17984772. REDUCING ASPECT RATIO DEPENDENT ETCH WITH DIRECT CURRENT BIAS PULSING simplified abstract (Applied Materials, Inc.)

REDUCING ASPECT RATIO DEPENDENT ETCH WITH DIRECT CURRENT BIAS PULSING

Organization Name

Applied Materials, Inc.

Inventor(s)

Deyang Li of Santa Clara CA (US)

Sunil Srinivasan of San Jose CA (US)

Yi-Chuan Chou of Santa Clara CA (US)

Shahid Rauf of Pleasanton CA (US)

Kuan-Ting Liu of Santa Clara CA (US)

Jason A. Kenney of Campbell CA (US)

Chung Liu of Foster City CA (US)

Olivier P. Joubert of Santa Clara CA (US)

Shreeram Jyoti Dash of San Jose CA (US)

Aaron Eppler of Santa Clara CA (US)

Michael Thomas Nichols of Sunnyvale CA (US)

REDUCING ASPECT RATIO DEPENDENT ETCH WITH DIRECT CURRENT BIAS PULSING - A simplified explanation of the abstract

This abstract first appeared for US patent application 17984772 titled 'REDUCING ASPECT RATIO DEPENDENT ETCH WITH DIRECT CURRENT BIAS PULSING

Simplified Explanation

The present disclosure pertains to a system for semiconductor device manufacturing, specifically focusing on synchronizing and controlling the delivery of an RF bias signal and a pulsed voltage waveform to electrodes in a plasma processing chamber. This system aims to minimize microloading effects and improve control over plasma characteristics during processing.

• Improved control of plasma processing
• Minimization of microloading effects
• Enhanced control over ion energy distribution
• Precision in forming high-aspect ratio features
• Synchronization and control of voltage waveform characteristics

Potential Applications

The technology described in this patent application could be applied in various industries such as semiconductor manufacturing, microelectronics, and nanotechnology for precise plasma processing applications.

Problems Solved

This technology addresses issues related to microloading effects, inconsistent densities in substrate features, and lack of control over plasma characteristics during processing, leading to improved precision and efficiency in plasma processing.

Benefits

The benefits of this technology include enhanced control over plasma processing, improved precision in forming high-aspect ratio features, and minimized microloading effects, resulting in higher quality and more efficient semiconductor device manufacturing processes.

Potential Commercial Applications

Potential commercial applications of this technology include semiconductor fabrication facilities, research institutions, and companies involved in microelectronics production, where precise plasma processing is essential for manufacturing high-quality semiconductor devices.

Possible Prior Art

One possible prior art in this field could be the use of advanced plasma processing techniques in semiconductor manufacturing, focusing on improving control over plasma characteristics and enhancing precision in feature formation on substrates.

How does this technology compare to existing plasma processing systems in terms of efficiency and precision?

This technology offers improved control over plasma characteristics and feature formation, but further comparative studies with existing systems are needed to determine its efficiency and precision advantages.

What are the potential limitations or challenges in implementing this technology on an industrial scale?

While the benefits of this technology are evident, potential challenges in scaling up the system for industrial use, cost implications, and compatibility with existing manufacturing processes need to be further explored and addressed.

Original Abstract Submitted

Embodiments of the present disclosure generally relate to a system used in a semiconductor device manufacturing process. More specifically, embodiments provided herein generally include apparatus and methods for synchronizing and controlling the delivery of an RF bias signal and a pulsed voltage waveform to one or more electrodes within a plasma processing chamber. The apparatus and methods disclosed herein can be useful to at least minimize or eliminate a microloading effect created while processing small dimension features that have differing densities across various regions of a substrate. The plasma processing methods and apparatus described herein are configured to improve the control of various characteristics of the generated plasma and control an ion energy distribution (IED) of the plasma generated ions that interact with a surface of a substrate during plasma processing. The ability to synchronize and control waveform characteristics of a voltage waveform bias established on a substrate during processing allows for an improved control of the generated plasma and process of forming, for example, high-aspect ratio features in the surface of the substrate by a reactive ion etching process. As a result, greater precision for plasma processing can be achieved, which is described herein in more detail.