METHOD OF HARD MASK CD CONTROL BY AR SPUTTERING
Granted: January 31, 2013
Application Number:
20130029491
A method for etching features into a silicon based etch layer through a patterned hard mask in a plasma processing chamber is provided. A silicon sputtering is provided to sputter silicon from the silicon based etch layer onto sidewalls of the patterned hard mask to form sidewalls on the patterned hard mask. The etch layer is etched through the patterned hard mask.
PROFILE AND CD UNIFORMITY CONTROL BY PLASMA OXIDATION TREATMENT
Granted: January 31, 2013
Application Number:
20130025785
An apparatus for forming spacers is provided. A plasma processing chamber is provided, comprising a chamber wall, a substrate support, a pressure regulator, an antenna, a bias electrode, a gas inlet, and a gas outlet. A gas source comprises an oxygen gas source and an anisotropic etch gas source. A controller comprises a processor and computer readable media. The computer readable media comprises computer readable code for placing a substrate of the plurality of substrates in a plasma…
HIGH STRIP RATE DOWNSTREAM CHAMBER
Granted: January 31, 2013
Application Number:
20130025693
A gas chamber contains upper and lower chamber bodies forming a cavity, a heating chuck for a wafer, a remote gas source, and an exhaust unit. Gas is injected into the cavity through channels in an injector. Each channel has sections that are bent with respect to each other at a sufficient angle to substantially eliminate entering light rays entering the channel from exiting the channel without reflection. The channels have funnel-shaped nozzles at end points proximate to the chuck. The…
Negative Ion Control for Dielectric Etch
Granted: January 24, 2013
Application Number:
20130023064
Apparatus, methods, and computer programs for semiconductor processing in a capacitively-coupled plasma chamber are provided. A chamber includes a bottom radio frequency (RF) signal generator, a top RF signal generator, and an RF phase controller. The bottom RF signal generator is coupled to the bottom electrode in the chamber, and the top RF signal generator is coupled to the top electrode. Further, the bottom RF signal is set at a first phase, and the top RF signal is set at a second…
ELECTROSTATIC CHUCK WITH WAFER BACKSIDE PLASMA ASSISTED DECHUCK
Granted: January 24, 2013
Application Number:
20130021717
An electrostatic chuck assembly useful in a plasma processing chamber, comprising a support surface on which a semiconductor wafer is supported during processing of the wafer in the chamber, at least one electrostatic clamping electrode which applies an electrostatic clamping force to the wafer on the support surface when an electrostatic clamping voltage is applied to the clamping electrode, at least one outlet in the support surface which delivers a heat transfer gas to an underside of…
WIGGLING CONTROL FOR PSEUDO-HARDMASK
Granted: January 24, 2013
Application Number:
20130020026
An apparatus for etching features in an etch layer is provided. A plasma processing chamber is provided, comprising a chamber wall, a chuck, a pressure regulator, an electrode or coil, a gas inlet, and a gas outlet. A gas source comprises a fluorine free deposition gas source and an etch gas source. A controller comprises at least one processor and computer readable media, comprising computer readable code for providing a conditioning for a patterned pseudo-hardmask, wherein the…
Dual Phase Cleaning Chambers and Assemblies Comprising The Same
Granted: January 24, 2013
Application Number:
20130019907
In one embodiment, a dual phase cleaning chamber may include a turbulent mixing chamber, a fluid diffuser, an isostatic pressure chamber and a rupture mitigating nozzle. The turbulent mixing chamber may be in fluid communication with a first fluid inlet and a second fluid inlet. The fluid diffuser may be in fluid communication with the turbulent mixing chamber. The rupture mitigating nozzle may include a first fluid collecting offset, a second fluid collecting offset, and a displacement…
ULTRASONIC CLEANING METHOD AND APPARATUS
Granted: January 24, 2013
Application Number:
20130019893
A device and method for treating the surface of a semiconductor wafer provides a treatment fluid in the form of a dispersion of gas bubbles in a treatment liquid generated at acoustic pressures less than those required to induce cavitation in the treatment liquid. A resonator supplies ultrasonic or megasonic energy to the treatment fluid and is configured to create an interference pattern in the treatment fluid comprising regions of pressure amplitude minima and maxima at an interface of…
APPARATUS FOR TREATING A WAFER-SHAPED ARTICLE
Granted: January 10, 2013
Application Number:
20130008602
An apparatus for processing wafer-shaped articles comprises a closed process chamber, a chuck located within the closed process chamber, and at least one process liquid dispensing device disposed within the chamber. The closed process chamber comprises a lid that can be opened to position a wafer-shaped article within the closed process chamber. The lid incorporates a heater adapted to heat a wafer-shaped article positioned in the closed process chamber.
