17948768. High Aspect Ratio Contact (HARC) Etch simplified abstract (TOKYO ELECTRON LIMITED)

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High Aspect Ratio Contact (HARC) Etch

Organization Name

TOKYO ELECTRON LIMITED

Inventor(s)

Pingshan Luan of Albany NY (US)

Matthew Ocana of Albany NY (US)

Andrew Metz of Albany NY (US)

High Aspect Ratio Contact (HARC) Etch - A simplified explanation of the abstract

This abstract first appeared for US patent application 17948768 titled 'High Aspect Ratio Contact (HARC) Etch

Simplified Explanation

The patent application describes a method of processing a substrate using a plasma processing chamber to etch a recess in a dielectric layer by exposing the substrate to a fluorine-rich and nitrogen-deficient plasma.

  • Flowing nitrogen-containing gas, dioxygen, a noble gas, and a fluorocarbon into the plasma processing chamber.
  • Generating a fluorine-rich and nitrogen-deficient plasma in the chamber, with more fluorine species than nitrogen species.
  • Forming a high aspect ratio feature by exposing the substrate to the plasma to etch a recess in the dielectric layer.

Potential Applications

This technology can be applied in semiconductor manufacturing processes, specifically in the fabrication of high aspect ratio features in integrated circuits.

Problems Solved

This technology solves the problem of etching high aspect ratio features in dielectric layers with precision and control, which is crucial for the production of advanced semiconductor devices.

Benefits

The benefits of this technology include improved etching performance, higher etch selectivity, and enhanced process control, leading to higher yields and better device performance in semiconductor manufacturing.

Potential Commercial Applications

The potential commercial applications of this technology can be found in the semiconductor industry for the production of advanced integrated circuits with high aspect ratio features.

Possible Prior Art

One possible prior art for this technology could be the use of fluorine-based plasmas in etching processes in semiconductor manufacturing.

Unanswered Questions

How does this technology compare to other etching methods in terms of etch rate and selectivity?

This article does not provide a direct comparison with other etching methods in terms of etch rate and selectivity. Further research or testing may be needed to determine the performance of this technology relative to existing methods.

What are the potential challenges or limitations of implementing this technology in large-scale semiconductor manufacturing facilities?

The article does not address the potential challenges or limitations of implementing this technology in large-scale semiconductor manufacturing facilities. Factors such as scalability, cost-effectiveness, and compatibility with existing equipment could be important considerations that need to be explored further.


Original Abstract Submitted

A method of processing a substrate that includes: flowing nitrogen-containing (N-containing) gas, dioxygen (O), a noble gas, and a fluorocarbon into the plasma processing chamber, the plasma processing chamber configured to hold a substrate including a dielectric layer as etch target and a patterned hardmask over the target layer; while flowing the gases, generating a fluorine-rich and nitrogen-deficient plasma in the plasma processing chamber, fluorine-rich and nitrogen-deficient plasma being made of more number of fluorine species than nitrogen species; and forming a high aspect ratio feature by exposing the substrate to the fluorine-rich and nitrogen-deficient plasma to etch a recess in the dielectric layer.