on exposed surfaces of the target layer and on exposed surfaces of the structures such that sidewall depositions result on vertical surfaces of each of the upper material layer and the planarization stop material layer, and the lower material layer of the structures, material of the conformal film selected such that a particular etch chemistry can etch both the conformal film and material from the lower material layer;
etching the conformal film anisotropically such that the conformal film is removed from target layer surfaces at locations between sidewall depositions of the conformal film;
depositing a fill material that fills spaces defined between the sidewall depositions of the conformal film;
and
planarizing the substrate by removing conformal film material, upper material layer, and fill material above a top surface of the planarization stop material layer such that a planar surface is formed.

3 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application: 14/624,091Filed 17 Feb 2015 · us provisional application
Priority: 23 Feb 2014
Published: US 2015/0243519 A127 Aug 2015
Granted: 6 Sep 2016
Term ends: Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification5 codes

H10P 95/064
Involving a dielectric removal step: the removal being chemical etching
H10P 14/6339
Using decomposition or reaction of gaseous or vapour phase compounds, i.e. chemical vapour deposition: deposition by cyclic CVD, e.g. ALD, ALE or…
H10P 50/283
Of inorganic materials: by chemical means
H10P 76/4085
Characterised by their sizes, orientations, dispositions, behaviours or shapes: characterised by the processes involved to create the masks

Family

Application61/943,486Us provisional application · filed 23 Feb 2014
Application61/943,483Us provisional application · filed 23 Feb 2014
US 2015/0243519 A1Pre-grant publication · published 27 Aug 2015
US 9,437,447 B2This patent

From the US filing history. Foreign family members aren’t listed.

Timeline

Citations

Open elsewhere

Building an agent or pulling many patents? Use the API or MCP server instead of scraping pages. Get an API key