PHOTORESIST DOUBLE PATTERNING APPARATUS
Granted: January 3, 2013
Application Number:
20130000846
An apparatus for etching an etch layer formed on a substrate is provided. A first photoresist (PR) mask with first mask features is provided on the etch layer. The apparatus performs a process for providing a protective coating on the first PR mask. The process includes at least one cycle. Each cycle includes (a) a deposition phase for depositing a deposition layer over the surface of the first mask features using a deposition gas, and (b) a profile shaping phase for shaping the profile…
IN-SITU PHOTORESIST STRIP DURING PLASMA ETCHING OF ACTIVE HARD MASK
Granted: January 3, 2013
Application Number:
20130001754
A method for etching features in a silicon layer is provided. A hard mask layer is formed over the silicon layer. A photoresist layer is formed over the hard mask layer. The hard mask layer is opened. The photoresist layer is stripped by providing a stripping gas; forming a plasma with the stripping gas by providing a high frequency RF power and a low frequency RF power, wherein the low frequency RF power has a power less than 50 watts; and stopping the stripping gas when the photoresist…
PROTECTIVE LAYER FOR IMPLANT PHOTORESIST
Granted: December 27, 2012
Application Number:
20120328781
A method for implanting a dopant in a substrate is provided. A patterned photoresist mask is formed over the substrate, wherein the patterned photoresist mask has patterned photoresist mask features. A protective layer is deposited on the patterned photoresist mask by performing a cyclical deposition, wherein each cycle, comprises a depositing phase for depositing a deposition layer over surfaces of the patterned mask of photoresist material and a profile shaping phase for providing…
PLASMA CONFINEMENT RINGS HAVING REDUCED POLYMER DEPOSITION CHARACTERISTICS
Granted: December 27, 2012
Application Number:
20120325407
Plasma confinement ring assemblies are provided that include confinement rings adapted to reach sufficiently high temperatures on plasma-exposed surfaces of the rings to avoid polymer deposition on those surfaces. The plasma confinement rings include thermal chokes adapted to localize heating at selected portions of the rings that include the plasma exposed surfaces. The thermal chokes reduce heat conduction from those portions to other portions of the rings, which causes selected…
CRITICAL DIMENSION REDUCTION AND ROUGHNESS CONTROL
Granted: December 6, 2012
Application Number:
20120309201
A method for forming a feature in an etch layer is provided. A photoresist layer is formed over the etch layer. The photoresist layer is patterned to form photoresist features with photoresist sidewalls. A control layer is formed over the photoresist layer and bottoms of the photoresist features. A conformal layer is deposited over the sidewalls of the photoresist features and control layer to reduce the critical dimensions of the photoresist features. Openings in the control layer are…
GAS DISTRIBUTION SHOWERHEAD FOR INDUCTIVELY COUPLED PLASMA ETCH REACTOR
Granted: December 6, 2012
Application Number:
20120309204
A two piece ceramic showerhead includes upper and lower plates which deliver process gas to an inductively coupled plasma processing chamber. The upper plate overlies the lower plate and includes radially extending gas passages which extend inwardly from an outer periphery of the upper plate, axially extending gas passages in fluid communication with the radially extending gas passages and an annular recess forming a plenum between the upper and lower plates. The lower plate includes…
USE OF SPECTRUM TO SYNCHRONIZE RF SWITCHING WITH GAS SWITCHING DURING ETCH
Granted: December 6, 2012
Application Number:
20120309198
A method for etching features into an etch layer in a plasma processing chamber is provided. An optically timed deposition phase is provided comprising providing a flow of deposition phase gas, detecting the presence of deposition gas within the plasma processing chamber, providing RF energy for forming a plasma from the deposition phase gas in the plasma processing chamber, and stopping the flow of the deposition gas into the plasma processing chamber. An optically timed etching phase…
METHOD FOR PROVIDING HIGH ETCH RATE
Granted: December 6, 2012
Application Number:
20120309194
A method for etching features into an etch layer in a plasma processing chamber, comprising a plurality of cycles is provided. Each cycle comprises a deposition phase and an etching phase. The deposition phase comprises providing a flow of deposition gas, forming a plasma from the deposition gas in the plasma processing chamber, providing a first bias during the deposition phase to provide an anisotropic deposition, and stopping the flow of the deposition gas into the plasma processing…
GAS DISTRIBUTION SYSTEM FOR CERAMIC SHOWERHEAD OF PLASMA ETCH REACTOR
Granted: December 6, 2012
Application Number:
20120305190
A gas delivery system for a ceramic showerhead includes gas connection blocks and a gas ring, the gas connection blocks mounted on the gas ring such that gas outlets in the blocks deliver process gas to gas inlets in an outer periphery of the showerhead. The gas ring includes a bottom ring with channels therein and a welded cover plate enclosing the channels. The gas ring can include a first channel extending ½ the length of the gas ring, two second channels connected at midpoints…
Method and Apparatus for Detecting Plasma Unconfinement
Granted: December 6, 2012
Application Number:
20120305189
A method for detecting plasma unconfinement in a reaction chamber during a bevel edge cleaning operation is provided. The method initiates with selecting a wavelength associated with expected by products of a bevel edge clean process. The method includes cleaning the bevel edge area of a substrate and monitoring the intensity of the selected wavelengths during the cleaning for deviation from a threshold wavelength intensity. The cleaning is terminated if the deviation from the threshold…
SUBSTRATE FREEZE DRY APPARATUS AND METHOD
Granted: December 6, 2012
Application Number:
20120304483
An apparatus for freeze drying a substrate is provided. A chamber for receiving a substrate is provided. An electrostatic chuck (ESC) for supporting and electrostatically clamping the substrate is within the chamber. A temperature controller controls the temperature of the electrostatic chuck. A condenser is connected to the chamber. A vacuum pump is in fluid connection with the chamber.
