# US 9,520,302 B2 · Methods for controlling Fin recess loading > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 9,520,302 B2 - Document ID: US9520302B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 14/934,547 - Filed: 2015-11-06 - Published: 2016-05-12 - Granted: 2016-12-13 - Earliest claimed: 2014-11-07 - Assignees: Applied Materials, Inc. - Applicants: Applied Materials, Inc. - Inventors: Jungmin Ko; Sean Kang; Kwang-Soo Kim; Olivier Luere - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US9520302B2 ## CPC - H10P 50/283: {by chemical means} - H10D 30/024: {of fin field-effect transistors [FinFET]} - H10P: GENERIC PROCESSES OR APPARATUS FOR THE MANUFACTURE OR TREATMENT OF DEVICES COVERED BY CLASS H10 - H10D: INORGANIC ELECTRIC SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICES ## Abstract A method of processing a substrate includes depositing an oxide material on a substrate having a first region, a second region and a plurality of features, wherein the first region has a high feature density and the second region has a low feature density; and controlling a ratio of an etch rate of the oxide material in the first region to an etch rate of the oxide material in the second region by forming an ammonium hexafluorosilicate ((NH4)2SiF6) layer having a first thickness atop the oxide material in the first region and having a second thickness atop the oxide material in the second region. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A method of processing a substrate, comprising: depositing an oxide material on a substrate having a first region, a second region and a plurality of features, wherein the first region has a high feature density and the second region has a low feature density; and controlling a ratio of an etch rate of the oxide material in the first region to an etch rate of the oxide material in the second region by forming an ammonium hexafluorosilicate ((NH4)2SiF6) layer having a first thickness atop the oxide material in the first region and having a second thickness atop the oxide material in the second region, wherein the first thickness is different than the second thickness. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the first thickness of the ammonium hexafluorosilicate ((NH4)2SiF6) layer in the first region is less than the second thickness of the ammonium hexafluorosilicate ((NH4)2SiF6) layer in the second region. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The method of claim 2, wherein the etch rate of the oxide material in the first region is greater than the etch rate of the oxide material in the second region. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the first thickness of the ammonium hexafluorosilicate ((NH4)2SiF6) layer in the first region is greater than the second thickness of the ammonium hexafluorosilicate ((NH4)2SiF6) layer in the second region. ### Claim 5 (depends on 4) The method of claim 4, wherein the etch rate of the oxide material in the second region is greater than the etch rate of the oxide material in the first region. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein forming an ammonium hexafluorosilicate ((NH4)2SiF6) layer further comprises exposing the substrate to a plasma formed from a first process gas, wherein the first process gas forms an ammonium fluoride (NH4F) to react with the oxide material. ### Claim 7 (depends on 6) The method of claim 6, further comprising maintaining the substrate at a first temperature of less than about 50 degrees Celsius to promote reaction of the ammonium fluoride (NH4F) with the oxide material. ### Claim 8 (depends on 6) The method of claim 6, further comprising forming the plasma by applying a source power of greater than about 45 watts. ### Claim 9 (depends on 6) The method of claim 6, further comprising forming the ammonium hexafluorosilicate ((NH4)2SiF6) layer at a pressure of about 1 to about 5 Torr. ### Claim 10 (depends on 6) The method of claim 6, wherein the first process gas comprises ammonia (NH3) and nitrogen trifluoride (NF3). ### Claim 11 (depends on 10) The method of claim 10, wherein the first process gas further comprises an inert gas. ### Claim 12 (depends on 11) The method of claim 11, wherein the inert gas is one or more of argon, helium, xenon, or krypton. ### Claim 13 (depends on 12) The method of claim 12, wherein the inert gas is provided at flow rate of about 600 sccm to about 1200 sccm. ### Claim 14 (depends on 13) The method of claim 13, wherein a ratio of the inert gas to ammonia (NH3) and nitrogen trifluoride (NF3) in the first process gas is about 3:1 to about 6:1. ### Claim 15 A method of processing a substrate, comprising: depositing an oxide material on a substrate having a first region, a second region and a plurality of features, wherein the first region has a high feature density and the second region has a low feature density; controlling a ratio of an etch rate of the oxide material in the first region to an etch rate of the oxide material in the second region by forming an ammonium hexafluorosilicate ((NH4)2SiF6) layer having a first thickness atop the oxide material in the first region and having a second thickness atop the oxide material in the second region, wherein the first thickness is different than the second thickness; and heating the substrate to a temperature to sublimate the ammonium hexafluorosilicate ((NH4)2SiF6) layer. ### Claim 16 (depends on 15) The method of claim 15, wherein the temperature is greater than about 100 degrees Celsius to sublimate the ammonium hexafluorosilicate ((NH4)2SiF6) layer. ### Claim 17 A computer readable medium, having instructions stored thereon which, when executed, cause a process chamber to perform a method of processing a substrate, the method comprising: depositing an oxide material on a substrate having a first region, a second region and a plurality of features, wherein the first region has a high feature density and the second region has a low feature density; and controlling a ratio of an etch rate of the oxide material in the first region to an etch rate of the oxide material in the second region by forming an ammonium hexafluorosilicate ((NH4)2SiF6) layer having a first thickness atop the oxide material in the first region and having a second thickness atop the oxide material in the second region, wherein the first thickness is different than the second thickness. ### Claim 18 (depends on 17) The computer readable medium of claim 17, wherein the first thickness of the ammonium hexafluorosilicate ((NH4)2SiF6) layer in the first region is less than the second thickness of the ammonium hexafluorosilicate ((NH4)2SiF6) layer in the second region. ### Claim 19 (depends on 17) The computer readable medium of claim 17, wherein the first thickness of the ammonium hexafluorosilicate ((NH4)2SiF6) layer in the first region is greater than the second thickness of the ammonium hexafluorosilicate ((NH4)2SiF6) layer in the second region.